Solar urban furniture

Complied by Leah Linhares

Photography: Courtesy Mathieu Lehanneur

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French designer, Mathieu Lehanneur proposes to transform global cities to green cities with solar-powered street furniture…

 

In line with his passion for combining design, science, technology and art, award-winning industrial designer Mathieu Lehanneur has launched his first urban lighting street furniture collection ‘Clover’ urging the weary passers-by to ‘break and recharge’. 

 

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Known for creating projects that take on a humanistic approach, Mathieu’s new project is a follow-up to his 2012 creation -Digital Break that plays on the same note (i.e. urban development furniture), which aims at achieving optimum well being, whilst enhancing everyday life. The solar urban furniture is a series of ‘trees’ that encompasses energy, function and material;  in other words - a ‘hybrid object par excellence, combining light and seating, wood and solar panels’.

 

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Characterized as a ‘new living species’ by the designer – Clover is carved from a wooden mast comprising a floor lamp and bench that appears cut and polished at the hands of a craftsman; rather, it is digitally machined using an unprecedented industrial process that allows the designer to blend different species of wood together. Further, the Clover bench is designed to be adaptable and extendable – reaching over 15 meters in length, if required. 

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Featuring large aluminum domes, Clover releases downward LED light that minimizes light pollution and energy loss. An additional dome facing upward is equipped with solar panels to produce enough energy to power the lamps for three hours. This piece of street furniture is also equipped with a small hatch that allows passers-by to charge their smart phones.

 

Clover was launched in November 2015 to coincide with COP21, United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris.