Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation will showcase its total solutions for creating, storing, saving and managing energy under the concept of "Energetic Energies" at the Milano Salone del Mobile 2013, one of the largest and most influential design exhibitions in the world, to be held in Milan this April.
At this year's exhibition, Panasonic will present a new energy landscape, where energy creation (through solar panels), energy storage (through storage batteries), energy saving (through LED lights), and energy management take a new form in a city environment. The installation this year was again designed by noted architect, Akihisa Hirata.
Based on its years of technological research and development, Panasonic is aiming to realize a sustainable mode of living based on creating, storing and efficiently using renewable energy. This mode of living is applied not just to homes, offices and stores, but to entire towns to create a "sustainable smart town."
Faced with environmental issues, rather than viewing nature and human society as irreconcilable opposites, by shifting to a high aerial perspective we may see our cities as part of the planet and firmament. By equipping cities with solar panels that merge seamlessly with nature, we embrace a hybrid vision of mutual health brimming with life force. Panasonic presents "Energetic Energies", a new dynamic between nature and the city.
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, LED bulbs, LED lighting fixtures, etc. |
| URL | http://panasonic.net/milanosalone |
Map of the Venue
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 DesignerAkihisa Hirata, Architect |
 © Luca Gabino |
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 Post-disaster Restoration 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).
Image of the Installation
About the Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano
The annual Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, to be held for the 52nd time this April, is the largest and perhaps most influential design expo in the world. The Salone, which comprises a main Fiera space and Fuori Salone installations throughout the city, is a global showcase not only of designer talent but also in recent years a launch pad for major brand product lines.
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products in three business fields, consumer, components & devices, and solutions. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.85 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2012. Panasonic's stock is listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) Stock Exchanges. The company has the vision of becoming the No. 1 Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry by the 100th year of its founding in 2018. For more information on Panasonic, its brand and commitment to sustainability, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
