10 April 2012

nendo Reimagines the Cup Noodle

nendo's souvenirs for the Nissin Cup Noodle Museum explore tradition and form in the studio's trademark quirky fashion.

Prolific Japanese design studio nendo will try their hand at almost anything.

Earlier this year, they created a series of specialty souvenirs for the Nissin Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama - a place celebrating the history and cultural significance of instant ramen.

The Cup Noodle Matryoshka series is inspired by the traditional Russian nested doll. A cup noodle container opens up to reveal a series of smaller objects inside, each representing a different ramen ingredient.

"Cup Noodle pleases eaters with its taste; with this souvenir, we wanted to entertain them visually," said the designers in their statement.

Cup Noodle Forms explore variations on the traditional shape of the cup noodle container through manipulations made to a series of ceramic containers.

Small changes in shape create different impressions, reminding us that "the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary is infinitely fine, and [helping] us to rediscover the 'small incidents' that exist submerged in the most familiar things," said the designers.