Earth | Tree: Architecture Between Ground and Canopy

There is a Japanese concept that describes sunlight filtering through tree leaves: Komorebi. Our bodies recognise this feeling. Komorebi moments occur when we stand amidst the trees in a forest, offering us comfort and inspiration.

This feeling is brought to Copenhagen’s city centre by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA). Earth | Tree is a spatial and material exploration of architecture itself, unfolding between ground and canopy, weight and lightness, permanence and change.

At the Danish art centre, Copenhagen Contemporary, a former industrial hall is transformed into an immersive environment shaped by elemental forces. The installation is built on a dialogue between materials that define much of the built environment: wood and brick. This is realised through close collaboration with Danish partners whose contributions are integral to the project’s architectural language.

The “earth” is formed by handcrafted stone tiles supplied by Petersen Tegl, whose material expertise lends a tactile, grounded presence to the installation. Above, a suspended structure of Dinesen Douglas creates a porous canopy, filtering light in ever-changing patterns. This interplay is further refined through light. Developed in collaboration with Anker & Co., the lighting concept plays a decisive role in shaping the spatial experience.

The lighting is calibrated to follow the rhythm of the day, shifting from sunrise to sunset. This dynamic approach gives the installation its natural atmosphere, reinforcing the concept of komorebi. The light acts as an architectural material, activating the wood, enhancing the depth of the brick landscape, and continuously transforming the perception of space.

Rather than reconstructing nature, the installation translates its essence into spatial experience. As Yuki Ikeguchi, VP and partner at KKAA, explains:

This approach is central to the architectural thinking behind Earth | Tree. The installation is meant to be experienced with the entire body. Visitors move through a carefully composed landscape, ascending a terrain of brick, passing beneath a suspended wooden canopy, and encountering shifting conditions of light, scale, and perspective shaped in temporal lighting design.

At its core, the project reflects a shared philosophy between Dinesen and Kengo Kuma, developed over years of collaboration. Both are rooted in a profound respect for natural materials and their inherent qualities. Wood, for Dinesen, begins in the forest. Each tree is selected and refined to reveal its unique character. In Kuma’s architecture, wood becomes a means of softening space, creating permeability and dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior.

This perspective is reflected in the project’s responsible use of materials. The wooden elements are leftover Dinesen Douglas offcuts, repurposed for the installation, while Petersen Tegl’s discarded bricks demonstrate durability, anchoring the work both physically and culturally.