Tokyo, Japan, 2026-01-13 - 

The long-term calendar Irreversible Scale, designed by Rikako Nagashima of graphic design studio village® for textile brand Kvadrat, has been awarded “Graphic Design of the Year” at the Dezeen Awards 2025. The calendar visualizes Kvadrat’s 16-year roadmap toward achieving net-zero emissions, aiming to raise awareness and encourage action both within the company and externally.

Kvadrat is committed to reducing CO₂ emissions across all operations and its value chain, while transitioning many of its products to a circular system that extends product lifespans. Its targets are structured in four phases: a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2026; 100% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030; increasing the share of circular services revenue to 40% by 2035; and achieving net-zero across Scope 1–3 by 2040. Nagashima’s calendar translates these goals into a visual system, conveying a long-term message about the climate crisis.

Design

Irreversible Scale stores each year’s calendar roll up to 2040 in the left frame, and each year, one roll is moved to the right frame and hung. As the rolls shift to the right frame over time, Kvadrat’s four phased targets toward net-zero become visible, printed on the wood behind the left frame. Completion of each phase is further indicated by a change in roll color—from warm to cool tones—symbolizing progress in addressing the climate crisis. The gradual reduction of stacked rolls year by year visually represents the irreversibility of time and resources.

The calendar’s typography deliberately treats years, months, and days equally. By stripping away hierarchical meaning, the numbers become an abstract, neutral quantity, allowing viewers to perceive them as material units and experience the finite nature and significance of each day.

Materials and sustainability

The fabric was cut in half along the roll width to minimize waste during production. Each calendar is made from Divina 3 wool textile, a renewable material. Kvadrat uses only anti-mulesing certified wool and sources wool locally to reduce emissions and ensure traceability.

ReThink Project

The calendar was presented as part of the textile sustainability project ReThink, which explores the possibilities of responsible design, promoting material innovation and new aesthetic value. Exhibited at events including Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design, Irreversible Scale communicates the irreversibility of resources and time, while highlighting Kvadrat’s environmental initiatives.