REFLECTIVE FLOW, QATAR

Designed for the breath-taking Al Hitmi office development in Doha, Qatar, Reflective Flow is a 126ft long, 20 tonne masterpiece.
Created from more than 2,300 individually hand-ground optical crystals and 165,000 LED lights, Reflective Flow is the largest interactive LED light sculpture in the world.
Suspended from a glass atrium 16m in the air, Reflective Flow snakes between two imposing office complexes. Reflective Flow is created from more than 2,300 individually hand-ground optical crystals, shrouded on both sides by high quality pieces of concaved glass, covered with a unique reflective mirror coating. Above and below each crystal are six LED lights individually controlled by a remote video based system developed by specialists LSI Saco Technologies. When light is introduced behind the glass, the unique mirror coating becomes either fully or semi -transparent allowing the sculpture to transform into an ever-changing stream of light.
This custom made technology allows each of the 2,300 modules to be controlled individually allowing innumerable colour and light variations to evolve. A huge range of abstract content can be displayed via the 165,000 LEDs housed in the optical crystals, which arrives through a system of fibre optics. The associated changes in light, shape or colour of the installation are triggered by external cues, such as the weather or the movement of passers-by or specifically programmed information.
Reflective Flow took more than a month to install and was completed in 2010.

Energy efficiency?
A key principle behind all Beau McClellan's work is his respect for the environment and all care is taken to ensure the latest in eco-friendly LED technology is incorporated into his work to increase its energy efficiency. For example, optical crystal is used to help magnify the strength of LEDs to avoid using too much energy. If all the colours are turned on full to obtain a white light it uses about the same amount of energy as x 70 (100 watt bulbs).

by Beau McClellan Design

Interview Konstantin Grcic at Qubique 2011

In this movie filmed by Dezeen at Qubique 2011, industrial designer Konstantin Grcic talks about Cape, his sofa for Established & Sons with a loose cover draped over the structure like a blanket that can be changed with the seasons.

Interview - Cetsaie 2011 - Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urquiola

Born in Spain in 1961, Patricia Urquiola graduated in Milan under Italian design legend Achille Castiglioni, who turned her focus from architecture to product design. She gained ten years of experience from the best in the sector before opening her own design office, which now employs more than 20 people – and has become a new star in the global design firmament.

Patricia Urquiola does not commit to a specific style.
Instead, she aims to evoke people's emotions and trigger associations by combining styles, shapes and references, re-interpreting them and giving them a new lease of life. It is no wonder that what matters to her is people's desire to spontaneously touch her designs.

Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners Unveil Plans for Solar-Powered LEED Gold Kuwait International Airport

Foster + Partners just announced they will be designing the new Kuwait International Airport - and they're aiming to make it the world's first LEED gold certified passenger terminal! The stunning design is sure to be an eye-catcher from both the ground and the sky, and it will raise the environmental bar for airports everywhere with a smart set of green features that will reduce the building's energy use and keep it cool in one of the hottest places on earth.