This chair was designed for the new restaurant Maerge, which is opening in Minami-Aoyama.

Michelin-starred owner-chef Shibata has assembled the finest minds in various fields to create the world's best restaurant, and this is an ambitious project, and his request is for the best spoke chairs.

I have made many chairs in a variety of genres up until now, but when it comes to comfort, it is a chair like the Cocoda chair, which supports the back with a three-dimensional curved surface.

It is difficult to focus on comfort when sitting on a chair that is supported by lines like a spoke chair without using a back cushion, and I have never been able to create one that I am satisfied with.

That's why there are no such chairs in our current product lineup.

However, placing a cushion would eliminate the transparency in the space that is a characteristic of the Spoke chair, and would also increase the size of the chair itself.

When 20 of these are lined up, it has a significant impact on the overall atmosphere of the store.

So I decided to forgo using a cushion and instead search for the best possible seating comfort using only the wooden spokes, and began by designing the shape of the spokes, starting with the top rail.

We repeatedly tried out various combinations of the height of the top board, the curve that matches it, and the shape of the spokes, and we ended up with the spokes carved out in three dimensions to match the vertical curve around the waist and positioned them to fit the horizontal curve of the entire back.

Although we generally refer to the back, the curve that fits varies depending on the area, such as the upper part around the shoulders, the middle part, and the lower part around the waist.

By arranging the boomerang-shaped spokes so that they narrow towards the bottom, we were able to make the curve in the middle that supports the arch of the lower back smaller than that of the upper fascia, and we were able to design the spoke configuration to suit each part.

Next, we started designing the arm.

It is common for the arm height to be designed so that it can be stored under the table, but in fact, if you are prioritizing comfort, that is a little low, and the best height is one where it just touches the table.

As an aside, the regular size of the cocoda chair, one of KOMA's signature pieces, is designed solely for comfort, so the arms cannot be stored under the table (they are also available in low and mini types, which can be stored).

When we asked Shibata to try them out, he was surprised at how much of a difference of just a few centimetres could make.

Although he has visited restaurants all over the world, he has only ever sat on chairs with arms that can be stored under the table, and he thought this was normal. However, after sitting on different chairs, he decided on a direction that aimed to provide the best possible seating comfort, while also incorporating a storage element.

After repeated prototyping, we were able to achieve the necessary elements, such as comfort, storage, strength, and compatibility with the atmosphere and concept of the space, and this organic form was born.

When I finally sat on the completed chair, I noticed that the top of the rear legs began to feel like a nuisance when I rested my elbows on them.

Once you start to worry, there's nothing you can do about it.

We also reviewed the design from scratch and redrawn the full-scale drawings.

This problem could be solved by making the curve of the kasagi shallower, but it would make the impact on the back worse.

So after making repeated adjustments of a few millimeters, such as changing the size of the curve in the center and outside of the top rail where my back touches, and moving my rear legs back, I have finally completed what is best for me at the moment.

I think it's important not to give up until you've created your best work, regardless of the effort, time, or budget.

This is because the best, not better, will be the next wall you need to overcome.

And because I want to overcome this wall, I can never forget my passion.

SIZE

W665 D560 H795 SH420  AH685

MATERIAL walnut / cherry

Designed by Shigeki Matsuoka 

*Delivery time: approximately 6 months

*Each piece will have different grain, color, and other characteristics. Please enjoy the unique characteristics, appearance, and changes over time that only natural wood can offer.

*There may be slight individual differences in shape and size.

*Although we use thoroughly dried wood, due to it being natural wood, slight movement (such as small misalignments or warping at the joints) may occur.

* The warranty period is one year from the date of delivery. We will repair any damage caused by defects in the manufacturing process or structure free of charge. Please note that this does not cover damage caused by improper handling or carelessness, deformation or discoloration due to direct sunlight or the heat of a heater, etc.