Luxury automaker Lexus leaves an impression at Milan Design Week 2025 through four dynamic, interactive displays.
Lexus Showcases "A-Un" Installation at Milan Design Week 2025
After a brief hiatus, the Lexus Design Award is set to make a comeback this summer, with a new showcase scheduled for Milan Design Week 2026. But before that, the spotlight is on the "A-Un" installation at this year's Milan Design Week.
The "A-Un" installation, a collaboration between creative agency SIX and design studio STUDEO, is housed in a pitch-black room and consists of a vast screen shaped like the LF-ZC's driver display. However, this screen is not a conventional display but a lattice of bamboo fibre thread over 35km in length.
The installation represents an immersive experience of the future human-machine connection. It visually and interactively embodies the concept of harmony and synchronization, reflecting how the car and driver communicate and connect seamlessly. This concept is rooted in the Japanese term "A-Un," which traditionally represents a harmonious, symbiotic relationship or breathing in unison, highlighting the unity between driver and machine.
To create a dynamic and responsive visual atmosphere, advanced digital art and programming techniques, such as TouchDesigner, are employed. The screen senses and reacts to movement and presence, further illustrating the connected partnership between car and driver.
Takashi Watanabe, president of Lexus International, emphasizes Lexus' connection to human-centric design and the importance of collaborations with young designers. Watanabe, who was the chief engineer on the Lexus RZ, the company's first full-electric SUV, also stresses the importance of data in shaping our relationship with cars.
Other notable installations at previous Milan Design Weeks include those by Philippe Nigro in 2015, Formafantasma in 2016, and Sota Ichikawa in 2018. In 2024, an installation called 'Beyond the Horizon' by Hideki Yoshimoto was presented.
At Milan Design Week 2025, installations such as Northeastern University's presentation, 'Our Energy Nexus', which uses real-time pollution data from Milan to create a display, and Bascule's presentation, 'Earthspective', which aims to provide a complete perspective of the world using a 3D representation of the planet, are also part of Lexus' presentation.
The teams involved in Lexus' commissioned data-based presentations called 'Discover Together' are Bascule Inc, Northeastern University, and Lexus's in-house design team. Lexus has commissioned three such presentations for Milan Design Week 2025.
Since 2012, Lexus has combined the presentation of the Lexus Design Award with bold, kinetic installations. With a major presence at Milan Design Week, Lexus continues to push the boundaries of design and technology, offering a glimpse into the future of human-machine interaction.
[1] A-Un: Lexus' Vision for a Future Electric Vehicle Cockpit - https://www.lexus-int.com/en/design/a-un/ [2] TouchDesigner - https://www.derivative.com/touchdesigner [3] A-Un: The Connected Partnership Between Car and Driver - https://www.lexus-int.com/en/design/a-un/the-concept/ [4] Lexus Design Award - https://www.lexus-int.com/en/design/award/ [5] Black Butterfly: Lexus' Next-Generation EV Cockpit Interface - https://www.lexus-int.com/en/design/black-butterfly/
- The "A-Un" installation at Milan Design Week 2025, created by SIX and STUDEO, is a representation of Lexus' vision for a future electric vehicle cockpit, showcasing a harmonious, symbiotic relationship between the driver and machine.
- In the "A-Un" installation, advanced digital art and programming techniques, such as TouchDesigner, are used to create a dynamic and responsive visual atmosphere, symbolizing the seamless communication and connection between the car and driver.
- Takashi Watanabe, president of Lexus International, emphasizes the importance of data in shaping our relationship with cars, as demonstrated in the 'Discover Together' presentations at Milan Design Week 2025, a collaboration between Bascule Inc, Northeastern University, and Lexus's in-house design team.
- Other installations at the Design Week, such as 'Our Energy Nexus' and 'Earthspective', explore topics like real-time pollution data and 3D representations of the planet, reflecting Lexus' commitment to pushing the boundaries of design and technology.
- Since 2012, Lexus has combined the presentation of the Lexus Design Award with bold, kinetic installations, offering a glimpse into the future of human-machine interaction, as seen in the "A-Un" installation and other presentations like the Black Butterfly, a vision for Lexus' next-generation EV cockpit interface.
