An evolutionary biologist and a highly experimental designer; he surpasses the boundaries of technology, architecture, design and science and beautifully gels them together into an aesthetically sound creation. This is Ross Lovegrove, the British Designer and creator of Solar Tree which will light up the street Ringstra�e outside Vienna’s MAK (Museum for Angewandte Kunste, which caters to both Applied and contemporary Arts) during Vienna Design Week on 8th October; a festival to celebrate design, nature and art. A tree line street, it is a solar powered street lighting system, engineered by Artemide in collaboration with Sharp Solar. 
The idea was to bring art and light to the Ringtrasse and Lovegrove came up with the concept of solar tree, made with the modern technology of pipe bending. In city’s urban landscape and fewer areas of natural growth, the ‘tree’ is self dependent for its energy needs through solar panels, and can be planted anywhere for various uses; whether for lighting or as a sculpture. It gives a sense of beauty to other wise barren urban landscape. The tree is symbolic. It is more than just a piece of art and technology put together. As a statement by Lovegrove studio explains:
The SOLAR TREES communicate more than light… they communicate the trust of placing beautifully made, complex natural forms outside for the benefit of all of society becoming a museum that if folded inside out, the museum as an incubator of change in society… and with this the promotion of environmental science and the joy of the new aesthetics made possible by the digital process.
As in nature this tree also gives some power to the people and they’ll be able to recharge laptops and mobile phones. The aim of the project is to provide nature in the form of industrial art to make us aware about the inevitable change that is about to come, a beautiful boulevard using advanced technology to celebrate nature in its biological form. Via: Techchee
