Earth | Tree, a new site-specific installation with Dinesen Douglas by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and his studio Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA), opens at international art centre Copenhagen Contemporary on 28 March 2026.

As part of Copenhagen Contemporary’s CCreate program, the new exhibition transforms a former industrial hall into an immersive architectural environment shaped by wood, brick, and light. The installation is led by KKAA partner Yuki Ikeguchi and marks the studio’s first major exhibition in Scandinavia, featuring a site-specific installation.

At the core of the installation is a suspended structure composed of handcrafted Dinesen Douglas fir elements. The wood is processed in collaboration with the Danish Troldkær School as part of an initiative to develop and empower students with special needs, an initiative supported by CC. The construction allows light to filter through and shift throughout the day, inspired by the Japanese concept of komorebi – the effect of sunlight passing through tree canopies and casting moving patterns of light and shadow.

The project brings together materials from a group of Danish manufacturers: wood from Dinesen, brick from Petersen Tegl, and lighting by Anker & Co. Together, these elements form a spatial composition that connects Japanese and Nordic approaches to materiality and craft.

The collaboration between Dinesen and KKAA is grounded in a shared understanding of wood as a natural and living material. In Kuma’s work, wood is used to create light, permeable structures that dissolve the boundary between architecture and nature. Dinesen’s approach similarly begins in the forest, working with handpicked trees and refined craftsmanship to reveal the inherent qualities of the material.

In Earth | Tree, this shared perspective becomes tangible. The wooden structure by Dinesen shapes the space through its texture, scale, and scent, while interacting with the changing light conditions created by Anker & Co., reflecting the daily rhythm from sunrise to sunset and generating a continuously evolving atmosphere. Representing the earth are Petersen Tegl’s handcrafted stone tiles in warm beige and red-brown hues, grounding the artwork.

The installation also reflects a shared commitment to responsible material use. By working with sustainably sourced wood and incorporating recycling into the design, the project emphasises longevity and the full utilisation of resources, which lies at the heart of Dinesen.

Earth | Tree invites visitors to experience architecture as a sensory and material practice, where structure, light, and atmosphere are inseparable.