invisible streetlight

There are so many incredible things to see at Why Design Now? the National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt, but these Invisible Streetlights, from Korean designer Jongoh Lee, are one of my favorites. Conceived of as artificial leaves that can be wrapped around branches and other natural surroundings, Invisible Streetlights mingle with the tree's natural leaves during the day, all but disappearing into the foliage, while harnessing and storing sunlight. At night, they provide a poetic and unabtrusive alternative to traditional streetlights, which tend to be strictly functional and created for fixed, pre-determined heights. You can read more about Invisible Streetlights here, and for those of you unable able to visit the Cooper-Hewitt in person between now and January 9, 2011, you can check out all of the amazing designs from the Triennial on the exhibition's website, here.