Chair Model "Edo" (Set of 12 Chairs)
Manufactured by PPM Coroporation
Japan, 1980s
Lacquered wood and Vinyl

Measurements
45 x 50 x 130h cm
17,7 x 19,7 x 51,2h in

Provenance
Private collection, Japan

Details
Manufacturer's Label

About
The Edo Chair is a striking example of postmodern Japanese furniture design attributed to architect Kisho Kurokawa. Defined by its soaring, curved backrest and bold geometric base, the chair reflects a unique interplay between sculptural form and structural logic. Its minimal yet dramatic silhouette draws inspiration from both traditional Japanese aesthetics and architectural abstraction.
Executed in black lacquered wood with vinyl upholstery, the chair’s clean lines and dynamic tension embody the architect’s interest in harmonizing opposing forces—East and West, past and future, rigidity and movement. Though conceived as a functional object, the Edo Chair operates equally as a statement piece, bridging the realms of art and design.

Biography
Kisho Kurokawa (1934–2007) was a pioneering Japanese architect and one of the founding members of the Metabolist movement, which emerged in postwar Japan as a radical vision for urban design and architecture. Educated at Kyoto University and later at the University of Tokyo under Kenzo Tange, Kurokawa's work reflects a deep synthesis of tradition and futurism, often incorporating flexible, modular, and organic forms intended to adapt to change over time.
Kurokawa gained international recognition with iconic projects such as the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo (1972), a symbol of the Metabolist idea of plug-in architecture, and later large-scale commissions like the National Art Center in Tokyo and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. His architectural philosophy—what he called “symbiosis”—sought a balance between seemingly opposed values: global and local, high-tech and vernacular, permanence and impermanence.
In addition to architecture, Kurokawa ventured into furniture design during the 1970s and 1980s, creating sculptural and experimental pieces that echo the same themes present in his buildings. These rare design objects, such as the Edo Chair series, reflect his interest in structural clarity, geometric expression, and the integration of historical Japanese aesthetics with contemporary form.