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0 sats \ 11 replies \ @kr OP 21h \ parent \ on: Street Lights Don’t Have To Be Ugly Design
the first light has exposed wires dangling off of it and the supporting beam is held together by a thin metal clip.
i wouldn’t describe the design as elegant or the materials as high quality.
That metal band is a stainless steel compression band. They're extremely strong and last forever; I've never seen one break. Also, structurally it makes for an elegant way to support the light: think through how the loads are resolved.
I like the exposed wires. It's an honest detail to what it actually is and how it works.
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I count 9 different bands on this front light, is it still “elegant” if they’re scattered all over the pole?
Some don’t even appear to be supporting anything.
Do you believe the world would be a more beautiful place if all wires for all electronics were dangling outside all of our devices?
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There's also two steel bands on the imitation antique in the background. None of which appear to be actually doing anything.
I think those steel bands look ridiculous on that imitation antique. While on the concrete pole, they look appropriate.
Also, imagine how silly that antique would look if you attached the modern "WATCH FOR CHILDREN" sign to it.
Do you believe the world would be a more beautiful place if all wires for all electronics were dangling outside all of our devices?
Yes. There's an appropriate amount of infrastructure to show off in the right circumstances, and overall I think we show off too little.
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There's also two steel bands on the imitation antique in the background. None of which appear to be actually doing anything.
yeah they should be removed, they detract from the beauty of the lantern
I think those steel bands look ridiculous on that imitation antique. While on the concrete pole, they look appropriate.
This wood pole further down the same street uses the same modern lamp design, without any bands.
Do you still think they’re honest and elegant?
Also, imagine how silly that antique would look if you attached the modern "WATCH FOR CHILDREN" sign to it.
i also agree here, the sign is ugly and wouldn’t fit in.
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Do you still think they’re honest and elegant?
Yes! The steel bands are used on the concrete pole because drilling into concrete is more difficult than using a steel band. For the wooden pole, you can easily use screws, which that light almost certainly does.
That's actually a great example of the design being true to what the materials are.
i also agree here, the sign is ugly and wouldn’t fit in.
But these days signs are required, and they have standardized designs. You can't avoid them. What you can do is have a design where they fit in. And faux-antique doesn't work that well for that.
Same thing with the steel bands on the faux-antique pole. They got added for a reason...
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Yes! The steel bands are used on the concrete pole because drilling into concrete is more difficult than using a steel band.
Look closely.
The concrete pole from my original post has holes drilled in it too.
Is it still honest and elegant to drill holes all over the pole and then apply a patchwork of metal bands to the same pole?
For the wooden pole, you can easily use screws, which that light almost certainly does. That's actually a great example of the design being true to what the materials are.
Look closely again.
The wooden pole’s screws go through the entire pole and are fastened with metal on the opposite side.
If the wood pole were “being true to what the materials are”, why pass the screw through the entire thing and fasten it externally on the opposite side?