Architecture becomes decoration, sculpture becomes design, and formal research becomes a pattern to be endlessly replicated. The transition from three-dimensional to two-dimensional does not alter the meaning of the project created by Kengo Kuma for Albed: the Japanese master returns indeed to the theme of Kodama - a monumental work first conceived in 2018 as part of Arte Sella, which later inspired furniture and accessories - to reproduce its play of perfect interlocks on glass, creating a unique, intricate, and infinite pattern.
Kodama finish (left) and Komorebi finish (right), designed by Kengo Kuma.
The design concept most dear to the architect - previously explored and developed in wood, marble, metal, and other materials - now evolves into a visual narrative on screen-printed glass, used to create door panels that can be applied to any of the Milan-based company's catalog collections.
'Last year, during the Milan Design Week, we hosted the exhibition "Kodama, The Spirit of the Forest" in our showroom - a compelling journey that included tables, photographs, hand drawings, and models in various scales, all revolving around this powerful, almost obsessive element for Kengo Kuma. We had the opportunity to deepen our mutual understanding, which led to a broader collaboration, closely linked to our products and finishes', says Andrea Delmonte, CEO of Albed.
Kodama is thus the first texture designed by the Tokyo-based architect, followed by Komorebi (the light that filters through the leaves of trees), a second pattern also inspired by the forest, which, through a Japanese ideogram, symbolically evokes the relationship between man and nature. Here, the hand-drawn graphic sign again creates a repeatable matrix, and is customisable in shades of white, grey, and black, applicable to extra-glossy, acid-etched, matte, smoked, or bronze-effect glass.
As new additions to the Albed finishes catalogue, Kodama and Komorebi are available for use in Albed tailor-made solutions: hinged, pocket, sliding, and folding doors, as well as partition walls and walk-in closets - designed to meet the demands of residential, hospitality, and office interior projects.
More information:
Albed
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