Fabric sculpture purifies the air

A giant, air-purifying sculpture is not just art; it has the ability to absorb emissions from 90,000 cars per year, its creators say. “Breath/ng” by Kengo Kuma, initially on display during Milan’s 2018 Design Week, is composed of 120 hand-folded panels inspired by Japanese origami and made of an innovative fabric called The Breath^®.

Italian startup Anemotech developed the fabric technology as a green solution for treating and purifying the air we breathe, both indoors and outdoors. Constructed in a three-layer system, the core layer is made of carbon mesh on a polyester substrate mixed with active nanomolecules. The front and back layers are fabric mesh designed to filter different pollutants. Anemotech says the fabric product absorbs and reduces a variety of pollutants.

The Breath/ng project was made in collaboration with 3D software company Dassault Systèmes using the company’s advanced software and tools.