Roots of Light

Decentralized Mini Museum for Culture

Roots of Light is a decentralized mini-museum system that brings cultural education to under-resourced communities by repurposing abandoned tree stumps as exhibition bases. It features solar-powered transparent chambers for displaying local artifacts and stories. Each modular unit serves as a learning hub during the day and a soft lighting landmark at night. The system creates a distributed network along community paths, making cultural education accessible, scalable, and low-cost, while combining decentralized design, renewable energy, and community participation.

JURY STATEMENT

By combining regenerative material reuse, solar-powered technology, and community-based storytelling, this work creates an inclusive cultural infrastructure that is both locally rooted and broadly scalable.

WINNER STATEMENT

This award is a meaningful encouragement for Roots of Light and our belief that cultural learning should not be limited by geography or resources. It inspires us to continue exploring how small, sustainable interventions can support education, dignity, and community memory.

UNIVERSITY

City University of Macau

Macau, CN

DESIGN

Jiang Xiao

City University of Macau