studio yumakano hides smiley face within a sea of 36,445 screws

studio yumakano hides smiley face within a sea of 36,445 screws
all images courtesy of yumakano

patterns are a repetition of elements. they can ornament the fabrics of clothing,  shade the interiors of buildings, and display the beliefs of a culture. following this frame of mind, studio yumakano has taken the concept and applied it to their installation called ‘36445+1screw:)’. the project is currently on display in a multi-story parking lot of hamamatsu city, shizuoka, japan, courtesy of design east 05 camp.

hamamatsu is famous for being an industrial hub, where suzuki, a manufacturer of cars, motorcycles, and other instruments, has placed its headquarters. within this setting, the notion of a pattern is portrayed as an assortment of screws that represent the city. as they penetrate the supporting surface in a variety of depths, a tactile texture is created that invites people to engage its metal components. the number of embedded pieces adds up to 36,445, the same number as the amount of officially registered business institutions or companies located in the metropolis.

touching the surface

detail of the screws

each of the screws have been drilled into the surface at a different depth

24 kinds of screws were used

as a microcosm representing how happiness can still be found in density of the context, one screw features a smiley face on its head. ‘visitors unconsciously spent time to look for the specific screw, and all of them delighted were when someone finally picked it out from the tons of ordinary parts,’ said studio yumakano.

the entire composition from afar

searching diligently

exhibition day 

looking for the smiley face

people observing the installation

36,445 screws were used

project info:

design period: 2014
material: wood, screws
size: 5460cm by 30cm by 910mm
photography: satoru ikegami and yoichiro suzuki
videography: meitei yamada
special thanks: komuro industry

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.