LA unveils “superbloom” streetlights

Los Angeles will gradually replace 180,000 of its streetlights with a new bouquet-inspired design by local studio Project Room.

The reimagined lamp post features a bundle of tubes with a dedicated pipe for each service, such as roadway lights, pedestrian lights and telecommunications equipment.

The  Superbloom design, which is the winner of the LA Lights the Way competition to create a new standard streetlight for the city, allows for additional features such as 5G or electric vehicle charging hardware to be added as needed.

Led by the Mayor’s Office and the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL), the competition asked applicants to consider how streetlights can incorporate new technology, include space for text on each pole, and provide shade.

Family of forms

Over 100 entries were judged by a panel of six experts in design, lighting and public infrastructure.

“The Project Room design was the clear standout for the members of the jury,” said Christopher Hawthorne, Chief Design Officer, City of Los Angeles. “What’s most impressive about it is that it’s not a single, fixed design but instead a family of forms that can be reconfigured in nearly endless ways. That adaptability will serve to future-proof the design, giving it flexibility in accommodating new technology as it arrives.”

Project Room will receive US$70,000 for winning the competition and the design will gradually replace the 180,000 standard streetlights across the city. Streetlights in historic styles will not be affected. BSL manages around 223,000 streetlights overall and installs 1,000 to 2,000 standard streetlights each year.

Sandy Yum, Project Room co-founder, said: “LA Lights the Way challenged us to create a new streetlight for Los Angeles that would connect to our city’s design history and culture, incorporate new technology, and still reflect LA’s diversity. We are delighted that the City of LA took this historic opportunity to reimagine its core systems as a symbol of this diversity, rather than an expression of ordered uniformity. In this way, it can truly become an icon of the city of Los Angeles. At a time of great cultural and civic transformation, the streetlight is an ever-changeable monument to an ever-changing city.”

Images: Project Room