milan design week 2012: photosynthesis by akihisa hirata for panasonic

 

 

 

japanese architect akihisa hirata has designed ‘photosynthesis’, an installation for panasonic which celebrates the biological process of storing solar energy. the company’s sustainable products are exhibited as a potential link between the nature and man-made materials. ‘photosynthesis’ is designed of exhibition at interni legacy from the 16th until the 30th of april during milan design week 2012. there, in the context of historic surroundings, the lighting products transform the cortile della farmacia courtyard into a space in which the visitors can experience the natural and technical, futuristic and traditional simultaneously. 

milan design week 2012: photosynthesis by akihisa hirata for panasonic day view 

 

 

 

the installation uses many of the company’s most innovative products to build an artificial ecosystem. the solar panels represent the leaves, the energy storage batteries are the fruits while the LEDs and OLED panels stand in for flowers. the elements are attached to a transparent support resembling the boughs of a tree.  
 
 
‘the project was inspired by a reflection on the natural relationship that exists in a tree between its leaves, fruits and flowers, a truly interdependent cyclical ecosystem in miniature. this process, made possible by the effect of the sun’s radiation on the earth prompted me to envision new buildings and cities as an integral part of the biosphere, a possible future that is inspired by and modeled after it.‘ – akihisa hirata

milan design week 2012: photosynthesis by akihisa hirata for panasonic detail of the floating panels