Kawara Armchair by
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

In 1997, when Ronan Bouroullec first visited Japan, he bought a beautiful book called ‘Yanagi Sori’. The book, which still remains his favorite, introduced him to a piece of furniture designed by Yanagi and crafted by one of KOYORI’s manufacturers.

The manufacturer specializing in plywood is one of the most well-known furniture makers in Japan and has been creating wooden furniture for over many decades.
Kawara Armchair leverages the full potential of plywood and its charm lies in the three-dimensionally curved backrest and armrest crafted from plywood.

Plywood, like other natural materials, can shrink and warp. The backrest, armrest, and seat of Kawara chairs are made from three separate molds. The ability of experienced craftsmen to envisage and control the movement of each part has helped create a Kawara Armchair that needs no numerous reinforcement parts.

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec are designers who always try to incorporate something novel into their designs, such as new designing ideas, new materials, new techniques, new structures, and new ways of thinking. When designing the Kawara Armchair, they introduced creative and innovative and even challenging ideas to the traditional Japanese manufacturing industry.

The unique feature of the Kawara Armchair is the way the simple elements are connected together. All the design language is a result of the particular way the furniture parts are connected.

Even in the form of the simplest and most pure shape of a box, you can still appreciate the soft and gentle curves of molded plywood, meticulously and precisely connected together with the four simple legs to form a complex yet beautiful piece.

Kawara chairs come in several variations including four wood-colored finishes and wood or upholstered seats, making these chairs suitable for a variety of settings.

The wooden seat lets you appreciate the natural grain and texture of wood as well as the perfect contrast between the pure and meticulous geometry and the soft curves of the plywood.

The upholstered cushion adds extra comfort and gives you an even more tactile experience. The blend of the subtle shine of the wood and textile leaves an enjoyable impression on you.

Four wood colors - natural, gray, green, and black - were carefully selected by the studio to complement the subtle tones of the textiles and upholstery.