Multi-sensory Bamboo Installation by Kengo Kuma

In the Milan Design Week 2021 show, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma collaborated with smart device brand OPPO in designing a bamboo installation entitled "Ring: Weaving a Symphony of Lightness and Form." The Bamboo Ring is a series of installations consisting of a two-meter diameter bamboo ring arrangement that has been bound to a carbon fiber backing to form a strong, self-supporting structure. This installation answers the theme of “Creative Connections” raised by Milan Design Week by combining form, material, and music to create a multi-sensory experience for visitors.

The bamboo installation "Ring: Weaving a Symphony of Lightness and Form." by Kengo Kuma, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

This installation brings together a series of rings made of bamboo and carbon fiber, arranged overlapping with a soundscape that integrates the musical compositions of Japanese violinist Midori Komachi and architectural sound design studio Musicity. The essence of this design is to propose an image of a large-scale musical instrument through which sound passes. This installation arrangement makes the sounds resonate through the bamboo and carbon fiber structure. The project uses haptic motors, speaker strips, and exciters that are connected to the structure. These are then used to produce an immersive base and higher frequencies which reverberate the bamboo with the Violin's vibrato and the effect of a percussion instrument.

It proposes an image of a large-scale musical instrument, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

All forms of technology used to transform the bamboo structure into an instrument work are based on research conducted by OPPO's London Design Centre. The soundtrack used in this work also features sounds from O Relax, a soundscape application developed by OPPO. The Bamboo Ring at Milan Design Week 2021 is a continuation of the Bamboo RIng Kengo Kuma x OPPO exhibition created for the 2019 London Design Festival. The previous installation also combines bamboo and carbon fiber which creates a rigid material while maintaining the aesthetic qualities of natural materials. The series of installations explores the relationship between man-made objects and the environment.

The installation explores the relationship between man-made objects and the environment, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

The bamboo installation "Ring: Weaving a Symphony of Lightness and Form." by Kengo Kuma, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

Kengo Kuma himself is known for his world-famous architectural design works, such as the Japan National Stadium, which is the centerpiece for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. According to Kuma, the Bamboo Ring is designed to offer visitors a sensation of introspection that is different from other exhibitions at Milan Design Week. For him, most of the products designed at Milan Design Week are not very spiritual, so he wants to offer people a special spiritual experience using technology and traditional materials.

Designed to offer visitors a unique sensation of introspection, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

It aims to offer people a special spiritual experience using technology and traditional materials, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

The details, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

The details, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates

The details, Courtesy of OPPO and Kengo Kuma & Associates