VIEWS | ISSUE 01
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71
I
NTERVIEW
A SHORT CONVERSATION WITH NAOTO FUKASAWA
Fukasawa has worked with some of the most celebrated brands
from his native Japan and the world, and in 2017 of course,
he created the Harbor armchair for B&B Italia. As diverse as
Fukasawa’s portfolio is, his approach centres on the relationship
between design and behaviour, perhaps more so now than ever.
“The whole world is under the pandemic,” he said as he introduced
the Harbor Laidback chair to us last year; “So, everyone wants
to know how to spend valuable time at home.”
His design optimises the beautifully simple Harbor, allowing for
a deeper, more personalised experience for the chair's user.
With a levering handle and adapted engineering, Harbor Laidback
does exactly what its name suggests.
You don’t just sit here, but lean back into the chair, thus creating
a bond with the design that also expresses a sense of belonging.
“This is my own chair” says Fukasawa soothingly; “I wanted to
create a feeling of ‘Ah!’ This is the place I shall return to”.
BORN IN 1956, JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER NAOTO FUKASAWA
HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE WORKING
IN THE FIELD TODAY. WITH A HYPER-VARIED CAREER, HIS WORK SPANS
FROM THE DESIGN OF PRECISION EQUIPMENT AND ELECTRONIC GOODS,
TO RESTRAINED CURVES IN HIS FURNITURE PIECES, AS WELL AS A DEEPLY
CONSIDERED APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURE.
As important as form and function for the designer, are beauty
and craft, and Fukasawa’s Harbor Laidback again demonstrates
this perfectly. Indeed, as he explains that his “philosophy of creation
starts with outlining beauty” the lengths that Fukasawa goes to in
this pursuit can be seen in the stitching of this chair’s surface skin.
Like a supple yet sturdy dotted line, the stitching leads the eyes
and hands around the chair's form, “like in the fitting of a tailor-
made suit”, says the designer. As pleasing as the results are, this a
far from simple feature to execute he continues: “This [the stitching]
was so hard to do that we needed to develop a new sewing machine
just to do it.”
Speaking to this Japanese master of design, it is immediately clear
how pleased he is with the Harbor Laidback, but he is equally
keen to share his creation. “I wish this armchair will have a long life”
ends Fukasawa almost as if talking about a beloved friend or pet;
“and that it will become iconic also for each future owner.”
Fukasawa Lays Back
