Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe by Yusuke Kamiyama

Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe by Yusuke Kamiyama is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Hana Noʻeau a me Hoʻokomo Hana Noʻeau Competition Category.

KalaHana Noʻeau· 2026

Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe

by Yusuke Kamiyama

Client: Spline Design Hub Inc.

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Hana Noʻeau Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe

Kīkēkē Wili: Ke huli nei ʻo Cadence of the Spiral i ka manawa ma ke ʻano he mea palupalu, pili, a ola. Hoʻoponoponoʻia kekahi ʻāpana kila pūnāwai pūnono i ʻano e ulu mau ana ma o nā lima mīkini he kanakolu. Neʻe nā lima ma nā lekiō mālie a hoʻololi māhele. I ka hanu, ka wili, a me ka hoʻonohonoho hou ʻana o ka wili, ʻaʻole like nā manawa ʻelua. Ua hoʻoulu ʻia kēia hana e ka pūnāwai nui o ka uaki mīkini. Ke wehewehe hou nei ia i ke kila wili ʻia ma ke ʻano he ipu o ka ikehu i mālama ʻia a me ke kahe o ka manawa. ʻAʻole pinepine ʻia ka neʻe. Akā, hōʻike ʻia ka loli ma o ka ʻokoʻa i hoʻomalu ʻia. ʻAʻole ana ʻia ka manawa, akā ʻike ʻia ma ka manaʻo.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Cadence of the Spiral Hana Nui: Kūkulu Neʻe e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: A long stainless-steel spiral is dynamically deformed by independently actuated arms, generating continuous reorganization through tension and release. Unlike static sculpture, the form never settles; it is constantly restructured into shifting orders. The spiral functions as a physical model of time—elastic, unstable, and relational. Controlled irregularity replaces mechanical uniformity, allowing viewers to perceive time not as measurement, but as a living and evolving order.
Dimensions & Packaging: Material: Blast-finished stainless spring steel (0.3 mm thickness, 80 mm width)
Spiral pitch: 100 mm
Number of turns: 10
Control: PC-based control system
Installation footprint: Approx. 2000 mm × 2000 mm × 2000 mm
Power: AC 100–240 V
Tags: Kinetic art, Spiral structure, Time perception, Mechanical rhythm, Parametric design, Stainless steel sculpture, Dynamic installation, Temporal form
Production Technology: A custom-fabricated stainless-steel spiral plate forms the core structure, paired with a bespoke linear actuation system developed for this work. Most mechanical components—including joints, mounts, and structural interfaces—were custom-designed to enable precise distributed deformation. Motion is coordinated through a PC-based control architecture enabling synchronized, phase-shifted oscillations. Parametric modeling and simulation optimized stress distribution and torsional balance.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was balancing structural stability with expressive flexibility. The spiral required sufficient rigidity to maintain form, yet enough elasticity to allow dynamic deformation. Managing distributed mechanical stress while achieving organic motion demanded extensive iteration. Technological constraints of synchronized actuation and material fatigue also required innovative solutions to preserve both safety and poetic integrity.
Research: This practice-based design research explores time as a spatial and kinetic phenomenon. Through iterative prototyping combining mechanical engineering and artistic experimentation, parametric modeling, structural simulation, and motion analysis were employed. Audience observation during exhibitions informed the study. The research identified perceptual shifts generated by micro-irregular motion, demonstrating how controlled instability enhances emotional engagement and contributes to contemporary kinetic art and experiential design.
Inspiration: Inspired by the mainspring of a mechanical watch, Cadence of the Spiral reconsiders the spiral beyond its functional role. The tightly wound strip of metal appeared as a vessel containing latent energy and rhythm of time itself. When gently lifted, it responded with subtle motion, as if about to begin a heartbeat. The spiral thus emerged not as an object, but as a physical manifestation of invisible time—an embodiment of tension and release within temporal experience.
Project Duration: The project began in Tokyo in March 2025 and was completed in November 2025. Prototyping and structural validation were conducted in Tokyo. Developed in collaboration with Seiko Watch Corporation to explore the cultural and mechanical heritage of horology, the work was exhibited in Japan and is currently being prepared for international presentation.
Operation Flow: The spiral slowly shifts between tension and release. As the supporting arms extend and retract, the form breathes, twists, and reorganizes itself. There is no fixed choreography; instead, subtle variations create moments of alignment and misalignment. Viewers experience a continuous transformation—sometimes synchronized, sometimes slightly off—evoking the sensation of time that never fully repeats yet always returns.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Spline Design Hub Inc., 2025.
Team Members: Yusuke Kamiyama
Shin Sakamoto
Kaku Murayama
Fumiya Nakano
Image Credits: IMAGE CREDITS: Daisuke Ohki