Lotus Flower Reading Nook – Bioinspiration

The lotus flower looks so clean and pure when it emerges from the murky pond to reveal its inner mystery.

In the religions of Buddhism and Hinduism the flower is linked to purity and beauty. Ancient Egyptians scholars observed that in the night-time the lotus closed its flowers and sank into the water so they linked the flowers to rebirth and the Sun.

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Today, the lotus flower’s micro/rough surface has inspired many new innovations where the flowers ability to repel dust and dirt particles have been explores, for example, paint and spacesuits and solar array panels.

Photo: Wikipeia

The beautiful flower has also inspired architects who have designed futuristic flower towers. And even a whole Lotus Flower City.

Photo: Hrama

Inspired by all this we made a Lotus Flower Reading Nook where the petals open and close depending upon the weather.

To get the shape of the petals right we used the video below “How to draw a flower – Lotus”.

For more ideas about how to inspire children to l build and making things by using nature as inspire, check out this booklet. Here ideas such as how to use an ant as inspiration to build a huge garbage machine is explored.

Happy designing and building!