Solar tree installation at CDW

Another impressive installation at this year's Clerkenwell Design Week was the 'Solar Tree', designed by Ross Lovegrove and manufactured by Artemide.

The structure combined solar power with night LED lighting in London's St. John's Square during the week and provided visitors with a piece of urban furniture modelled on natural forms.

Comprising 20 'stems' which led to six leaf-like solar panels and four large LED lights, the installation functioned completely independently for up to three days and could feed energy back into the grid.

A great installation. Find out and see more on Design Boom.

images © Ashley Bingham (A&M photography)

New glass technique from Lasvit delivers organic flows

On display at Milan Design Week 2012, 'Liquidkristal' is a new glass technique developed by British designer Ross Lovegrove in collaboration with Czech glass and crystal producers Lasvit.

Using a high precision heat transfer process to create organic-like glass panels, this innovative product has been developed for use in large-scale architectural installations. The manufacturer says 'The system facilitates the precise forming of any mathematically describable design, and individual panels can showcase slightly 'shifted' versions of the model, creating the effect of an organically flowing pattern across a building or other large structure.'

This innovative production method lets designers or architects control the level of opacity of segments of glass, allowing the creation of spaces where features can be highlighted and others blended through a play of colour and light.

A very interesting development. Find out more here.