Who:
Now based in Washington DC designer Jonah Takagi was born in Tokyo and raised in New England. He received a degree in ne arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2002 and founded his practice, Atelier Takagi, in 2009.
Why:
With an approach that combines thorough research with creative inspiration Takagi describes his method of working as ‘a little schizophrenic. There are moments of clarity when research and calculation is the only way to work through a design, and then there are flurries of inspiration that beg for a more painterly exploration of form, purpose and colour. Seemingly at odds with one another, I find them to be very complementary’.
Where:
ateliertakagi.com
1. Commissioned by materials specialist Kvadrat to celebrate the relaunch of its Hallingdal 65 fabric, Basecamp is, says Takagi, ‘a room within a room’. Inspired by Takagi’s childhood camping trips in the woods of New Hampshire, the piece is composed of an ash frame, canopy, mattress and lantern.
2. Silk Road was created for the American lighting manufacturer Roll and Hill. The idea was to assemble a new light from a variety of archetypal lighting forms, materials. It is named after the trading route that snakes its way across Europe and Asia, eluding to the variety of goods that one might encounter on the Silk Road.
3. Index was designed for San Francisco-based furniture company Council and launched at ICFF 2012. ‘My goal was to create something accessible and iconic,’ says Takagi, who based the design on ‘a simple leg system that can be applied to side and coffee tables of different sizes and shapes.’
