YKK AP Inc. Presents ‘Window on The Future – Gaudí Meets 3d Printing’ in Tokyo

July 13, 2021

Meeting & Event News

YKK AP Inc. will present an exhibit at Tokyo Midtown as part of an industry-academia co-creation project aimed at advancing the research and development of windows made using the latest 3D printing technology. The exhibit will showcase prototypes of novel 3D-printed windows which have been designed with various forms and functions that resonate with the natural environment, taking inspiration from the windows of world-renowned architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).

This exhibit, “Window on the Future―Gaudí Meets 3D Printing,” offers a view into the future of windows that have continued to evolve at the thresholds between nature and human life, while at the same time resonating with the YKK Group Environmental Vision 2050, “Towards a brighter future for nature and humanity,” and with Gaudí’s vision to dissolve the distinction between architecture and nature. As expressed by its speculative theme, “What would Gaudí have done with the latest 3D printing technology?” the project also reflects an effort to apply the inspired designs of the past to the future.

The project will foster collaborations between companies, creators, and specialists working in different fields and regions around the world, including creative director Keita Suzuki of the Product Design Center, a creative studio whose portfolio includes a wide range of designs from everyday goods to train cars, associate professor Takeshi Yamamura, a Gaudí researcher who has been on board since the project’s inception, graphic designer Masashi Murakami of Emuni, who is known for his rebranding of Kirin Lemon and art direction of the Tokyo Festival, and space designers YSLA Architects, a Japanese-Spanish architect duo.

The exhibit will be presented as part of both the annual autumn design events Tokyo Midtown Design Touch 2021 and Designart Tokyo 2021 and realized with the cooperation of Guadí-designed UNESCO World Heritage Sites Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.