TAKT PROJECT produced an unprecedented installation introducing ALLIED FEATHER+DOWN, one of the world's leading down suppliers based in California, USA. Down jackets are filled with the blessings of nature. By wearing these blessings, humans have connected with nature even in the coldest of fields. The production of down feathers is a way of respecting nature and maintaining a connection with it. 

This installation was designed for visitors to relive the history of ALLIED FEATHER+DOWN. The story of the down jacket, from the geese and ducks that provide the blessings of nature, to the birth of the down itself, is materialized in spaces scattered along a “route” guided by down balls. Down balls refer to feathers without shafts, and are cotton-like in texture. They grow on waterfowl and have excellent heat retention and moisture absorption properties, creating the functionality of a warm down jacket. 

ALLIED FEATHER+DOWN's down balls are a byproduct of waterfowl raised for meat, so no birds are killed solely to procure the down balls. It is a valuable natural material that can be reused. In a space as quiet as a snowy mountain and devoid of extraneous information, the “route” of down balls leads visitors naturally into the space. 

Along the way, visitors are presented with exhibits that offer information and answer questions about down balls: What part of a waterfowl feather is the down ball made of? Why do waterfowl feathers retain heat well? What kind of environment are the birds raised in? Are down balls recyclable? Through the installation, visitors can learn information that they may or may not have already known, about down balls and the birds that they come from. The down ball always floats at the visitors’ eye level so as to create some time for them to carefully observe its delicate airy structure and presence. The “route” of down balls alone is elegantly illuminated, and due to the focused lighting scheme, the space is composed without the need for significantly altering the spatial set-up. 

Additionally, the lighting plan for the displays is such that only the tabletops are beautifully highlighted, thus reducing the amount of waste to be produced by the exhibit and making the space highly economical. The path created with down changes constantly with the slightest breeze, like a miniature landscape that represents the natural world that the jackets are meant to encompass. Despite its location in the urban heart of Roppongi, the exhibition reveals our connection with nature through a familiar product, down jackets.