When you think of Hinduism, you probably don't think of suburban Lilburn, Georgia, yet it is home to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, at over 30,000 square feet the largest Hindu temple in the world outside of India. The beautiful temple was assembled from 34,000 pieces of Turkish limestone, Indian pink sandstone, and Italian Carrara marble hand-carved by some 1500 craftsmen in India, then shipped to Georgia, where about 900 volunteers put in over a million man-hours to bring the architects' vision to fruition (YT), at a cost of about US$19m. [more inside]
posted by notashroom on Aug 12, 2009 - 36 comments

Modern Furniture Designs. Innovative and unique furniture has twists and turns, literal and conceptual ways of breaking from contemporary conventions and modern regularity. These creative furniture designs go beyond merely innovative, crossing boundaries of industrial, furniture and architectural design, using new methods and materials along the way.
posted by netbros on Aug 9, 2009 - 15 comments

I might be doing some more-serious-than-snapshot photography soon, so I figured I'd better read up on how to balance my whites. [more inside]
posted by device55 on Jan 10, 2009 - 22 comments

Beautifully Lit Trees : Nothing to do with Christmas. [via]
posted by grapefruitmoon on Nov 30, 2008 - 17 comments

This web site details how to construct a high performance bicycle lighting system. Also contains information on bells, horns, dynamo powered lights, and other safety devices (Warning! This site contains a small fair amount of nudity!)
posted by furtive on Jul 17, 2007 - 19 comments

It's not you, it's your apartment. Is your awful decor interfering with your love life? Maybe this lighting tutorial can help.
posted by hydrophonic on Apr 10, 2007 - 37 comments

Hybrid solar lighting is here. Happier employees and spendier mall shoppers are on the horizon. HSL basics. Direct savings comes from reduced electrical demand during peak hours, reduced cooling costs of conventional lighting, and eliminating the heat and maintenance costs of skylights. Call for the price.
posted by Brian B. on Mar 9, 2007 - 34 comments

The steampunky lighting designs of Frank Buchwald. Courtesy of the ever-delightful Tinkergirl at Brass Goggles (alerted by Mr Pfeifer, Mr Lemieux and Mr Hildebrandt), prepared to be awed by Frank Buchwald's skill and imagination. Release your inner mad scientist. See how he makes them from steel and brass and glass. My favourite may well be this one. (It's all in German, but that's no problem, right? Just look at the pictures like I did.)
posted by No Mutant Enemy on Feb 9, 2007 - 18 comments

Electrical lighting conspiracy theories can be paranoid, downright bizarre, or actually pretty reasonable.
posted by nthdegx on Aug 5, 2005 - 27 comments

Resources for lighting designers and enthusiasts: The Lighting Wiki; [extensive] Glossary of Lighting Terminology (and another); Lighting Design Resources (inc. "Fun with Light"; and Professional Lighting Resources.
posted by nthdegx on Feb 16, 2005 - 4 comments

The end of the light bulb? E. Fred Schubert, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute "claims to have invented a 99-percent efficient reflector that promises to speed the replacement of light bulbs with LEDs." According to researchers, this could happen within the next five years. The current prototype is bankrolled by the ARPA and The National Science Foundation "recently award Schubert's team a $210,000 grant to create in three years a commercial version of his patented omnidirectional reflector."

"Schubert claimed that lighting accounts for 25 percent of U.S. electrical energy consumption. Since white LEDs emit more light per dollar and generate less unwanted heat, they are potentially a major energy saver." (see EE Times link)

Meanwhile, some of the oldtimers seem to be pretty refractory.
posted by tcp on Jul 24, 2004 - 10 comments

The Vos Pas is an apartment that it's owner has lit entirely with LEDs. More here.
posted by ukamikanasi on Jan 10, 2004 - 18 comments

New York City Lights Design Competition (via Gothamist). What are the existing examples of urban illumination that impress? Are there unused designs or interesting ideas from art and movies floating around?
posted by liam on Jan 6, 2004 - 13 comments

High Tec Shadow Play 'In Rotterdam, Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer used two 7000 watt lamps to create 1200 square metres of projected images which were overlayed by the shadows of passer-by's. A computer based tracking system monitored the shadows. Once the shadows matched the projected image, a new image (or "scene") was triggered. ' An impressive (if extravagant) bit of public art (QuickTime)
posted by rolo on Jan 31, 2003 - 15 comments