SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE, an architectural design firm led by Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida, has earned a reputation for providing their signature minimalism to a variety of commercial and private projects. “We want to be a team that constantly creates new values through design,” explains Yoshida.
This ethos was introduced to Matsumoto Honbako in the Matsumoto Jujo Hotel, which is located on the grounds of a 335-year-old ryokan, a type of traditional Japanese inn that features communal baths. After designating a reinforced concrete building on-site as the hotel, the interior was stripped down to the skeletal structure in order to create a design that paid homage to the character of the historic ryokan. “Rather than simply remodeling it into a modern hotel, we wanted to create a place where the old and the new could coexist,” says Yoshida of the refurbishment, which includes a restaurant and bookstore on the first floor.
When it came to the guest rooms, interiors were deliberately kept simple. A neutral palette, paired with quintessentially Japanese materials like shoji and tatami, created a restful environment. In the Matsumoto Honbako suite, Hans J. Wegner’s CH23 Dining Chair was placed in front of a desk to accommodate those who require a work station. Despite the room’s Japanese-inspired interior, the iconic
Scandinavian piece blended seamlessly into its surroundings. “Denmark and Japan share a common mentality and aesthetic sense,” says Yoshida. “When Danish furniture is placed in a space that we have created, something resonates beautifully beyond our differences.”
"The CH23 has a refined and elegant design that makes it beautiful from any angle. You can especially feel the craftsmanship in the woven paper cord seat and the cover caps in the backrest".
- Ai Yoshida
Since establishing SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE in 2000, Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida have masterminded contemporary spaces across their native Japan.
Residences
In the trees
The former model and stylist has turned her appreciation for Scandinavian and Japanese design into an aesthetic that places textiles, materiality, and function at its heart.
Restaurants
Restaurant NOVI
Espresso bar by day, cocktail bar with pop-up kitchens by night, the wonderfully relaxing Restaurant Novi has quickly become a new favorite meeting spot in central Cambridge.
Residences
Glogauer Strasse
After a complete refurbishment, Glogauer Strasse was born – an oasis of calm in Berlin’s vibrant Kreuzberg district, that creates a sense of unity with high ceilings, polished concrete flooring, and softly colored stuccoed walls.
Hotel
Puro Hotel Łódź
ASW Architekci and Superfutures honor the Polish city’s rich artistic and historic heritage creating a boutique hotel with a blend of Hans J. Wegner designs and contemporary, post-industrial chic aesthetics.
Hotel
Blique by Nobis
Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh ideates a multipurpose hotel in Stockholm that juxtaposes Scandinavian design classics to industrial elements, refined textiles and exquisite materials.
When you choose a product from Carl Hansen & Søn, you get more than just a piece of furniture. You become part of a proud tradition of distinctive and beautiful craftsmanship, where nothing has been left to chance. Where all furniture is manufactured with a great love for design and the history of the crafting process. We are the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner, and we also manufacture furniture created by renowned furniture designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen, Ole Wanscher, Kaare Klint, Poul Kjærholm, Bodil Kjær, and Tadao Ando. Carl Hansen & Søn represents more than 100 years of Danish design history, and our furniture is sold worldwide.
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