Overview
This passage was created as part of the venue production for the exhibition “Unlearning the Visuals,” which was held for 16 days in October 2022 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the visual design studio, WOW.
Innovation
The passage we designed this time features an innovative architectural system with temporal variability. In traditional architecture, once completed, it is difficult to physically move and the space is static. In order to activate such a static space, we used light to add temporal changes, thereby creating a dynamic space where the state of the space continues to change moment by moment.
Functionality
This passage is formed by functional light that controls the illumination from 357 tape LEDs in order to change the state of the space. Instead of a passageway that gives the same impression whenever you walk through it, illuminated by uniform light, we aimed to create a passage with an atmosphere like sunlight flickering through swaying trees or ever-changing clouds. By reproducing the light animation made on software in the actual passage, we breathed life into the space, making the passage itself akin to a natural environment, enriching people’s experiences.
Creativity
The light inside the passage is designed to emulate the soft light of Japanese shoji screens and lanterns. Looking around at the images and lighting in the city, you’ll find a lot of fast-changing LED visions designed to catch people’s eyes. However, these lights are bright and glaring in a way that doesn’t exist in nature and are stimulating to the eyes. Instead of this “strongly emitting light that directly enters the eyes from images,” we pursued “soft image light that wraps around through matter.” Through this approach, we created a creative experience by harmonizing the light with the space and enveloping it in soft, continuous light.
In addition, this architectural system incorporates LED tape into a 1.5m tube as a single unit, like a glowing Lego block, that can be freely combined. Beyond this exhibition, it can create spaces adapted to various environments and needs.
Sustainability
We developed an original architectural unit that integrates video equipment with architectural elements, which can be reused. Traditionally, in exhibitions using video, the video equipment and the architectural construction were designed separately, and at the end of the exhibition period, the construction for creating the space was discarded. From this, by combining units where video and architecture are integrated, we have made it possible to reuse 70% of the constructions that had been discarded up to now. With this unique unit, we have achieved a sustainable space while pursuing creativity.