For Milan Design Week Panasonic has commissioned, for the second year straight, Japanese architect Akihisa Hirata to develop a concept installation that explores photovoltaic solutions in an original manner.

Energetic Energies is a 30 meter-long miniature city covered by numerous solar panels reminiscent of lush vegetation. When designing the installation, Hirata left behind all the preconceived ideas about solar panels display, and launched into developing a whole new way of deploying them around the buildings.

Hirata’s desired effect was to transmit a sense of fusion and harmony between nature and technology. To reach this effect he also used 16 projectors with speakers that send out cloud shadows and sounds that convey the dynamism of natural environments.

"Soon, solar panels will become ubiquitous, covering rooftops across the city. But what kind of city would that be, with these inorganic, two-dimensional panels scattered about?” he said. "Essentially, nature is three-dimensional and filled with living organisms. Future cities should be similar if they are to coexist with nature. And solar panels hold greater potential to actually create more livable cities, aesthetically speaking, than their current form suggests." Energetic Energies will be on display beneath the Largo Richini Portico at the University of Milano from 8-14 April.