Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation today announced the opening of its "Energetic Energies" concept installation at this year's Milano Salone Del Mobile, one of the largest and most influential design exhibitions in the world, held annually in Milan. The installation this year was again designed by noted architect, Akihisa Hirata. This year, in addition to the concept installation, Panasonic will also hold its "Eco Learning Program", combining its "products", "art" and "education" during the exhibition. Images and videos from the event will be available on the company's Milano Salone del Mobile 2013 site at: http://panasonic.net/milanosalone.
The main presentation is a 30-meter-long miniature cityscape, with 6,000 solar panels covering clusters of buildings. The panels create rolling hills over the manmade city. Visual and acoustic effects emanate from 16 projectors with speakers dotted about the hillsides, expressing the dynamism of nature. As you walk through the hills, you can experience the integration of the manmade and natural environments.
Passing through the miniature world, you will find mirrored rooms. This is an installation created with Panasonic's products for energy management, like the solar panels used in the main presentation, storage battery system, LED lighting, and HEMS (Home Energy Management System). The mirrors reflect the brilliance of four LED chandeliers utilizing Panasonic's original technology and created in collaboration with two Milan-based designers, allowing you to experience the versatility of LED light.
In time with the exhibition, the company will also hold its "Eco Learning Program" at elementary schools of Milan. In the classes, children will have the opportunity to use incandescent lights, fluorescent lights and LED lights to learn about the mechanism of lighting and discover about energy saving through experiments using hand generators. In addition, a craft class where children can enjoy making LED paper-covered lamp stands will also be held as a part of the program. The students who participate in the Eco-class will be invited to the company's installation in Milano University in order to gain a better understanding of energy management through the combination of "products", "art" and "education".
About the Design Concept (Akihisa Hirata, Architect of the Installation)
We aspired to make a model of a city of the future.
Here, solar panels are scattered, spreading like plants, on volumes resembling a cluster of buildings that forms a city to create a landscape of hills. Shadows of clouds pass slowly over these "hills," as if moving atop natural terrain, thus encouraging city residents to regain their relationship with the forgotten sky.
In the near future, numerous solar panels will cover the roofs of buildings, while changing the scenery of daily life. We believe that we can develop both a system of solar-power generation with the panels in a fixed arrangement and other options that take into account various relationships, such as that involving the pattern of foliage.
We hope future city streets, where the use of natural energy is vital, teem with life by becoming enmeshed with their natural environment.
| Installation Designer Akihisa Hirata, Architect |
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Born 1971 in Osaka. After completing postgraduate studies in Engineering at Kyoto University in 1997, joined Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects, then established Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office in 2005. Awards include Japan Institute of Architects New Face Award (2008) and ELLE DECO Young Japanese Design Talent (2009). In 2012, he won Elita Design Award at Milano Salone for the installation "Photosynthesis" for Panasonic, the first place in the architectural competition for Disaster Recovery Housing and Kindergarten in Kamaishi, Japan and his solo exhibition "Tangling" was held at Architecture Foundation in London. Also he is a co-recipient of the Golden Lion at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale. Publications include "Akihisa Hirata - Tangling" (2011).
About the Panasonic Installation
| Exhibit concept | Energetic Energies |
|---|---|
| Viewing times | Tuesday 9 – Sunday 14 April 09:00 – 24:00 |
| Venue | INTERNI: HYBRID ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN Università degli Studi di Milano: Portico Richini Via Festa del Perdono, 7 (Exhibition floor space: approx. 360m²) |
| Designer | Akihisa Hirata (Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office) |
| Exhibited items | Solar panels, storage battery system, Home Energy Management System, LED lamp clear type, LED chandelier |
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates over 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.85 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2012. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
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