Though we don’t know if Singapore’s Iluma retail center needed any sprucing up, it certainly got some in the form of flashing, hexagonal lights. The “Crystal Mesh” project was created by Berlin-based art and architecture studio realities:united, and showed a public demonstration last month. Covering a total area of 5,180 square meters, the “crystal elements” are made of  a translucent, polycarbonate hull and an aluminum back plate. Between these layers, some of the crystals have one to seven individually-controllable light sources, while others are left dim to create the layered appearance seen above. Crystal Mesh will open in full, along with an artistic program at the center, in December. [via Daily Tonic]

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Designed by a group of South Korean designers that includes Min-Goo Kim, Yun-Jin Chang and Su-Eun Park, this smart self-powered wheelchair concept uses a generator powered by manual wheel motion to produce and store electricity. An electrical coil and magnets contained within the wheel hub generate electricity throughout the day, which is then stored and put to use to light the LED lights at night.  An LCD display shows how much power is left, though it’s awkwardly-placed on the outside of the hub. The purpose is to create a safer journey after the sun sets. [via The Design Blog]

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If you thought white Tyvek was only good for wrapping up houses under construction, check out the Phrena, a lamp by U.S. designer Karl Zahn. This is his first design for Artecnica, a Los Angeles-based curator of furniture, accessories and craftwork. When resting on the ground, the Phrena’s petals lay perfectly flat, but they blossom into a bouquet of light filters when lifted up and hung from a ceiling. Zahn’s inspiration was the “simplicity of opening a book,” as “the pages of this light work together to create perfect symmetry.” There’s no word on pricing or availability, as the Phrena hasn’t yet appeared in Artecnica’s online store. [Artecnica via DesignBoom]

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The design team at Alienology have revealed a new series of symmetrically-inspired lamps entitled “Bloom”. Crafted using digital manufacturing techniques that involve laser and water-jet cuts, these progressive designs are constructed from eurolite plywood, hardboard with a soft acrylic finish. Available as either a table lamp or pendant lamp, this blossoming shape hides a 40W spiral energy efficient light bulb, takes about 10 – 15 minutes to assemble and requires no glue to construct.  We’ll take one of each, thanks! [via IDS]

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Looking at the Light Drop wall lamps above, do you think about the way humans are handling water and other natural resources? That’s the intent behind Rafael Morgan’s project, which essentially equates water with energy. As you’d expect, the tap on top of each faucet controls a dimmable LED light, providing more brightness the more you twist. It’s a clever concept, but I can’t help but see this as a faucet of mucus. Either way, it looks neat at first glance. You can apparently get the award-winning Light Drop (third prize in Design Boom’s Bright LED international design competition) from Wever & Ducre, though I don’t see the design on the store’s Web site. [via Industrial Design Served]

Perfect for those that want a lamp to illuminate their room and serve as a dedicated reading lamp at the same time, Oliver Schick’s Lumix provides a two-part lighting apparatus that can be controlled by the homeowner to provide exactly the right type and amount of light. With top and bottom bulbs separated by a divider, the lamp can shine upward to provide a little room lighting or illuminate a piece of wall art, downward to provide a directed path of light for reading, or both. The two-zone lampshade helps to deliver the exact type of light that you need for each application–soft ambient light for the top and a warmer, more directional light below. [via Yanko] Continue Reading

Graffiti is one of the true anomalies of modern urban living: on one hand, no one wants it anywhere near their apartment building or neighborhood, but on the other, one can’t help but stare and enjoy the sheer dexterity and skill with which some graffiti is sprayed. Aissa Logerot’s Halo breaks through this anomaly and provides a tool by which graffiti artists can express themselves in a cleanlier format: light. As an  aerosol-style LED light writing device, the Halo is a logical transition for any graffiti artist. The resulting artwork can be documented on camera rather than concrete, providing the beauty of graffiti, without the ensuing mess and societal detraction. The artist can adjust the color and brightness as needed, and recharge the battery by shaking. In the future, perhaps we’ll see building walls and old, run-down utility vans covered in tacked photos rather than paint. [via aissalogerot.com] Continue Reading

It was not haphazardly that German designer Frank Buchwald crafted a set of 12 menacing “Machine Lights.” He says that he work on them for 10 years, during which time the fixtures have taken on a life of their own. It certainly looks that way from the burnished steel and brushed glass machinations, whose power runs through flexible brass tubes. Each object includes up to 200 individual parts, including a hand-made globe, and emits 230 V of a mysterious yellow haze. Interested? Enquire with Buchwald himself, who crafts the lights in very small quantities. Each one takes at least four weeks to build. [Frank Buchwald via BB Gadgets]

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Think you’re doing good for the environment by shutting the lights off when you leave a room? You are, but it’s all being undone by high-powered street lamps that light up neighborhoods at all hours of the evening. Urban Green Energy has designed a street lamp that operates on wind and solar, and they look more stylish than the average metal pole. In ideal conditions, the lights generate 380 W of power, extra energy is stored in a battery for all those dead-still summer nights. The company is reportedly in talks with a city in China — which one isn’t disclosed — so this idea could become reality sooner than you think. [via Inhabitat]

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