This is a collaboration of architects and a furniture maker to re-imagine furniture through spaces.

KEIJI ASHIZAWA DESIGN, TORAFU ARCHITECTS, and NORM ARCHITECTS take on the challenge of making a way for furniture to exist, derived from the theme: “thinking about the furniture from the point of view the space”. These three teams are well experienced in both furniture and product design. For this project, while thinking about the theme, they considered the shape and the ways in which these pieces of furniture actually fit into the ongoing projects (which include the renovation of a home and the design of an office space). For this, Karimoku has been selected as a partner.

Karimoku is the largest wooden furniture manufacturer in Japan. Founded in 1940, Karimoku was established in Chita-gun, Aichi Prefecture as “Kariya Timber Industry” in 1947. Originally a producer of weaving machines and wooden parts for exported furniture, Karimoku, through the use of high-precision processing technology and an expert knowledge of materials, has been producing domestic furniture since 1962. Every single piece of furniture and wood product is created in a vast factory of about 13,000 square meters full of the latest machines and craftsmen. There is no wooden product they cannot make. It’s turly wonderland of craftsmanship.

The three teams of architects think that to reconsider a space from the perspective of furniture, techniques and know-how of a manufacturer such as karimoku are required. In the same way, Karimoku believes in seeking additional possibilities for wooden products by collaborating with architects. In the factory workshop, both the designers and manufacturers gather around each prototype, and everyone’s point of view is combined to think of solutions for issues together. In this way, each piece has been developed by putting everyone’s heads together.
However, this project does not end with the mere development of new products. The architects will continue to fine tune this furniture (created with these specific spaces), organize the production and selling system for the future, and create a wider range of distribution. That is why the process is so important, that is to say, the “taiwa” (dialogue).

Perhaps such an encounter and dialogue between this furniture maker and these three architects will cause some form of chemical reaction. From this collaboration, a brand new concept of space can furniture may be born.
　
　
　

Period: 2018/7/19(thu.)-7/29(sun.)11:00-19:00
Opening Talk: 7/19(thu.)18:00-19:30
Reception: 7/19(thu.)19:30-21:30

Organizer: DESIGN KOISHIKAWA, KARIMOKU FURNITURE INC. KEIJI ASHIZAWA DESIGN, TORAFU ARCHIETECTS, NORM ARCHITECTS.
Support: ReBITA inc.

Exhibition Design: Keiji Ashizawa
Graphic Design: Hideyuki Yamano (TAKAIYAMA inc.)
Photo: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, Masaki Ogawa
Text: Reiko Imamura

PR: dailypress
Tel: 03-6416-3201
Mail: info@dailypress.org
　
　
　
Architects Profile

NORM ARCHITECTS
Founded in 2008, NORM ARCHITECTS work in the fields of industrial design, residential architecture, commercial interiors, photography and art direction.
Situated in one of the oldest streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, NORM ARCHITECTS respect their context and build on the traditions of Scandinavian design—of timeless aesthetics, natural materials and upholding Modernist principles of restraint and refinement. Through exploring what it is that heightens the human senses regardless of personal preference, their projects strip spaces, objects, ideas and images back to their simplest form. Ther expertise lies in finding the balance—when there’s nothing more to either add or take away.
Much like human well-being, the essence of NORM ARCHITECTS’ work is found in balance—between richness and restraint, between order and complexity. Each project—whether architecture, interiors, design or creative direction—is imbued with the same intrinsic quality: a simplicity that carries bigger ideas. Guided by the body and mind rather than by trends or technology, our projects explore ideas that not only look good but that also feel good: Architecture becomes thoughtful, minimalism acquires softness and visual matter assumes haptic qualities. NORM ARCHITECTS’ work is sharp and crisp and exudes, tacitly, our focus on quality, details and durability.
http://normcph.com

TORAFU ARCHITECTS
Established in 2004 by Suzuno Koichi & Kamuro Shinya. Its architectural notion expands into interior, exhibition curation, product design, spatial installation and movie production. Featured works include “Template in Claska” “NIKE1LOVE” “HOUSE IN KOHOKU” “airvase” “Gulliver Table” “Big T” & etc. “Light Loom (Canon, Milano Salone 2011)”received Elita Design Award; commendation as permanent collection of “airvase” in Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (2015). Published “airvase book”(2011), Work Portfolio “TORAFU ARCHITECTS 2004-2011 IDEA + PROCESS” (Bijutsu Shuppan-sha), Artbook “TORAFU’s Small City Planning (Heibonsha – 2012); “TORAFU ARCHITECTS Inside Out” (TOTO Publishing – 2016).
http://www.torafu.com

KEIJI ASHIZAWA DESIGN
Graduated in Yokohama National University (1996), followed by professional pursuit in design office, architecture WORKSHOP as well as in a furniture production workshop, super robot. In 2005, he established Keiji Ashizawa Design, an architectural and product design studio. With “honest design” as his motto, Ashizawa collaborated with international brand furniture makers such as IKEA and domestic consumer electronics manufacturers, and participated in architectural projects and workshops in Japan and abroad.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Ashizawa established Ishinomaki Laboratory as a public workshop in Ishinomaki, proposing reconstruction and town planning through furniture manufacturing and DIY (do-it-yourself) projects. He also established DESIGN Koishikawa, where his office is located, a gallery space to be operated for a limited period of two years in 2016.
http://www.keijidesign.com