Kiulu Bench by Koichi Futatsumata Studio

Kiulu Bench is a minimalist bench created by Japan-based designer Koichi Futatsumata Studio for Artek. This is one of the items of the FIN/JPN Friendship Collection presented by Artek at Milan design week 2019 based on the 100 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. This Kiulu Bench is designed with the inspiration of the public bathing cultures of both Finland and Japan, and is serving several functions – as seat and basket, offering storage for items such as towels and cosmetics, magazines or toys.‘Kiulu’ means sauna bucket in Finnish and traditionally used in public baths of both countries. Public baths, as both social nexus and cleansing ritual, are deeply embedded in the cultural landscapes of both Finland and Japan, and this connection is taken as the designer’s starting point.