Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan · CLIENT: MisoSoupDesign
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.
Press Kit
- 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.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 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
- Tags
- nstallation Art, Lighting Design, Recycled Materials, Sustainable Design, Public Art, Temporary Architecture
- Production 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.
- Design 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.
- Project Duration
- 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) - Operation Flow
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Image Credits
- Kaohsiung Art Museum
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