Chandelier Sheds Lights on Global Data

At first glance, the elaborate chandelier above the atrium at the new $100 million headquarters for the nonprofit Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is no more than a massive piece of decorative art.

In reality, CSIS’ Global Data Chandelier is an MIT alumni-developed interactive data map that can better help the center educate its visitors on global data like water scarcity in China or the geopolitical unrest in the Middle East.

When viewed from below, the chandelier’s 425 hanging pendants—each fixture is 6-18 inches in length—form a map of the world. Using LED lighting animation and a computerized data set, the map can display up-to-date global “data stories” like GDP growth rate, renewable water resources, and energy consumption.

The map is a creation of the art and technology studio Sosolimited, which was cofounded in 2003 by Justin Manor ’00, SM ’03; John Rothenberg ’02, SM ’07; and Eric Gunther ’00, MNG ’02. The studio specializes in interactive installations and live performances, including the Twitter-infused London Eye at the 2012 Summer Olympics and live deconstructions of the presidential debates between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

“It functions as a chandelier but if you look closer the lighting tells stories driven by real world data,” say Rothenberg. “If CSIS is hosting a panel on energy policy in the Asia or discussing the conflict in Syria, the chandelier can radiate from that point.”

According to their website, CSIS is a Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan think tank that conducts research and analysis and helps develop initiatives based around international policy, defense and security, regional stability, and challenges in energy, climate change, and global development. The center hosts more than 1,600 events each year.

“We wanted to develop a way to convey the spirit of CSIS,” Rothenberg says. “The chandelier’s goal is to both function as an artwork and also highlight the data sets researchers deal with on a daily basis.”

The chandelier, which was a three-year process and unveiled in late 2013, currently operates on data sets that can be updated quarterly. Rothenberg sees future opportunities to connect to real-time data.

“Our goal is to make it even more explanatory and educational,” he says. “We want to continue adding data stories and would love it if the chandler would automatically highlight countries if they are frequently mentioned in the news.”

MIT alumni Jeff Lieberman '00, SM '04, SM '06; Lauren McCarthy '08; and Samuel Kronick '10 also contributed to the project.