Kina Ottoman │ 2017
PD23 Winner
Category:Furniture - Seating UnitsLocation:Hokkaido, JapanDesigner:David Trubridge, David Trubridge Design, Whakatu, New ZealandManufacturer:Conde House Co. Ltd., Whakatu, New Zealand
When David first designed Kina in 2005 it was as an ottoman. But the thin flexible plywood needed to take up the curves was not strong enough to bear any loading.
So instead, Kina became a light and it was entered it for the IFDA competition in Asahikawa, Japan where it won a Silver Leaf Award. In 2016 IFDA approached us once again, as a past winner, with an invitation to be part of a commemorative exhibition for 2017 to celebrate 10 years of IFDA shows.
They asked us to team up with one of their wood manufacturers in Hokkaido with a new design. The form for Kina was inspired by the sea urchins of the same name found in New Zealand rocky shores. The Kina ottoman, which looks like an object at first glance, is strong enough to be used as a stool or ottoman, yet stable and light enough to be used as a table.
David Trubridge, who lives in New Zealand, is the designer for the 10th International Furniture Design Fair Asahikawa 2017 [IFD], which was exhibited at the “IFD Commemorative Production Exhibition.“
For the circular top part, you can choose from cork, which he suggested from an ecological point of view, as well as a color finish and upholstery type as you like. The plump ellipsoid is formed by assembling 24 pieces of boat-shaped parts molded from birch wood from Hokkaido with 800mm and 1000mm diameters. The gentle curves and mesh are mostly hand-polished, and the painting is hand-painted with oil finish.
Based on advanced molding technology and accurate parts manufacturing technology, it was completed with a lot of manual work. Kina ottoman symbolically expresses Conde House’s design stance and technical capabilities, and has the value of not only being used, but also being seen and felt. It has a strong presence not only in houses but also in unique commercial spaces and wide entrances of public facilities.
DESIGNER BIO
New Zealand based David Trubridge is one of the world’s preeminent designers and a recognised leader in environmentally responsible design. Countless influential international publications have featured Trubridge’s iconic work, which ultimately launched the ‘raw sophistication’ design trend. In 2008, the French magazine Express listed him as one of the top 15 designers in the world. He is the recipient of the 2005 Antarctica fellow and in 2007 he was given NZ’s highest design award, the John Britten Award, by the Designer’s Institute of NZ.
More works from the designer: davidtrubridge.com