Expressing Lightness in a Courtyard of Grand Architecture

For the past two years at Milan Salone, Panasonic has abstractly represented major themes related to our lives, such as the global environment and energy. This year, they have shifted focus, conceiving an installation based on concepts closer to actual residential living, using housing materials, equipment, electrical components, and lighting fixtures. They presented a new space in symbiosis with nature, merging Panasonic's latest technology with the wisdom of Japan's traditional living culture.

This year's exhibition design is handled by Trau Architects, active in a wide range of fields including architecture, installations, and interiors. Together with Panasonic, they present advanced design and the future of living.

Koichi Suzuno of Trau Architects states, "We participated from the site selection stage this time and requested to exhibit in the courtyard of Milan University. The main exhibit is a house-shaped object composed of 10 sliding doors across four walls. The sliding doors and LED lighting create a sense of lightness within the grand architecture of the courtyard through their varied movements."

He continues, "In sync with the breathing motion of the sliding doors, LED bulbs resembling plants and the LED lighting along the surrounding colonnade, along with projections illuminating the house's ceiling, create an installation that can be experienced throughout the entire courtyard."

Visitors cannot enter the courtyard itself, but can view the exhibition by walking around the colonnade.

The Nature of Homes is Changing

Japanese homes have a long history of skillfully incorporating the benefits of nature, such as allowing comfortable breezes to flow and soft sunlight to enter, and enjoying scenery, by utilizing sliding doors like fusuma and shoji.

While demand for hinged doors was high in modern homes, demand for sliding doors has recently increased, and houses that effectively use them are becoming more common. Panasonic's installation this year responds to these needs with added sophistication. The house-shaped object, designed with living spaces in mind, brings out the performance of sliding doors within the extraordinary setting of Milan University.

This exhibition presents a hybrid of "passive" energy management, embodied by sliding doors that open spaces to natural benefits like pleasant breezes and light, and close them against heat or cold, and "active" energy management elements like LED lighting that simultaneously enhance spatial value and save energy through lighting tailored to lifestyles. It proposes a new relationship between homes, human life, and nature as "SLIDING NATURE."

Only 1300 Watts Used in the Courtyard and Colonnade!

Shinya Kamuro of Trau Architects explains, "In our actual residential designs, we don't consider sliding doors as mere fittings, but as 'moving walls,' using them as devices to dynamically transform spaces. Additionally, in an adjacent venue, we are exhibiting products that cannot be touched in the courtyard, as well as kitchen-related items. Furthermore, a special version of our 'Air Vase' is on display, and the staging that makes the space appear light is also a highlight."

The LED lighting throughout the venue offers flexible control over dimming and color, playing a central role in creating a life-form-like ambiance, especially at night. 175 LED lights are used in the courtyard and 120 in the colonnade. At the venue entrance, 50 pendant lights from the surface-emitting LED lighting fixture 'Paneluna' are arranged, allowing visitors to experience interactive dimming. Despite the sophisticated control, the total power consumption is 1300 watts, equivalent to three hairdryers. This brings a sense of reality to the concept of a breathing house managed by energy efficiency.

Exhibition Concept | SLIDING NATURE
Dates | April 7 (Mon) - 13 (Sun), 2014, 9:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Venue | INTERNI: FEEDING NEW IDEAS FOR THE CITY
Università degli Studi di Milano: Cortile Farmacia
Courtyard of Pharmacy, Milan University
(via Festa del Perdono, 7 – Milano)

Inquiries
Panasonic Eco Solutions Company, Publicity & Public Relations Group
General Planning Team
Tel. 06-6908-1131 (Main) Reception 8:45 AM - 5:30 PM
http://panasonic.net/milanosalone

Trau Architects
Founded in 2004 by Koichi Suzuno and Shinya Kamuro. They continue to work based on architectural thinking, engaging in a wide range of activities including architectural design, interior design for shops, exhibition space design, product design, and participation in spatial installations and film production.

Notable works include "Template in Klasca," "NIKE 1LOVE," "House in Kohoku," "Air Vase," and "Gulliver Table." Their "Light Loom (Canon Milano Salone 2011)" was awarded the Grand Prize at the Elita Design Award as the most outstanding exhibition during the event. They published "The Book of Air Vase" (Bijutsu Shuppan) in 2011, the collected works "TORAFU ARCHITECTS 2004-2011: Ideas and Processes of Trau Architects" (Bijutsu Shuppan) in 2011, and the picture book "Trau's Small Urban Plan" (Heibonsha) in 2012.

http://torafu.com/