Less design, more possibilities

We sometimes come across benches so deteriorated you hesitate to sit down. They’re likely left that way because the social systems—and the psychological hurdles—around "updating" are high. It’s ironic: something intended for anyone to sit on becomes something no one can get around to updating. Amid those thoughts, we received a commission from Yusuhara Town in Kochi Prefecture to make a public bench. True to its nickname "the town above the clouds," Yusuhara sits at altitude, is surrounded by rich forest resources, and its residents have a deep familiarity with wood. Even so, if we followed the usual methods and designs, we feared the bench would meet the same fate as those mentioned above. So our single design move was this: reduce the number of steps to the absolute minimum.

Two Concepts Behind the “XX bench”

1) The “XX” as Design An X-shaped steel frame opens and closes via a hinge mechanism; the wooden seat is fixed by the clamp force created by its own weight plus live load. Insert the backrest and its joint bites into the rear steel support, further strengthening resistance in the horizontal direction. Because it fixes without screws or adhesives, assembly, updating, and disassembly are simple—allowing the bench to remain beautiful over time. The very "X" that produces this rationality also serves as the design’s icon. 2) The "XX" of Belonging Using local species or dormant scrap wood, and making it buildable by anyone, helps affection take root. Thanks to that openness, we intend for the bench to become an object of attachment for many people in many places—so much so that the “XX” can be filled with a name as a mark of belonging. By stripping away excess, the bench gained the capacity to combine with many things. We hope that a bench embodying Yusuhara’s pride will carry that ethos and spread far and wide—like the clouds, after which the town is named.