The award ceremony held in Berlin, Germany, on April 29
KOKUYO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka/CEO: Hidekuni Kuroda) has received the iF DESIGN AWARD Gold, the highest award in the globally renowned iF DESIGN AWARD 2024, for one facility and one product that the Company has worked on. A total of seven facilities/products KOKUYO has worked on have received the iF DESIGN AWARD.
First row, from left: pallo,HAKUHODO Technologies Office
Second row from left: FUJIFILM Creative Village, Any way
Third row, from left: THE CAMPUS HALL "CORE",SoloTime FUTAKOTAMAGAWA, Liite
Since its establishment in 1954 by iF International Forum Design GmbH of Germany, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been recognized as a globally renowned design award. KOKUYO won iF DESIGN AWARD Gold for one facility--HAKUHODO Technologies Office, for which KOKUYO designed the interior--as well as one product: pallo, a chair made by KOKUYO.
In addition, KOKUYO won iF DESIGN AWARD for interior designs of three facilities--FUJIFILM Creative Village, SoloTime FUTAKOTAMAGAWA, which KOKUYO designed the interior of, and KOKUYO's open communication hall, THE CAMPUS HALL "CORE"--as well as two products: the Any way office furniture series and Liite casual chair.
The award ceremony was held in Berlin, Germany on April 29, 2024.
1. About the award-winning facilities
(1) HAKUHODO Technologies Office
Company name: HAKUHODO Technologies INC.
Facility location: 5-3-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Summary: This office is designed for a work style that allows people to work both in the office and at home. Two workspace settings, hot desking and team-based, are arranged in a nested structure to form an interaction zone where various people can gather. Differentiating the setting in each area creates a patchwork-like space, adding contrast between areas. In addition, using lightweight steel frames and plywood for the finishing materials and creating a light environment with line lighting vertically and horizontally creates an office space rich in material textures and light environment.
(2) FUJIFILM Creative Village
Company name: FUJIFILM Corporation
Facility location: 6-6-15, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Facility URL: https://www.fujifilm.com/jp/ja/news/list/9406
Summary: FUJIFILM opened the FUJIFILM Creative Village in May 2023 to serve as a base for design and IT development. Approximately 80 designers all participated in the project, from concept development to architectural design and spatial design. With designers and IT engineers exercising their creativity and maximizing their performance, and simultaneously combining the power of both departments to generate innovation, it will accelerate the development of more innovative products and services, and contribute to solving social issues.
(3) SoloTime FUTAKOTAMAGAWA
Company name: Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.
Facility location: 3-11-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Facility URL: https://solotime.jp/archives/locations_item/locations_item-5603
Summary: SoloTime is suburban satellite offices operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and located mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Futakotamagawa branch was designed as a "special place that people want to visit" to accompany people who "work and live" as working styles are becoming more diverse and more people are working flexibly. The design theme is "Elegant x Nature," meaning a place serving as an extension of the appeal of the town of Futakotamagawa, where the office is located. The gentle flow of the Tama River, the softly shimmering light along the waterfront, and the randomness of nature were incorporated into the interior design to create a place that encourages visitors to spend a pleasant and quality time.
(4) THE CAMPUS HALL "CORE"
Company name: KOKUYO Co., Ltd.
Facility location: 1-8-35 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Summary: CORE, located in KOKUYO's Tokyo Shinagawa office, THE CAMPUS, is designed to be an open communication hall that allows various ways of "transmission" such as centripetal and bidirectional communication, instead of the conventional one-directional communication hall. It also aims to "broaden and expand" new forms of resonance by allowing diverse personalities to gather and mingle. Furthermore, the hall has been updated to maximize the meaning of in-person gatherings, to strengthen hybrid ways of connecting with people in accordance with the diversified ways of working and living in the COVID-19 pandemic, and to be used for a wide variety of activities.
2. About the award-winning products
(1) pallo
Summary: pallo is a task chair that combines functionality for increasingly diverse workstyles with a design that takes sustainability into consideration. The concept is to provide mobility that accommodates increasingly diverse workstyles, which require more active team collaboration. The chair is designed to last a long time by allowing for replacement rather than disposal when redecoration becomes necessary or the chair becomes noticeably worn. pallo is a new kind of task chair that takes into consideration all aspects of making, transporting, using, and disposing of the chair.
Product release website: https://www.kokuyo-furniture.co.jp/products/office/pallo/
(2) Any way
Summary: Any way is a furniture series created based on the concept of mobility, comfort, and design in offices of the new era. To facilitate collaboration among people, it was designed to be noise-free, eliminating complexity and stress from the appearance and operation of furniture.
Product release website: https://www.kokuyo-furniture.co.jp/products/office/special/anyway/
(3) Liite
Summary: Liite features a casual design without a mechanical feel, a tilt function for the backrest and seat, and an enveloping shell form, all designed to support long hours of use. This sustainable chair can be used for a long time in diversified work scenes and interior spaces.
Product release website: https://www.kokuyo-furniture.co.jp/products/office/liite/
[Reference]
・About the iF Design Award
The iF DESIGN AWARD, organized by iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hanover, Germany, has been a globally recognized brand for design excellence since 1954, and the iF brand is internationally recognized as a symbol of design excellence. As one of the world's most important design awards, the iF DESIGN AWARD is rigorously judged to evaluate design achievements in all areas of product, packaging, communication, service design, architecture, interior design, as well as user interface (UI), user experience (UX), professional concept, and more.
https://ifdesign.com/
・About the iF DESIGN AWARD 2024 Awards Ceremony
The iF DESIGN AWARD 2024 was held in Berlin, Germany on Monday, April 29, 2024, with 75 Gold Award winners receiving their trophies representing all the winners.
Details: https://ifdesign.com/en/if-design-award-night
*All company names, service names and product names mentioned above are registered trademarks or trademarks of each company.
