Prize(s) Winners in Light Art Project
Lighting Design/Product Company Takram
Lead Designers Hisato Ogata, Ryo Kobayashi, Tatsuya Narita, Daiki Nakamori, Minoru Ito
Other Designer's names Keisuke Oyama, Taro Yumiba
Client Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
Photo Credits Junpei Kato
Other Credits Shin-Ichi Fukuoka, NHA, KPD, TANSEISHA, HAKUHODO / YOMIKO CROSSCOM
Completion Date April 2025
Project Location Osaka, Japan
Entry Description"Clathra" is a self-standing circular 3D theater system with 320,000 LEDs, viewable from all directions. Installed in the Signature Pavilion "DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM OF LIFE", produced by Shinichi Fukuoka for EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, it delicately visualizes the unbroken 3.8-billion-year flow of life through subtle light shifts and immersive 3D sound. Inside the iconic column-free pavilion, multiple circuit boards and frames form a freestanding structure, creating a 10m-diameter, 30m-circumference, 2.5m-high theater that makes the light appear to float in space.
When visitors enter, their silhouettes emerge in Clathra, dissolve into countless particles of light, and unfold the story of life. The first part depicts symbiosis and altruism at the level of primitive cells. The second shows how life, linked by altruism, has diversified into myriad beings—creatures of sea, land, sky, including plants and fungi as well as animals.
To convey the pavilion’s message—What is life?—we designed custom circuits for delicate, transient light unlike typical volumetric LEDs. The structure stands without fixed alignment, overlapping randomly for an organic feel. We developed a system to display 3D visuals with 320,000 LEDs, images in monochrome gradation like ink wash painting, and deeply immersive spatial sound that draws visitors into the subtle flow of life.
Sustainability ApproachIn this installation, the brightness of the LEDs is intentionally kept low to enhance the delicate, fleeting beauty of the light. As a result, the space is dark and quiet, creating a dreamlike, contemplative experience. Despite using over 320,000 LEDs, careful choice of components, circuit design, and visual content keep its power consumption equivalent to that of a single hair dryer.
This installation is also designed for reuse after the Expo. Its structure, wiring, and content can be disassembled and reconfigured for future sites or museums. This approach aligns with the Expo’s core value of sustainability, proposing an exhibit that is not disposable but can continue to live on in new places and contexts.
Company DescriptionTakram is a design innovation firm.
Through uncovering hidden value, we drive societal change.
We are design professionals with wide-ranging expertise in a host of different areas. Leveraging skills and experience that embrace business, technology, and creativity (BTC), we foster innovation and support brand creation.
