Interview about Sukiya Serenity Chair, winner of the A' Furniture Design Award 2025
The star of the show is the molding under the seat. The design is inspired by the facade of sukiya style architecture. It is characterized by a linear composition of square timbers. The wooden parts under the seat create an intentional space, and the light shining through the gaps accentuates the texture and color of the wood. This structure brings calmness and lightness to the space, and the chair itself is designed to accentuate the space.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe Japanese sense of aesthetics includes the concept of wabi-sabi. To put it simply, it’s about intentionally creating empty spaces to enhance the presence of the main elements. The sculptural design of the Sukiya Serenity Chair, as well as its striking interplay of light and shadow, is influenced by the wabi-sabi found in Sukiya architecture.I believe that furniture should be beautiful. Furniture is a tool of the home and a partner in daily life. If it isn’t beautiful, no one would want to place it in their home. I think Japanese aesthetics provide the perfect theme to address this challenge.Inspired by these traditions and customs, I aimed for a design that embodies Japanese aesthetics—one that is simple in appearance, reflects the quietness of wabi-sabi, the lightness of Sukiya architecture, and maximizes the charm of the materials used.
Technology is constantly evolving.This is something that applies to various industries, including architecture built using traditional Japanese methods.I’m not fond of the idea of valuing tradition alone while rejecting new changes. What’s important is balance.In modern Japanese architecture, parts that can be machined are processed by machines, while the joints and areas that people directly touch are meticulously finished by skilled craftsmen.The same philosophy applies to this chair. The basic parts are machine-processed, but the curved backrest, which is essential for comfort, is crafted by hand.In other words, just like modern Japanese architecture, it represents a fusion of ever-evolving technology and the traditional techniques that must be preserved.
I tried to incorporate elements of sukiya architecture into this chair, but simply imitating the style didn’t capture its characteristic lightness. I believe the reason lies in the difference in scale between architecture and furniture. In other words, it was necessary to adapt the size of the parts used in sukiya architecture to the scale of the parts used in a chair.The thickness of the components that make up a chair is crucial—if they are too thin, the chair looks fragile, but if they are too thick, it loses its elegance. That’s when I realized something. Traditional Japanese wooden architecture, including sukiya style, has a distinctive feature: it uses slender components to create a lightweight appearance, yet the finished structure is incredibly strong. This is achieved through the craftsmanship of skilled artisans.Delicate things are often considered beautiful, but they typically lack strength. However, by carefully designing the structure, it’s possible to achieve both delicacy and durability. This chair incorporates that very ingenuity.
I often design parts that people don't touch to have straight, linear shapes, while parts that people do touch, such as backrests, are more curved. However, I don't make all the parts that people touch entirely curved. I intentionally leave some parts with straight shapes. By doing so, over time, as the furniture is used, the colors deepen, and the edges gradually become rounded, fostering a sense of attachment.Good furniture fits seamlessly into a person's life—it becomes like a life partner. The reason I can achieve this balance between straight lines and curves is that I place great importance on enhancing the user's quality of life and helping them feel a deeper sense of connection and attachment to the furniture.
Wooden furniture is often associated with significant material waste, especially in the form of offcuts and unused scraps. This is not ideal from a sustainability perspective. With materials like resin or metal, scraps can be collected, melted down, and reused. However, this is not possible with wood, which is likely the reason behind the issue.That said, wood is a warm and comforting material that brings peace to the human heart. Even though the supply of wood is finite, choosing not to produce wooden furniture is not an option.So, what can we do? The answer is simple: reduce material waste and offcuts as much as possible.In Japan, there is a philosophy called mottainai, which emphasizes minimizing waste and making the most out of available resources. This chair is designed with nearly all its parts made in simple, straight shapes, reducing material waste. While the design is based on simple forms, clever combinations of these forms allow for both strength and beauty to coexist.
This response is similar to the answer for Grand Interview Question 05, but I believe it is influenced by the Japanese concept of mottainai, which emphasizes avoiding waste and making the most of available resources.As an island nation, Japan has limited natural resources. For this reason, our ancestors placed great importance on carefully utilizing materials. For example, the Japanese katana, which is now considered a work of art, was designed to be made with a minimal amount of iron ore. Through repeated forging, the metal is refined to become thin and sharp. The reason it is regarded as a masterpiece lies in the ingenuity of creating something extraordinary even with limited resources.This philosophy has influenced how materials are selected and strategies for reducing waste are developed.
The reason behind it was that I was searching for a justification to use wood. I felt it would be very disrespectful to the material to use wood simply because it’s readily available. Designers and creators may have ideas, but without the right materials, they cannot bring those ideas to life. Regardless of the material in question, it must be treated with respect and appreciation.Rather than using wood just because it exists, I believe we should create designs that highlight the unique atmosphere and beauty that only wood can offer.While I was thinking about designs using wood, I went to visit some relatives who live far away. Their house was built in the sukiya architectural style. As the sun rose, its light streamed through the gaps in the sukiya structure, creating sharp-edged shadows on the opposite side. The interplay of vivid light and shadow, combined with the gentle texture of the wood, created an incredibly beautiful atmosphere.I was deeply moved by this beauty. It was at that moment that I came up with the idea of designing a chair using wood.
This chair embodies three key points: the seamless connections between parts, the efficient use of materials with no waste, and a lightweight appearance paired with a strong structure. These elements are rooted in Japanese traditions and customs, particularly the aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi. We want people to understand this unique Japanese sense of beauty—that true beauty can be expressed without being overly flashy or colorful.This chair was created as a challenge to prove that idea. By winning the Silver Award this time, we believe that this concept has been validated.A design like this chair can blend seamlessly into various spaces, not just in Japan but in homes around the world. We hope it will find its place in diverse environments globally.
In contemporary Japanese architecture, parts that can be processed by machines are handled mechanically, while joints and areas that people directly touch are carefully finished by skilled craftsmen. It represents a fusion of ever-evolving technology and traditional techniques that must be preserved. Since sukiya architecture serves as the central inspiration, I felt it was essential to show as much respect for it as possible.Rather than focusing solely on the form of the furniture, I believe incorporating the process by which it is made leads to a design with a stronger and more compelling concept.
There seems to be a way of thinking that as long as functionality is present, furniture isn’t necessary in a home. That might indeed be true. For example, instead of a chair, you could stack books and sit on them, align concrete blocks to sit on, or tie together several pieces of firewood to create a seat.If you strip down the act of sitting to its core function, those examples would suffice.So, why do we place furniture in our homes? And why do we seek beauty in furniture?I believe it’s to enhance the quality of our lives. It may be a simple and obvious answer, but I think it’s reason enough.Now, imagine this: soft sunlight streams onto this chair in the morning. It’s different from the usual sunlight—it’s gentle and beautiful. A cup of coffee enjoyed in such a morning light would taste exceptional.The chair itself looks light and airy. Its presence makes the entire space feel lighter, too.These elements create moments of peace and bring a sense of calm to your mind and time.That is what tranquility means.
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