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Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo by Takumi Takahashi

Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo by Takumi Takahashi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Umklomelo Weplatinamu we-A' Design Award in Ubuciko Obuhle Competition Category.


IplatinamuUbuciko Obuhle· 2025

Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo

by Takumi Takahashi

Client: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Umklomelo Weplatinamu we-A' Design Award Winner in Ubuciko Obuhle Category

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The Design

About Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo

Lesi sikhumbuzo siveza inkumbulo yeSayensi yeNpilo ngokusekelwe kukulandelana kwe-genome ye-DNA, okuyisisekelo seSayensi yeNpilo. I-genome iyinkumbulo yokuphila kusukela emvelaphini yayo kuze kube namuhla, futhi isikhumbuzo sihlanganisa izinto zemvelo ezondlile abantu, kanye nobuciko obadluliselwe ezizukulwaneni eJapan, njengezimpawu zokuphila. Ngokuthinta imvelaphi abantu abayiqoqile, isikhumbuzo sihlanganisa imfihlakalo yesayensi yokuphila eyembulwe ngezinkumbulo zabantu.

The Recognition

About the Umklomelo Weplatinamu we-A' Design Award

Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo iwinile uMklomelo Weplatinamu we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile kakhulu okunikezwa imiklamo eyiqiniso eyingqayizivele, ebukekayo nenobukhosi. Abawinile bePlatinamu yizimangaliso zokudalwa, ubufakazi bemingcele yobuhlakani bokudala, futhi babonisa ubungcweti nobuhlakani obungenakuqhathaniswa babaklami babo. Le miklamo ilindeleke ukuba ibe yimisebenzi edume kakhulu echaza ubuhle besikhathi, enikela ekuhlalakahleni komphakathi futhi isunduza imingcele yobuciko, isayensi, ukuklama nobuchwepheshe. Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo ibonisa izinga elingaphezu kwejwayelekile lobuhle futhi ngokungangabazeki yenza umhlaba ube yindawo engcono ngezimfanelo zayo eziluthandwa nezibalulekile. Life Science Code Isikhumbuzo ngumsebenzi owinile uMklomelo Weplatinamu we-A' Design Award ovusa izifiso, ukhuthaza, ujabulisa futhi udale injabulo enkulu.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
Chugai Pharmaceutical's Life Science Park commissioned a monument to convey the mysteries and unknown possibilities of life science. As life science now drives drug creation by unlocking genomic information from human DNA, the monument compiles diverse memories etched in our DNA. This includes natural materials evoking Life and materials created by human hands, representing Science, aiming to embody the essence and potential of life science.
Dimensions & Packaging
This 6m x 1.5m x 2.2m monument embodies human and Earth memories. Its design, based on the human genome sequence, integrates diverse materials: ancient stones, local flora, native trees and medicinal herbs. A transparent stone base, evoking water as the source of life, is illuminated from within, highlighting the genome's varied expressions. The DNA derived design reveals life's mystery through shifting perspectives.
Tags
monument, life science, design, Art, hakuten, memory, Life Science Code
Production Technology
This monument crystallizes memories from nature, technology, and culture, archiving them for future generations. It juxtaposes normally incompatible memories, creating a unique landscape and prompting reflection on sustainability. Wood scraps were recycled into furniture, and metal scraps were reused, embodying circularity.
Design Challenge
This monument, while not directly generating profit, aims to inspire and provide spiritual support to life science researchers. It expresses the invisible mysteries of life science, a field filled with the unexplained, where researchers strive to improve human well-being. By touching the depths of people's hearts, this monument hopes to bring color and inspiration to their work, supporting their challenge against the mysterious world of life science.
Research
We were deeply moved to realize that our own DNA contains the inherited memories of the earth. Therefore, we carefully investigated various memories up to now, and collected a wide variety of memories, including natural objects created over a long period of time, human culture and technology, and memories of Chugai's pharmaceuticals.
Inspiration
Chugai's Life Science Park commissioned a monument to convey life science's profound mysteries. The design, mirroring drug creation through genome analysis, uses human genome sequences. The resulting patterns evoke life's beauty and complexity, encoding evolution and human essence. Integrating time-nurtured memories, the monument embodies life's enigmatic mystery. It stands as a testament to the intricate and beautiful nature of life, revealed through the very code that defines us.
Project Duration
This project was completed in May 2024
It is located at Chugai's new research facility in Totsuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
Operation Flow
Researchers viewing this monument can draw inspiration from its unique landscape, filled with memories from nature, technology, and culture. Viewers' reflections become part of the monument, symbolizing the present moment alongside diverse memories. It aims to convey that genomes exist within us, hinting at unknown possibilities.
Team Members
Design:Takumi Takahashi, HAKUTEN
Structural design : Naoki Iwama, Iwama Design
Metal hardware design and production : Kenichi Ochiai, Ochiai Seisakusho
Creative direction for the forest : Chikako Kadoi, Bears Dance in the Hida Forest
Product Management : Kumazaki Kohei, HAKUTEN
Produce : Masako Takahama, HAKUTEN
Image Credits
Photo by :Nacasa & Partners Inc. | Akira Arai

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