Lexus is presenting five works at the 2026 Milan Design Week, including the world premiere of the installation “SPACE,” together with four original contributions from “Discover Together 2026,” a co-creation project with emerging talents. The exhibition, hosted at Superstudio Più in Milan’s Tortona district, will continue through to Sunday, April 26.

Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries said: “All five works presented this year explore the potential of space. Last year, Lexus unveiled the LS Concept as its new flagship, While the ‘S’ in LS once stood for ‘Sedan,’ it will come to represent ‘Space’. This reflects the belief that luxury cars will no longer be defined solely by body type, but by the value of the space within. As human beings, we live with space every day and the way we move through it and give it meaning is fundamental to our lives. Through this exhibition, we hope visitors will experience the untapped potential of space.”

“SPACE” installation

Ever since the brand was founded, Lexus has constantly explored how it can give customers new values and experiences, both from the cars it makes and the services it provides. With this commitment to pursuing innovation, it has always been ready to challenge traditional conventions of what luxury means.

The search to discover new rewards and opportunities that mobility might offer in the future is the driving force behind this year’s installation at Milan Design Week, “SPACE”. Inspired by the new Lexus flagship LS Concept, it places visitors at the centre of an immersive vision that combines 360-degree visuals with sound and light.

The installation interprets how mobility is evolving from simple transportation to become a platform to give people new experiences and greater freedom. As land, sea and air become seamlessly connect, movement changes from being about reaching a destination to become a life-enriching experience.

Official website: https://discoverlexus.com/stories/milan-design-week-2026

“Discover Together”

Launched in 2025, “Discover Together” brings together emerging talent to produce work that interprets Lexus’ brand philosophy from their own perspectives. This year’s theme, “Discover Your Space,” also inspired by the Lexus LS Concept, focuses on the idea and meaning of personal space. The creative teams engaged in dialogues with Lexus and drew on their own expertise to bring their interpretations to life.

This year’s participants are Kyotaro Hayashi & Yumi Kurotani (Japan), Guardini Ciuffreda Studio (Italy), Random Studio (Netherlands) and a collaborative team bringing together Lexus in-house designers with master artisans of Japanese craftsmanship (Japan). Through dialogue across diverse cultures and disciplines, new perspectives and inspirations have emerged.

Official website: https://discoverlexus.com/stories/discover-together

Creator comments

“VISIBLE INVISIBLE” Kyotaro Hayashi & Yumi Kurotani

“We believe that the invisible movements of emotion bring richness to life. In Japan, there is a culture and philosophy that value what cannot be seen. We envisioned this space as a tearoom, where the passage of time and the presence of space are felt through the shifting of light. The tearoom transcends status and race, bringing people together as equals, and in its intimate scale, creates a space where spirits can truly connect. The “nijiri-guchi”, a low entrance that requires one to bow, momentarily resets the field of vision and physically marks the transition into the tearoom as a separate world. The tokonoma alcove and garden express the seasons and the passage of time, evoking scenes that resonate with memory and stir the emotions. By rendering this transition through moving images, we expand light and space to create an experience like a miniature universe.”

“WEARABLE SPACE” Guardini Ciuffreda Studio

“WEARABLE SPACE is based on the idea that the body is not only something that inhabits space, but something that can generate it. Through a coat embroidered with fibre optics, light emerges from the human gesture and expands into the surrounding space, transforming the act of wearing into an experience that connects matter, energy and presence.

Technology and sartorial tradition meet in a delicate balance, where innovation does not replace craftsmanship but amplifies it. Within this dialogue, fashion becomes both language and sensory experience: a threshold between intimacy and architecture, between body and environment.

WEARABLE SPACE invites us to imagine a personal, sensitive, and dynamic space, one that belongs to the body that inhabits it and ultimately reveals it.”

“A Moving Sanctuary” Random Studio

“A Moving Sanctuary reimagines the car as a space for stillness and reflection. The installation invites visitors to enter a padded, cocoon-like pod inspired by the quiet intimacy of the back seat of a chauffeur-driven vehicle.

Once inside, guests lie down as a thermal sensing system detects the rhythm of their breath. This data activates a responsive choreography of light and sound that unfolds across the interior. Each experience is unique, gently guiding the body toward slower breathing and calm, transforming the vehicle into a sanctuary for the mind.”

“The Crafted Cosmos” Japanese craftsmen with Lexus In-House Designers

“This installation focuses on the extraordinary craftsmanship created by Japanese artisans. From microscopic precision refined to within 0.1 mm to an infinitely expanding, cosmic scale, the delicate details shaped by artisans’ hands, together with light, unfold new expressions within the space. Through this work, the infinite potential of Japanese craftsmanship is revealed on a cosmic scale. Within this beautiful, handcrafted universe, a singular ‘Cosmos’, long sought deep within emerges, offering a moment of quiet fulfilment.”

Exhibition information

Discover Together creator profiles

Kyotaro Hayashi & Yumi Kurotani

Kyotaro Hayashi (left) and Yumi Kurotani

Filmmaker Kyotaro Hayashi and art director Yumi Kurotani are a creative duo exploring light and sound, space and imagery and the distinctive textures inherent in physical materials. By delicately weaving together these diverse elements, they seek to create experiences centered on beauty and human sensibility.

Kyotaro Hayashi is a filmmaker and photographer who graduated from Tama Art University and went on to build his career at DRAWING AND MANUAL. His work has been recognised with numerous honours in Japan and internationally, including a Special Prize at the Venice Biennale and an iF DESIGN AWARD Gold. He is currently a part-time lecturer at Tama Art University. Yumi Kurotani works as an art director, photographer and ceramic artist. She graduated from the Department of Environmental Design at Tama Art University and studied at Aalto University in Finland, where she was exposed to Nordic design philosophy. After joining Shiseido’s Creative Division as a new graduate, she established her independent practice in 2023. Her work has received multiple awards, including the Gold Prize at the Japan Spatial Design Awards, a finalist selection for the FRAME Awards 2020 Window Display of the Year Grand Prix and an ACC Gold Award.

Their work together transforms light into a language that stirs emotion, while layers of space are elevated into narratives that speak to human memory. Rather than positioning their works as objects for quiet observation alone, they are conceived as immersive installations that invite visitors to sharpen their senses and venture deeply into the experience themselves. By fusing thoughtful design with intuitive aesthetics, they continue to pursue experiences that leave a profound sense of wonder and an unforgettable impression in the minds of those who encounter them.

https://www.kyotaro.org

https://www.yumikurotani.com

Guardini Ciuffreda Studio

From left: Giulia Giavatto, Riccardo Stufano, Ananya Jain, Luigi Ciuffreda and Tiziano Guardini

The Guardini Ciuffreda Studio is a team formed through collaboration with emerging designers. It centres on the studio’s founders, designer Tiziano Guardini and architect Luigi Ciuffreda, alongside Ananya Jain (architecture), Giulia Giavatto (interior design), and Riccardo Stufano (visual design).

The studio’s philosophy is deeply rooted in sustainability, material intelligence and natural systems, expressed through a design language defined by organic forms, tactile surfaces and aesthetics inspired by nature. Bridging fashion, architecture, interior and visual design, the studio places fashion and space at the core of its pursuit of a research-driven practice that dissolves the boundaries between space and material. Materials become a language and form is transformed into narrative. The work invites surprise and engagement, unfolding as experiential installations that are meant not only to be observed, but also to be felt, both physically and emotionally. 

https://guardiniciuffredastudio.it/

Random Studio

Members Daan Lucas (left) and Dominique Rokebrand. Not pictured: Morgan Maccari, Jeremy Faivre, Sander Plug, Sebastian Price, Andrew Hill, Victor Roussel.

Random Studio is an independent spatial experience design studio based in Amsterdam and Paris. Its practice centres on creating innovative spaces that inspire surprise and invite interaction.

Specialising in creative strategy, experience design, spatial design and interactive technology, the studio advances projects through a multidisciplinary team. They have collaborated across a wide range of fields, including exhibition spaces, retail experiences and applied innovation programmes.

Always exploring new ways to combine disciplines and drive innovation, the studio develops projects that translate ideas into environments people can step into, experience and remember.

www.random.studio

Japanese craftsmen with LEXUS in-house designers

Members (clockwise from top left): Yuji Kuroda, Shikan Tategu Kogei Co. Ltd., Yuri Tamura, Lexus in-house designer, Shingo Yamashita, Lexus in-house wooden model craftsman, Kazuhiro Nakata, Tendo Mokko Co. Ltd., Moto Takabatake, Lexus in-house designer, Ryota Inagaki, Inagaki Sekizai-ten Co. Ltd.

In this collaborative team Lexus in-house designers join forces with master artisans of Japanese craftsmanship to take on the challenge of creating original Japanese art.

Their experience covers a rich and diverse array of skills and creativity: Kumiko craftsmanship from Shikan Tategu Kogei, passed down and continually refined over three generations in the foothills of the Suzuka Mountains in Mie; stone from Inagaki Sekizai-ten, which has pursued the beauty and potential of stone for more than a century; the tradition and innovation of Tendo Mokko’s bentwood, revealing new possibilities for wood through moulded plywood; and the handiwork of a WorldSkills Olympics champion wooden model craftsman whose skills have long supported Toyota’s car making. Through Lexus’ imagination, these elements are brought together and elevated into a form of art that transcends time.

Shingo Yamashita, LEXUS in-house wooden model craftsman: https://toyotatimes.jp/series/masters/049.html

Yuji Kuroda, Sashikan Tategu Kogei Co., Ltd.: https://www.sashikan.com/

Ryota Inagaki, Inagaki Sekizai-ten Co., Ltd.: https://inase-utsuwa.com/

Kazuhiro Nakada, Tendo Mokko Co., Ltd.: https://www.tendo-mokko.co.jp/

• “SPACE”, a new immersive installation inspired by the new Lexus LS Concept, expressing the brand’s vision of “space” in the context of a luxury lifestyle
• Milan Design Week presentation also to feature four new works from Discover Together 2026, a collaboration between emerging creators and in-house Lexus designers
• This year’s theme, “Discover Your Space”, explores personal, private space in an unprecedented way, through immersive works that share the Lexus LS Concept as a motif
• On public view at the Superstudio Più in Milan from April 21 to 26

Lexus will present the world premiere of “SPACE”, an immersive installation inspired by its flagship Lexus LS Concept, at the 2026 Milan Design Week.

“SPACE” will be unveiled at the leading showcase for international design, taking place in Milan, Italy, from April 21 to 26. It will be presented together with four new works from Discover Together 2026, a collaboration with emerging creators and Lexus in-house designers, at the Superstudio Più in the heart of the city’s Tortona creative district.

“SPACE” and a new era of mobility

Ever since the brand was founded, Lexus has chartered its own course, challenging convention and redefining the principles of luxury mobility. Guided by its innovation mindset, it continues to push the boundaries for better products and services creating new experiences for its customers.

“SPACE” is shaped by Lexus’ constant pursuit of going beyond expectation and centres on the Lexus LS Concept to explore the meaning of “space” in the context of a modern luxury lifestyle.

Today the automotive industry is transitioning from the traditional concept of the car to a new era of mobility and future that will deliver freer movement and enriched lifestyles. Work, personal life and movement are becoming increasingly and seamlessly interconnected, empowering people to pursue lifestyles that can feel more authentic and fulfilling. In this future, mobility transforms from simple transportation into a new experience that reimagines space itself. “SPACE” is an opportunity to discover a new vision of mobility that is yet to be defined.

Discover Together

Launched in 2025, Discover Together is an initiative that brings together emerging creators who resonate with Lexus, transforming the brand’s vision and philosophy from their own perspectives into works that express new values. With the Lexus LS Concept as a shared motif, they have collaborated with Lexus to produce immersive, experiential works that explore the possibilities of space. These works will be unveiled at Milan Design Week 2026.

This year, the participants include include Kyotaro Hayashi and Yumi Kurotani (Japan), Guardini Ciuffreda Studio (Italy), Random Studio (the Netherlands) and a collaborative team bringing together Lexus in-house designers with master artisans of Japanese craftsmanship (Japan).

Official web page: https://discoverlexus.com/stories/discover-together

Exhibition information

Discover Together creator profiles

Kyotaro Hayashi & Yumi Kurotani

Kyotaro Hayashi (left) and Yumi Kurotani

Filmmaker Kyotaro Hayashi and art director Yumi Kurotani are a creative duo exploring light and sound, space and imagery and the distinctive textures inherent in physical materials. By delicately weaving together these diverse elements, they seek to create experiences centered on beauty and human sensibility.

Kyotaro Hayashi is a filmmaker and photographer who graduated from Tama Art University and went on to build his career at DRAWING AND MANUAL. His work has been recognised with numerous honours in Japan and internationally, including a Special Prize at the Venice Biennale and an iF DESIGN AWARD Gold. He is currently a part-time lecturer at Tama Art University. Yumi Kurotani works as an art director, photographer and ceramic artist. She graduated from the Department of Environmental Design at Tama Art University and studied at Aalto University in Finland, where she was exposed to Nordic design philosophy. After joining Shiseido’s Creative Division as a new graduate, she established her independent practice in 2023. Her work has received multiple awards, including the Gold Prize at the Japan Spatial Design Awards, a finalist selection for the FRAME Awards 2020 Window Display of the Year Grand Prix and an ACC Gold Award.

Their work together transforms light into a language that stirs emotion, while layers of space are elevated into narratives that speak to human memory. Rather than positioning their works as objects for quiet observation alone, they are conceived as immersive installations that invite visitors to sharpen their senses and venture deeply into the experience themselves. By fusing thoughtful design with intuitive aesthetics, they continue to pursue experiences that leave a profound sense of wonder and an unforgettable impression in the minds of those who encounter them.

https://www.kyotaro.org

https://www.yumikurotani.com

Gaurdini Ciuffreda Studio

From left: Giulia Giavatto, Riccardo Stufano, Ananya Jain, Luigi Ciuffreda and Tiziano Guardini

The Gaurdini Ciuffreda Studio is a team formed through collaboration with emerging designers. It centres on the studio’s founders, designer Tiziano Guardini and architect Luigi Ciuffreda, alongside Ananya Jain (architecture), Giulia Giavatto (interior design), and Riccardo Stufano (visual design).

The studio’s philosophy is deeply rooted in sustainability, material intelligence and natural systems, expressed through a design language defined by organic forms, tactile surfaces and aesthetics inspired by nature. Bridging fashion, architecture, interior and visual design, the studio places fashion and space at the core of its pursuit of a research-driven practice that dissolves the boundaries between space and material. Materials become a language and form is transformed into narrative. The work invites surprise and engagement, unfolding as experiential installations that are meant not only to be observed, but also to be felt, both physically and emotionally. 

 

https://guardiniciuffredastudio.it/

Random Studio

Members Daan Lucas (left) and Dominique Rokebrand. Not pictured: Morgan Maccari, Jeremy Faivre, Sander Plug, Sebastian Price, Andrew Hill, Victor Roussel.

Random Studio is an independent spatial experience design studio based in Amsterdam and Paris. Its practice centres on creating innovative spaces that inspire surprise and invite interaction.

Specialising in creative strategy, experience design, spatial design and interactive technology, the studio advances projects through a multidisciplinary team. They have collaborated across a wide range of fields, including exhibition spaces, retail experiences and applied innovation programmes.

Always exploring new ways to combine disciplines and drive innovation, the studio develops projects that translate ideas into environments people can step into, experience and remember.

www.random.studio

Lexus in-house designers

Members (clockwise from top left): Yuji Kuroda, Shikan Tategu Kogei Co. Ltd., Yuri Tamura, Lexus in-house designer, Shingo Yamashita, Lexus in-house wooden model craftsman, Kazuhiro Nakata, Tendo Mokko Co., Ltd., Moto Takabatake, Lexus in-house designer, Ryota Inagaki, Inagaki Sekizai-ten Co. Ltd.

In this collaborative team Lexus in-house designers join forces with master artisans of Japanese craftsmanship to take on the challenge of creating original Japanese art.

Their experience covers a rich and diverse array of skills and creativity: Kumiko craftsmanship from Shikan Tategu Kogei, passed down and continually refined over three generations in the foothills of the Suzuka Mountains in Mie; stone from Inagaki Sekizai-ten, which has pursued the beauty and potential of stone for more than a century; the tradition and innovation of Tendo Mokko’s bentwood, revealing new possibilities for wood through moulded plywood; and the handiwork of a WorldSkills Olympics champion wooden model craftsman whose skills have long supported Toyota’s car making. Through Lexus’ imagination, these elements are brought together and elevated into a form of art that transcends time.

Shingo Yamashita, LEXUS in house wooden model craftsman: https://toyotatimes.jp/series/masters/049.html

Yuji Kuroda, Shikan Tategu Kogei Co. Ltd.: https://www.sashikan.com/ 
Ryota Inagaki, Inagaki Sekizai-ten Co. Ltd.: https://inase-utsuwa.com/ 
Kazuhiro Nakata, Tendo Mokko Co. Ltd.: https://www.tendo-mokko.co.jp/

Lexus has unveiled a collection of new installations at Milan Design Week 2025, the world’s largest showcase event for international design. Its exhibition at Superstudio Piu’s Daylight Space will feature “A-Un”, an immersive installation created in collaboration with Japanese creatives SIX and STUDEO, and “Discover Together”, an interactive collection produced by next generation designers in a legacy project from the Lexus Design Award.

The exhibition is open to the public at Superstudio Più in Tortona, Milan’s creative district, from April 8 to 13.

Simon Humphries, Lexus Chief Branding Officer, said: “Since the founding of our brand, Lexus has constantly challenged the conventions of the luxury automotive world, pushing the boundaries of mobility to create unique and extraordinary experiences that surpass expectations rather than simply meeting them. Today, as technology advances and transforms the way we perceive time spent in motion, we find ourselves reflecting on how these shifts can lead to profound new forms of engagement and interaction.

“At Milan Design Week, we seek to express this convergence of technology and humanity, exploring moments in which they intersect and how reimagining time itself can be a catalyst for new experiences. Additionally, through ‘Discover Together’, we have collaborated with three visionary creative units who explore the interplay between individuals with society through the lens of the Black Butterfly, offering new perspectives.”

The new immersive installations have taken inspiration from the “Black Butterfly”, the name given to a dual-interface control device featured in the cockpit of Lexus’ LF-ZC concept car. Each explores how future technologies will bring man, machine and mobility closer together.

The exhibition’s official opening today (April 7) will be hosted by Pascal Ruch, Toyota Motor Europe Vice President Lexus and Value Chain. He will introduce speakers including Lexus International President Takashi Watanabe and Lexus Design Division General Manager Koichi Suga. Together with Takeshi Nozoe of SIX., Tatsuki Ikezawa of STUDEO and representatives from Bascule Inc., Northeastern University and Lexus’ in-house designers, they will provide insights into the groundbreaking installations and the future of mobility and design.

A-Un installation

Across the two decades since its first appearance at Milan Design Week in 2005, Lexus has collaborated with world-renowned artists and designers – including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto and Rhizomatiks – to create immersive experiences that embody the brand’s vision and values.

This year it has teamed up with the Tokyo-based creative agency SIX and design studio STUDEO to present “A-Un”, an installation inspired by the Japanese concept of A-Un no Kokyū (harmonised breath), a traditional concept where two bodies or entities instinctively synchronise their movements and emotions. Using the Black Butterfly motif as a window connecting people and society, Lexus brings its vision for the future of mobility to life in an immersive space.

A vast Black Butterfly-shaped screen suddenly emerges within the space, standing three metres high and measuring 10 metres wide and four metres deep. A testament to Lexus’ commitment to honouring traditional materials and craftsmanship, the work was meticulously crafted by hand over three months, using woven threads made from about 35 kilometres of bamboo fibre.

The structure comes to life as visitors approach, responding to their heartbeats to create a unique, immersive experience. As the heartbeat synchronises with fluctuations sampled from nature, the Black Butterfly becomes a medium for discovery. In that moment, visitors witness the seamless connection between people, society and the world – an experience shaped by the “A-Un” philosophy.

Lexus’ vision of future mobility goes beyond a car simply responding to human commands to its anticipation of human intentions. Through the Black Butterfly, people and vehicles engage in a journey of constant learning and evolution together, discovering new possibilities and one-of-a-kind moments. Vehicles will connect directly with people, creating a new experience of movement.

Discover Together installation

This year’s exhibition builds on the legacy of the Lexus Design Award which has discovered, nurtured and long supported next generation creators, challenging the boundaries of creative potential. Three visionary groups have used the Black Butterfly as a motif to explore new dimensions of personalised experiences with technology. Bascule Inc., Northeastern University and Lexus’ in-house designers present a series of interactive installations that reinterpret the Black Butterfly through distinct and unique perspectives. This encounter between Lexus and emerging talents gives rise to “Experience Amazing” which visitors are invited to discover first-hand in the exhibition.

Earthspective

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

This work explores the concept of an expanded earth perspective. The combination of “earth” and “perspective” in its title represents a shift in the way we view our world. As humans, we perceive reality from our own, limited vantage points. However, when we step back and observe the Earth from the vastness of space, we gain a new perspective – an Earthspective. From this view, we are mere travellers on the planet. The words you speak become imprints on the future, etched into the ever-expanding universe.

Our Energy Nexus

Northeastern University (USA)

This installation explores the theme of reducing air pollution, using real-time interaction to visualise the power of community and collective action.

Visitors engage with real-time pollution levels and Milan’s global air quality index data, channelling their warmth through the Black Butterfly as symbolic release of energy. Each contribution is transformed into a glowing star; as the air clears, these stars shine brighter, reinforcing the connection between personal action and environmental change. Together our energy converges to shape a cleaner, brighter future.

Discover your Butterfly – Lexus in-house designers (Japan)

The butterfly is a symbol of your unknown potential to make an impact on the world

Inspired by the Butterfly Effect, this installation captures the transformative power of small actions.

It envisions a world where countless butterflies converge, each one unique in its motion, coming together to create a dynamic and evolving reality. With the Black Butterfly as a window for unleashing your unknown potential, visitors release their own butterfly, influencing the world around them while discovering new aspects of themselves. Each small flutter contributes to a ripple of beauty and change, proving that even the smallest actions can shape the future in powerful ways.

The Lexus Design Award – Discover Together

Since 2013, Lexus has hosted the Lexus Design Award, an international competition dedicated to fostering and supporting next generation creators through dialogue and co-creation. To deepen this collaboration and further its commitment to emerging design talent, the programme is being updated as the “Lexus Design Award – Discover Together”. It will be officially relaunched this summer with a showcase event scheduled to take place at Milan Design Week in April 2026. Look out for further details of this exciting new chapter in design.

Exhibition information

“A-Un” creator profiles

Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.)

Takeshi Nozoe founded the creative company SIX Inc. in 2013. As creative director, Nozoe takes on the challenge of creating new forms of communication and real-world experiences with brands both in Japan and overseas, including Toyota GR and Lexus. He has worked on a number of projects that have expanded the boundaries of expression through the fusion of technology, including spatial expression using 1,000 drones; the music video “Obsession for Smoothness”, created in collaboration with OK Go; and the Space Balloon Project, a real-time interaction with the stratosphere. To date, he has received more than 100 international creative awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold Award and a New York Festival Gold Award. SIX’s original product, the COTODAMA Lyric speaker, is sold in 44 countries worldwide, demonstrating high recognition for its innovation in product development.

https://sixinc.jp/

Tatsuki Ikezawa (STUDEO)

A graduate of the Department of Design Informatics at Musashino Art University, Ikezawa founded the creative studio, STUDEO in 2020. Approaching brand strategy from the perspective of art direction, he seamlessly integrates concept development, product design including packaging and logo design, and the planning of communication tools such as commercials, graphics, and spatial design to create a cohesive brand world. In 2018, Ikezawa held a solo exhibition BEYOND THE CRAFT in New York and, in 2024, participated as a designer in The Trio Asia Posters at the Mexico International Poster Biennial.

His works have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, ONE SHOW, and New York ADC. He is a member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and the Japan Graphic Designers Association.

https://www.studeo.co.jp/

“Discover Together” creator profiles

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Masayoshi Boku, Sakiko Osawa

Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centred on their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values in which everyone can participate.

https://bascule.co.jp/

Northeastern University (USA)

Members pictured (from left) Chloe Prock, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Jasmine Yiming Sun, Elizabeth McCaffrey

Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University’s Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualisation, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualisation, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centred design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

https://camd.northeastern.edu/center-for-design/

Lexus Design Team (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura

Members of the Design Team at Toyota Motor Corporation have challenged new expressions and experiences by reinterpreting the Black Butterfly. As a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept and Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota brands. Designer Yuri Tamura began her career as a CMF designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.

The Black Butterfly, a dual-interface cockpit control system developed by Lexus for its LF-ZC concept car, has provided inspiration for international creators to develop immersive new installations at the cutting edge of art and design.

These exciting interpretations of how future technologies will bring man, machine and mobility closer together will be showcased by Lexus at Milan Design Week 2025, one of the world’s premiere events for global creatives. The exhibits will be on public view at the Superstudio Più, from April 8 to 13.

 “A-Un” is an interactive installation that connects intuitively with the viewer, combining the principles of the Black Butterfly with the traditional Japanese concept of Aun no kokyo – breathing in harmony. It has been developed by Lexus in collaboration with the Tokyo-based creative agency SIX and the STUDEO design studio. It presents a new dimension in seamless communication between humans and mobility and captures a spirit of mutual understanding through perfectly synchronised interactions.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presence also includes “Discover Together”, produced by up-and-coming creative talents from Bascule Inc. in Japan, Northeastern University in the USA and the Lexus Designer Team, from Japan. For more than a decade, Lexus has supported innovative creators striving to help shape a better future world and society through the Lexus Design Award. Building on this legacy, Lexus has launched the “Discover Together” initiative. This project emphasises co-creation and reinterprets and expresses the new possibilities presented by the Black Butterfly cockpit control interfaces.  Through their original works, the creators demonstrate the different chemistry and experience that can occur when humans interact with the Black Butterfly.

Lexus has been an active participant in Milan Design Week over many years, using the opportunity to demonstrate its challenge to the status quo in the luxury automotive space, pushing boundaries in both products and services to create amazing experiences for its customers.

Exhibition information

“A-Un” creator profiles

Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.)

Takeshi Nozoe founded the creative company SIX Inc. in 2013. As creative director, Nozoe takes on the challenge of creating new forms of communication and real-world experiences with brands both in Japan and overseas, including Toyota GR and Lexus. He has worked on a number of projects that have expanded the boundaries of expression through the fusion of technology, including spatial expression using 1,000 drones; the music video “Obsession for Smoothness”, created in collaboration with OK Go; and the Space Balloon Project, a real-time interaction with the stratosphere. To date, he has received more than 100 international creative awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold Award and a New York Festival Gold Awards. SIX’s original product, the COTODAMA Lyric speaker, is sold in 44 countries worldwide, demonstrating high recognition for its innovation in product development.

https://sixinc.jp/

Tatsuki Ikezawa (STUDEO)

A graduate of the Department of Design Informatics at Musashino Art University, Ikezawa founded the creative studio, STUDEO in 2020. Approaching brand strategy from the perspective of art direction, he seamlessly integrates concept development, product design including packaging and logo design, and the planning of communication tools such as commercials, graphics, and spatial design to create a cohesive brand world. In 2018, Ikezawa held a solo exhibition BEYOND THE CRAFT in New York and, in 2024, participated as a designer in The Trio Asia Posters at the Mexico International Poster Biennial.

His works have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, ONE SHOW, and New York ADC. He is a member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and the Japan Graphic Designers Association.

https://www.studeo.co.jp/

“Discover Together” creator profiles

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Masayoshi Boku, Sakiko Osawa

Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centred on their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values in which everyone can participate.

https://bascule.co.jp/

Northeastern University (USA)

Members pictured (from left) Chloe Prock, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Jasmine Yiming Sun, Elizabeth McCaffrey

Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University’s Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualisation, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualisation, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centred design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

https://camd.northeastern.edu/center-for-design/

Lexus Designer Team (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura

Members of the Design Team at Toyota Motor Corporation have challenged new expressions and experiences by reinterpreting the Black Butterfly. As a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept and Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota brands. Designer Yuri Tamura began her career as a CMF designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.

Lexus has today unveiled its new exhibition ‘Time’ at Milan Design Week, the world’s largest international design event. The show, featuring original installations by international artists, is on public view until April 21 in the Art Point and Art Garden at Superstudio Più in Tortona, Milan’s world-respected creative district.

‘Time’ captures Lexus’ vision of how the application of software and energy innovations will help the cars of the future deliver new possibilities for customers and enable luxury to co-exist with carbon neutrality.

The exhibition features work by two designers inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC, a concept model that explores the possibilities for a next generation battery electric vehicle (BEV). ‘Beyond the Horizon’ by Hideki Yoshimoto and his Tangent studio captures a world of future mobility that evolves through software innovation. Produced in collaboration with musician and composer Keiichiro Shibuya, the piece immerses the visitor in light and sound. ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ is a new work by Marjan van Aubel which incorporates solar design and technology in pursuit of a carbon-neutral future.

Simon Humphries, Lexus Chief Branding Officer, said: “Lexus has always challenged the conventions of automotive luxury, working to expand the horizons of its products and services to create experiences that surpass its customers’ expectations. ’Time’ comes from our belief that experience and time are inseparable concepts. Time is not something that simply passes; it’s the starting point of all special experiences. Lexus has a firmly human-centred philosophy, and we believe that providing people with unique experiences in an age when technology will allow cars to anticipate and evolve with the customer begins with exploring the relationship between people and time itself.”

Installation ‘Beyond the Horizon’

‘Beyond the Horizon’ is an interactive installation inspired by a future where the personal experiential value of mobility can be tailored to the individual, by constantly updating a vehicle’s software so that it transcends its traditional role as a means of transportation through a digital dialogue with the user.

The immersive installation features a line of two-metre-high sculptures. Although these seem uniform in appearance, each one emits unique lighting effects to create different atmospheres. The LF-ZC is positioned at the centre of the work, symbolising innovation and future mobility.

Designer Hideki Yoshimoto blends state-of-the-art technology with time-honoured Japanese craftsmanship in a giant (four metres high by 30 metres wide) projection screen showing ever-changing vistas of the horizon. Its material draws on the 1,500-year heritage of Echizen ‘washi’ paper, familiar from the screens found in traditional Japanese homes. Here, it is made using bamboo fibres, referencing how this sustainable material is featured in the LF-ZC’s interior and also Lexus’ famous respect for and application of master craftsmanship skills.

Keiichiro Shibuya has composed an original sound installation, ‘Abstract Music’, to complement the exhibition concept. Sound images are generated in real time through programming a vast amount of sound data, moved around 31 speakers installed throughout the venue. No two moments are the same, as the sounds endlessly evolve. The changing of the horizon from dawn to dusk, with the LF-ZC as the guide to the future, combines with the sculptures and music to create a personalised and immersive experience.

Installation ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’

This work expresses Lexus’ commitment to advancing innovation in mobility by celebrating the potential of energy and software  together with the aim for carbon neutrality and luxury to co-exist. The installation features a to-scale representation of the LF-ZC concept and uses solar power captured by organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells and stored in built-in batteries. The aim is to reflect our potential synergy with the natural environment, making the visitor an active participant in this vision of the future.

Named for the time it takes light to reach the earth from the sun, ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ imagines the car positioned among holographic trees and a reflective seating area, set against the backdrop of an interactive sun. Created with a circle of 16 of van Aubel’s Sunne solar lamps, this sun changes colour when visitors touch a sensor made from a new bamboo fabric developed by Lexus. The sensor sends a signal that triggers a personal sunrise for each person.

The installation also features natural sounds such as the rustling of bamboo – another reference to the material used in the interior of the LF-ZC, the inspiration for this work.

Exhibition information

Dates and times:

-       Press Day April 15, 3pm to 8pm

-       Public Days April 16 to 20, 11am to 9pm; April 21, 11am to 6pm

Venue: Art Point and Art Garden, Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, 20144 - Milan, Italy 

Exhibits:

-       Installation ’Beyond the Horizon’ by Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent (Art Point)

-       Installation ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ by Marjan van Aubel (Art Garden)

‘BEYOND THE HORIZON’ designer profile – Hideki Yoshimoto /Tangent

Hideki Yoshimoto is a designer, creative director and Project Associate Professor at the Research Center for Advanced Scient and Technology at the University of Tokyo. Born in Wakayama Prefecture in 1985, he completed a master’s programme in aerospace engineering at the University of Tokyo’s graduate school in 2010, followed by a doctorate in design engineering at the Royal College of Art in London in 2016.

Yoshimoto founded the design studio Tangent in London in 2015. In 2020 he co-founded the field of Advanced Art and Design at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, while further expanding his work in London and Tokyo. He specialises in the progressive integration of design and engineering and has provided numerous designs and concepts for world-famous luxury brands, as well as engaging in a wide range of fields from the development of new businesses based on technology to urban development.

His recently founded international initiative Craft x Tech connects traditional Japanese crafts with cutting-edge technology. He actively presents artworks through collaborations with traditional crafts, working on the evolution and passing-on of Japanese culture.

Yoshimoto’s notable works include the giant wall art ‘Orb’ (2023) for the Tanegashima Space Art Festival; ‘Dawn’ (2023), which fuses traditional ‘Kanazawa’ gold leaf with state-of-the-art laser processing technology; the installation ‘Here’ (2019) for the Hermès pavilion at the international fine watch salon SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie); the glass sculpture ‘Rise’, released from Wonderglass; the animation ‘Ascension’ (2016)  for the façade of the world’s tallest tower, the Burj al Khalifa; and ‘Inaho’ (2013), a lighting concept inspired by swaying rice plants that was the winner of the first Lexus Design Award.

He has received many awards in the fields of design and engineering, including the Excellence Award from the Artificial Intelligence Society of Japan; Super Creator certification from the IPA Unexplored Software Project; the Wakayama Prefectural Culture Encouragement Award; the Lexus Design Award; and the Reddot Design Concept Best of the Best award.

https://www.tngnt.uk/   

Musician/composer profile – Keiichiro Shibuya / ATAK

Musician and composer Keiichiro Shibuya graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in composition and today works internationally with bases in Tokyo and Paris. His work spans a wide range from cutting-edge electronic music to piano solos, operas, film scores and sound installations. In 2012 he presented the first Vocaloid opera ‘THE END’ which received its premiere production at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, starring Hatsune Miku and with costumes designed by Marc Jacobs, then a designer for Louis Vuitton. In 2018, Shibuya presented the Android Opera^® ‘Scary Beauty’, featuring a humanoid android equipped with AI that conducted an orchestra while singing. In 2021, his opera ‘Super Angels’ was given its premiere performance at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. The following year, he presented the Android Opera ‘MIRROR’ for the Dubai Expo; a full 70-minute version of this work was given its premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2023.

Shibuya has also worked on numerous film scores: in 2020 he received the Music Award at the 75^th Mainichi film Awards was honoured at the 30^th Japan Film Critics’ Awards for the movie ‘Midnight Swan’. Through his work, he questions the boundaries between technology, life and death.

http://atak.jp/en/

‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ designer profile – Marjan van Aubel

Marjan van Aubel is a solar designer from the Netherlands whose work explores innovations that combine sunlight and technology for a sustainable future. The Marjan van Aubel Studio engages in creative activities to incorporate solar energy into daily life and has received numerous awards. Van Aubel’s vision is to create a future that fuses sustainability, design, and solar technology. Through solar design, she aims to bring about lasting change, incorporating solar power generation into people’s lives through buildings and objects, making it more accessible.

Her passion aligns with Lexus’ story and its aim for battery electric vehicles to deliver experiential value as familiar elements in people’s lives, leading to an eventually carbon neutral society.

Her notable works include ‘Sunne’, ‘Current Table’, ‘Power Plant’ and the roof design for the Netherlands Pavilion at the 2020 Dubai Expo.

Van Aubel graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2012 with a Master’s degree in Product Design and holds a Bachelor’s degree (2009) from the DesignLAB at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Her leading brand collaborations include COS, Timberland and Swarovski to help accelerate the transition to solar energy globally.

https://www.marjanvanaubel.com/

Lexus returns to Milan Design Week this spring, exhibiting “Time”, a pair of interactive installations featuring new and original work by two leading global designers – both aimed at illuminating the future of human-centred design from the canvas of the world’s largest design event.

Since its founding 35 years ago, Lexus has continuously challenged the status quo in the luxury automotive space, pushing boundaries in both products and services to create new experiences that respect every moment of a customer’s time.

Building on this mindset, “Time” explores how the era of software-defined hardware will infinitely expand the possibilities for personally tailored experiences, allowing future design to seamlessly anticipate and evolve with each individual.

The exhibition is divided between two installations within the same site. The indoor exhibit "BEYOND THE HORIZON" by Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent expresses a world of next-generation mobility that continues to evolve in limitless ways through software, complemented by the music of Keiichiro Shibuya that further invites visitors into an immersive space.

"8 Minutes 20 Seconds" by Marjan van Aubel will be exhibited outside, expressing the investment she shares with Lexus in pioneering new approaches to design and technology toward a carbon-neutral future.

Both exhibitions incorporate the next-generation Lexus electric vehicle LF-ZC, a concept that represents how the synergy of hardware and software can redefine the automotive experience.

Lexus has been a regular exhibitor at Milan Design Week for almost 20 years, collaborating with many leading designers and artists to create immersive experiences for visitors. The roll call of talent includes such internationally respected names as Philippe Nigro, Sou Fujimoto, Rhizomatiks, Germane Barnes and Suchi Reddy.

“Time” will be on public view in the Art Point and Art Garden at Superstudio Pìu in Milan’s famous Tortona design district from April 16 to 21.

Notes to editors:

Event details 
Dates: Press Day April 15, 10am to 8pm; Public Days April 16 to 21, 10am to 9pm 
Venue: Art Point and Art Garden, Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, 20144 - Milan, Italy 
Exhibition: 
- Installation “BEYOND THE HORIZON” by Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent (Art Point) 
- Installation “8 Minutes 20 Seconds” by Marjan van Aubel (Art Garden) 

Designer profile –Hideki Yoshimoto /Tangent

Hideki Yoshimoto, founder of the international Tangent design and innovation brand, was the winner of the first Lexus Design Award in 2013, while still a student at the Royal College of Art in London. His winning lighting design “INAHO” was invited to participate in exhibitions around the world and went on to be developed as a commercial product. 

Yoshimoto specialises in the progressive fusion of design and engineering. In addition to providing global luxury brands such as Hermès with designs and concepts, he is active in a wide range of fields, from technology-based new business development to urban schemes.  In recent years, he has been involved in the evolution and transmission of Japanese culture, including the founding of Craft x Tech, an international initiative to connect traditional Japanese crafts and leading-edge technology.

Tangent is a design studio that aims to express the idea of “bringing technology closer to people’s lives and time, rather than thrusting it on them”. Its collaboration approach resonates with the relationship that Lexus aims to build between its customers and mobility.

https://www.tngnt.uk/   

Designer profile –Marjan van Aubel / Marjan van Aubel Studio

Marjan van Aubel is a solar designer from the Netherlands whose work explores innovations that combine sunlight and technology for a sustainable future. She is the director of the Marjan van Aubel Studio, which has produced award-winning creative activities aimed at incorporating solar energy into daily life. 

Explaining her studio’s creative ethos, she says: “We will continue to create a future that combines sustainability, design, and solar technology, create lasting change through solar design, and bring solar power closer to life by incorporating it into our lives through buildings and objects. That's what I'm aiming for.”

This idea connects with Lexus’ design vision and its aim for battery electric vehicles to deliver experiential value that is human-centred.

Van Aubel graduated from the Royal College of Art with a Master’s degree in Product Design and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Rietveld Academy Design Lab. Leading brand collaborations include COS, Timberland and Swarovski to help accelerate the transition to solar energy globally. Her notable works include “Sunne,” “Current Table,” “Power Plant” and the roof design for the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

https://www.marjanvanaubel.com/

Composer profile–Keiichiro Shibuya

A Japanese composer, musician, and artist based in Tokyo and Paris. Graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts' Department of Composition. His work encompasses cutting-edge electronic music, piano solos, operas, film scores, and sound installations.

In 2012, Shibuya created the vocaloid opera The End, starring Hatsune Miku. The opera premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, with costumes designed by Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs and since then has toured worldwide. In 2018, Shibuya premiered another opera called “Android Opera”. The opera features an AI-equipped android, which sings while conducting an orchestra. In 2021, Shibuya received a commission to create the opera Super Angels by the New National Theatre, Tokyo. In 2022, he performed the Android Opera MIRROR for Expo 2020 Dubai. The full 70-minute version of this opera was premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Shibuya has also received recognition for his film scores. In 2020 and 2021, he was recognized at the 75th Mainichi Film Awards and received the 30th Japan Movie Critics Award for the film Midnight Swan.

Through his works, Shibuya continues to push the boundaries of technology, life, and death.

http://atak.jp/en/

 ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 2.33 million electrified vehicles including HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs.

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests and is currently available in over 90 countries/regions worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.
 

A multi-function jacket that could provide valuable help to travellers in remote and arid locations has won the first Lexus Your Choice Award. The ingenious concept by Denmark-based Swedish designer Pavel Hedström was one of four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023. It subsequently collected the most votes cast by members of the public who visited Lexus’ presentation of the winning prototypes at Milan Design Week in April.  Both those who viewed the exhibition in person and those who visited online were eligible to nominate their favourite.

Fog-X captured the award’s defining principles of design that can help secure a better future. It is a jacket that converts into a one-person shelter and has a section that can be raised to catch fog and turn it into drinking water. During the award’s mentorship phase, Hedström was able to expand the concept to include a mobile app to help users locate areas of fog. More details about Fog-X and the other winning design concepts are available at https://discoverlexus.com/stories/lexus-design-award-2023/

Lexus has today unveiled ‘Shaped by Air,’ an installation by the acclaimed New York-based artist and architect Suchi Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design.  The work is being presented alongside the prototypes produced by the four winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023 in a public exhibition taking place at Milan’s Superstudio space until April 23^rd. Both the installation and the Lexus Design Award express an overarching theme of shaping the future.

The presentation is the latest in a series of compelling, immersive visitor experiences Lexus has brought to Milan Design Week, partnering with visionary creatives including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others. Reddy’s ‘Shaped by Air’ maintains this tradition. Her work is inspired by the Lexus Electrified Sport, Lexus’ vision for a future all-electric sports coupe, and the quality it projects of being shaped by the air around it.

Reddy’s artwork was first presented at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami (ICA-Miami) during Miami Art & Design Week 2022. It has been reimagined for Milan Design Week as a multi-sensory experience which visitors can move through. The light and airy installation celebrates a commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design that is shared by both the artist and Lexus.

Brian Bolain, Lexus’ Global Head of Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Suchi Reddy in Milan, a city that has inspired so much ground-breaking creativity. We hope that by placing her human-centred approach to design in dialogue with the innovation of our Lexus Design Award winners, we will inspire visitors to imagine new futures. The Lexus Electrified Sport and Reddy’s interpretation of it, together with these award-winning prototypes, represents forward-looking design and expresses our ongoing commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability.”

The site-specific installation inside Superstudio invites guests to discover a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport after travelling through a forest-like collection of composite shapes, suspended from the ceiling. Set at varying heights and finished in a vibrant shade of green, these subtly call to mind the cut-outs of French painter Henri Matisse. The sculptural steel and aluminium elements are made partly from recycled or re-used consumer materials. Punctuated by dappled light, they create an absorbing environment that evokes the natural world. An accompanying soundscape inspired by the wind further helps bring visitors into harmony with nature.

Suchi Reddy commented: “I am excited to partner with Lexus – a brand committed to uplifting artists and designers – on a new iteration of ‘Shaped by Air’. This immersive interpretation in Milan makes use of repetition, multi-sensory elements and three-dimensionality to create an emotional environment that envelops the body like a car.”

Reflecting Lexus’ commitment to Omotenashi––a concept that encompasses both hospitality and mindfulness––the Superstudio space invites visitors to rest in an upstairs lounge, where they can observe ‘Shaped by Air’ from a different vantage point. The lounge’s air is purified by Panasonic’s nanoe™ X, a technology that helps create a healthier in-car atmosphere in many Lexus models.

Digital audiences will be able to engage with ‘Shaped by Air’ through a partnership with Diorama, a Milan and Paris-based digital creative agency. Diorama has imagined the installation as a metaverse experience that complements the physical installation, but has a life of its own. This virtual extension is realised as a dynamic digital forest. Users can explore an abstract natural world from a completely new perspective, one that is filled with the rustling of leaves, currents of air and diffusions of light. Diorama has also produced an augmented reality journey that visitors to the Milan exhibition will be able to discover on-site, using a custom Lexus Instagram filter.

Lexus Design Award 2023 winners’ prototypes

Lexus’ exhibition also includes the final prototypes created by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023. The competition invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, address it with an innovative solution and captivate the imagination with exceptional design, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all.

The works express Lexus’ belief that design has the power to deliver positive change. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates up-and-coming talent from around the world. The panel of judges – Paola Antonelli, Karim Rashid and Simon Humphries, all internationally respected figures in their creative fields – selected the concepts that best represented the theme of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’.

Simon Humphries, Toyota Motor Corporation Chief Branding Officer, said: “We as designers have a unique responsibility to create answers to challenges, whether that is through innovative ideas, beautiful aesthetics or any other method that could offer a better future. From this point of view, the winning ideas were a clear reminder of the ‘power of design’.”

Ahead of their showcase at Milan Design Week, the winners were given a unique opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with four world-class creators who served as this year’s Lexus Design Award mentors: Marjan van Aubel, Joe Doucet, Yuri Suzuki, and Sumayya Vally. 

The winners have significantly evolved their prototypes through the mentorship process, transforming already beautiful ideas into practical, scalable and ambitious designs.

●        Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), designer of Fog-X, a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter and can catch fog that turns it into drinking water.

●        Jiaming Liu (China), designer of Print Clay Humidifier, a sustainable, 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste.

●        Temporary Office, [Singapore (Vincent Lai) and Canada (Douglas Lee), based in USA], designers of Touch the Valley, a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through touch.

●        Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea), designers of Zero Bag, a new clothing package that dissolves in water and contains a detergent that can remove chemicals from products while reducing plastic waste.

Sumayya Vally commented: “It was incredible to witness the winners’ hard work manifested in the work they presented. I believe that each of the projects is poetically and pertinently posing meaningful and urgent questions about our present world, and bringing into being a more beautiful and responsive future.”

The final prototypes are on view for the first time in Milan. Visitors are invited to explore the works and learn about how the concepts evolved through the mentorship process.

The Lexus Design Award also welcomes the public to take part in the Your Choice Award and vote for the idea they feel best represents ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’. The voting is open to those visiting in-person and also online here.

Lexus has been at the forefront of pioneering electrification in the luxury market since 2005. With the presentation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, it continues to push the boundaries of technology and craftsmanship with an unwavering commitment to sustainability and a consideration for the evolving needs of transportation and lifestyles worldwide.  Suchi Reddy’s installation highlights the potential of electrification and, together with the work of the Lexus Design Award winners, underscores Lexus’ vision for a future that is human-centred, carbon-neutral, and focused on craftsmanship and quality.

NOTES TO EDITORS

EVENT DETAILS

Dates

Press day: April 17^th, 3 pm to 9 pm

Public days: April 18^th to 22^nd, 11 am to 9 pm and April 23^rd, 11 am to 6 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Day Light)

Via Tortona, 27

20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibition details

‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy

Prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

Online experience

‘Shaped by Air’ Metaverse Experience : https://discoverlexus.com/stories/shaped-by-air-at-milan-design-week-2023/

Shaped by Air AR Filter: https://www.instagram.com/ar/1378144106301649/ 

Lexus Design Award ‘Your Choice Award’: http://lexusdesignaward.com/vote

ABOUT SUCHI REDDY

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with an approach to design that privileges the emotional quality of human engagement with space. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research at the intersection of neuroscience and the arts. Working towards a larger idea of “design justice,” she is dedicated to expanding our notions of empathy, equity, and agency—where the importance of design is recognized as an asset for the benefit of all, not just for some.

Reddy teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. She was the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America, and the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana in 2019, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design.

She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 WINNERS

Pavels Hedström　

Sweden, Based in Denmark

Pavels Hedström began his career as an architect after earning his Master of Architecture and Extreme Environments degree (architecture, design conservation) from the Royal Danish Academy. He explores how holistic approaches can be applied to existing ecosystems.

Fog-X　

Fog-X is a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter that catches fog and turns it into drinking water. Through the mentorship programme, Fog-X has evolved significantly – both transforming from a heavy backpack to a light jacket/shelter and adding the creation of a mobile app for easy access to find fog. The idea became a solution incorporated in an everyday object.

Jiaming Liu

China

Jiaming Liu is an industrial designer who focuses on bringing fresh perspectives into people’s daily lives. He is currently exploring cross-cultural and sustainable design. He was born in China, where he completed his bachelor's degree, and recently graduated with a master's degree from Folkwang University of the Arts.

Print Clay Humidifier

Print Clay Humidifier is a 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste. After rounds of testing and prototyping with different materials and techniques, Jiaming landed on a 3D printing method and powdered ceramic (recycled from ceramic waste) that further improved water absorption efficiency. It is a non-electric, recycled and recyclable version of a common household device that is both functional and elegant.

Temporary Office

Vincent Lai (Singapore), Douglas Lee (Canada)

Based in USA

Temporary Office is a design team of Vincent Lai and Douglas Lee, graduates from University of California, Berkeley. They have worked on projects crossing the boundaries of architecture, public space, preservation and product design. With a strong focus on historical research and precedent, Temporary Office seeks to constructively respond to the ever-changing needs of our environment in a rational yet playful way.　

Touch the Valley

Touch the Valley is a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through the sense of touch. Taking feedback from user-testing, the puzzle’s playability was improved by the addition of small features, including magnet feedback, elevational grooves, and smoother edges – enabling people to enjoy immersing themselves in exploring and playing the puzzle without too much cognitive load.

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo　

Republic of Korea

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo are students majoring in industrial design at Hanyang University's ERICA campus in the Republic of Korea. They are concerned about social and environmental problems and explore user-centred solutions through design.

Zero Bag

Zero Bag is an eco-friendly packaging with paper detergent or baking soda film attached to an alginate water-soluble bag. Through the mentoring programme, Kyeongho and Yejin developed and articulated the potential use cases and target markets for this type of product. The idea for clothing packaging for the retail market evolved to include explorations for different industries, from clothes to food. The development process continues to evolve, as the designers embrace the myriad potential for their ideas.

This year, the four mentors are solar artist Marjan van Aubel, multidisciplinary designer Joe Doucet, sound artist Yuri Suzuki, and architect Sumayya Vally

In the past few weeks, the winners have worked individually with Vally, on research and narrative, and Suzuki, on design. All have commented positively on how their advice is helping them develop the potential of their concepts.

Pavels Hedström is preparing to travel to Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, for the first test of his Fog-X prototype. This is a portable device that collects fog to produce drinking water. His idea of Fog-X came from the simple fact that water shortage is an issue of human rights. Many companies and industries are addressing this problem, but he wanted to see what he could do as an individual.

Pavels said: “A lot of things have happened in the past few weeks, but now I think we’re going to be pressing the pedal as I have a clearer direction for my work, thanks to the great support from the mentors.”

Jiaming Liu is an award winner with the Print Clay Humidifier, a 3D-printed object made from recycled ceramic waste. He was inspired by his childhood experience living in a concrete and hard clay building during hot and dry summers, where they used to pour water on the highly absorbent walls. His project is now being tested for the quality of its texture and structure.

Jiaming commented: “Sumayya made many good suggestions and gave me a better direction. Yuri pointed out how I needed to improve my storytelling. This is necessary because this project is very complicated so I need to brush up the narrative to tell the story behind it. They both gave me a lot of confidence to continue my work.”

Entering the award as Temporary Office, designers Vincent Lai and Douglas Lee are winners with Touch the Valley, a 3D topographic puzzle. The project came from a combination of their professional experience in making models for clients that needed to be transported and their personal interest in playing board games.

Following their mentorship experience with Yuri, Vincent and Douglas were able to give their project a new focus, directing it specifically towards visually impaired people. They said: “The sessions with Sumayya and Yuri were like wake-up calls for us that reminded us of a lot of important things, and we really appreciate them. Marjan made a lot of good suggestions, but we need time to consider making variations of the puzzles and testing them. If it works well, we would like to talk to her about we can make the puzzles better.”

Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo are further researching how their award-winning Zero Bag – clothing packaging that dissolves in water and acts as a detergent – might be used in real-world industries and what materials would be appropriate in each case. Their work was inspired by a desire to find new ways of reducing waste from packaging.

They commented: “After the session with Sumayya, we are sure about the three directions of how Zero Bag can be used, but are not sure if they will persuade consumers. We would like to see how other people react, especially professionals. Yuri pointed out it’s really important to show the identity of Zero Bag again. The concept is very different from what people are familiar with, so in the coming few weeks, we are going to work on how to tell people about its unique qualities, to give our work a strong identity.”

All four winners will have their prototype designs given a high-profile public display as part of Lexus’s activities at the 2023 Milan Design Week, from 17 to 23 April*.

The Lexus Design Award 2023 winners will be on view at Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, Milan. A private viewing for media and guests will take place on 17 April prior to public opening. The space will also be showing Shaped by Air, a new art installation by Suchi Reddy inspired by Lexus design and craftsmanship.

Lexus will return to Milan Design Week this year with a new installation by acclaimed New York artist and architect Suchi Reddy. ‘Shaped by Air’ will form the centrepiece of its presence at the world-leading celebration of international design. The occasion will also see the public unveiling of the prototypes created by the four winners in the 2023 Lexus Design Award.

Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design, drew inspiration from the curves and craftsmanship of the Lexus Electrified Sport coupe. She has produced an elegant and airy artwork that expresses the sustainability, innovation and design excellence that are fundamental to the Lexus brand ethos. ‘Shaped by Air’ celebrates the collaborators’ shared commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design. Its Milan unveiling follows its premiere at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), during Miami Art and Design Week 2022.

Reddy has re-imagined her installation specifically for the context of its appearance at Milan’s Superstudio from April 17 to 23. The work presents a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, shaped by light and with vibrant green leaf-like cut-out shapes that suggest movement through nature. For the Milan presentation, these forms will be suspended from the ceiling like a mobile, calling to mind shapes in the vehicle’s design and the cut-outs of Henri Matisse.

Reddy commented: “Lexus’ continued commitment to innovation – and its support of an artistic approach that is a confluence of art and design – led me to envision this immersive experience as both a sculpture and a multisensory spatial experience.”

The sculpture is partially made of recycled/re-used consumer materials and conveys a sense of movement. At first glance, the pieces appear abstract, but as the viewer moves closer, they reveal the outline of a car. Reddy, whose design ethos has been described as a “form follows feeling” approach, has carefully calibrated the installation’s environment to make it welcoming, contemplative and enveloping. The aim is to give visitors to the exhibition a sense of walking through a forest with rustling leaves underfoot. The event will also reflect Lexus’ famous Omotenashi hospitality with an elevated lounge for rest and reflection.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD WINNERS’ PROTOTYPES

A gallery alongside the ‘Shaped by Air’ installation will display the prototype works created by the four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023, design concepts which capture Lexus’ belief that design can help deliver positive change for the world. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates and nurtures new creative talent from around the globe. This year’s winners, selected from 2,068 entries from 63 different countries, are Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), Jiaming Liu (China), Temporary Office, (Vincent Lai, Singapore and Douglas Lee, Canada, based in USA) and Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea). Further details about the winners and their design concepts are available at the Lexus Europe newsroom here.

The Lexus Design Award 2023 brief invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, while articulating the Lexus brand principles of Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate and enhancing people’s happiness. This year, Lexus is hosting a People’s Choice award, where members of the public can vote for their favourite among the design concepts. The voting will be open in April, both to visitors to the presentation and to those viewing the works online.

Brian Bolain, Lexus Head of Global Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with the inimitable Suchi Reddy and see the Lexus Electrified Sport come to life alongside the work of our Lexus Design Award winners. Suchi’s commitment to designing for a better tomorrow captures the innovative spirit of the award and we cannot imagine a more perfect synergy for this year’s presentation.”

Lexus has created compelling, immersive experience for visitors at Milan Design Week since 2005, partnering with such world-renowned creatives as Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujinoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others.

Notes to editors :

Event details

Dates:     Press Day April 17, 2pm to 9pm; Public Days April 18 to 23, 11am to 9pm

Venue:   Superstudio Più, Via Tortona, 27, 20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibits: ‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy and prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

About Suchi Reddy

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with a human-centric approach to design, dedicated to celebrating diversity and equality, as well as addressing the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts of her work on both the user and the planet.

Reddy is the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. In 2019, she was appointed the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design. Reddy has presented and lectured on the firm’s work at numerous venues including The Salk Institute for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture’s annual conference, the University of Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin.  She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

Reddymade has received numerous awards for design excellence, including being recognised by the American Institute of Architects and NYCxDesign. Regularly featured in print and online media, the work of Reddymade actively contributes to a social and cultural discourse that explores how neuroaesthetics and designing for wellbeing positively impact all people.

This year’s event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, presents a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus’ human-centered, future-oriented approach to design. Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, includes an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists, and work by students at London’s Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future.

“We are excited to return to Milan Design Week with an incredible array of projects that highlight next generation design and our commitment at Lexus to forging a path towards a carbon-neutral future through technology, craftsmanship, and innovation,” commented Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. “We are especially thrilled to be able to present the work of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists and Royal College of Arts students in the context of Germane Barnes’s ON/ installation, in its second iteration here with lighting design studio Aqua Creations. As Milan Design Week opens, we look forward to seeing how the public engages with the Lexus presentation, and makes our vision for the future their own”

Developed in partnership with Lexus and Germane Barnes, the ON/ installation gives a vision for an electrified, carbon-neutral and human-centred future. The display showcases the Lexus RZ, the first Lexus dedicated battery-electric model. Rendered in a wire frame that is suspended just above the ground, the vehicle’s interpretation embodies Lexus' vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus and embracing the ideas of electrification, technology, and bespoke design. The RZ is illuminated by Aqua Creations’ Code 130° silk collection of colorful pendant lights, which add a material quality to the immersive installation reflecting Lexus’ vision for a carbon-neutral future becoming a reality. The installation will be accompanied by a lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations.

“It is thrilling to revisit the ON/ installation with Lexus and bring the display to Milan,” said Germane Barnes, principal of Studio Barnes. “The original ON/ exhibit featured the LF-Z, a concept car that signaled a move toward carbon neutrality.  Now, with the RZ, we explored the evolution from concept to reality, partnering with Aqua Creations to create an environment that is infused with heightened sense of materiality.  Designing for a future that is collaborative, sustainable, equitable, and prioritizes the unique experiences of individuals is both a driving force of my practice and an exciting synergy with the designers showcased across Sparks of Tomorrow.”

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022, promising talent. Finalists were chosen for their original solutions contributing to a better tomorrow, while articulating the Lexus brand's three core principles – Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate; while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all, by a panel of design luminaries. The finalists spent three months developing their original proposals and creating prototypes under the enthusiastic and highly skilled mentors. Mentoring by the world's leading creators was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for these up-and-coming talents and it is recognized as a feature of this Award.

Lexus’ presentation will also include work by students presenting radical new luxury transport concepts in a creative programme commissioned by Lexus, “2040: The Soul of Future Premium” for the Royal College of Art in London, UK.  The project challenged postgraduate students at the college’s Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) to explore new vehicle architectures to meet changes in European city life and society and to re-imagine the role Lexus might play as a luxury mobility brand. The six-month programme included mentoring and assessment sessions with Ian Cartabiano and Lance Scott, respectively President and Senior Manager at Lexus’ European design studio, ED2, together with Prof Dale Harrow, Chair of the IMDC, and Dr Chris Thorpe, the RCA’s Intelligent Mobility Head of Programme.

Dates and opening hours

June 6 – 12, 11 am to 9 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Art Point)

Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy

Exhibits

• ON/ installation created by Germane Barnes with Aqua Creations
• Designs by the six finalists in the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022
• Designs by students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London

About Germane Barnes

Germane Barnes is the director of Studio Barnes, and Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Barnes’ practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity, examining architecture’s social and political agency through historical research and design speculation.  Believing strongly in design as a communal process, he approaches each condition imposed on a project as an opportunity for transformation.

He was a winner of the 2021 United States Artists Fellowship, 2021 Wheelwright Prize, 2021 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers, and is a 2021-2022 Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome.

Today, Lexus announced details of this year’s participation in the world’s leading event for the vanguard of contemporary design event – Milan Design Week^*. Since its first participation in 2005, Lexus has created compelling, immersive experiences for visitors at Milan Design Week, partnering with leading talent which has included Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, and Rhizomatics among others to create new works of design inspired by Lexus’ values and vision. 

This year’s event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, will present a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus’ human-centered, future-oriented approach to design.  Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, will include an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from Lexus Design Award 2022 finalists, and work by students at London’s Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future. 

Lexus has partnered with Germane Barnes to create a new iteration of the ON/ installation unveiled for Design Miami/ 2021, this time collaborating with Aqua Creations to highlight a commitment to expert craftsmanship and high quality materiality that is central to Lexus’ ethos.  This version of the installation, debuting in Milan, takes the RZ as the central inspiration, the first dedicated battery-electric model in the Lexus line-up. The installation is centered around a precisely-to-scale, three-dimensional sculptural realization of the RZ, rendered in steel and illuminated; the frame of the car glows and is suspended just above the ground, a vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus. 

Building on this principle of a concept coming to life, the installation will feature Aqua Creations’ Code 130 ° collection of colourful pendant lights illuminating the vehicle, which add a delicate, material, and joyful quality to the immersive installation.  Shifting from the futuristic lighting scheme featured in Miami, the lighting from Aqua Creations creates an elegant, physical embodiment of electricity that exemplifies a shared commitment to principles of design excellence evident in the expertly crafted RZ.

ON/ creates an environment that is designed to engage viewers of all ages, providing an experience that is both visually dynamic and interactive while offering an inviting space to recharge and reflect. The installation will be accompanied by an adjacent lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations, providing discrete areas for rest, repose, and recharging--reflecting the brand's commitment to the principle of omotenashi (exceptional hospitality).

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists in the Lexus Design Award 2022, promising talent whose fresh ideas receive a high-profile cross-media introduction on an established platform respected by the global creative community. Finalists were chosen for their original solutions contributing to a better tomorrow, while articulating the Lexus brand's three core principles―Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate; while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all. 

Finalists include Charlotte Böhning & Mary Lempres (Dual USA - Germany and Dual USA - Norway / Based in USA), Wondaleaf (Malaysia), Team Dunamis (Nigeria), Poh Yun Ru (Singapore), Kristil & Shamina (Russia), and Kou Mikuni (Japan). Now in its tenth year, the award celebrates up-and-coming creative talent from around the world. This year’s Grand Prix winner, selected by a panel comprising renowned creative visionaries Paola Antonelli, Anupama Kundoo, Bruce Mau and Simon Humphries, will be announced on May 12.

Lexus’ presentation will also include work by students, representing a future generation of international design talent, that present radical new luxury transport concepts in a creative programme commissioned by Lexus, “2040: The Soul of Future Premium”. This exploration of how luxury transport might evolve towards the middle of the 21st century was launched in September 2021 by Lexus in partnership with the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, one of the world’s most prestigious and influential centres for art and design research and learning.

The challenge was to explore new vehicle architectures to meet changes in European city life, society and demographics and to re-imagine the role the Lexus brand might play in the region's mobility landscape beyond the next two decades. It inspired original work from 20 postgraduate students at the RCA’s Intelligent Mobility Design Centre, an interdisciplinary centre of design and research excellence.

Duration

June 6 – 12, 11 am to 9 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Art Point)

Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy

Exhibits

Installation created by Germane Barnes with Aqua Creations

Designs by the six finalists in the Lexus Design Award 2022

Designs by students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London

The Lexus Design Award is an international design competition launched in 2013 to nurture and support the next generation of creators. Now in its 10th year, the Lexus Design Award continues to evolve as a platform for design innovation that leads to a better tomorrow.

Entrants will need to demonstrate how their creative ideas express three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate.

Their design should anticipate global challenges facing future society and imagine engaging and innovative ways to contribute to a sustainable future, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all. Lexus is looking for captivating designs that intersect with thoughtful solutions, designs that can truly make a brighter future for people and societies in diverse circumstances.

An elite judging committee will review the entries from around the globe, choosing six finalists to be announced in early 2022. These finalists will have the opportunity to enter in dialogue with four of the world’s foremost creators, who will provide them a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime learning and mentoring experience. Personal guidance from these mentors of varied backgrounds and specializations will help the finalists to build prototypes that bring out the potential of their ideas.

The finalists’ prototype development will be funded by Lexus with a budget of up to JPY 3 million (about EUR 23,000) per finalist. In the spring of 2022, the six finalists will present their final proposals to the judges, who will then select one Grand Prix winner.

Lexus will announce the names of the Lexus Design Award 2022 judging committee members and mentors in the fall of this year.

Official Hashtag: #lexusdesignaward

Lexus is pleased to welcome leading figures from the design world to the line-up of judges and mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2021. Their skills and experience will be central to the award’s mission to identify and nurture emerging creative talent to build a better tomorrow.

Architects Dong Gong, from China, and the American Greg Lynn complete the distinguished judging panel, while Japanese artist and designer Sputniko! joins the group of mentors who will be working with next year’s award finalists.

Dong Gong, who recently became a member of France’s Académie d’Architecture, has earned international acclaim for his work, including the famous Seashore Library in Eastern China.

Lynn, who is also the founder and CEO of the Piaggio Fast Forward robotics company, is recognised for his use of technology to reimagine the relationship of architecture and design with society. His wide-ranging work brings together different disciplines in interconnected spaces where he uses technology to experiment and innovate.

Dong and Lynn join the award’s returning judges: design influencer Paola Antonelli, senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design of MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and Simon Humphries, the head of Toyota and Lexus Global Design.

The judging panel will seek to identify the next generation of talent, evaluating the award entries on the basis of how well they apply Lexus’ three key design principles, Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate, to build a better tomorrow.

First-time judge Dong Gong commented: “I think the most exciting thing about being a juror will be having the chance to see designs by young designers, especially as they will not be limited to just architecture, but will include all other areas of design. It’s about a process of engagement and interaction.”

Greg Lynn added: “I am happy to join the jury as I am certain to learn a great deal from the vision and values of the participants, from the insight of the mentors and from the perspectives of the other jury members. I have followed the award in the past and am impressed by its ability to connect design with cultural challenges. It is exciting to be involved with a programme dedicated to discovering, mentoring and awarding talented young designers who focus on tomorrow. Now more than ever there are so many challenges for design to address, including social inequity, economic instability, climate crisis and a health pandemic, so I am sure to be inspired. This will be a case where the pleasure will be all mine.”

The award finalists will have the unique opportunity to receive direct, interactive guidance from world-renowned designers to bring their ideas to life and develop prototypes of their concepts for the final judging. Sputniko! is a new mentor for 2021, a designer and artist whose innovative video and multimedia installations address technology’s impact on society. She joins the team of Joe Doucet, Mariam Kamara and Sabine Marcelis who will mentor the six finalists chosen from the worldwide entries.

The prototypes of the six finalists’ design ideas will be displayed at the finale of the Lexus Design Award 2021, scheduled to be held in April 2021. Each finalist will present their prototypes and ideas to the judges, watched by an audience of global media and guests, before the selection of the single Grand Prix winner.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award will be accepted up until October 11, 2020.

For more information on Lexus Design Award 2021, please visit

https://discoverlexus.com/highlights/entries-open-for-lexus-design-award-2021　

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 COMPETITION

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 PANEL OF JUDGES

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NEW YORK

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research and Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science, and technology.

She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Following the XXII Triennale di Milano in 2019 – Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design – she has opened the exhibition Material Ecology at MoMA, on the work of architect Neri Oxman. She is currently working on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons, and on the Instagram series @design.emergency – conceived with design critic Alice Rawsthorn – devoted to the role of design in the Covid-19 pandemic.

DONG GONG

FOUNDER / DESIGN PRINCIPAL OF VECTOR ARCHITECTS

Dong Gong founded Vector Architects in 2008. He and Vector Architects have been invited to various exhibitions including 2018 FREESPACE Venice Biennale, and won awards internationally including "100+ Best Architecture Firms" selected by Domus (2019); nomination for the Swiss Architectural Award (2018); overall winner of the Italian Archmarathon Awards (2016); and "Design Vanguard" selected by Architectural Record (2014).

He has been invited as guest speaker and critic by universities, academic and professional institutions including Tsinghua University (China), University of Illinois (USA), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland), Société Française des Architectes (France), etc. In 2019, the renowned architectural journal AV Monographs published a monograph of Vector Architects entitled "Cosmopolitan Vernacular" (vol.220).

His representative works include Seashore Library, Seashore Chapel, Alila Hotel in Yangshuo, the Renovation of the Captain’s House, Changjiang Art Museum, and Suzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum.

GREG LYNN
ARCHITECT AND CEO PIAGGIO FAST FORWARD

Greg Lynn is the founder and owner of Greg Lynn FORM and cofounder and CEO at the robotics company Piaggio Fast Forward. In addition to buildings he has designed high performance sailboats, high technology robots, as well as furniture and consumer products for Vitra, Alessi, Swarovski, and Nike. He has served on numerous corporate executive and advisory boards and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Center for Architecture.

He won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture and represented the United States in the American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture twice. He received the American Academy of Arts & Letters Architecture Award and was awarded a fellowship from United States Artists. He is currently o. Univ. Prof. Arch. at the angewandte Wien and Studio Professor at UCLA. He was the Davenport Professor at Yale University, Professor of Spatial Conception at the ETHZ, adjunct faculty at Columbia University and visiting faculty at Harvard GSD. He is the author of nine books.

SIMON HUMPHRIES

HEAD OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS GLOBAL DESIGN

Simon Humphries is Head of Toyota and Lexus Global Design. He was appointed to oversee design for both brands in 2018. As Head of Lexus Global Design Humphries seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to users around the world.

Humphries joined the company in 1994. His many roles in leadership and advanced design include defining the signature spindle grille that has become an icon for the Lexus brand. In 2016 he became President of ED2 (Toyota Europe Design Development) where his team spearheaded development of mobility concepts such as the Toyota e-Palette concept as part of the brand’s transition from “automotive company” to “mobility company.” Humphries began his career in design in 1988 when he was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bursary Prize for Product Design in the UK. The award gave him the opportunity to work for Sony, which jumpstarted his passion for living and working in Japan. In his spare time Humphries enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year old Japanese farmhouse.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 PANEL OF MENTORS

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. His work deftly hybridises function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process, can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.

Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally and has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer – the highest honour in his field. He is also Designer of the Year 2019 finalist by Dezeen, and a recipient of Fast Company’s Most Important Design Companies of 2019.

MARIAM KAMARA

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, ATELIER MASOMI

Mariam Kamara is a Nigerien architect. In 2014, Kamara founded atelier masōmī, an architecture and research firm, tackling a wide variety of public, cultural, residential, commercial and urban design projects. Notably, The Religious-Secular Complex of Dandaji in Niger, a collaborative cultural project with Studio Chahar, won the 2017 Gold LafargeHolcim Award for Africa and Middle East, and the 2018 Silver Global LafargeHolcim Award for Sustainable Architecture. Kamara served as Adjunct Associate Professor at Brown University and is a recurring Architecture Critic at the Rhode Island School of Design (R.I.S.D.)

Kamara’s work is guided by the belief that architects have an important role to play in thinking spaces that have the power to elevate, dignify, and provide a better quality of life. Since 2018, Kamara has been Sir David Adjaye’s protégé under the Rolex Mentor Protégé programme, and is a 2019 Laureate of the Price Claus Award, recognising how creatives have a positive impact on their societies.

SABINE MARCELIS

DESIGNER / FOUNDER, STUDIO SABINE MARCELIS

Sabine Marcelis is a Dutch designer who runs her practice from the harbour in Rotterdam. After graduating from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2011, Marcelis began working as an independent designer in the fields of product, installation and spatial design with a strong focus on materiality. Her work is characterised by pure forms which highlight material properties.

Marcelis applies a strong aesthetic point of view to her collaborations with industry specialists. This method of working allows her to intervene in the manufacturing process, using material research and experimentation to achieve new and surprising visual effects for projects both showcased in museums and commissioned by commercial clients and fashion houses.

Sabine recently won the prestigious Wallpaper* awards’ ‘Designer of the year 2020’, The Elle Deco International Design award 2019 'Young designer of the year’ and ‘GQ Men of the year 2019’ International Artist of the year.

SPUTNIKO!

ARTIST AND DESIGNER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN

Sputniko! is known for her film and multi-media installation works which explore the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She has presented her works in exhibitions such as the 2016 Setouchi Art Triennale, Milan International Design Triennale, Broken Nature (2019), Future and Arts at the Mori Art Museum (2019). From 2013 to 2017, Sputniko! was an Assistant Professor at the MIT Media Lab, where she founded and directed the Design Fiction research group. She is currently an Associate Professor of Design at Tokyo University of Arts. To date, she has had pieces included in the permanent collections of museums such as the V&A and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.

We will continue to provide updates regarding "SENSES ELECTRIFIED" as further information becomes available.

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

For more information, visit:

www.lexusdesignevent.com

Official hashtags:

#LexusDesignEvent

#LexusDesignAward

“SENSES ELECTRIFIED” will be held April 21st through April 26th, at Superstudio Più, in the Tortona district – at the heart of Milan Design Week.

Founder and Director of Loop.pH Mathias Gmachl says “We really enjoy working with the Lexus brand because it is both visionary and human centered. ‘LEXUS ELECTRIFIED’ aims to be an extension of your senses. The installation leads you on a journey through a series of immersive environments that reveal the perception-amplifying possibilities of electrification.”

In the same venue, the six finalists of the 2020 Lexus Design Award will exhibit their works in an interactive display. Now in its eighth year, the Lexus Design Award provides a unique platform for young creators to demonstrate and further develop their talents. On Press Day, April 20th, the Grand Prix winner will be selected by an international jury of renowned design leaders working at the cutting-edge of creative media.

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

• Event Title LEXUS DESIGN EVENT 2020 – SENSES ELECTRIFIED
• Duration 21 -25 April, 10:00 - 21:00 / April 26, 10:00 – 18:00(Press preview: April 20, 10:00-17:30)
• Venue Superstudio Più (Art Point)Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy
• Exhibits - Installation created by Loop.pH- The 6 finalists’ designs for the Lexus Design Award 2020
• Organizer Lexus International

ABOUT LOOP.PH

Loop.pH is an experimental, London-based spatial laboratory working across the fields of design, architecture and the sciences. The studio was founded in 2003 by Mathias Gmachl and Rachel Wingfield to form a new creative practice that reaches beyond specialist boundaries. As a studio they create visionary experiences and environments that allow people to dream and re-imagine new visions for our future. Loop.pH explores the role of art and design in public space by working outside of the gallery, museum and laboratory. Their work speculates on near and far future scenarios as a way to probe at the social and environmental impact of emerging biological and technological futures. The environments they create often synthesise living materials with digital tools, whilst exploring a new role for designers working at an urban scale. Loop.pH works with a range of clients to create brand experiences and public engagement initiatives, as well as delivering talks and workshops internationally.

Notable works include Mind Pilot for the Design Museum London in 2018, OSMO at TED2015, and the Hybrid Art Project for Lexus Russia in 2010.

http://loop.ph/

#LexusDesignEvent

#LexusDesignAward

#LexusElectrified

Many young designers from around the world have been able to use the experience of participating in the Lexus Design Award as a springboard for developing their craft and building their profile. As entries continue to be welcomed for the 2020 edition of the competition, its first winner is using the example of his success to encourage others to seize the opportunities the award offers.

Designer and engineer Hideki Yoshimoto was the Lexus Design Award Grand Prix winner in 2013 for Inaho, an imaginative lighting concept designed to reflect the elegant swaying motion of rice in a paddy field (inaho means ‘golden ear of rice’ in Japanese). Today he is the founding director of Tangent, a London-based studio that has collaborated with major luxury global brands all over the world.

Inaho itself has been developed from a concept into a fully marketed product, included in the Crafted for Lexus collection of luxury items and featured in The LOFT, the award-winning airport lounge presented by Lexus and Brussels Airlines at Brussels’ international airport.

Yoshimoto’s achievements exemplify the aims of the Lexus Design Award to nurture up-and-coming talent and promote the way in which good design can improve people’s lives – the goal of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’.

“The theme for the 2013 award as ‘motion,’ and that is what first caught my attention,” Yoshimoto explained. “When the call for entries started, I was a doctoral student at the Royal College of Art in the UK and was writing my thesis on ‘Pulse and Rhythm’. Since my research revolved around how to incorporate reciprocating motion and repeated movements as design elements, the theme was perfect.”

He added that the fact the award finalists have their work on public display, hosted by Lexus at Milan Design Week – one of the most prestigious dates in the international design calendar – was another significant attraction. “As a student, the possibility of being endorsed by a well-known global brand offered a huge opportunity. But what was especially meaningful was the fact that the things Lexus believes in as a brand, I value as a designer as well,” he said.

The distinguished mentorship provided for the award finalists is an important element in the Lexus Design Award and in 2013 Yoshimoto was able to develop his ideas for Inaho into a working prototype under the guidance of the world-renowned designer Sam Hecht.

“This was my first experience of interacting with a designer in a practical way, so it was a truly invaluable opportunity. He worked with us less like a teacher or famous designer, but more like a member of the project team. He was constantly pushing and challenging us to explore ideas and wider possibilities. There were quite a few passionate discussions, and all this made for a huge growth experience for both the team and Inaho.”

His advice to any young designers thinking about entering the Lexus Design Award is emphatic: “Just do it, look what it has done for me! It has unlocked possibilities, driven my personal and professional growth in so many ways and boosted my career. And my relationship with Lexus is strong and ongoing.

“If anything, it offers you an unbelievable opportunity to showcase your brand on a world stage. What you do with that opportunity is up to you.”

Looking ahead, Yoshimoto sees immense possibilities and no limits to materials or scale in his future work and he is particularly keen to use his engineering background to explore how hidden technologies can be used to unlock new design potential. “Taking the seed, crafting a concept and a narrative around it and collaborating to bring the concept to life, that’s what excites me,” he said.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award 2020 are being accepted through to 14 October 2019; for more information and details of how to take part visit LexusDesignAward.com.

Lexus International announced the list of judges and mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2020. Now on its eight year, the international design competition aims to continuously nurture and support the up-and-coming designers who use design to build a better future.

This year, Jeanne Gang joins other esteemed design leaders to form this year’s panel of judges and that exemplifies Lexus Design Award’s goal of “Design for a Better Tomorrow.” Gang adds new perspective to the already richly diverse panel that includes luminaries Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, John Maeda, Technologist and Chief Experience Officer at Publicis Sapient, and Yoshihiro Sawa, President of Lexus International.

To mentor the six finalists who will be announced in January 2020, Lexus welcomes a stellar ensemble of creative pioneers from around the globe. Joe Doucet, designer, artist, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, exhibits globally and has been honored with numerous international awards. Celebrated British designer Bethan Gray's distinctive furniture and furnishings are inspired by world cultures and made in collaboration with master craftspeople. British-Canadian Philippe Malouin is an award winning architectural, interior, and product designer also known for his art objects and installations. Architect Shohei Shigematsu, who heads OMA New York, will again be bringing out the creative potential of young designers, as he did at last year's Lexus Design Award.

Inspired by these four world-renowned designers, the finalists will create prototypes of their design concepts. Prototyping begins with an intensive mentoring workshop at one of the world's most dynamic cultural hubs, Intersect by Lexus, NYC. Finalists will continue to enjoy interactive access to mentors as they work to prepare their prototypes for display and judging at Milan Design Week^* on April 20, 2020.

Following prototype presentations by each finalist, Lexus Design Award 2020 culminates with the announcement of the Grand Prix winner on Milan Design Week’s Press Day.

Lexus Design Award 2020 is currently accepting entries through October 14, 2019.

Please visit LexusDesignAward.com for additional information.

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 PANEL OF JUDGES

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Following the XXII Triennale di Milano––her 2019 Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design––she is working on Material Ecology, a show on the work of architect Neri Oxman that will open at MoMA in February 2020; on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons; and on two books–– a collection of essays on contemporary design and Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world as examples of design.

JEANNE GANG

ARCHITECT / FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, PARTNER OF STUDIO GANG

Jeanne Gang, FAIA, is the founding principal and partner of internationally renowned architecture and urban design practice Studio Gang. Recognized for an approach that expands beyond architecture’s conventional boundaries to foreground relationships between individuals, communities, and their environment. Jeanne has a diverse, award-winning portfolio of work throughout the Americas and Europe. These include Aqua Tower in Chicago, an expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the new United States Embassy in Brasilia. A MacArthur Fellow and Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Jeanne this year was named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine and won her largest commission to date: the 2.2 million sf O’Hare Global Terminal.

JOHN MAEDA

TECHNOLOGIST / CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER, PUBLICIS SAPIENT

John Maeda is an American technologist, designer, engineer, artist, investor, author, and teacher. He was recently appointed chief experience officer at Publicis Sapient, the technology consulting and delivery arm of communications and marketing conglomerate Publicis. He has held positions with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com; the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins; led research at the MIT Media Lab; and served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design. Named as one of the “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century” by Esquire, Maeda draws on his diverse background as an MIT-trained engineer, award-winning designer, and executive leader to bring people and ideas together at scale. He is the author of several celebrated books, including The Laws of Simplicity and Redesigning Leadership and his upcoming book How to Speak Machine will be available November 2019. He has appeared as a speaker all over the world, from Davos to Beijing to São Paulo to New York, and his talks for TED have received millions of views.

YOSHIHIRO SAWA

PRESIDENT, LEXUS INTERNATIONAL

Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 PANEL OF MENTORS

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design, Doucet quickly began exporting his vision into product, furniture, environment, and technology to find solutions for daily and societal challenges through design. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions. Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally, including the London Design Museum and the Biennale International Design in Saint-Etienne. He has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. He was also named the only ever AvantGuardian for Design by Surface Magazine. In 2017, Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honor in his field. As an entrepreneur, Doucet has created and launched a myriad of businesses aimed at making the world a better place though design, including OTHR and Citizen A.

BETHAN GRAY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

London-based Bethan Gray is one the UK’s most celebrated furniture and homeware designers, having been awarded four Elle Decoration British Design Awards including the coveted Best British Designer. Her work features extensively in global media; and she has exhibited in London, Milan, Paris, New York and Dubai.

Bethan’s ancestors went on an incredible journey across continents - Bethan has since visited many of the places they passed through, inspired by a love of travel, art and culture. Today, her mission is to bring contemporary relevance to the traditional techniques from these regions – keeping both cultural narratives and craft skills alive. She believes in the power to tell stories through craft and design and has formed joint ventures based on mutual trust and respect that support over 400 master crafts people globally.

Established in 2008, Bethan Gray Design creates luxury handcrafted collections of furniture and home accessories that are sold through global retailers such as Harrods, Liberty, Lane Crawford. Within her own practice in London, she nurtures, connects and encourages new design talent and mentors upcoming female designers. She has recently launched a Prize for Women in Craft with Cardiff Metropolitan University where she is an honorary fellow.

PHILIPPE MALOUIN

DIRECTOR, PHILIPPE MALOUIN STUDIO

British-Canadian Philippe Malouin holds a bachelor’s degree in Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven. He has also studied at the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in Paris and the University of Montreal.

He set up his studio in 2008 after working for English designer Tom Dixon. Philippe has also taught at the Royal College of Art in London between 2012-2015. He is also the director of POST-OFFICE, the architectural and interior design practice.

His diverse portfolio includes tables, rugs, chairs, lights, art objects and installations. Philippe’s client list includes SCP, Marsotto Edizioni, Resident, OTHR, Hem, Ace hotel, Matter-Made, Established & Sons, Roll & Hill, 1882 ltd., Kvadrat, Umbra Shift, Caesarstone, IZÉ, Swarovski, Bloomberg, Aesop, Touch Digital.

Philippe is represented by Salon 94 Design gallery in New York City. He has recently won the Wallpaper* Magazine 'designer of the year' award. Philippe lives and works in London, where he operates his design studio.

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU

PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK

Shohei Shigematsu joined OMA in 1998, has led the New York office since 2006, and became a partner in 2008. He has recently completed the renovation of Sotheby’s New York headquarters, luxury high-rise towers in San Francisco and Miami, and OMA’s first ground-up building in New York City, a residential complex at 121 East 22nd Street. Sho has successfully completed designs for cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. Currently in progress are the expansion of Buffalo’s Albright-Knox-Gundlach Art Museum and a second building for the New Museum. Sho has also designed exhibitions for Prada, the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, and Dior’s first US retrospective at the Denver Art Museum and Dallas Museum of Art. He oversees OMA’s projects in Japan, including a new business center in Fukuoka (2020) and OMA’s first mixed-use tower in Tokyo for Mori Building Co, Ltd. (2022).

A design critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Sho has lectured at TED and Wired Japan conference, and at universities throughout the world.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for each finalists to work with a globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

• Lexus Design Award 2019’s elite judging panel has selected the Grand Prix winner from 1,548 entries from 65 countries, in an exciting culmination of this prestigious international event which supports the next generation of designers.
• Prototypes of the six finalists’ ideas created with the support of world-class creators through mentorship are on display at the Lexus Milan Design Week venue.
• The competition called for innovative ideas and transformative solutions, leveraging technology to build a better tomorrow.

Lexus International announced today the Grand Prix winner of Lexus Design Award 2019. Lisa Marks won the prestigious award for her design of “Algorithmic Lace” from a total of 1,548 idea submissions from 65 countries across the globe.

Through this program, and since its inception in 2013, Lexus puts into practice its commitment to support and nurture the next generation of designers who share Lexus’ belief in the power of design and innovation to shape a brighter future. The prototypes from all of this year’s finalists make creative use of technology to design practical solutions that have the power to change lives.

Joining the judging panel for the first time, internationally recognized designer and technologist John Maeda had this to say: “When we think of algorithms, we usually think of computers and the high-tech industry. But the textile industry is where algorithms were first deployed as a means to realize new aesthetic choices in fabrics during the 19th century. Lisa Marks “Algorithmic Lace” project not only feeds on that rich history, but goes even further back in time to incorporate a 16th century technique for weaving complex lace patterns. Marks uses this ancient process together with advanced three-dimensional modelling to handcraft bespoke bras for breast cancer survivors who have undergone mastectomy surgery. The result is a combination of function and beauty that positively impacts the survivor’s body aesthetic while also providing fully customized structural comfort.”

Grand Prix winner Lisa Marks said, as she accepted her award, “Lexus doesn’t have to do this. They could be a successful brand without it. But it shows their commitment to design and to a better world.”

The Grand Prix winning prototype along with prototypes created by the other five Lexus Design Award 2019 finalists will be on display at the Lexus exhibition entitled “Leading with Light,” from 09 - 13 April 2019 at Milan Design Week’s Superstudio Più in the Tortona district, the hub of Milan’s international design event.

The “LEADING WITH LIGHT” exhibition, inspired by Lexus’ latest illumination technology and produced in collaboration with new media design studio, Rhizomatiks, is an immersive and emotional experience. By combining playful and dynamic lighting with human dance and advanced robotics, this highly choreographed exhibition uses countless beams of light as robots interact with the movements of a single performer. Within the exhibition, an area called “LEXUS LIGHTS TOMORROW” showcases Lexus’ human-centered approach through cutting-edge vehicle lighting technology that can help shape a better and brighter future.

ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 1 million hybrid vehicles.

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests and is currently available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, in cooperation with designboom, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six finalists to work with a world-class team of established design and innovation talent as mentors to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

TOKYO, Japan, 21 February 2019 – Today Lexus announced details of its 12^th annual participation in the world’s premier design event – Milan Design Week^*. For more than a decade, the Lexus Design Event has delivered amazing experiences for visitors, created in collaboration with some of the world’s most celebrated designers and inspired by Lexus’ design philosophy.

For this year’s event, “Leading with Light”, Lexus has partnered with the globally renowned design firm Rhizomatiks. Known for their imaginative use of technology to captivate audiences, Rhizomatiks previously worked with Lexus in 2014 for the art and technology exhibition Media Ambition Tokyo.

Inspired by Lexus’ future illumination technology, ”Leading with Light” is an immersive display featuring playful and dynamic lighting in which seemingly countless beams of light are manipulated to interact with the human form. Intelligent mobile companions intuitively lead the way towards an open portal that represents a future of endless imagination and innovation.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the work of the six finalists in the 2019 Lexus Design Award. Now in its seventh year, the award celebrates up-and-coming creative talent from around the world. This year’s Grand Prix winner, selected by a panel of world-renowned designers and commentators, will be announced to the world’s media on the show’s press day, 8 April.

^{* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.}

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

COLLABORATION DESIGNER PROFILE

RHIZOMATIKS

Established in 2006, Rhizomatiks is a collective of creators and producers with rich personalities and backgrounds in diverse areas such as media, art and engineering. Rhizomatiks has previously handled numerous creative projects combining technical knowledge with high ability of expression. Collaborating with notable artists such as Björk, Rhizomatiks has created performances for numerous festivals including the Sónar Festival, MUTEK, and other events, both domestic and international.

https://rhizomatiks.com/

The following six finalists were selected from a total of 1,548 entries and will now enter the prototype creation stage with continued support from Lexus:

• Algorithmic Lace, Lisa Marks (USA); A 3D-custom lace bra for breast cancer survivors.
• Arenophile, Rezzan Hasoglu (Turkey / Country of Residence: UK); A project exploring desert sand with different binding materials to create products.
• Baluto, Jeffrey E. Dela Cruz (Philippines); A modular housing system designed to withstand earthquakes and high floods.
• Green Blast Jet Energy, Dmitriy Balashov (Russia); A turbine that collects and converts aircraft jet blast to energy during take-off.
• Hydrus, Shuzhan Yuan (China); An emergency treatment equipment offshore oil spills that increase work efficiency.
• Solgami, Prevalent (Ben Berwick) (Australia); A window blind that generates electricity and increases internal illumination.

In preparation for prototype creation, a Lexus-sponsored 2-day mentoring workshop was held at the newly-opened Intersect by Lexus in New York City, where finalists received hands-on guidance with four globally acclaimed creators: Jessica Rosenkrantz, Shohei Shigematsu, Sebastian Wrong and Jaime Hayon.

According to technologist and 2019 LDA judge, John Maeda, “This year’s submissions revealed a strong awareness of the connectedness of our world and the need for increased social consciousness.” Speaking more on the transformation happening in the area of design thinking, he said, “It’s clear that the fusion of classical design and computational design is now happening especially in the minds of designers looking to solve our world’s biggest problems. I'm optimistic that as we continue to nurture and embrace this new generation of designers we'll see a better tomorrow.”

2019 L.DA Mentor Jaime Hayon said: “The finalist’s ideas are very interesting, and some are truly breaking boundaries. Through the mentoring workshop, I myself was also inspired by interacting with a different generation who looks at technology for the 21st century from a fresh angle. Further the varied backgrounds of the mentors made the whole project richer.”

Finalists will have ongoing access to each mentor as they develop their prototypes during the months leading up to Milan Design Week in April. Their prototypes will then be displayed at the Lexus event space at the 2019 Milan Design Week. Four world-renowned design leaders will select the Lexus Design Award 2019 Grand Prix winner on April 8.

Further details on the Lexus presence at the 2019 Milan Design Week will be announced in mid-February.

First launched in 2013, in cooperation with designboom, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2019 FINALISTS

Algorithmic Lace

This bra, made for post-mastectomy women, is custom crafted using a new methodology using algorithmic patterning to make three-dimensional lace. This avoids aspects of the bra that create discomfort after surgery, and give each woman a confidence in her new beginning.

Lisa Marks, USA

Lisa Marks is an Industrial Designer specializing in combining craft research with algorithmic design in order to promote sustainable methods to help craft communities. Lisa has an MFA from Parsons School of Design and is currently faculty at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Arenophile

This project seeks a new purpose for desert sand, a naturally abundant material which has not been widely used. By creating composite materials using desert sand and non-toxic binders, this project proposes new products through experimentation and research.

Rezzan Hasoglu, Turkey / Country of Residence: UK

Rezzan Hasoglu is a product designer based in London. She graduated from Royal College of Art. Her design approach is very hands-on whilst combining digital tools. Focused on research and experimentation inspired from natural phenomena, she seeks ways of translating cultural nuances into tangible objects through exploring processes and materials.

Baluto

The Baluto project seeks a solution in low-lying areas where the main concern is flood mitigation. This housing strategy provides a habitable space on land that can withstand a sudden rise in flood water level.

Jeffrey E. Dela Cruz, Philippines

Jeffrey Dela Cruz is an Architecture Graduate from Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines. He interprets Filipino architectural designs and is often inspired by indigenous forms, materials and constructions. He hopes his work will eventually have an impact in the research field.

Green Blast Jet Energy

Green Blast Jet Energy makes it possible to collect the energy of the jet blast of an aircraft taking off and to return it for different needs of airports.

Dmitriy Balashov, Russia

Dmitriy Balashov specializes in Industrial Design. He studied at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. He is inspired by unique and innovative ideas that offer comfort and rationality.

Hydrus

Hydrus is an emergency treatment equipment for offshore oil spills. This equipment does not only try to solve one problem, but also encourages people to deal with the changes in our earth's environment.

Shuzhan Yuan, China

Shuzhan Yuan is a product designer and graduated from Xiamen University of Technology. He tries to encourage deep thinking about meaningful things in our life through design. He compares design with the study and interpretation of this unknown world.

Solgami

Solgami utilizes origami geometry to give apartment residents a closer connection to their external environment. Formed as a window blind, this geometry provides privacy, and puts the user in charge of deciding between greater internal illumination, or electricity generation.

Prevalent (Ben Berwick), Australia

Ben Berwick runs Prevalent, an architectural startup focusing on social spaces and spatial technology. He specializes in advanced design, and received a Master’s degree in engineering whilst a Fellow at the University of Tokyo. He has a background in Architecture from the University of Sydney, where he now teaches.

MENTORS PROFILES

Jaime Hayon, Artist – Designer, Hayon Studio

Spanish artist-designer Jaime Hayon was born in Madrid in 1974. His artistic vision was first fully exposed in the ‘Mediterranean Digital Baroque’ and ‘Mon Cirque’ installations. These collections put Jaime at the forefront a new wave that blurred the lines between art, decoration and design and a renaissance in finely-crafted, intricate objects within the context of contemporary design culture.

Jaime further defined his vision in subsequent solo exhibitions and shows at major galleries, and design and art fairs all over the globe. After founding Hayon Studio in 2001, his wide client base has spanned diverse functions and mediums, including domestic furniture for b.d. barcelona, Cassina, Fritz Hansen, &Tradition, and Magis; lighting fixtures for Parachilna, Metalarte and Swarovski; and sophisticated objects for Bisazza, Lladró and Baccarat. He has also executed complete interiors for leading hotels, restaurants, museums, and retail establishments worldwide.

Jessica Rosenkrantz, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Nervous System

Jessica Rosenkrantz is an artist, designer, and programmer. In 2007 she co-founded Nervous System, where she currently works as Creative Director. Her work explores how simulations of natural processes can be used in design and coupled with digital fabrication to create one-of-a-kind, customized products. She studied biology and architecture at MIT and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 2016, she has been teaching design at MIT.

Her designs have been featured in a wide range of publications, including WIRED, the New York Times, and the Guardian and are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Shohei Shigematsu, Partner and Director of OMA New York

Shohei Shigematsu is a Partner at OMA and the Director of the New York office. Sho has completed a number of cultural projects including Milstein Hall for Cornell University, extension for the Quebec National Art Museum, Faena Forum in Miami Beach and the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met. He is currently engaged in a diverse range of projects across typologies: from cultural projects such as the extension to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, a museum expansion for the New Museum in New York City and the Dior retrospective at Denver Art Museum; to two office towers in Japan and three residential towers across North America—in New York, San Francisco and Miami.

Sebastian Wrong, Design Director, Established & Sons

Design Director of Established & Sons and an award-winning product designer, London-born Sebastian Wrong has more than 18 years of experience in manufacturing. Sebastian originally studied sculpture at Norwich School of Art, before founding his first production company in 2001. Spanning both the creative and production side of the design business, he has accumulated an impressive array of technical skills. Sebastian has taught on the postgraduate diploma platforms at the Royal College of Art, London, and ECAL, Switzerland. As a designer, he has created commercially and critically successful products for some of the world’s leading brands, and his portfolio of work spans furniture, lighting, accessories and gallery projects. As a manufacturer, he has collaborated with many of the preeminent names in contemporary design.

JUDGES’ PROFILES

Sir David Adjaye, Architect / Principal and Founder of Adjaye Associates, London and New York

Sir David Adjaye OBE is the principal and founder of Adjaye Associates. Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, his broadly ranging influences, ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision. His largest project to date, the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.

Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator for the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA, New York

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature, devoted to examples of design and architecture that aim at repairing humans’ relationship with nature; on the reinstallation of the contemporary design galleries in the new, expanded MoMA; and on a video and VR series entitled __&Design.

John Maeda, Technologist / Global Head of Computational Design + Inclusion, Automattic

John Maeda is an American executive spearheading a new convergence across the design + technology industries. He joined Automattic in 2016 as Global Head of Computational Design +Inclusion and previously served as Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), a world-leading venture capital firm. An internationally recognized speaker and author, his books include The Laws of Simplicity, Creative Code and Redesigning Leadership. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering + Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from Arizona State U, and a PhD from University of Tsukuba in Japan. He was also a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Google’s Advanced Technology + Projects Group and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on New Growth Models. He previously served as advisor to John Donahoe, CEO of eBay Inc. Prior to his work in industry, Maeda was a tenured research professor at the MIT Media Laboratory and 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Yoshihiro Sawa, President Of Lexus International

Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.

Lexus International is pleased to welcome technologist John Maeda, to the panel of judges for the Lexus Design Award 2019. Maeda leads a new convergence across the fields of design and technology as Global Head of Computational Design and Inclusion at Automattic, a publishing platform development company. Maeda will join three judges who have served on the panel in the past, eminent architect Sir David Adjaye, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, Paola Antonelli, and President of Lexus International, Yoshihiro Sawa.

Also, recently-announced mentor Sebastian Wrong has been joined by three new mentors: pioneer of generative design and co-founder of Nervous System design studio, Jessica Rosenkrantz, and partner of world-leading architectural firm OMA, Shohei Shigematsu.  

Established in 2013, the Lexus Design Award in cooperation with designboom is an international design competition that seeks to nurture up-and-coming designers who use design thinking to solve everyday problems and build a better future for individuals and for society. This year, six finalists will be selected from around the world to receive mentorship and a production budget of up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) to build a functional prototype to display at Lexus’s exhibition at Milan Design Week* 2019. Finalists will be judged on how well their prototype anticipates the needs of people and tomorrow’s society. The designs also must showcase innovation and originality while at the same time captivate and engage the public.

By participating in a series of workshops and 1-on-1 instruction with the four mentors, the finalists will be able to experience what it takes to emerge as an accomplished designer on the world stage. Whether receiving tips on design or on the business of transforming inspiration into reality, the mentors’ global experience and success shared at the workshops will provide valuable insights to these creative representatives of the next generation of designers.

Deadline for entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition is October 28, 2018. Finalists will be selected in December by the elite panel of judges and the six up-and-coming designers will be announced in January 2019.

More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward;

^{* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.}

JUDGES’ PROFILES

SIR DAVID ADJAYE, ARCHITECT / PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER OF ADJAYE ASSOCIATES, LONDON AND NEW YORK

Sir David Adjaye OBE is the principal and founder of Adjaye Associates. Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, his broadly ranging influences, ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision. His largest project to date, the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.

PAOLA ANTONELLI, SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature, devoted to examples of design and architecture that aim at repairing humans’ relationship with nature; on the reinstallation of the contemporary design galleries in the new, expanded MoMA; and on a video and VR series entitled __&Design.

JOHN MAEDA, TECHNOLOGIST / GLOBAL HEAD OF COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN + INCLUSION, AUTOMATTIC

John Maeda is an American executive spearheading a new convergence across the design + technology industries. He joined Automattic in 2016 as Global Head of Computational Design +Inclusion and previously served as Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), a world-leading venture capital firm. An internationally recognized speaker and author, his books include The Laws of Simplicity, Creative Code and Redesigning Leadership. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering + Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from Arizona State U, and a PhD from University of Tsukuba in Japan. He was also a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Google’s Advanced Technology + Projects Group and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on New Growth Models. He previously served as advisor to John Donahoe, CEO of eBay Inc. Prior to his work in industry, Maeda was a tenured research professor at the MIT Media Laboratory and 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design.

YOSHIHIRO SAWA, PRESIDENT OF LEXUS INTERNATIONAL

Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.

MENTORS PROFILES

JESSICA ROSENKRANTZ, CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NERVOUS SYSTEM

Jessica Rosenkrantz is an artist, designer, and programmer. In 2007 she co-founded Nervous System, where she currently works as Creative Director. Her work explores how simulations of natural processes can be used in design and coupled with digital fabrication to create one-of-a-kind, customized products. She studied biology and architecture at MIT and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 2016, she has been teaching design at MIT.

Her designs have been featured in a wide range of publications, including WIRED, the New York Times, and the Guardian and are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU, PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK

Shohei Shigematsu is a Partner at OMA and the Director of the New York office. Sho has completed a number of cultural projects including Milstein Hall for Cornell University, extension for the Quebec National Art Museum, Faena Forum in Miami Beach and the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met. He is currently engaged in a diverse range of projects across typologies: from cultural projects such as the extension to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, a museum expansion for the New Museum in New York City and the Dior retrospective at Denver Art Museum; to two office towers in Japan and three residential towers across North America—in New York, San Francisco and Miami.

SEBASTIAN WRONG, DESIGN DIRECTOR, ESTABLISHED & SONS

Design Director of Established & Sons and an award-winning product designer, London-born Sebastian Wrong has more than 18 years of experience in manufacturing. Sebastian originally studied sculpture at Norwich School of Art, before founding his first production company in 2001. Spanning both the creative and production side of the design business, he has accumulated an impressive array of technical skills. Sebastian has taught on the postgraduate diploma platforms at the Royal College of Art, London, and ECAL, Switzerland. As a designer, he has created commercially and critically successful products for some of the world’s leading brands, and his portfolio of work spans furniture, lighting, accessories and gallery projects. As a manufacturer, he has collaborated with many of the preeminent names in contemporary design.

Lexus International today announced that this year’s Lexus Design Awards (LDA) finalists will get the rare opportunity to take their creative skills to the next level as Sebastian Wrong, Co-Founder and Design Director of leading UK-based design brand Established & Sons, joins the roster of prestigious LDA 2019 mentors, bringing his expertise in product design, manufacturing, and creative skills to the program. Additional mentors will be announced in October.

Established in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that seeks to nurture up-and-coming designers who use design thinking to solve everyday problems and build a better future for individuals and for society.

This year, six finalists will be selected from around the world to receive mentorship and a production budget of up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) to build a functional prototype to display at Lexus’s exhibition at Milan Design Week 2019*. A prototype will be selected to win the prestigious Lexus Design Award Grand Prix prize based on how the work integrates three fundamental principles from the Lexus brand: “Anticipate”, “Innovate”, and “Captivate”.

”Sebastian shares Lexus’ goal of addressing tomorrow’s challenges today and making the world a better place. Lexus proudly welcomes him to the design mentorship program,” stated Spiros Fotinos, Global Head of Brand Management and Marketing for Lexus International.

Sebastian Wrong, Design Director of Established & Sons, has designed iconic furniture including the Heidi stool which mixes modernity with nostalgia and the Wrongwoods collection praised for its unexpected colors and designs reminiscent of wood-plank block prints. Wrong’s work with the newest generation of design talent as well as his collaboration with industry veterans make him the perfect talent to join Lexus Design Award’s panel of mentors.

Past Lexus Design Award mentoring featured some of today’s most respected creators such as Snarkitecture and Formafantasma and the format had each finalist receive tutelage at the mentors’ location. This year, Lexus brings all the finalists to one of the most important design capitals of the world, New York City, in January where they will receive guidance from all the mentors across multiple design disciplines. Under expert supervision, the finalists will experience what it takes to emerge as an accomplished designer on the world stage. Whether tips on design or on the business of making inspiration into reality, the mentors’ global experience and success shared at the workshops will provide valuable insight to leading creative minds of the next generation of designers.

The judges of the Lexus Design Award 2019 returning from last year are: Sir David Adjaye, eminent architect of such innovative works as the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times) and SPYSCAPE, an interactive experience museum with a unique intrigue and espionage theme; Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art who is also curator of the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature: Design Takes on Human Survival; and Yoshihiro Sawa, President of Lexus International, whose vision for the competition encompasses the brand’s passion to foster a new-generation of creativity. Their judging criteria for the finalists will be how well the prototype works anticipate the needs of people and tomorrow’s society. The designs will also need to showcase innovation and originality while at the same time be captivating and engaging to the public.

Deadline for entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition is October 28, 2018. Finalists will be selected December by the elite panel of judges and the six up-and-coming designers will be announced January 2019.

More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

^{* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.}

Making the world a better place through design has always been the program’s purpose and now, in its seventh year, the 2019 award makes that objective clearer than ever under the directive of “Design for a Better Tomorrow”.

The next-generation of designers will need to consider how their creative ideas incorporate three fundamental principles from the Lexus brand: “Anticipate,” “Innovate,” and “Captivate,” as well as how their design anticipates the needs of tomorrow’s society. They will need to develop innovative designs that bring fresh imaginative solutions. At the same time, their ideas and designs should be captivating and engaging to the audience and more importantly, of the esteemed judging panel.

The six finalists will be announced in early 2019. The judges and the mentors for the award will be disclosed in the fall 2018. Past LDA judges and mentors include such luminaries such as Sir David Adjaye, Snarkitecture, and Formafantasma.

The judges will select the six best ideas to be developed into functional prototypes with a production budget up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) each and with the support of world renowned mentors. The prototypes will be displayed at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2019* where they will compete for the Grand Prix prize.

To prepare the finalists for Milan, Lexus will also provide a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship that gives each finalist an exclusive opportunity to receive direct hands-on guidance from acclaimed professionals who share their priceless knowledge and experience for creating the prototype and beyond.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition will be accepted from August 9 through October 28, 2018. More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek

^{* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.}

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2019 COMPETITION

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 1 million hybrid vehicles.*

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests, and is currently available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

^{*(1,263,055 units as of December 2017)}

From left to right: Simone Farresin of Formafantasma (Mentor), Yoshihiro Sawa (President, Lexus International), Elliott P. Montgomery of Extrapolation Factory (Grand Prix Winner), Andrea Trimarchi of Formafantasma (Mentor)

‘Testing Hypotheticals’ is a collaboratively imagined test site that explores speculative relationships between society, technology and the environment. This project has been submitted by Extrapolation Factory, a design-based research studio for participatory futures studies, founded by Elliott P. Montgomery (USA) and Chris Woebken (Germany). The studio develops experimental methods for collaboratively prototyping, experiencing and impacting future scenarios.

“This year’s winner permeates the current thinking about the role of design in our evolving and technologically shifting societies. Products played less of a role, and design education/teaching and thinking are at the forefront. How citizens and designers interact with products, processes and future is increasingly critical to mediating this influence of design in our increasingly future-orientated and technologically evolving world. The chosen design shows methods and techniques for engaging the public and designers in role playing possible futures and negotiating the influences of our technological world.” said David Adjaye, Lexus Design Award 2018 judge and architect.

Elliott P. Montgomery of Extrapolation Factory commented, “It was truly fantastic, and the experience was incredible to have worked with our mentors Formafantasma. We could not have done this without the support of Lexus.”

Lexus passionately believes in the power of design to change the world. This is why Lexus nurtures and celebrates up-and-coming designers who harness the power to shift perspectives, communicate ideas and stimulate the imagination to shape a better future.

Since 2013, the Lexus Design Award has supported the next generation of designers from around the world. For our sixth year, 2018, the Award’s theme is “CO-”, a Latin prefix meaning with or together. Lexus believes that great design can ensure the harmonious coexistence of nature and society. In that sense, “CO-" is an approach that allows the brand to explore its true potential and that of the environment by creating new possibilities through collaboration, coordination and connection.

Lexus Design Award 2018 drew a record 1319 entries from 68 countries.

From among the wealth of “CO-” design submissions, the judging committee has selected 12 finalists, four to be prototyped and eight to be shown as display panels. These are displayed to the international design community at Lexus’ “LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE” exhibition at the 2018 Milan Design Week.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018 PEOPLE’S CHOICE

As a new initiative for 2018, Lexus has created the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018 PEOPLE’S CHOICE. The public is invited to vote for its favourite design submission among the 12 finalists displayed in Milan. Anyone can vote on the Design Award website (www.lexusdesignaward.com) between April 16 and 21. The winner will be announced on April 23.

The Lexus exhibit at the 2018 Milan Design Week, ‘LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE’ is open to the public from April 17 to 22, 10:00 to 20:00, at Cavallerizze, Museo Nationale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, Via Olona 6, 20123 Milan, Italy.

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #LexusDesignEvent.

Formafantasma creates major new installation as the centrepiece of Lexus’ presentation at the 2016 Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile)

• “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” interprets core elements of the brand’s design philosophy and the craftsmanship processes applied in the manufacture of its luxury models
• Focus on the influence of Omotenashi, the traditions of Japanese hospitality, and the styling and technical qualities of Lexus’ new hydrogen fuel cell limousine concept, the LF-FC
• The experience will include new culinary designs from Michelin-starred chef Yoji Tokuyoshi, inspired by the natural relationship between hydrogen and water in Lexus’ fuel cell system

The internationally acclaimed design studio Formafantasma has taken inspiration from Lexus’ design philosophy, craftsmanship and advanced technologies to produce an immersive exhibit that will form the centrepiece of the luxury car maker’s presentation at Milan Design Week – the Salone del Mobile – in April.

“Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” will be hosted during the world’s largest design exhibition at the Spazio Lexus – Torneria from April 12 to 17, with a media preview on April 11.

Produced in a unique collaboration with Michelin star-winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi, it will provide a multi-layered experience capturing the spirit of seamless anticipation that forms a central pillar of Lexus design, and of Omontenashi, the traditions of Japanese hospitality that are intrinsic to the way Lexus creates vehicles that address their owners’ every need. It will also interpret the essence of Lexus’ ground-breaking hydrogen fuel cell technology, as showcased in its new LF-FC limousine concept.

Formafantasma’s Amsterdam-based Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farrasin travelled to Japan to witness Lexus’ design and manufacturing techniques first-hand and to learn about the qualities and values that define the brand. Their experiences have directly influenced the design of their exhibit, which is divided into three distinct spaces.

They said: “The wonderful quality of Japanese hospitality is what really impressed us and the part of Japan we love most. Our aim is to express the kindness, hospitality and craftsmanship of Omotenashi in the right way through our installation, and also to capture something of the impressive car production methods which were introduced to.”

The first room in the installation will feature new furniture pieces created by Formafantasma using the same painting and hand-finishing processes Lexus used to achieve the flawless finish of its LF-FC concept car.

“We were greatly inspired by Lexus’ painting process, and the fact the parts of the car you can’t see are treated in just the same way as those you can. The colours are beautiful and their depth is impressive. These might be details, but they are beautiful and highly attractive qualities,” said Formafantasma.

Moving into the second room, visitors will be introduced to an unexpected re-shaping of the LF-FC’s exterior design, conceived as a tribute to the Lexus design team’s constant search for perfection and anticipation of future mobility.

“At first we questioned why a car company would approach us,” said Formafantasma, “because we thought they did things in a very different way from us. But when we were able to see the value they attach to production and design, the more we understood the company and realised the things we have in common.”

The final room in the sequence will contain a new kinetic sculpture, inspired by the hydrogen atom and powered by an application of the fuel cell technology used by Lexus in the LF-FC.

Formafantasma explained: “What we wanted to do was to bring together the forward-looking spirit of anticipation that is central to what design is about and reflect a desire shared with Lexus to create products that are both aesthetically beautiful and sustainable.”

The journey through the installation will be accompanied by new tasting experiences, created by Yoji Tokuyoshi, inspired by the clear water that is the direct by-product of hydrogen fuel cell power generation.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presentation will also include a showcase for the work of the 12 finalists in this year’s Lexus Design Award, including prototypes produced by the four leading entries, developed with mentorship from world-renowned designers.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/ @lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent; #LDEncounters

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Title : Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation

Duration :  April 12 –April 17 10:00 – 20:00 (Press preview: April 11 10:00 – 18:00)

Venue : Spazio Lexus - Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, Italy

Theme : Anticipation

Exhibits :

 Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation created by featured designers

 The 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2016

Organizer : Lexus International

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma - Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team whose work is characterised by its investigation of experimental materials. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, the designers have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired for the permanent collections of major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi - Chef

Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognised as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped the celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity, Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

ABOUT MILAN DESIGN WEEK

Milan Design Week, the Salone del Mobile, is the world's largest design exhibition. It features numerous events, including furniture, fashion and the work of many world-renowned brands. In 2015 the "Lexus – A Journey of the Senses" exhibit earned high acclaim and received the “Most Entertaining” honour in the Milano Design Awards competition.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Brussels, Belgium - Lexus will present its “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” exhibit as part of Milan Design Week 2016, the world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile. The exhibit, which will take place at Spazio Lexus - Torneria in Tortona from April 12 to 17, features a unique collaboration between the widely acclaimed design team from Studio Formafantasma and Michelin Star winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi.

Lexus will offer an unexpected and unmatched encounter that invites visitors to a unique world full of Anticipation. Visitors will discover the essence of Lexus craftsmanship, and behold how Lexus technology and design philosophy translate into an aesthetic and emotional experience. Anticipating societal needs and desires, this exhibit conveys how Lexus imagines what is yet unseen and delivers new forms of surprise and enchantment. Visitors will understand how the brand embraces anticipation to create amazing experiences.

Formafantasma will design and install the exhibit space. The young designers behind the success of this Amsterdam based studio have already earned wide acclaim for their product designs, receiving a nomination for Designer of the Year in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2014. Similarly, Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is a rising star in the culinary world, renowned for his creativity and innovation. His new restaurant in Milan, Ristorante Tokuyoshi, was awarded a Michelin star just 10 months after opening. The collaboration of these Europe-based, acclaimed creative geniuses is perfectly paired with the aspirations of the “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” exhibit to explore new design possibilities.

Formafantasma spoke of the inspiration found when they visited Lexus in Japan. “We were impressed by how Lexus is committed to excellence in craftsmanship, integrity in its production and responsibility in its use of technology. We felt the openness and honesty of the brand come alive as the foundation of anticipation. This led us to the design concept of transparency. Transparency anticipates a future that is open and honest, and that engages society to reach common goals of sustainable behavior and a progressive lifestyle.”

On the subject of transparency, Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi said the following: “Transparency is not just about being clear and lucent. Being transparent is sometimes an invisible thing and makes you think. This builds anticipation, and increases the joy of the reveal. I would like to express this concept through the tasting experience.”

Anticipation is also the theme for this year’s Lexus Design Award; an international design competition to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society and support up-and-coming creators whose work can contribute to shaping a better future. Creative works by the 12 finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2016 will also be displayed at the same venue during Milan Design Week.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/ @lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent; #LDEncounters

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Title

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation

Duration

April 12 –April 17 10:00 – 20:00 (Press preview: April 11 10:00 – 18:00)

Venue

Spazio Lexus - Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, Italy

Theme

Anticipation

Exhibits

Ø Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation created by featured designers

Ø The 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2016

Organizer

Lexus International

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma - Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team with work characterized by experimental materials investigations. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, they have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired to be in the permanent collections in major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi - Chef

Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognized as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped that celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

ABOUT MILAN DESIGN WEEK

The world's largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, with numerous events including furniture, fashion and many world-renowned brands. The "Lexus – A Journey of the Senses" exhibit in 2015 earned high acclaim and won the “Best Entertaining” award at the “Milano Design Award” competition.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Brussels, Belgium - Lexus International today announced the 12 finalists for the Lexus Design Award2016. First launched in 2013 to foster the growth of ideas that can contribute to society, this international design competition aims to support young up-and-coming creators from around the world.

The fourth annual staging of the Lexus Design Award drew 1,232 entries from 73 countries under the theme “Anticipation”.

A panel of world-renowned designers and creators gathered in November to judge the entries. This year, entrants impressed the judges by creating designs as yet unseen or undefined but likely to be realized in the near future. After extensive discussion and after noting the participants’ passion and willingness to explore the unpredictable, 12 finalist entries were selected for their potential contribution to design innovation.

The following four finalists will produce prototypes of their designs under the mentorship of globally recognized creators:

• AGAR PLASTICITY, by AMAM (Japan), is a project exploring how agar, a gelatinous material obtained from the marine algae, can be used as an environmentally friendly packaging materials alternative to plastic.
• DADA, by Myungsik Jang (Korea), is a block toy which can be freely combined using bands, holes, and pegs to create and realize each child’s imagination.
• Shape Shifters, by Angelena Laura Fenuta (Canada-based Italian designer), is a special cut of garment, applying modular principles to textiles, which allows creating different fashions outfits.

Trace, by STUDIO AYASKAN (UK-based Turkish designers), is a clock that uses a liquid with UV rays and discoloration properties allowing us to visualize the passing time.

Architects and interdisciplinary designers Neri & Hu, along with designer Max Lamb will return as mentors, while designer/architect Elena Manferdini and artist/architect Snarkitecture join as the mentors for the first time.

The four completed prototypes will be featured as part of the Lexus exhibition at this year's Milan Design Week, along with panel presentations of the other eight finalists’ designs. The event will run from April 11th through April 17th at T32 Torneria/Carrozzeria, Via Tortona 32, 20144 (Zona Tortona).

The Grand Prix winner of the Lexus Design Award 2016, selected from the four prototype finalists, is going to be announced on April 11th at the award ceremony.

Further details on the Lexus space at the 2016 Milan Design Week will be announced in mid-February.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus Europe newsroom: http://newsroom.lexus.eu

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/

@lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags:#LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek, LDAnticipate

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016 ENTRIES SELECTED FOR PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT:

Title

AGAR PLASTICITY – A POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF AGAR FOR PACKAGING AND MORE

Designer

(Nationality)

AMAM

- Kosuke Araki (Japanese)

- Noriaki Maetani (Japanese)

- Akira Muraoka (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

AGAR PLASTICITY is a project exploring how agar, a gelatinous material obtained from the marine algae, can be used as an environmentally friendly packaging materials alternative to plastic.

Mentors

Max Lamb

Title

DADA

Designer

(Nationality)

Myungsik Jang (Korean)

Resident

South Korea

Description

DADA is a block toy which can be freely combined using bands, holes, and pegs to create and realize each child’s imagination.

Mentor

Neri and Hu

Title

Shape Shifters

Designer

(Nationality)

Angelena Laura Fenuta (Canadian/Italian)

Resident

Canada

Description

Shape Shifters is a special cut of garment, applying modular principles to textiles, which allows creating different outfits.

Mentor

Elena Manferdini

Title

TRACE

Designer

(Nationality)

STUDIO AYASKAN

- Begum Ayaskan (Turkish)

- Bike Ayaskan (Turkish)

Resident

United Kingdom

Description

Trace is a clock that uses a liquid with UV rays and discoloration properties allowing us to visualize the passing time.

Mentor

Snarkitecture

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016 PANEL EXHIBITS:

Title

aniknown

Designer(Nationality)

Ayami Marugata (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

aniknown is a creation of clothes for six types of animal, choosing the materials according to each one’s feature, behavior and habitat.

Title

Bio-Vide

Designer(Nationality)

Takuma Yamazaki (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

Bio – Vide is a product, such as table and envelope, designed using fallen leaves. It is a visualization of the concept that all things return to earth.

Title

Drop Box

Designer(Nationality)

Ding Dong & Ma Jincai & Peter Luo & Huang Junxi

-Ding Dong(Chinese), Jincai Ma(Chinese),

-Junxi Huang(Chinese), Peter Luo (Chinese)

Resident

China

Description

Drop Box utilizes aerodynamics to allow critical supplies to be airdropped safely in disaster areas without requiring a parachute.

Title

Hexagon

Designer(Nationality)

Chulin Yang (Chinese)

Resident

Australia

Description

Hexagon is an umbrella using magnets which connects with each other to promote human interactions.

Title

PLANTS-SKIN

Designer(Nationality)

Hiroto Yoshizoe (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

PLANTS-SKIN is a planter made of a colored mortar and special ink that visualizes the timing for watering plants.

Title

Project Play

Designer(Nationality)

Oliver Staiano (British)

Resident

United Kingdom

Description

Project Play is a first-of-its-kind lamp powered by wireless technology and realized through the creation of a magnetic rubber.

Title

RESOLUTION OF SOUND LOCATION

Designer(Nationality)

Owls

-Takato Sasaki(Japanese), Yuki Shinohara (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

RESOLUTION OF SOUND LOCATION is a headphone device composed of super directive microphones and speakers that can determine the sound source and adjust volume.

Title

Slow Door

Designer(Nationality)

Deepak Jawahar & Irina Bogdan

-Deepak Jawahar (Indian), Irina Michaela Bogdan (Romanian)

Resident

China

Description

Slow Door is conceived as an assembly of cubic components forming a spatial mechanism that delays the transition through a doorway. It allows us to appreciate the time and space created by the experience.

MENTOR PROFILES:

Neri &Hu / Architects and Interdisciplinary Designers

Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, cofounders of Neri & Hu Design and Research based in Shanghai, have been working on projects around the world which incorporate overlapping design disciplines to create a new paradigm in architecture. In 2014, Wallpaper* announced Neri & Hu as 2014 Designer of The Year. In 2013, they were inducted into the U.S. Interior Design Hall of Fame. Neri & Hu believes strongly that research is a key design tool as each project brings its own unique set of contextual issues. Providing architecture, interior, master planning, graphic and product design services, Neri & Hu recognizes that contemporary problems relating to buildings extend beyond the boundaries of traditional architecture. Rather than starting from a formulaic design, Neri & Hu’s work is anchored in the dynamic interaction of experience, detail, material, form and light.

Max Lamb / Designer

A modern day artificer, Max Lamb is a product and furniture designer whose design sensibility is informed by his extensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques, respect for materials, and skill as a maker. A native of Cornwall, Max has been tinkering with objects and engaging with the physical landscape since he was a small boy; a curiosity that led to an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art and subsequently the foundation of his workshop-based design practice. Max explores both traditional and unconventional materials and processes, blending experimentation and rationale to create furniture and products that are both honest and intelligible. Max teaches Design Products at the Royal College of Art and runs regular design workshops for companies and institutions around the world.

Elena Manferdini / Designer , Architect

Elena Manferdini, founder and owner of Atelier Manferdini, with offices in Italy and California, has completed design, art and architectural projects in the United States, Europe and Asia including the Pavilion of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Her firm has collaborated with such internationally renowned companies as Saworski, Sephora, and BMW and her work has been featured in journals and publications including Elle, Vogue and the New York Times. Currently Graduate Chair at the Southern California Institute of Architecture she exhibits internationally and lectures widely having spoken at MIT, Princeton, Tsinghua University and Bauhaus. She was recently awarded the 2013 COLA Fellowship to support the production of original artwork. In 2011 she received a prestigious annual grant from United States Artists (USA) and her Blossom design for Alessi received the Good Design Award.

Snarkitecture / Artists and Architects

In 2008 Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen founded Snarkitecture, a collaborative and experimental practice operating in territories between art and architecture. Sharing a mutual interest in the intersection of art and architecture since their student days together at Cooper Union in New York, their first commission was for Dior Homme. Deriving its name from Lewis Carroll's fanciful poem "The Hunting of the Snark", Snarkitecture designs permanent, architectural scale projects and functional objects with new and imaginative purposes, creating moments of wonder and interaction that allow people to engage directly with the surrounding environment. Transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, Snarkitecture makes architecture perform the unexpected.

The theme for the Lexus Design Award 2016 is "Anticipation". At Lexus, we strive to develop products and services by anticipating the needs of people and society. This year's applicants are encouraged to submit innovative designs and unique interpretations that are true to the essence of the theme.

Lexus Design Award 2016 provides an opportunity for twelve finalists and their works to receive an introduction to the design community and beyond at Milan Design Week 2016*. In addition, four of the finalists will develop prototypes of their designs while receiving support from globally recognized design mentors. The maximum production budget allotted to the development of each prototype will be increased to three million yen. The finalists will present their designs in the Lexus booth, after which the Grand Prix winner will be selected from among the four prototypes through final review by the judges.

Previous Lexus Design Award winners are actively displaying their talents around the world. Examples include Emanuela Corti and Ivan Parati's Sense-Wear, which was named the first-ever Grand Prix winner in 2015. Sense-Wear has been exhibited in Tokyo, New York and Moscow alongside the works of other 2015 finalists. 2015 panel finalist Yuzo Azu is now preparing his INSTAMP for commercial release at Lexus dealerships in Japan. And Sebastian Scherer, whose work Iris was named one of the winners in 2014, has launched his own design label and exhibited at this year's Milan Design Week.

Mark Templin (Executive Vice President of Lexus International) said, "For Lexus Design Award 2015, finalists gave amazing presentations at the Milan Design Week. These helped make the award a huge success. Whatever the field of design, we encourage applicants for 2016 to submit their most creative ideas that are aligned with our theme of Anticipation."

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2016 competition will be accepted from August 10 through October 18. The twelve finalists will be announced in early 2016.

For more information please visit: http://lexusdesignaward.com/

* The world's largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, with numerous events including furniture, fashion and many world-renowned brands. The "Lexus — A Journey of the Senses" exhibit in 2015 earned high acclaim and won the "Best Entertaining" award at the "Milano Design Award" competition.

Call for Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2016 Competition

JUDGE AND MENTOR PROFILES

Judges:

Paola Antonelli / Curator

Antonelli joined The Museum of Modern Art in 1994 and is a Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design, as well as MoMA's Director of Research and Development. Her first exhibition for MoMA, Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design (1995), was followed by Thresholds. She has lectured at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and has served on several international architecture and design juries. Her goal is to insistently promote understanding of design until its positive influence on the world is fully acknowledged and exploited. She is currently working on several shows on contemporary design, and on Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world, appreciated as examples of outstanding design.

Aric Chen / Curator

Originally from the United States, Chen is the newly appointed Curator of Design and Architecture at M+, the future museum for visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District of Hong Kong. Before that, he served as Creative Director of Beijing Design Week in 2011 and 2012. He had earlier been an independent curator and design writer in New York, contributing to dozens of publications including The New York Times, Metropolis, Fast Company, Architectural Record, and PIN-UP.

Toyo Ito/ Architect

Ito graduated from the University of Tokyo, Department of Architecture in 1965. His main works include: Sendai Mediatheque, Tama Art University Library (Hachioji), The Main Stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung (Taiwan R.O.C). Under development are: Taichung Metropolitan Opera House (Taiwan R.O.C) and others. Among his many honors are the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement from the 8th International Architecture Exhibition "NEXT" at the Venice Biennale, Royal Gold Medal from The Royal Institute of British Architects and the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Birgit Lohmann / Chief Editor of designboom

Born in Hamburg, Lohmann studied industrial design in Florence before moving to Milan, where she has lived and worked since 1987. She worked as a designer and product development manager for a number of Italian architects and master designers. She has also worked as a design historian for justice departments and international auction houses. As a researcher and lecturer, she has conducted seminars on industrial design at a number of prestigious international universities. In 1999, she co-founded designboom, where she is currently the Chief Editor, Head of Educational Programming and Curator for International Exhibitions.

Alice Rawsthorn / Design Commentator

Alice Rawsthorn is the design critic of the International New York Times. Her weekly Design column, published every Monday, is syndicated to other media worldwide. Alice is a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery and the Michael Clark Dance Company, and chair of trustees at the Chisenhale Gallery. Her latest book, the critically acclaimed Hello World: Where Design Meets Life published by Hamish Hamilton, explores design's influence on our lives past, present and future.

Tokuo Fukuichi / President of Lexus International

Graduated with a bachelor's degree in art and design from Tama Art University. He has held many design-related positions at Toyota Motor Corporation, leading up to his current position as the president of Lexus International.

Mentors:

Neri &Hu / Architects and Interdisciplinary Designers

Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, cofounders of Neri & Hu Design and Research based in Shanghai, have been working on projects around the world which incorporate overlapping design disciplines to create a new paradigm in architecture. In 2014, Wallpaper* announced Neri & Hu as 2014 Designer of The Year. In 2013, they were inducted into the U.S. Interior Design Hall of Fame. Neri & Hu believes strongly that research is a key design tool as each project brings its own unique set of contextual issues. Providing architecture, interior, master planning, graphic and product design services, Neri & Hu recognizes that contemporary problems relating to buildings extend beyond the boundaries of traditional architecture. Rather than starting from a formulaic design, Neri & Hu's work is anchored in the dynamic interaction of experience, detail, material, form and light.

Max Lamb / Designer

A modern day artificer, Max Lamb is a product and furniture designer whose design sensibility is informed by his extensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques, respect for materials, and skill as a maker. A native of Cornwall, Max has been tinkering with objects and engaging with the physical landscape since he was a small boy; a curiosity that led to an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art and subsequently the foundation of his workshop-based design practice. Max explores both traditional and unconventional materials and processes, blending experimentation and rationale to create furniture and products that are both honest and intelligible. Max teaches Design Products at the Royal College of Art and runs regular design workshops for companies and institutions around the world.

Elena Manferdini / Designer , Architect

Elena Manferdini, founder and owner of Atelier Manferdini, with offices in Italy and California, has completed design, art and architectural projects in the United States, Europe and Asia including the Pavilion of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Her firm has collaborated with such internationally renowned companies as Saworski, Sephora, and BMW and her work has been featured in journals and publications including Elle, Vogue and the New York Times. Currently Graduate Chair at the Southern California Institute of Architecture she exhibits internationally and lectures widely having spoken at MIT, Princeton, Tsinghua University and Bauhaus. She was recently awarded the 2013 COLA Fellowship to support the production of original artwork. In 2011 she received a prestigious annual grant from United States Artists (USA) and her Blossom design for Alessi received the Good Design Award.

Snarkitecture / Artists and Architects

In 2008 Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen founded Snarkitecture, a collaborative and experimental practice operating in territories between art and architecture. Sharing a mutual interest in the intersection of art and architecture since their student days together at Cooper Union in New York, their first commission was for Dior Homme. Deriving its name from Lewis Carroll's fanciful poem "The Hunting of the Snark", Snarkitecture designs permanent, architectural scale projects and functional objects with new and imaginative purposes, creating moments of wonder and interaction that allow people to engage directly with the surrounding environment. Transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, Snarkitecture makes architecture perform the unexpected.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Lexus has won the "Best Entertaining" award at the Milano Design Award Competition for its "Lexus — A Journey of the Senses" exhibit at Milan Design Week, the world's largest design event. Lexus is the first automaker to win this award.

Now in its 5th year, the Milano Design Award, organized by cultural association Elita, is the only official award dedicated to the best installations of Milan Design Week. The Milano Design Award recognizes the best overall exhibits as well as individual winners in five categories (Entertaining, Tech, Sound, Impact, E-commerce). The winners are chosen among all exhibitors present at the Milan Design Week in the various districts throughout the city.

The "Best Entertaining" award highlights the project that best "succeeds in involving the audience in a particular dimension of recreational and/or cultural entertainment".

"Lexus — A Journey of the Senses" offered visitors a wide-ranging and exciting sensory experience, underlining Lexus as a brand placing great emphasis on human senses throughout its design processes. The exhibit consisted of 3 distinct zones: a sound and light installation featuring a special execution of the latest Lexus concept car, the LF-SA, a room dedicated to the finalists and winner of the Lexus Design Award competition, and a succession of three cocoons constructed of an intricate wooden lattice work, titled "Rain" "Wood" and "Earth".

The exhibit was designed by two internationally acclaimed artists: space designer Philippe Nigro and chef Hajime Yoneda, who added a tasting experience to the sensory journey. The fruit of this collaborative approach from very different artists created a truly unique experience that left a deep impression on many visitors.

The exhibit ran from April 14 to 19 at La Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, and attracted 50,000 visitors over 6 days.

A two-minute interactive, virtual walkthrough video of the exhibit is now available on the Lexus International website, at the following address: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/virtual-journey/.

For more information and pictures, visit http://newsroom.lexus.eu/newsroom/526/1162/lexus-brand

Official Hashtags: #LexusDesignAward, #MilanDesignWeek

DESIGNERS' PROFILES

Philippe Nigro - Space Designer

Philippe Nigro, was born and educated in France and divides his time between his homeland and Italy. Nigro's works are characterized by a mixture of prospective research and a pragmatic appreciation of the manufacturers with whom he works. This knowledge allows him to navigate among projects of different designs and scales. Some objects he designed are in museum collections including his "Twin-Chairs" and "T.U. table" at Centre Pompidou. He also collaborates with a number of prestigious international brands. In 2014, Nigro was named Designer of the Year by Maison & Objet in Paris, and was commissioned to create the scenography for the 7th edition of the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.

Sense-Wear is a collection of garment and accessories designed to improve sense awareness. Some items help mute physical sensations, while others help sharpen them, allowing wearers to experience the sensory world from a new perspective. The designers were mentored by Robin Hunicke for the development of a prototype displayed in the Lexus Space in Milan.

Paola Antonelli, Jury Member and Senior Curator in the department of Architecture and Design at MOMA NYC, commented as follows in the name of the Jury: 'The jury was both impressed and delighted by the standard of all of twelve winning projects of the Lexus Design Award 2015, and the skill, imagination and dedication that produced them. Collectively, these projects act as a compelling demonstration of the ambition and diversity of contemporary design by addressing the 2015 theme of the Senses and exploring such important issues as environmentalism, special needs, urbanism, energy scarcity, health and play. The jury was particularly pleased to see the progress made by the four finalists in developing their initial concepts with the help of their mentors, whose ingenuity and generosity makes such an important contribution to the success of the Lexus Design Award.

'Difficult though it was to choose one Grand Prix winner from the four remarkable finalists, the jury's unanimous choice is Sense-Wear. It is very rare to find a design project, which is joyous, formally seductive and fulfils such an important function, by developing clothing that can act as a form of therapy for people with autism, Tourette syndrome and other special needs.'

The winners, Emanuela Corti and Ivan Parati, commented: "We are delighted to win this award! We decided to participate to this competition because we particularly like the theme, Senses. We did a lot of research and came across so many things which could lead to new design ideas. Then we selected one project: garments that would improve the life of people, especially people with special needs. We visited specialised institutions, shared our ideas with therapists and integrated their feedback in our project. And actually, we see now that such clothes could be useful for lots of people. In our daily life, we are sometimes confronted with stressful situations in which we would like to build some kind of shelter around us. So, this award represents a great opportunity for us to further develop our idea, and hopefully to help people in the future."

The Lexus Design Award is in its third edition this year, but it is the first time that a Grand Prix Winner is

nominated among the finalists.

The theme of the 2015 Lexus Design Award was "Senses". Senses are intrinsic to life: they allow perception of the world. Under this broad theme of seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting, a wide range of possibilities open. This theme is particularly relevant to Lexus, as the whole driving experience is about senses: from seeing the vehicle styling, to hearing the sound of the finely tuned engine, and to feeling the luxurious leather seats.

In total, 1,171 submissions from 72 countries were received during the application period, which ended on November 3, 2014. Respondents were invited to explore the five senses in pioneering ways. Judging criteria included the depth of understanding and unique interpretation of the competition theme, as well as the uniqueness of perspective and originality of the proposed design concept.

Twelve finalists have been selected after careful consideration by jury members composed of world-renowned designers and creators (*). Among the finalists, four received the unique opportunity to create a prototype of their project, with the help of renowned designers: Robin Hunicke, Arthur Huang, Max Lamb and Neri & Hu. Each of them has personally selected the finalist they mentored, based on uniqueness, originality, relevance to the theme and the possibility of making a prototype.

The Lexus Design Award Grand Prix Winner has been nominated among these four prototype finalists, after a final presentation of their works in front of the Jury, held on April 13 in Milan.

Alain Uyttenhoven, head of Lexus Europe and host of the award ceremony, commented: "For Lexus, design is not only about constantly striving to make even better cars; it is much more than that. Our point of view is that great design can make the world a better place. The Lexus Design Award celebrates innovative and engaging design while empowering young and talented designers, giving them the opportunity to showcase their amazing ideas."

The Grand Prix work is displayed at the Lexus Space, Via Tortona 32, Milano, from April 14 to 19, together with the 11 other finalists.

More information and pictures can be found on the Lexus Europe newsroom: http://newsroom.lexus.eu

Official hashtags:#LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek

Lexus Design Award website: http://www.lexusdesignaward.com

(*) The jury of the 2015 Lexus Design Award included senior curator Paola Antonelli, curator Aric Chen, architect Toyo Ito, designboom chief editor Birgit Lohmann, design commentator Alice Rawsthorn and Lexus International president Tokuo Fukuichi.

Philippe Nigro, a French designer with eclectic experience in product and space design, was chosen to design the space. Additionally, Lexus called on Japanese chef Hajime Yoneda for food design. Yoneda, who earned a 3-star Michelin rating in 2009, has risen rapidly to international recognition for his unique and original interpretation of gastronomic tradition. The fruit of this collaboration between two internationally acclaimed creators with very different backgrounds promises to be a truly unique experience.

LEXUS — A JOURNEY OF THE SENSES aims to stimulate the senses and enable participants to experience unexpected new connections and insights that reflect the excitement of the Lexus journey. The installation will stimulate the senses of visitors and provide them with an imaginative experience that explores the limitless possibilities of the world of design.

"Senses" is the theme of this year's Lexus Design Award as well as an expression of the driving pleasure experienced with Lexus automobiles.. The twelve nominated projects of the third Lexus Design Award (http://goo.gl/lbyvjy) will also be displayed in the Lexus Space.

A press preview will be held on Monday April 13 from 10 AM to 6 PM, at the Lexus Space, La Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan. The space will open to the public from Tuesday April 14 to Sunday April 19 from 11 AM to 9 PM.

DESIGNERS' PROFILES

Philippe Nigro - Space Designer

Philippe Nigro, was born and educated in France and divides his time between his homeland and Italy. Nigro's works are characterized by a mixture of prospective research and a pragmatic appreciation of the manufacturers with whom he works. This knowledge allows him to navigate among projects of different designs and scales. Some objects he designed are in museum collections including his "Twin-Chairs" and "T.U. table" at Centre Pompidou. He also collaborates with a number of prestigious international brands. In 2014, Nigro was named Designer of the Year by Maison & Objet in Paris, and was commissioned to create the scenography for the 7th edition of the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.

Hajime Yoneda - Food Designer

A former computer engineer who has become one of the world's most talked-about chefs, Hajime Yoneda has earned the admiration of the restaurant industry for his extraordinary skill, innovative thinking, uncompromising insistence on perfection, and the vast scope of culinary vision. His restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars in 2009, only a year and five months after opening, an honour no other establishment in the world has earned so quickly. It is also ranked in the Foodie Top 100 Restaurants and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. In January 2015 Yoneda was listed among the 100 Best Chef's of the World by the French magazine Le Chef.

Lexus announces the selection of 12 finalists for the third Lexus Design Award, an international design competition that was launched on August 11, 2014 centred around the theme of "Senses".

1,171 submissions from 72 countries were received during the application period, which ended on November 3, 2014. Twelve finalists have been selected after careful consideration by jury members composed of world-renowned designers and creators.

Among the finalists, four are receiving the unique opportunity to create a prototype of their project, with the help of renowned designers: Robin Hunicke, Arthur Huang, Max Lamb and Neri & Hu. Each of them has personally selected the finalist they will mentor, based on uniqueness, originality, relevance to the theme and the possibility of making a prototype. A Lexus Design Award Grand Prix Winner will also be nominated from among these four prototype finalists.

The prototypes will be displayed together with the other eight entries in the Lexus space in Zona Tortona during the Milan Design Week from April 14 to 19, 2015.

Entries Selected for Prototype Development

Title ANIMAL MASKS

Designer Keita Ebidzuka (Japan)

Description ANIMAL MASKS allow wearers to see the world through animals' eyes evoking a mythical world where symbolism meets reality.

Mentors Neri & Hu

Title Diomedeidae

Designers Adriano Alfaro (Italy), Daiki Nakamori (Japan), Gaetano Mirko Vatiero (Italy)

Description Generating electricity from its own flapping movements, Diomedeidae is a kinetic sculpture whose motion and light appeal to the senses.

Mentor Arthur Huang

Title LUZ

Designer Marina Mellado Mendieta (Spain)

Description LUZ uses emotional lighting technology to create an environment appropriate to any weather or climactic condition.

Mentor Max Lamb

Title Sense-Wear

Designers Caravan : Emanuela Corti and Ivan Parati (Italy)

Description Sense-Wear is a collection of garments and accessories that emphasize use of human senses.

Mentor Robin Hunicke

Entries selected for Panel Exhibits

Title Braille Reader

Designer Juchun Jung (South Korea)

Description The Braille Reader allows people with vision impairment to read printed materials, bridging the senses of sight and touch.

Title >crosswalk<

Designers Naoki Kaminaka and Ryo Yamaguchi (Japan)

(KAMINAKANAOKIproject2015)

Description >crosswalk< is a crosswalk design featuring arrows that guide pedestrians thus allowing smoother crossing.

Title Embodiment of Fractal

Designer Hiroyuki Morita (Japan)

Description Embodiment of Fractal invites the viewer to experience the fresh visual and tactile experience of the fractal growth of a natural forest.

Title Here Comes the Sun

Designers Chun-Fu Chen and Chi-Ming Pao (Taiwan)

(Department of Product Design, Shu-Te University)

Description Here Comes the Sun is a heater that simulates sunlight coming through a window providing warmth and hope.

Title INSTAMP

Designer Yuzo Azu (Japan)

Description Applying traditional East Asian brushwork principles, INSTAMP uses pressure and angle of touch to give emotion and artistic effect to Western lettering.

Title Leather?

Designer Amon Matsuo (Japan)

Description Through the application of traditional Japanese papermaking/molding techniques to powdered shoemaking by-products, a new unique material emerges.

Title Mnote, Mnemonic Note

Designer Benjamin Xue (Singapore)

Description Mnote is a writing pad designed to take advantage of our senses to improve memory and help us retain important information.

Title yamaori taniori tent

Designer Iyo Hasegawa (Japan)

Description Inspired by origami, this tent appeals to users' senses as it is transformed from a flat sheet to a visually appealing shelter.

An award ceremony will be held on Monday, April 13, 2015 at the Lexus space, T32 Torneria/Carrozzeria (Via Tortona 32), where the Grand Prix Winner will receive the 2015 Lexus Design Award trophy.

Judging Committee comments: "This year's Lexus Design Award drew a large number of submissions, and a wide variety of wonderfully original ideas. In keeping with the theme of "Senses," many submissions appealed to the five senses or emotional, rather than physical, aspects of the human experience. After extensive discussion the 12 finalist entries were selected for their potential contribution to design innovation."

More details can be found on the Lexus Global website at LexusDesignAward.com

Lexus Design Award Exhibition

Address: T32 Torneria/Carrozzeria, Via Tortona 32, 20144 Milan (Zona Tortona)

Dates: Press preview: April 13

Public days: April 14 till 19

Website: http://www.LexusDesignAward.com/

On November 24, 2014, judges and mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2015 gathered at INTERSECT BY LEXUS Tokyo to assess this year's 1,171 submissions from 72 countries. Lexus International issued a short video illustrating this roundtable discussion, which can be seen at the following address: http://youtu.be/SFPlP_A8YRw

The Lexus Design Award competition was first launched in 2013. This international competition aims to foster young creators that use design to solve problems. The award has received worldwide attention for its unique mentoring program that enables entrants to produce working prototypes of their innovative ideas.

The Lexus Design Award chooses themes that encourage broad thinking. The theme of the Lexus Design Award 2015 is "Senses". Senses are intrinsic to life: they allow perception of the world. Under this broad theme of seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting, a wide range of possibilities open.

Respondents are invited to explore the five senses in pioneering ways. Judging criteria include the depth of understanding and unique interpretation of the competition theme, as well as the uniqueness of perspective and originality of the proposed design concept.

This theme is particularly relevant to Lexus, as the whole driving experience is about senses: from seeing the vehicle styling, to hearing the sound of the finely tuned engine, and to feeling the luxurious leather seats.

The Lexus Design Award provides an opportunity for twelve finalists and their works to receive wide exposure in the design community and beyond. The finalists will be announced in January 2015 with their entries to be exhibited at Milan Design Week 2015.

In addition, four of the finalists — twice as many as last year — will receive support from international design mentors as they develop their prototypes. This year's mentors will be architect/engineer Arthur Huang, game designer Robin Hunicke, architects and interdisplinary designers Neri & Hu and designer Max Lamb. The designers of the four entries will create prototypes between January and March 2015 through sessions with their assigned mentors. Financial support of up to 2.5 million yen each will be provided to cover prototype production costs.

At Milan Design Week 2015, the creators of the four prototypes will present their designs at the Lexus booth, after which a single Grand Prix winner will be named.

The jury includes curator Paola Antonelli, curator Aric Chen, architect Toyo Ito, designboom chief editor Birgit Lohmann, design commentator Alice Rawsthorn and Lexus International president Tokuo Fukuichi.

More details can be found on the following webpage: http://www.lexus-int.com/design/lda/

Lexus International today announces its call for entries to the third Lexus Design Award competition. First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international competition that aims to foster young creators that use design to solve problems. The award has received worldwide attention for its unique mentoring program that enables entrants to produce working prototypes of their innovative ideas.

The Lexus Design Award chooses themes that encourage broad thinking. The theme of the Lexus Design Award 2015 is "Senses". Senses are intrinsic to life: they allow perception of the world. Under this broad theme of seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting, a wide range of possibilities open.

Respondents are invited to explore the five senses in pioneering ways. Judging criteria will include the depth of understanding and unique interpretation of the competition theme, as well as the uniqueness of perspective and originality of the proposed design concept.

This theme is particularly relevant to Lexus, as the whole driving experience is about senses: from seeing the vehicle styling, to hearing the sound of the finely tuned engine, and to feeling the luxurious leather seats.

The Lexus Design Award provides an opportunity for twelve finalists and their works to receive wide exposure in the design community and beyond. The finalists will be announced in early 2015 with their entries to be exhibited at Milan Design Week 2015.

In addition, four of the finalists — twice as many as last year — will receive support from international design mentors as they develop their prototypes. This year's mentors will be architect/engineer Arthur Huang, game designer Robin Hunicke, architects and interdisplinary designers Neri & Hu and designer Max Lamb. The designers of the four entries will create prototypes between January and March 2015 through sessions with their assigned mentors. Financial support of up to 2.5 million yen each will be provided to cover prototype production costs.

At Milan Design Week 2015, the creators of the four prototypes will present their designs at the Lexus booth, after which a single Grand Prix winner will be named.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2015 competition will be accepted from August 11 to November 3 through the designboom website, at the following address: http://www.designboom.com/competition/Lexus-design-award-2015

The jury will include curator Paola Antonelli, curator Aric Chen, architect Toyo Ito, designboom chief editor Birgit Lohmann, design commentator Alice Rawsthorn and Lexus International president Tokuo Fukuichi.

INTRODUCTION

Lexus constantly strives to deliver unexpected and highly satisfying experiences that surpass customer expectations. The "Amazing in Motion" concept inherits this brand essence.

We are proudly hosting LEXUS DESIGN AMAZING at Milan Design Week 2014 to communicate this ethos in avisible and tangible form. Full of unexpected and exhilarating encounters, the event allows visitors to experience our forwardthinking approach to design.

Visitors to LEXUS DESIGN AMAZING 2014 MILAN experience an exhibition of three new works created by worldrenowned designers in response to the Amazing in Motion theme.

The venue also showcases the twelve winning works from the second Lexus Design Award, an international competition that aspires to nurture and support a new generation of designers from around the world.

EVENT OVERVIEW

Title LEXUS DESIGN AMAZING 2014 MILAN

Date April 9th (Wed) — April 13th (Sun)

Press Preview April 8th (Tue) 13:00 — 17:00

Venue Circolo Filologico Milanese

(Via Clerici, 10, 20121 Milano, Italy)

Organizer Lexus International

* The award ceremony takes place on Tuesday April 8th at 7:00pm.

LEXUS DESIGN AMAZING 2014 MILAN

Amazing in Motion exhibit

Lexus commissioned three designers renowned for their unique perspectives to each create a work in response to the exhibition's theme of "Amazing in Motion".

The Second Lexus Design Award exhibit

This display showcases the twelve winning designs from the second Lexus Design Award. Two of the winners present finished prototypes of their designs prepared in collaboration with creative professionals who served as mentors. This year's mentors are Taiwanese architect/engineer Arthur Huang and American game designer Robin Hunicke.

AMAZING IN MOTION EXHIBIT

THEME - Amazing in Motion

THE DESIGNERS AND THEIR WORKS

Fabio Novembre (Italy)

"We Dance" represents the dawn of life and draws a direct connection to the cosmic motion of planets and galaxies.

Nao Tamura (Japan)

"Interconnection" relies on natural motion as it explores mankind's interdependent relationship with nature.

Tangible Media Group Led by Prof. Hiroshi Ishii from MIT Media Lab. (U.S.A.)

"TRANSFORM" represents the fusion between technology and design that aims to inspire viewers with its transformation from still furniture to dynamic machine.

FABIO NOVEMBRE

"We Dance" represents Fabio Novembre's response to the Amazing in Motion theme.

"Any motion can be amazing; it depends on the memories it evokes. Any action can be a dance; it depends on the harmony you put into it. Life itself is a dance. Everything from infinitesimally small atomic structures to the cosmic motion of planets and galaxies seem to constitute a harmonic dance. You add light and sound and here it is, a small representation of the whole: 'We Dance'.

Individual elements orbit around the mirrored sphere in the centre, directing beams of light toward the centre. The overall effect gives birth to a harmony and unity between the orbiting elements, the illumination, and the music. Viewers also become an integral part of this harmony as the light reflected from the sphere and sound reach out to them, and as they view their own reflection in the face of the mirrored sphere."

FABIO NOVEMBRE

http://www.novembre.it

Fabio Novembre was born in Lecce in 1966 and graduated in Architecture from Politecnico di Milano in 1992. After studying filmmaking at New York University in 1993, he proceeded to open his own studio in 1994. His work has been published all over the world for its visionary approach, much of which has been with leading Italian Design brands.

NAO TAMURA

"Interconnection"

There are forces in nature that are beyond the control of mankind. We have learned how fragile we are in the face of such forces. However, we have also learned the importance of accepting nature and learning to live in harmony with it.

Interconnected and interdependent, there is a constant give-andtake in nature. Life does not rest. Our collective motion, nature's response to our movements is essential to our planet's delicate balance.

When we are one with nature, we are at our most powerful. Our movement together gives us life. Our movement forward creates the next generation of ideas.

Life is always more amazing in motion.

The piece hangs from the ceiling on threads, with individual elements creating three-dimensional depth. The individual elements move in response to the natural flow of air as visitors move through the space. Light and shadow shift constantly as the elements move.

NAO TAMURA

http://naotamura.com

Nao Tamura studied communication design at Parsons School of Design in New York. She later founded her studio in Tokyo and is currently based in New York City. As a product of the Tokyo and New York City creative communities, her solutions are equally at ease in the world of 2-D and 3-D with an uncanny ability to find that emotional connection with the audience. Nao defies the kind of categorization that the industry status-quo often insists upon. Her unique solutions are more than simply design and possess a rare balance of innovation and beauty.

Nao Tamura has received a number of prestigious awards, including: the IF Product Design Award, Red Dot Award, Industrial Design Excellence Award (Gold), and Milano Salone Satellite Award (1st prize).

TANGIBLE MEDIA GROUP 

LED BY PROF. HIROSHI ISHII FROM MIT MEDIA LAB.

"TRANSFORM" echoes the theme of "Amazing in Motion" by fusing technology and design to celebrate its transformation from a piece of still furniture to a dynamic machine driven by the stream of data and energy. Created by Professor Hiroshi Ishii and the Tangible Media Group from the MIT Media Lab, TRANSFORM aims to inspire viewers with unexpected transformations, as well as the aesthetics of the complex machine in motion.

The work is comprised of three dynamic shape displays that move more than one thousand pins up and down in real time to transform the tabletop into a dynamic tangible display. The kinetic energy of the viewers, captured by a sensor, drives the wave motion represented by the dynamic pins.

The motion design is inspired by the dynamic interactions among wind, water and sand in nature, Escher's representations of perpetual motion, and the attributes of sand castles built at the seashore. TRANSFORM tells the story of the conflict between nature and machine, and its reconciliation, through the ever-changing tabletop landscape.

TANGIBLE MEDIA GROUP LED BY PROF. HIROSHI ISHII from MIT Media Lab.

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/

Hiroshi Ishii is a Jerome B. Wiesner Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, at the MIT Media Lab. He directs Tangible Media Group and co-directs Things That Think (TTT) consortium. Hiroshi Ishii's research focuses upon the design of seamless interfaces between humans, digital information, and the physical environment. At the MIT Media Lab, he founded the Tangible Media Group in fall 1995 pursuing a new vision of Human Computer Interaction (HCI): "Tangible Bits" through physical embodiment digital information. In 2012, he presented the new vision "Radical Atoms" to take a leap beyond "Tangible Bits" by assuming a hypothetical generation of materials that can change form and appearance dynamically, becoming as reconfigurable as pixels on a screen. http://tangible.media.mit.edu/vision/

The MIT Media Lab actively promotes a unique, antidisciplinary culture, going beyond known boundaries and disciplines to encourage the most unconventional mixing and matching of seemingly disparate research areas. It creates disruptive technologies that happen at the edges, pioneering such areas as wearable computing, tangible interfaces, and affective computing. Today, faculty members, research staff, and students at the Lab work in approximately 30 research groups on more than 350 projects that range from neuro-biology, bio-mechatronics, computational photography, to electric car.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2014

Targeted to attract the world's next generation of creators, the Lexus Design Award (LDA) is an international competition established to promote design. Following the great response to last year's inaugural staging of the competition, this year's second LDA drew 1,157 entries from 72 countries during the submission period of August 1 to October 15, 2013. After careful consideration, the panel of six judges selected the twelve winning designs in January 2014.

Judging criteria:

• Designs that display a deep understanding and original interpretation of Lexus design

• Originality of the entrant's approach and solution in response to the theme

JUDGES

Paola Antonelli - Curator

Aric Chen - Curator

Birgit Lohmann - Chief editor of designboom

Toyo Ito - Architect

Alice Rawsthorn - Design commentator

Tokuo Fukuichi - Lexus International

MENTORS

Arthur Huang - Architect/Engineer

Robin Hunicke - Game designer

WINNING WORKS

ABOUT LEXUS

The Lexus vision is to pursue more modern and progressive values for luxury than those of conventional luxury automakers. Lexus is striving to create a more rewarding experience with the car as well as through such technological advancements as "LEXUS HYBRID DRIVE™" in its efforts to solve numerous issues that have surfaced in the modern world.

Lexus believes in creating products and delivering services that will make a better life and future for all of us.

European Newsroom

http://newsroom.lexus.eu

Global website

http://www.lexus-int.com

Other languages are available under other Documents.

Lexus announces the selection of 12 winners for the second Lexus Design Award, an international design competition that was launched on August 1^st, 2013.

1,157 submissions were received during the application period, which ended on October 15, 2013. From that group, 12 winners have been selected after careful consideration by six judges.

Among the winners, two will receive the unique opportunity to create a prototype of their project, with the help of two renowned designers: the game designer Robin Hunicke and architect Arthur Huang. These two designers have personally selected the two winners they will mentor, based on uniqueness, originality, relevance to the 'Curiosity' theme and the possibility of making a prototype.

Robin Hunicke selected "Iris", from the German Sebastian Scherer, while Arthur Huang will be following up "Macian" by James Fox from UK. The winners will cooperate with their mentors through regular creative sessions.

Their prototypes will be displayed together with the other ten winning entries in the Lexus space at the Milan Design Week from April 9 to 13, 2014.

An award ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 8 evening at Circolo Filologico Milanese where each winner will receive from Lexus International the 2014 Lexus Design Award trophy.

The winners are (in alphabetical order of project title):

The Lexus Design Award is an international competition that targets next generation innovators from around the world. It represents an opportunity for designers to gain exposure at the Milan Design Week, one of the world's leading design events. Through this initiative, Lexus hopes to nurture and support creators and enrich our world as a whole.

More details can be found on the Lexus Global website: http://www.lexus-int.com

Lexus Design Amazing Milan 2014 Exhibition

Address: Circolo Filologico Milanese, Via Clerici 10, 20121 Milan — Brera District

Dates: Press preview: April 8

Public days: April 9 till 13 

Website: http://www.lexus-int.com/

About 2014 Lexus Design Award

About Lexus

With the vision of Progressive Luxury, Lexus has been pursuing and presenting values different from those of conventional luxury makes. Lexus has been striving not only to create a more luxurious experience through automobiles, but also, through such technological advancements as the Lexus Hybrid Drive, to contribute to efforts to solve numerous issues that have surfaced in the modern world.

Lexus believes that design for this competition goes beyond mastery of form and is a process in problem solving and an effort to propose solutions to shape a better society and future. Lexus therefore welcomes a wide variety of innovative ideas to overcome challenges.

Lexus will stage an art exhibition at the 2014 Milan Design Week, entitled Lexus Design Amazing 2014 Milan, to demonstrate the brand's vision of futuristic design, outside of the automotive world.

For the first time, Lexus will be collaborating with three world-renowned product designers: Fabio Novembre (Italy), Nao Tamura (Japan), and the American design team of MIT Media Lab, Tangible Media Group lead by Professor Hiroshi Ishii. Each piece, especially developed for the occasion, is aimed to provide a fascinating encounter that goes beyond the field of automobile design. All three designers will take on the challenge to give their own interpretation of the Lexus brand campaign concept "Amazing in Motion".

The twelve winning works of the second Lexus Design Award will also be displayed at the exhibition. They all can be seen at the Circolo Filologico Milanese, from Tuesday, April 8 to Sunday, April 13, as part of the world's largest design event, the Salone del Mobile di Milano.

Designer Profiles

MIT Media Lab, Tangible Media Group led by Professor Hiroshi Ishii

Professor Hiroshi Ishii

Hiroshi Ishii is a Jerome B. Wiesner Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, at the MIT Media Lab. He directs Tangible Media Group and co-directs Things That Think (TTT) consortium.

Hiroshi Ishii's research focuses upon the design of seamless interfaces between humans, digital information, and the physical environment. At the MIT Media Lab, he founded the Tangible Media Group in fall 1995 pursuing a new vision of Human Computer Interaction (HCI): "Tangible Bits" through physical embodiment digital information. In 2012, he presented the new vision "Radical Atoms" to take a leap beyond "Tangible Bits" by assuming a hypothetical generation of materials that can change form and appearance dynamically, becoming as reconfigurable as pixels on a screen.

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/vision/

The MIT Media Lab

The MIT Media Lab actively promotes a unique, antidisciplinary culture, going beyond known boundaries and disciplines to encourage the most unconventional mixing and matching of seemingly disparate research areas. It creates disruptive technologies that happen at the edges, pioneering such areas as wearable computing, tangible interfaces, and affective computing. Today, faculty members, research staff, and students at the Lab work in ~30 research groups on more than 350 projects that range from neuro-biology, bio-mechatoronics, computational photography, to electric car.

About Lexus

With the vision of Progressive Luxury, Lexus has been pursuing and presenting values different from those of conventional luxury makes. Lexus has been striving not only to create a more luxurious experience through automobiles, but also, through such technological advancements as the Lexus Hybrid Drive, to contribute to efforts to solve numerous issues that have surfaced in the modern world.

Lexus believes that design for this competition goes beyond mastery of form and is a process in problem solving and an effort to propose solutions to shape a better society and future. Lexus therefore welcomes a wide variety of innovative ideas to overcome challenges.