Transmaterial » light

Portal

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:00:57 +0000

In architecture, a doorway represents the transition from one space to another. Portal visually displays this moment of transition as a two-dimensional plane penetrated by light. As viewers watch light pass through the diffuser screen, clean lines become blurred and diffuse. Designed by James Clar, Portal celebrates the concept of a spatial threshold with abstract lines of light that travel back and forth through a door, effectively “bouncing” around a room. In addition, an integrated motion sensor detects the presence of visitors and the emitters select a random color palette for the light.

Contact: Traffic Design Gallery, Dubai, UAE.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Softwall LED

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:00:14 +0000

Softwall + Softblock is a modular, space-shaping system of expandable/compressible honeycomb seating, partitions, and lighting conceived from the desire for flexible, spontaneous spacemaking. Opening a Softwall + Softblock element is a captivating tactile experience, as the honeycomb unfolds to create a completely freestanding structure that is hundreds of times larger than its compressed form. Softwall + Softblock forms can be resized and rearranged into almost any shape.

Softwall LED, a luminous version of Softwall + Softblock, is an integrated lighting system as flexible as its counterpart, with LED ribbons of light adjusting to changes in the wall’s length and movement. Softwall LED has a soft, even glow that emphasizes the visual delicacy of the translucent textile fibers and visually enhances the expansion, contraction, and fluid movement of these completely flexible, freestanding partitions. Softwall + Softblock elements of various heights, materials, and colors all connect to one another simply and seamlessly with concealed magnets to create continuous lengths.

Contact: Molo Design, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Light Tape

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:00:52 +0000

Light Tape lamps alter one’s preconceptions about point based light sources. Imagine a lightbulb as thin as a credit card in any color that can be bent around any surface for hundreds and hundreds of feet, and that costs only a fraction of what traditional bulbs cost to operate. Developed by Electro-LuminX, Light Tape is made from Global Tungsten & Powders’s light-emitting phosphors and Honeywell’s encapsulant systems, and may be used for general illumination, signage, and animated displays.

Contact: Electro-LuminX Lighting Corporation, Chester, VA, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Flip

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:00:01 +0000

The Flip light is a fun and tactile new luminaire that changes color when it rotates. With no cords to tie it down, this soft rubber sphere is made for the hands as well as the desk. An equilibrium sensor invented by NONdesigns enables every movement of the fixture to be reflected chromatically in its glow. Playing with a Flip light enables the user to find any color in the spectrum of visible light by simply rolling it, tossing it and spinning it, creating animations of light that respond to the interactions taking place.

Contact: NONdesigns, LLC, Los Angeles, CA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Dune

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:00:01 +0000

The Dune Project projects a vision of a techno-centric nature and its creative application within public space. Viewers look at, walk around, and interact with a large, undulating field of light-emitting tubes.

Designed by Studio Roosegaarde, Dune is an interactive landscape which responds to the location and behavior of people. This natural-technological hybrid is represented by large numbers of fibers that are brightened according to the sound and motion of passing visitors. Studio Roosegaarde completed a recent installation of Dune which is 40 meters long and filled with interactive lights and sounds.

Contact: Studio Roosegaarde, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Light Clip

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:32:30 +0000

Light Clip is an escape-route indicator that attaches directly to fluorescent bulbs or tube lights as well as their fixtures. Unlike traditional emergency signage, translucent Light Clips are designed to be unobtrusive during daylight hours or in well-lit conditions. This feature complies with S. Lövenstein BV’s concept of “hidden safety,” which refers to an autonomously operating, maintenance-free evacuation guidance system that is only noticed when needed.

At the event of a sudden electrical failure, a track of bright-glowing Light Clips indicates the shortest path to emergency exits, saving valuable evacuation time and minimizing panic. Light Clips are located near light sources, which ensures maximum afterglow. Light Clips are available in various shapes, including arrows, discs, and strips.

Contact: S. Lövenstein BV, Terborg, The Netherlands.
Find more information in Transmaterial 2.

Tiled Wall

Blaine Brownell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:54 +0000

Made of ceramic tiles projecting from an illuminated background, Rogier Sterk’s Tiled Wall offers users an opportunity to play with light. Each tile is attached to a mechanism that allows it to be pressed and released. A tile left untouched appears to be lit only around the edges. Once a tile is pressed, however, the underlying light shines across its surface, emitting a reflection. The amount of light emitted is therefore determined by the position of the tiles.

Contact: Rogier Sterk, Arnheim, The Netherlands.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Split Block

Blaine Brownell — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:29 +0000

The Split Block represents the exploration of transformation and reconfigurability with a light sculpture. At first glance, it appears to be a simple cuboid form with a stainless steel exterior. When opened along the split, however, the steel block reveals illuminated planes and a glowing interior. The Split Block may be reconfigured in different positions and can even be turned inside out, transforming itself into a fractured luminous prism.

Contact: Korban/Flaubert, St. Peters, NSW, Australia.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

EXIT

Blaine Brownell — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:00:55 +0000

EXIT is a custom exit light produced for the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas, where fortytwo fixtures are installed. Interloop A/D designed and fabricated the exit lights, working directly with engineers, fabricators, UL technicians, and the graphic design firm 2×4. In keeping with city, state, and federal safety standards, every emergency light fixture must undergo extensive testing by the Underwriter Laboratories Testing Center to meet a wide range of design criteria. These stringent technical requirements typically thwart innovation by limiting new design, requiring the exclusive use of existing UL approved components.

With EXIT the majority of electronics are detached from the lamp itself so that the acrylic letters E-X-I-T and the minimal stainless steel brackets are the only visible elements. This approach was achieved by using a low-voltage light emitting diode (LED) configuration and light-gauge wiring so that the power source could be installed remotely, up to twenty feet from the light fixture. The letters were detached and given a thickness by milling acrylic to produce a lens with a structural shape. Custom circuit boards and stainless steel backing plates were then laminated to this translucent lens to create a stable diaphragm, eliminating the need for large enclosures or heavy brackets.

Contact: Interloop Architecture, Houston, TX, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Lightfader

Blaine Brownell — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:00:50 +0000

When a pedestrian walks across Rogier Sterk’s interactive light floor, his or her weight displaces fluid contained within the panel system, leaving “light prints” for about one minute after contact. The system may be constructed as an independent floor and can perform without the built-in light. In this configuration, footprints allow light within an upper space to be visible from below.

Contact: TAL, Pittem, Belgium.
Find more information in Transmaterial.