Yamaha’s Design Laboratory Makes Its Los Angeles Design Weekend Debut With Exhibition Titled ‘Companionship’

Exploring the evolving relationship between people, sound, and play through a series of design studies

HAMAMATSU, Japan ― The Yamaha Design Laboratory, an in-house design division established in 1963 by the Yamaha Corporation, will present “Companionship,” an exhibition showcasing the company’s design philosophy, from October 2 to 4, 2026, at the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences (hereinafter “VDL House”), a U.S. National Historic Landmark. This exhibition marks Yamaha’s debut at Los Angeles Design Weekend.

The Design Laboratory has consistently released design studies that explore the nature of music and musical instruments, as well as the identity of Yamaha Design, alongside its daily product development activities. While these activities have previously been shared primarily in Japan and Europe, the Design Laboratory will now introduce Yamaha’s design philosophy and creative endeavors in Los Angeles, one of the world’s leading creative hubs. Through the exhibition, Yamaha also aims to create new connections with the creative community in the U.S. and expand dialogue and exchange through design.

“Through Companionship, I am looking forward to revisiting the role music played in the life of the VDL House, shaped in part by Dione Neutra, and exploring how sound might once again offer a way of experiencing its architecture,” said Saba Salekfard, resident director of the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences.

“We have continued to share the values that are important to Yamaha Design with people around the world, with the aim of encouraging people to rediscover the appeal of musical instruments and audio equipment as special tools connected to sound and music, and to consider their role in enriching everyday life from the perspectives of lifestyle, culture, and design,” said Manabu Kawada, senior general manager of the Design Laboratory. “This time, we will present, for the first time at a design event in Los Angeles, products and design prototypes that expand the ways people enjoy music and the possibilities of musical instruments. We are very much looking forward to seeing how the works on display resonate with the renowned architectural space designed by Richard Neutra, who pursued an approach to architecture that sought harmony between people and nature.”

The exhibition will feature 10 design works and musical instruments throughout the floors and gardens of VDL House. Through items such as the “solo” and “classic” guitar stand-stools designed for living with a guitar, and the TransAcoustic™ Guitar that plays music using Bluetooth^® functionality, the exhibition presents the partner-like relationship between people and musical instruments, showing how they provide emotional support and companionship in various forms. Additionally, in honor of Dione Neutra, a cellist and the wife of VDL House architect Richard Neutra, Yamaha’s Real Sound Viewing performance reproduction system will recreate the authentic sound of her performances through automatic playback based on performance data recorded during her lifetime. The exhibition will also feature the first public showing of a prototype of “Dreaming of the sea,” a low chair that produces soothing sounds reminiscent of waves, created through a collaboration between designers from Karimoku Furniture Inc., one of Japan’s leading wooden furniture manufacturers and Yamaha. When visitors sit on the cushion and gently move their bodies, small metal balls inside the chair roll and rub against one another, creating white noise-like sounds reminiscent of waves. Visitors can enjoy a diverse range of sound variations matching their body movements, from crashing waves to quiet ripples. Also, on view will be photographs taken at Yamaha’s headquarters and piano factory in Japan by multimedia artist and photographer Johnny Le, who is serving as guest curator.

For more information about the Yamaha Design Laboratory visit, https://www.yamaha.com/en/tech-design/design/ and follow https://www.instagram.com/yamahadesignlab/.