Antoni Gaudí, a master architect and national figure of Spain. I imagined how life in the future could be made richer by drawing inspiration from the light-, wind-, and sound-themed windows that bring life to his work. This exhibition features windows of various forms and functions in response to the natural environment using cutting-edge 3D printing technology. While the kind of handwork done by the artisans who constructed Gaudí’s buildings and the practice of customizing things for specific people and spaces have been lost in the name of modernization, I firmly believe that this new technology can contribute to the betterment of our lives ahead by bringing these things back into popularity while also addressing issues such as sustainability. There is much to look forward to for the future of windows that are being shaped to support, enliven, and enrich our lives through the cross-disciplinary dialogues between enterprises and innovators engaged in cutting-edge research.
This window was inspired by the operable windows that Gaudí designed for the Cripta Gaudí de la Colonia Güell. The Sun and Moon Window is designed with a central rotating axis that enables the window to be spun freely like a globe. The transparent parts of the window change color in response to sunlight. They darken based on the intensity of the light to block ultraviolet rays. Paying homage to the days of Gaudí, when wood was sculpted by hand, the inner wooden frame was carved out using the latest milling machine based on 3D data. The outer frame was also fabricated using a 3D printer. The window takes on color with the sunrise and becomes clear again when the sun sets. During the day, it produces beautiful colored shadows like stained glass, and at night, it draws in the delicate light of the moon.
Design: PRODUCT DESIGN CENTER
Sponsorship & Material Cooperation: MOLp™ (Mitsui Chemicals Material Oriented Laboratory)
Sponsorship & Production Cooperation: MAEDA CORPORATION ICI General Center
This window was inspired by the ventilation windows that Gaudí designed for the Casa Batlló. The Air Window has a gyroid structure formed by a complex mesh designed based on butterfly wings, which enables the window to provide constant ventilation. The 3D-printed frame is designed with an internal straw-like tube for circulating warm or cold water to adjust the temperature of the air as it enters the room. The separated openings allow the window to provide both ventilation and temperature control at the same time without lowering the room temperature on cold days or raising the room temperature on hot days. One selling point is that the density of the pores can be freely customized based on the environmental context and programmatic function. By looking back to the origins of windows, which are said to have started out as holes, this window was designed using mesh surfaces with the aim of creating something between a wall and a window.
Design: PRODUCT DESIGN CENTER
Structural Design: Nature Architects, Inc.
This window was inspired by the perforated windows that Gaudí designed for the spires of the Sagrada Família. It is said that when completed, the entire building will perform like a musical instrument for sounding out the bells hung in the spires. The Sound Window, which is made of ceramic, has a horn-shaped section designed to enhance the sounds of nature. It aims to connect humans with nature by drawing in sounds rather than blocking them out. Gaudí was also known for his use of tile shards (trencadís). In making this window, a 3D printer was used to process recycled ceramics into uniform beads, which were then individually colored by a ceramist. As with Gaudí’s designs, each offers a unique expression that can only be achieved with fired ceramics.
Design: PRODUCT DESIGN CENTER
Sponsorship & Production Cooperation: AGC Ceramics Co.,Ltd.
Glazed: Ryutaro Yamada
