Project Overview
This project presents a stool and a table that explore how slight variations in primitive forms can generate distinct functionalities. The design emphasizes how minimal formal adjustments can clearly define an object’s role in a space.
Concept and Details
Both pieces begin with a simple, rectangular “mouth”-shaped form. In the stool, softening the corners and curving the outer surfaces results in an impression that invites sitting. Conversely, the table retains the same basic outline, but only its bottom edge is gently curved. This subtle alteration gives the table a more grounded, stable impression—clearly suggesting its function as a platform for placing items.
When placed side by side, the subtle differences between the two forms make the functional divergence all the more apparent. These pieces demonstrate how a nearly identical geometry can embody two separate uses through a delicate shift in form.
Another shared feature lies in the shadow they cast. By designing both pieces with an identical arc on the underside, they produce matching shadows on the floor. Though their overall shapes differ, this consistent relationship with the ground visually ties them together, suggesting a hidden similarity beneath their differing roles.
Design and Fabrication
Both the stool and the table were constructed by welding stainless steel that had been shaped through bending techniques. After being polished to a mirror finish, each piece received a matte clear coating. This juxtaposition of reflectivity and softness helps the objects assert their presence while blending subtly into the environment.
Cultural Significance
In today’s design landscape—dominated by digital tools and multi-functional performance—form can sometimes recede into the background. Yet, our sensitivity to form remains a fundamental aspect of human perception.
This project invites viewers to rediscover that sensitivity through quiet observation. By encouraging people to engage closely with shape and shadow, the works propose a return to the essence of objects—a reminder that beauty and clarity often emerge from restraint and subtlety.
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Exhibition Context
This project was exhibited at the SaloneSatellite 2025 in Milan. The booth was constructed using white as the key spatial element. Only the concept and the studio name were displayed on the wall to maintain focus on the pieces themselves.
The stage for the objects was designed for air transport, made from lightweight aluminum framing and translucent yet strong polycarbonate panels. Integrated LED lighting inside the aluminum frame added a floating effect to the displayed works, highlighting their contours and refined surface finish.
About HASNICCA
We are Hasnicca, a design studio based in Tokyo and Fukuoka, Japan. We believe that considering the fundamental nature of things and clarifying their ideal state is essential in design. As a result, our design process often begins by organizing and structuring these ideas. At first glance, this approach may seem ironic—after all, in Japanese, “Hasu-Ni-Kamaeru” means “to take an oblique stance in swordsmanship.” However, we believe that this method ultimately leads to great creativity.
