iGuzzini Urban LED Street Lighting

This is a great video produced by lighting manufactures and designers iGuzzini. Although the video is aimed at the promotion of iGuzzini it explains the importance of urban lighting and how LEDs - light emitting diodes are becoming the new must have luminary, not only for the design world because of the LEDs flexibility. But as a replacement of many standard street and urban lighting. The LED is changing the cities nocturnal perception. Creating better light efficiency a higher quality of light and changing the form of conventional street lighting. The video also explains how Lighting is a tool that changes between cities and cultures changing in forms, contrasts, colours, ideology and movement of an urban metropolis.

Natural Light

Once again I have found inspirational videos on TED. Both videos are based on natural lighting and how it effects all life. The first video is presented by Edith Widder and is based on lighting within the natural underwater world. Although the information in the video is based predominantly on the biology of deep sea creatures I believe all design even lighting design can be influenced by nature. Often nature is the first and finest at creating techniques and methods.

The second video talks about the sleep cycle and how lighting effects us, and how beings have adapted and evolved with internal clocks. These internal clocks are what help us wake and sleep, and as mentioned in the video this internal clock sets itself on lighting. Sleep is one of the most important routines that we have to make. Within the modern context of most large conurbations sleep is being lost due to many factors including poor lighting and light trespassing. With good lighting design the natural cycle of light can be created with minimal impact.

Frosted Incandescent Bulbs

Recent European guidelines have banned the use of frosted incandescent bulbs. These new regulations where set in place on the 2nd of September 2009, but it is still relatively unknown. The ban includes 60 watt pearl bulbs and 25-40 watt opaque golf ball and candle bulbs used for every day use such as desk lamps. It has been made illegal to sell and import the bulbs into Europe. But its possibly not illegal to manufacture them or export them outside of Europe? The incandescent bulb is being fazed out and replaced by the more energy efficient bulbs such as the compact fluorescent bulb. These bulbs can use up to a fifth less energy but don't produce such a brilliant colour and light. Manufactures have already started producing energy efficient bulbs that look like the traditional incandescent bulbs, but without the energy consumption. Many people have been annoyed with the new changes but bulbs are constantly changing and being developed. LEDs are reported to explode on to the market with the next ten years with new technologies and developments. LEDs produce a much better light and colour temperature than fluorescent bulbs, and can last much longer up to 50,000 hours. LEDs a currently still more expensive than the compact fluorescent bulb. But I am sure once fully developed they will replace fluorescent bulbs and incandescent bulbs will soon be long forgotten.

Until then a German designer called Ingo Maurer has launched the Euro Condom. The opaque condom fits over regular clear incandescent bulbs which aren't part of the ban despite reacquiring the same energy consumption. Once fitted the bulb will produce a light similar to that of the frosted incandescent bulb. The Euro Condom is made from a thin heat resistant silicone. Although I would love to see this on the market it was produced mostly to promote the Recent European guidelines.

Images sourced from http://www.dezeen.com/

Eadweard Muybridge

Kingston Museum is currently hosting a exhibition of Eadweard Muybridge’s work. Eadweard Muybridge born in Kingston Upon Thames in 1830 is regarded as one of the greatest photographic pioneers of all time. He ended up emigrating to San francisco where he opens a book shop. He later ends up traveling back to England after having a serious carriage accident. This is where he learns how to become a photographer. With his new skills he travels back to america where he records the development of the great west, and the beauty of Yosemite and Yellowstone. His early work is the area of work that I find the most beautiful and haunting as they show the development of a country, the people building it and those native adapting to the changes. The landscapes are untouched and expansive.

Eadweard Muybridge’s most famous work is of the galloping horse. Eadweard Muybridge was commissioned to take this photo by Leland Stanford a railroad tycoon and founder of Stanford university in California. Leland Stanford apparently had a bet whether all four horse’s hooves left the ground at the saw time. So Muybridge was hired to take the photo which was no mean feet. Muybridge ended up setting up a series of cameras with strings attached. When the horse ran past it would catch on the string triggering the cameras. which proved that horses hooves do leave the ground in a series of images. Eadweard Muybridge has become also very famous for developing a projector called a Zoopraxiscope which he created some of the earliest stop motion cinematography with. Muybridge later carried on his work showing the movement and structure of animals and people at the University of Pennsylvania. His work helped inspire many artist such as degas and Francis Bacon.

He later died in Kingston Upon Thames in which he left his own personal collection to the people of Kingston. The collection is on display in collaboration with Tate Britain which is also hosting a exhibition on Muybridge’s work.

Images Sourced form
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/corcoran/42046/
http://www.histoire-image.org/site/zoom/zoom.php?i=454&oe_zoom=735
http://www.offscreenmagazine.co.uk/?p=35

Landscape Photographer of the Year

The landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition is currently on at the National Theatre in the South Bank. The exhibition doesn't contain every image that you can find in the book that is printed in conjunction with the competition but there is a large selection of great images. The photo above is the overall winner of the landscape Photographer of the Year competition. The image is of Corfe Castle in Wareham, Dorset, England taken by Antony Spencer. The castle was ruined in 1646 during the civil war. But is now managed by the National Trust. The exhibition is free admission and is open Monday - Saturday from 9.30am - 11pm and is on until the 16th of January.

Image Sourced from http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/news/504382/landscape-photographer-of-the-year-announced.html

Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor currently has new instillations in Hyde Parks Kensington Gardens. There are a serious of mirrored sculptures doted around the gardens some of which are surprising hard to find without a map hence my images of one of the instillations. I recommend seeing these sculptures early in the day when there is the best light and also preferably on a sunny day. Although the snow did add a great element to the sculptures surface. Despite the weather and with evening drawing in the beauty of these sculptures is how even a grey cold day can bring the surface to life projecting its context out to the viewer. The sky mirrors facade constantly changed reflecting birds in the sky, and even the grey clouds seemed inspirational when seen from a different perspective.

Barclays Cycle Hire

Barclays Cycle Hire was only introduced to London three months ago but has already seen 1.5 million journeys taken with them in central London and over 100,000 people sign up to the project. Transport for London have recently announced that the project has been such a success that it is going to be extended to surrounding boroughs of central London. These include Tower Hamlets, and North Shoreditch in the Borough of Hackney. An extra 2,000 bikes will be added as well as an further 4,200 docking bays. The final number of rental bikes will be 8,000 with 14,400 bays. The final project will cover 65km2 of central london and is available to any Londoner who signs up. This project is much more successful than I ever imagined as there were many skeptics of the project. With fears of theft and vandalism.

When I visited Barcelona I was very jealous of their bike scheme that has been part of Barcelona for many years and is very successful. But with the newest numbers from Transport for London I am now happy to say that London's seems just as successful. The bikes aren't free to use costing 12 pence a day for access to a bike if you buy the annual membership which costs £45. But with a further charge added on for length of usage which can cost up to £50 if the bike is used for the full 24hours. But I can imagine most Londoners will only use it for and about an hour which costs £1. They are available 24 hours a day all year.

London’s Olympic View Tube

The View Tube is a social and community based centre built upon a small evaluation over looking the London Olympic development. The centre has been built from recycled shipping containers which houses educational facilities, an art space, information points and a café with extensive panoramic views over the development. To access the centre you have to walk through twisting corridors that lead you through parts of the development. The View Tube is a partnership project between Leaside Regeneration, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, the Olympic Delivery Authority and Thames Water. The View Tube is a must see in london, located by Pudding Mill Lane station on the DLR (Docklands Light Rail). The centre also offers cycle hire allowing you to pick up a bike and cycle along parts of the national cycle network. Providing great views of the site, and of the surrounding areas such as the Lea Valley which the Olympic site is situated in. The Lea valley is a nationally and internationally recognized beauty spot and important nature reserve in London. The river Lea which runs through the Lea Valley connects many nature reserves and reservoirs making it the biggest green network in london stretching 26 miles.

http://www.theviewtube.co.uk/home.html