Although currently the center of a national debate and overall debacle, there is one nice story that’s come out of Tokyo’s National Stadium. When the iconic arena which hosted the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was torn down last year, furniture company Karimoku managed to salvage roughly 700 seats. And earlier this month it became apparent what the company had in mind: they commissioned 3 designers to turn the seats into a series of limited edition stools, chairs and benches.
Tokyo Stool
The simple Tokyo Stool was created by Drill Design. It’s small, light and is defined by straight, trapezoidal lines that are almost reminiscent of Tokyo Tower, or a torii. There were 350 made and each are being sold for 32,400 yen (about $260).
Pony Chair
The Pony Chair, designed by Hiroko Shiratori, is a chair that embodies her belief that these seats once served as valuable memories for somebody. 150 of them were made and each is going for 43,200 yen (about $350).
Kokuritsu Bench
The Kokuritsu Bench, designed by Gen Suzuki, is a faithful attempt to recreate the experience of spectator event. The blue seats were icons of sporting events and the proximity between you and the person next to you was an important layer of the memories we associate with the stadium. 200 benches were made and each are being sold for 54,000 yen (about $535).
