DESIGN /
PRODUCT
May 21, 2015
METROCS | Riki Watanabe's 100th Birthday Commemorative "Riki Mobile" Now in Production
METROCS
Commemorating the 100th Birthday of Riki Watanabe, a Pioneer of Japanese Design
The "Riki Mobile" is Now in Production
Riki Watanabe, who led post-war Japanese design and continues to be active today, will celebrate his 100th birthday this July. To mark the occasion, METROCS will release a new product on Tuesday, July 12th.
Text by OPENERS
A Product That Is "My Dream Itself," According to the Designer
The "Riki Mobile" was originally designed in 1983 as part of the interior for "Miyama," a Japanese restaurant within the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The original piece comprised six cedar wood panels, making a striking statement in the expansive space. To commemorate Mr. Watanabe's 100th birthday this July, it has been redesigned for home use.
The "Riki Mobile" symbolizes Mr. Watanabe's playful spirit, with its design evoking a school of fish drifting in water. It also uses the same cedar wood as the original, offering a pleasant aroma and developing a beautiful patina over time. Why not gaze at the gently swaying mobile and let your eyes follow the passage of time?
Riki Watanabe
Born in Tokyo in 1911. After graduating from the Department of Woodcraft at Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Crafts (now Chiba University) in 1936, he worked at the Gunma Prefecture Craft Center under Bruno Taut before establishing the Riki Watanabe Design Office in 1949. In 1952, he gained attention for his low-cost "Himo-isu" chair. In 1957, his "Trii stool" and "Circular Center Table" won gold medals at the Milan Triennale. In addition to furniture and interior design, he focused on clock design, with the clock tower at Hibiya Dai-ichi Seimei becoming widely known as his representative work in 1972. He is a pioneering figure who brought innovation to the dawn of post-war Japanese design.
Riki Mobile
Size | 3-tier / W600 x H345mm (500g), 4-tier / W600 x H400mm (550g)
Material | Cedar wood, solid wood, nylon thread
Price | 3-tier / ¥10,500, 4-tier / ¥12,600
METROCS
Tel. 03-5777-5866
http://metrocs.jp/