Lexus appeals to the senses with Milan Design Week display

Toyota Corp.’s Lexus is giving consumers a multi-sensory experience through an upcoming exhibit during Milan Design Week.

“Lexus – A Journey of the Senses” will be displayed from April 14-19, with designer Philippe Nigro and chef Hajime Yoneda. This exhibit enables Lexus to highlight its own focus on the senses as it designs its vehicles.

Design sense
The exhibit will be held at Spazio Lexus - Torneria in Tortona, Milan, within a space designed by Mr. Nigro, who was named designer of the year at Maison et Objet in 2014.

Within the functional and aesthetically pleasing setting, guests will also be able to experience food design by Mr. Yoneda, who is known for ingenuity and precision.

Promotional image for Lexus - A Journey of the Senses

At the same venue, the automaker will display the work of the 12 finalists for the Lexus Design Award 2015.

For the third annual Lexus Design Awards, the theme is “Senses,” a deliberately broad subject that Lexus expects to draw a wide array of submissions. Last year, the brand received more than 1,100 submissions from 72 countries (see story).

Of the competition, Lexus wrote, “This theme is particularly relevant to Lexus, as the whole driving experience is about senses: from seeing the striking exterior design of our cars, to hearing the sound of our finely tuned engines and feeling the sensation of our steering wheel when you round a corner. Everything is engaged. By considering this array of examples we seek to appeal to our customers' senses in an ever-unique manner.”

Some prototype winners include a kinetically charged lighting sculpture, masks that enable people to see and experience the world as an animal and garments that heighten the wearer’s senses.