Month: August 2009

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blade runner for real: kumho asiana headquarters

Brad Koerner

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1982’s Blade Runner vividly depicted a dystopian future for Los Angeles 2019.  Back in 1982, massive multi-story video screens on the sides of buildings were extremely far-fetched sci-fi, something only the film industry could visualize.

Well, the future has arrived right on time.  Skyscraper-sized video screens are now available, even common.  Sorry, no flying cars or humanoid replicants just yet…but hey, there are still ten years to go until 2019.

The Kumho Asiana Group Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea opened in 2008 with a massive 15m x 94m low-res exterior video screen using Element Labs Versa Ray.  What struck me was how close the above image resembled the famous shot from the movie.

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Creative Manufacturers, Future LightingLeave a comment

corian: not just your countertop anymore

Brad Koerner

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Dupont, with their Corian line, has seemingly done more in the past few years to promote creative new approaches to lighting than any of the major lighting conglomerates.

Corian has a few major advantages:  Its malleability allows it to be formed in a myriad of shapes and continuous surfaces; its durability and repairability allow it to be used a primary finished surface; and its translucency allows designers to integrate lighting features seamlessly into surfaces.

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gkd metal fabrics: media mesh

Brad Koerner

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GKD Metal Fabrics is a supplier of interwoven metal meshes for large-scale architectural use.

GKD Mediamesh, a metal fabric product with integral LED video system, is an excellent example of the integration of green design + digital media in architecture.  The walls can be used as architectural sun screens, cutting down on the solar heat load entering a building, while simultaneously retaining the views from inside the building and acting as a video screen from the outside.

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sci-fi no more: 3d printing suppliers

Brad Koerner

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Let’s say you want to create your own light fixture.  If you can model in 3D, then having rapid prototypes machined or printed has become incredibly easy and relatively cheap to do.  It opens up an entire new world of possibilities for designers, especially those of installation art or projects that are “pushing the edge of the envelope.”

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