Mazda’s KODO design language might be soul of motion but it also translates into that ultimate stationary object, the chair.
The Japanese company’s global head of design Ikuo Maeda used Milan Design Week in early April as the opportunity to reveal the KODO chair. This stunning piece of furniture sits on four legs which Maeda likens to the lines of a cheetah running at speed. “These are my favourite parts of it,” he reveals. “They convey the sudden release of pent-up energy and express movement like an athlete with speed and rhythm rather than the usual comfort you might expect from a chair.”
“The material used to cover the chair is like a Japanese kimono. There is both beauty and precision in it. We believe the approach we’ve taken with the KODO Chair could influence our future car designs. Our attitude is to accept any challenge if we believe we can create something unique. This is the way to develop a vehicle.”
European design chief Peter Birtwhistle adds: “When you do a transition from a concept to a production car, you have a relatively small area to get form and shape into and that’s always a challenge. With the chair we’ve got a much more three dimensional object to work KODO into.”
As well as looking stunning, the KODO chair was a perfect fit for the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the world’s leading furniture fair and the largest single attraction of Milan Design Week. And bearing in mind it is a chair, we can report it’s even quite comfortable.
