Watanabe
Riki
JAPAN  
Riki Watanabe
1911 Tokyo
After having graduated from the Woodcraft Department at Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Design (nowadays: Chiba University), he joined architect Bruno Taut's office in Gunma in 1936. In 1949, Watanabe established his own designing studio. He got famous by the low-cost String Chair in 1952. Watanabe's Torii Stool and Circular Center Table won the Gold Medal at Triennale di Milano in 1957. Besides interior and furniture design, Watanabe has also designed clocks and watches. His 1972 design, Hibiya Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Company's pole clock is defined as one of Watanabe's major works. Watanabe is considered to be one of the pioneers of after-war Japanese design.




> 
 METROCS
Metrocs is a brand line focusing on European and Japanese interior design masterpieces. All the products are produced in collaboration with the manufacturers.
FURNITURE [4]
TABLEWARE [1]
APPLIANCES [2]
ART [1]
'C.F.S. Kids Set' Courtesy Metrocs

'C.F.S. Kids Set'
D E S I G N E R
Riki Watanabe

P R O D U C E R
Metrocs, Japan
1965
M A T E R I A L
cardboard
The production of a cardboard table and set of two stools started from a project of making safe children's furniture. The cardboard is only folded and no adhesives are used. In 1967, CFS Kids Set won the Mainichi Design Prize. Metrocs has produced the series since 2006.
 
'C.F.S.' Stool Courtesy Metrocs

'C.F.S.' Stool
D E S I G N E R
Riki Watanabe

P R O D U C E R
Metrocs, Japan
1965
M A T E R I A L
cardboard
The Carton Furniture Series is made of recyclable material, cardboard, which is also very durable. When the CFS Stool was launched, it was said that if an elephant stood on four stools, they would not break. The series has been in production since 2006.
 
'Solid Stool' Courtesy Metrocs

'Solid Stool'
D E S I G N E R
Riki Watanabe

P R O D U C E R
Metrocs, Japan
1954
M A T E R I A L
steel + wood
Riki Watanabe designed this stool for a house by architect Kiyoshi Seike. The stool is very comfortable to sit but also very easy to carry around. The original chair was redesigned half a century later in 2005 and Metrocs started reproduction in 2005.
 
'Torii' Stool Courtesy YMK

'Torii' Stool
D E S I G N E R
Riki Watanabe

P R O D U C E R
YMK, Japan
1965
M A T E R I A L
rattan
width: 48 cm - depth: 35 cm - height: 46 cm
Torii Stool was designed upon a request of Modern Living magazine.
The stool was designed mainly to be used as a summer furniture because
of its material choices and light color. The stool's silhouette resembles "torii" gate at Japanese Shinto shrines.
The stool won the Gold Medal at Triennale di Milano in 1967.
 

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