First-Ever Lexus Design Award Grand Prix Winner Announced at Milan Design Week 2015

This year’s Lexus Design Award drew a large number of submissions, a total of 1,171 entries from 72 countries, and a wide variety of original ideas. In keeping with the theme, many submissions appealed to the five senses or emotional, rather than the concrete, aspects of the human experience.

On April 14, during Milan Design Week, the world’s largest design exhibition, Lexus International will publicly display the work of the winner, along with the other finalists, at “Lexus - A Journey of the Senses” at Spazio Lexus at Torneria. The exhibit will offer an experience that awakens the senses to the excitement of the Lexus journey. The exhibit was created by world-renowned space designer Philippe Nigro in collaboration with acclaimed chef Hajime Yoneda.

Lexus – A Journey of the Senses

“Lexus - A Journey of the Senses” will present a sensory experience on the theme of “Senses,” a concept that is fundamental to the Lexus brand. When space designer Philippe Nigro visited a Lexus plant, he was highly impressed to learn how much care goes into not just the outer appearance of the vehicles but also into the unseen internal details. This insight led him to the “Inside-Out’” concept that enables visitors to experience beauty from every angle. Revealing what is normally hidden, Lexus invites visitors to make discoveries and have new experiences in each of the three zones.

Zone 1: Engaging the Senses
A special version of the LF-SA concept, which was introduced at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show, will be on display in this zone. The car, placed in the center of a cocoon, will be surrounded by numerous convex mirrors that cause unexpected reflections and illumination to create a flow of motion, stimulating the imagination.

Zone 2: Exploring the Senses
This zone will display the Grand Prix work “Sense-Wear” by Emanuela Corti and Ivan Parati (Caravan) and work of the 11 other finalists, as well as the four prototypes and eight panels. The space has a quiet, soothing atmosphere that will allow visitors to fully experience the originality and creativity of each work, and time to reflect on its potential to shape the future. Some of the prototypes will offer an interactive experience for visitors.

Zone 3: Experience the Five Senses
In this collaboration between Philippe Nigro and Hajime Yoneda, a tasting experience will be added to the sensory journey. In creating a unique taste sensation, chef Yoneda, a Lexus owner himself, drew on his personal experiences of driving pleasure and traveling through nature, where all five senses are at their sharpest.

Scene 1
This scene was inspired by chef Yoneda’s own joy in driving in a Lexus, hurtling through the falling rain drops and feeling the exhilaration of becoming one with the natural beauty of a rainy day. Inside the cocoon, visitors will see and hear a startlingly realistic illusion of falling rain. As the “raindrops,” made out of sparkling candy, dissolve in the visitors’ mouths, they will experience a refreshing sensation, mimicking the feeling and sound of falling rain.

Scene 2
In this scene, chef Yoneda takes inspiration from the Lexus cockpit, envisioning the beauty of nature from the inside out and enveloping visitors with a sense of comfort, liberation, and unity with nature. As they bite into the cacao butter crust of the “life force of a tree,” the aroma of fresh, verdant greenery will wash over their senses. Hearing the quiet sounds of a forest around them, they will experience the beauty of a tree from the inside out.

Scene 3
As the culmination of the journey of the senses, this scene embodies chef Yoneda’s respect for Lexus’ commitment to excellence in car-making and its luxury brand spirit of hospitality. Looking down from starry space at images of the Earth, visitors will drink the warm “Earth soup” with its life-giving essence of vegetables, meat, and fish. They will sense a glow from within as the soup’s warmth spreads through their bodies.

Additionally, a two-minute interactive, virtual walkthrough video of the exhibit will be available on the Lexus International website (https://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/virtual-journey/) on April 15 (JST 16:00). The video will highlight each zone and provide a feel for the sensory experiences at the exhibit together with visitor reactions posted on social media.

Press information and visuals are available at: https://newsroom.lexus.eu

For further details about LEXUS - A JOURNEY OF THE SENSES, please visit the official Lexus International website: https://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/design-events/

More details about the LDA can be found at https://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/lexus-design-award/

Official hashtags:
#MilanDesignWeek
#LexusDesignAward

Lexus Design Award 2015 Entries Selected for Prototype Development

Lexus Design Award 2015 Panel Exhibits

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