Interview
Naohisa Hosoo (HOSOO architecture) Part 2
About the material
The newly announced furniture is available in two versions: for the lounge and for the dining room. The lounge version is a set of sofa and low table for relaxing in the living room. The dining version is a set of dining table and chairs for eating.
The materials used are Nishijin-ori, quartz stone, and brass. The textiles used this time are from a collection called "Abstract," inspired by abstract paintings. The stone has a very distinctive look and is beautiful in itself, so we combined it with a textile that complements its beauty. The textile brings out the look of the stone, and the stone brings out the look of the textile. We chose materials that would create such a mutual relationship.
The quartz stone used is from Antolini, an Italian stone manufacturer known for dealing in luxurious and artistic stone. Each quartz stone used for the table top is unique, so customers can see the furniture in person before purchasing. For the Nishijin-ori chairs, customers can choose their favorite textile from HOSOO to match the stone on the table. This furniture combines the finest stone with the finest textile.
When using stone as a material, stones with uniform and modest patterns are easy to use for furniture. This is because as a component, it can be incorporated anywhere without making a big impact. However, the stone I wanted to use this time was one with a little more character. Although it has a wonderful personality and appeal as an object, if it is not combined properly, the overall balance will be lost. By combining it with a material that has a similar character and strength, a beauty of balance is achieved. That is the kind of stone I chose.
The frames of the tables and chairs are made of brass. Brass is a difficult metal to process, as it is difficult to weld, and metals such as iron and stainless steel are easier to handle than brass. However, brass has a unique, moist, sparkling quality that is unique to it, which is why we use it. How can we incorporate brass into the structure and create a structure that is both aesthetically and physically viable? We worked together with a blacksmith, and after repeated trial and error, the shape finally took shape.
Furniture as an "ensemble"
As with the HOSOO FLAGSHIP STORE, the furniture this time is designed to combine different materials and bring out the potential individuality of each material. Nishijin-ori, quartz stone, and brass each have their own individuality. Rather than subtracting them, we combined them to make the most of each other. By doing so, we wondered if we could create an "ensemble" of furniture. This was the most important thing in the design process.
The soft texture of the textile stands out even more when combined with the hard, cold brass. I design the balance between techniques and materials to bring out the potential quality of the object. I think of design in terms of relationships. Rather than a single material in itself, I value the effects and phenomena that occur in the relationship between objects.
I think that this idea is the same as the approach of Nishijin-ori, where different threads are bundled and woven together to create an organic textile. As an architect, I am always conscious of the potential appeal of materials, not limited to textiles, stone, and brass, and am always observing them. There are so many different techniques in the world, each with its own irreplaceable individuality and characteristics. I am always expanding on my imagination, thinking, "If I combine this and that, I can create an ensemble like this."
Furniture Shape and Architecture
The shape of furniture is often thought to be "roughly fixed" depending on the type of furniture, such as a table or chair. However, this time I did not want to categorize furniture as furniture. Before being furniture, furniture is an aesthetic object. That's why I wanted to think about the form of furniture in parentheses.
I wanted to think from scratch about a structure that would hold up properly when weight is placed on it, so I started studying the shape of the chair. When a person sits down, where is the center of gravity and how is the force applied? As I researched, I discovered that it doesn't have to have four legs. As a structure, three legs are stable. That's how I arrived at the shape we have today.
When considering the structure of the legs of tables and chairs, I was inspired by the way columns are inserted in architecture. It was a discovery for me that the beauty of architectural forms can also be applied to furniture. Through this design, I was able to realize that furniture is also architecture. Something that is beautiful as architecture is also beautiful as furniture. I applied the techniques used to create architectural details to furniture and completed a beautiful composition of three legs.
Textiles are architecture
In architecture, textiles are usually treated as "sub". The main feature is the structure, such as the pillars and floors, and the interior and decoration that uses textiles are sub. The main feature is the structure, and decoration tends to be treated as an added bonus.
But I think it's actually the other way around. There was a 19th century German architect called Gottfried Semper. He wrote that the most important thing in architecture is not the structure but the fabric. He said that the very first architectural acts of mankind were the carpets and rugs in our homes, and that structures were created later to support them.
Semper has this way of thinking, and I really agree with him. I think that what enriches people's emotions and forms the basis of the living environment is not the structure, but the "clothing" that people are most in contact with. In that sense, for me, textiles are synonymous with architecture more than anything else. I think that what I think of as "craft architecture" can be rephrased as "architecture as textile."
I think of this furniture as an extension of "craft architecture." The state of a person changes depending on what they wear and what they come into contact with. Good architecture lifts your spirits when you are in the space, gives you a sense of energy, and touches your heartstrings, enriching your emotions. From that perspective, the prototype of architecture is in the furniture that is familiar to people. That is why I design with the desire to create furniture that can nourish people's hearts, like jewelry.
Naohisa Hosoo
Born in Milan in 1981, raised in Kyoto. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Technology, while studying under Kojin Karatani and Kenjiro Okazaki at the Kinki University International Institute for Humanities. After studying abroad at the Polytechnic University of Milan, he worked at David Chipperfield Architects. After returning to Japan from Italy, he established HOSOO architecture in Kyoto in 2015. First-class architect. Currently writing "Theory of Craft Architecture" on note.