Hightech and Hightouch

Karimoku Furniture, the leading timber furniture manufacturer in Japan, reliably sets fresh accents in furniture design - as with the establishment of the young brands Karimoku Case Study and Karimoku New Standard. In Panorama, the company thus shows a modern design language that formally honours the tradition of its own country and at the same time looks beyond its borders. Parallel to the successful cooperation with Norm Architects, Karimoku Furniture is currently presenting the first insights into its cooperation with another renowned architectural firm: Zaha Hadid Architects. As the first prototype of the "Seyun" collection, a chair was recently presented in Karimoku's own showroom in Tokyo.

Formally, its design language follows Zaha Hadid's signature dynamic lines, sculpturally elaborated by Karimoku's artisans. "The collaboration combines Zara Hadid Design's distinctive design language and inventive approach to materiality with Karimoku's uncompromising standards of quality, achieved through the use of cutting-edge technologies and manufacturing processes," says Woody Yao, director at Zaha Hadid Design. The final collection will also include an armchair and tables.

"To faithfully reproduce Zaha Hadid's design in wood is a special challenge. We are honoured to be involved in the production of her furniture designs and to demonstrate the knowledge and skills we have acquired throughout Karimoku's history in the craft since 1940," says Hiroshi Kato, Vice President of Karimoku. The cooperation impressively reflects the company's "high-tech and high-touch" approach, which combines expressive, emotional design with advanced technology. The "Seyun" collection by Karimoku Furniture Inc. and Zaha Hadid Design is scheduled for completion next spring. (am)