World View Helium Lamp
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 05.12.05
This is definitely a new take on the concept of minimal materials. PID's World View lamp forgoes the extra metal, plastic, or wood for a stand or base. Instead, the lamp supports itself on a helium-filled mylar balloon. Reel out more tether for a high or low light. Depending on your needs, the 35 LED lamp can be directed up for broad reflected light, or down for more focused task light. And with LED's as your source, you can look forward to low energy usage, and long bulb life. The only thing non-minimal about this beauty is the price -- over $800 US?!?!?! Maybe we'll just make our own.
:: World View lamp at PID [by DM]
I would expect this from one of those fluffy interior design blogs, not TH! One of my current benchmarks for sustainable furniture (besides the materials going into it being sustainable) is whether you would
a)buy it used on ebay or craigslist
b)pick it up off the street if you found it
c)be excited when your grandmother left it to you
This passes none of these criteria.