Airom ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ (ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱞᱮᱢᱯ) by Hiroto Nakamura

Airom ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ (ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱞᱮᱢᱯ) by Hiroto Nakamura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱞᱟᱭᱴᱤᱝ ᱩᱛᱯᱟᱫ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱷᱤᱠᱥᱪᱟᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.

ᱠᱟᱥᱟᱞᱟᱭᱴᱤᱝ· 2026

Airom ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ (ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱞᱮᱢᱯ)

by Hiroto Nakamura

Client: H!roto_Factory

A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱞᱟᱭᱴᱤᱝ Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Airom ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ (ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱞᱮᱢᱯ)

ᱟᱭᱨᱚᱢ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱮᱠᱞᱟ ᱛᱤᱸᱜᱩ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱚᱠᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱦᱚᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱮᱢᱚᱜ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨᱚᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱮᱰ (ᱥᱮᱭᱰ) ᱫᱚ ᱴᱨᱮᱥᱤᱝ ᱠᱟᱜᱚᱡᱽ ᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱦᱚᱭ ᱛᱮ ᱯᱮᱨᱮᱡ ᱮᱱ ᱠᱷᱟᱱ ᱜᱮ ᱟᱡᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱧᱟᱢᱟᱭ᱾ ᱠᱟᱜᱚᱡᱽ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱩᱨᱪᱟᱹᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱛᱮ ᱢᱤᱦᱤᱧ ᱢᱩᱨᱪᱟᱹ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨᱚᱜᱼᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱚᱰᱚᱠᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱨᱮ ᱰᱷᱮᱨ ᱜᱮᱦᱮᱨᱟᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱚᱢᱚᱞᱟᱭ ᱮᱢᱚᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱦᱟᱹᱴᱤᱧ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱞᱮᱡᱚᱨ ᱛᱮ ᱜᱮᱫ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱹᱲᱛᱤ ᱠᱮᱴᱮᱡ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱵᱟᱨᱭᱟ ᱞᱟᱴᱷᱟ (ᱮᱰᱦᱮᱥᱤᱵᱽ) ᱛᱮ ᱡᱚᱲᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱟᱨ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱢᱚᱞᱰ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱵᱟᱭ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨᱚᱜᱼᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱹᱝ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱹᱝ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱫᱚ ᱮᱴᱟᱜ ᱮᱴᱟᱜ ᱜᱮᱭᱟ᱾ ᱛᱤᱸᱜᱩ ᱚᱠᱛᱚ ᱨᱮ ᱦᱚᱭ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱟᱹᱛᱨᱟ ᱴᱷᱤᱠᱚᱜᱼᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱮᱰ ᱫᱚ ᱛᱤ ᱛᱮ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱮᱢᱚᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱜᱟᱶᱛᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱦᱟᱞᱠᱟ ᱜᱮᱭᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ ᱛᱮ ᱯᱩᱸᱰᱚᱜᱼᱟ᱾

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ

Airom ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ (ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱞᱮᱢᱯ) ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱱᱟᱣᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Airom ᱛᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱰᱤᱵᱤ (ᱯᱷᱞᱚᱨ ᱞᱮᱢᱯ) ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Airom is a lighting product that treats air not as a passive volume but as an active element that gently shapes form. Made of tracing paper the shade gains its shape only when filled with air letting light softly reveal a temporary and changeable state. Formed without molds each unit is inherently unique. Subtle wrinkles in the material give depth and softness to the light while the act of shaping becomes part of the lighting experience.
Dimensions & Packaging: Airom is an indoor freestanding lighting product composed of tracing paper adhesive and an integrated LED module powered by AC 100V. Its air shaped form creates a soft irregular volume rather than a fixed geometry. Airom is available in three sizes Small W 600mm x D 600mm x H 1000 mm. Medium W 800mm x D 800mm x H 1700 mm. Large W 1000 mm x D 1000mm x H 2000 mm. The structure is lightweight and foldable for compact packaging. Laser cut parts and dual adhesives ensure precision strength and flexibility while a low heat LED enables safe operation.
Tags: Lamp, Lighting, Light fixture, Paper, Paper Balloon,
Production Technology: Airom uses tracing paper as its primary material for its balance of flexibility and soft light diffusion. The paper is first crumpled to create fine wrinkles that add depth and subtle variation to the emitted light. Parts are precisely cut using a laser cutting machine to ensure repeatable accuracy suitable for production. Two types of adhesive are applied to enhance structural strength. The shade is formed without molds by inflating air enabling a lightweight structure adaptable to variation and production.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating air an invisible and unstable element into a controllable factor within a lighting product. Internally this required redefining the structure of traditional Japanese paper balloons as functional design logic. Externally challenges included material strength safety with an AC 100V light source and mold free production. These issues were addressed through material testing and iterative prototyping.
Research: This design research explores air as a formative element in lighting. The objective was to redefine air from an invisible condition into a controllable design parameter. Based on the structure of traditional Japanese paper balloons material experiments and iterative prototyping were conducted using tracing paper and internal light. User interaction determines form and light quality shifting lighting from a fixed object to a participatory spatial experience.
Inspiration: We were inspired by clouds seen in Okinawa natural environment. Shaped by strong sunlight humidity and the surrounding sea clouds continuously change form while remaining suspended in the sky existing without clear outlines. To reinterpret this quality as lighting we focused on traditional Japanese paper balloons whose shape exists only through air and can be freely formed by hand. By combining these elements airom allows air to be perceived through light.
Project Duration: The project started in April 2025 and was completed in January 2026. Design development and prototyping were carried out in Okinawa, Japan. The project has not yet been exhibited.
Operation Flow: Airom is completed through user interaction. During setup the user introduces air into the shade and shapes it by hand. The final form depends on air volume and gestures making each configuration unique. Even during use the form can be adjusted by changing the air volume allowing the lighting atmosphere to evolve over time.
Image Credits: Image #1: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #2: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #3: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #4: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #5: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.