Lexus futuristic philosophy at Milan Design Week 2022

Lexus announced details of this year’s participation in the world’s leading event for the vanguard of contemporary design event – Milan Design Week. Since its first participation in 2005, Lexus has created compelling, immersive experiences for visitors at Milan Design Week, partnering with leading talent which has included Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, and Rhizomatics among others to create new works of design inspired by Lexus’ values and vision.

This year’s event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, will present a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus’ human-centered, future-oriented approach to design. Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, will include an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting design studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists, and work by students at London’s Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future.

Lexus has partnered with Germane Barnes to create a new iteration of the ON/ installation unveiled for Design Miami/ 2021, this time collaborating with Aqua Creations to highlight a commitment to expert craftsmanship and high-quality materiality that is central to Lexus’ ethos. This version of the installation, debuting in Milan, takes the RZ as the central inspiration, the first dedicated battery-electric model in the Lexus line-up. The installation is centered around a precisely-to-scale, three-dimensional sculptural realization of the RZ, rendered in steel and illuminated; the frame of the car glows and is suspended just above the ground, a vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus.

Concurrent with this installation in Milan, the wireframe model of the LF-Z from Design Miami/ 2021 will be on view at Lexus’ luxury brand experience space, INTERSECT BY LEXUS – TOKYO, bringing the Lexus’ vision of an electrified, carbon-neutral future into focus worldwide.

Building on this principle of a concept coming to life, the installation will feature Aqua Creations’ Code 130° collection of colorful pendant lights illuminating the vehicle, which add a delicate, material and joyful quality to the immersive installation. Shifting from the futuristic lighting scheme featured in Miami, the lighting from Aqua Creations creates an elegant, physical embodiment of electricity that exemplifies a shared commitment to principles of design excellence evident in the expertly crafted RZ.

ON/ creates an environment that is designed to engage viewers of all ages, providing an experience that is both visually dynamic and interactive while offering an inviting space to recharge and reflect. The installation will be accompanied by an adjacent lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations, providing discrete areas for rest, repose and recharging — reflecting the brand’s commitment to the principle of Omotenashi (exceptional hospitality).

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists in the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022, promising talent whose fresh ideas receive a high-profile cross-media introduction on an established platform respected by the global creative community. Finalists were chosen for their original solutions contributing to a better tomorrow, while articulating the Lexus brand’s three core principles ― Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate: while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all.