Press Release
Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Arrival Container Installation Art in Lighting Projects and Light Art Design
Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign honored for lighting projects and light art design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Lighting Projects and Light Art Design category for Arrival Container Installation Art by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Arrival Container Installation Art
Arrival is a temporary light installation built from two vertically stacked recycled shipping containers. The containers form a narrow walkable passage with curved steel surfaces inspired by the bow of a ship entering a harbor. Mirrors at both ends reflect the city, the sea, and the visitors, blurring the boundary between real space and reflection. Integrated LED lighting and a mist system activate the passage during evening hours. Arrival shows how retired industrial materials can become an immersive public artwork.
About Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
Daisuke Nagatomo graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo, and decided to pursue his passion of architecture at Columbia University, where he received master degree in advanced architectural design. Nagatomo began his career in the metropolitan New York area with architecture firms, including TEN Arquitectos and Design Office for Research and Architecture. He was the invited researcher for FabLab House project at IaaC, Barcelona from 2009 to 2010 where he holds research diploma. Nagatomo is currently the assistant professor of National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan as well as adjunct faculty member of Tokyo Denki University.
About MisoSoupDesign
MisoSoupDesign is Japan / Taiwan based Design Studio led by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan.
Award Record
With this recognition, Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign is a winner of 36 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2011 - 2012 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Lighting Projects and Light Art Design Award
The A' Lighting Project Design Award is an international lighting design competition recognizing outstanding lighting designs by lighting designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to lighting project designers, lighting architects, industrial design studios and lighting product manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include light art, light installations, street lighting, light sculptures, light projections and landscape lighting. The awarded light art designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/lighting-projects
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/180159
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180159
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180159
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/112232
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.misosoupdesign.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Arrival Container Installation Art
- Function
- Container Installation Art
- Category
- Lighting Projects and Light Art Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Arts
- Colors
- Dark Slate Blue, Light Gray, Steel Blue, Dim Gray and Black
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Brand
- MisoSoupDesign
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180159
Credits
- Team
- Jenny Yeh, Sugar Hu
- Image Credits
- Kaohsiung Art Museum
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- AARRIVAL is an immersive installation art and lighting project constructed from two vertically stacked recycled shipping containers. The containers are refabricated into a narrow walkable space with curved interior surfaces inspired by the bow of a ship entering harbor. Mirrors installed at both ends reflect the surrounding city and sea, visually blurring the boundary between real space and reflection. Integrated lighting and a mist system activate the installation, transforming industrial waste into a sensory spatial experience aligned with the zero waste theme of the art festival.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the moment of arrival at a harbor, when a ship transitions from movement to stillness and from sea to city. This transitional condition is translated into spatial form through curved surfaces, reflection, and light. The mirrored ends echo the changing relationship between water, sky, and urban landscape, while the narrow passage emphasizes movement and pause. By walking through the installation, visitors experience arrival as both a physical and emotional journey.
- Research
- ARRIVAL investigates how recycled industrial materials can be transformed into immersive public art through light and spatial experience. By reusing shipping containers, mirrors, and mist, the project explores perception, reflection, and movement within transitional urban spaces. The installation demonstrates a zero waste design approach that combines sustainability with sensory engagement in a waterfront environment.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was transforming rigid industrial shipping containers into a fluid and immersive spatial experience while maintaining zero waste principles. The project required reshaping steel panels without excessive material loss and integrating lighting, mist, and reflection in a narrow passage. Balancing structural stability, sustainability, and poetic expression was central to the design process.
- Realization and Technology
- The installation is constructed from two retired shipping containers reused as the main structure. Original container steel frames are retained for stability. Corrugated steel panels are cut and reshaped into curved surfaces inspired by ship geometry. Materials include recycled steel panels, metal mesh, mirror glass, LED lighting, outdoor spotlights, and a mist system. All components are selected to allow reuse, disassembly, or recycling.
- Operation and Interaction
- Visitors enter the installation from one side and walk through the narrow space formed by two vertical containers. The compressed passage emphasizes light, reflection, and movement. Mirrors at both ends reflect the city, harbor, and visitors, creating layered visual depth. During evening hours, lighting and mist are activated to enhance the immersive atmosphere. The installation encourages slow movement, pausing, and quiet observation.
- Project Duration and Location
- Year 2025 Event Kaohsiung International Container Art Festival Location Kaohsiung Harbor area, near the Kaohsiung Music Center waterfront plaza Duration Temporary exhibition period (festival-based installation)
- Specifications
- The project consists of two vertically positioned 20 foot shipping containers. Total footprint area is approximately 15.4 square meters. The installation is designed for outdoor use and temporary exhibition. Lighting includes integrated LED strips and outdoor projectors. A mist system is installed and requires water supply. Electrical power is required for lighting and mist operation
- Keywords
- nstallation Art, Lighting Design, Recycled Materials, Sustainable Design, Public Art, Temporary Architecture
