Live@ICFF, Editor’s Pick: Naoto Fukasawa’s Artek Shelving

I’m a sucker for the Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. He is a master at stripping an object down to just a handful of details–its formal essence–and then resolving those details elegantly, simply, and, ultimately, poetically. His new Shelving System for the venerable Finish company Artek feels like a perfect match of designer sensibility and Alvar […]

I’m a sucker for the Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. He is a master at stripping an object down to just a handful of details–its formal essence–and then resolving those details elegantly, simply, and, ultimately, poetically. His new Shelving System for the venerable Finish company Artek feels like a perfect match of designer sensibility and Alvar Alto–inspired brand. They’re made for each other. The painted MDF shelves snap snugly into the smoothly notched corners of the birch ladders. The zinc and aluminum wire cross-bracing prevents a simple object from appearing too simple–giving it depth–while at the same time allowing it to work as a space divider. It’s curious. The shelves have a warmth that isn’t fully conveyed in the photos. But that makes me love them even more.

P_Shelving_System_low_unit_Photos: Jouka Lehtola/courtesy Artek

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