Tatamu: The Future of Urban Furniture

Designers Mate Meszaros and Hirotaka Mashiko's Award-Winning Folding Stool

With urban space becoming a scarce commodity, the inspiration behind Tatamu is the need for light, deployable, reusable furniture that fits into small apartments, narrow offices, and tiny shops. The designers aimed to create a piece of furniture that combines robustness with an ultra-thin and lightweight material, while being intuitive to use. The result is a stool that takes only one twisting movement to deploy and becomes stronger when pressure is applied, thanks to its unique mechanical balance.

The Tatamu stool is a testament to the power of simplicity in design. It is made from only two materials: wood and fabric. The hinges are made from specially manufactured durable fabric, keeping the stool lightweight, while the wooden origami faces provide stability. This simplicity extends to the stool's functionality. When not in use, the stool can be folded to a thickness of just 4cm, making it possible to stack several of them in extremely narrow spaces or hang them flat on a wall.

Despite its simplicity, the Tatamu stool is a product of complex design processes and meticulous craftsmanship. All Tatamu Stools are hand-built in a traditional Japanese furniture workshop, with every piece cut by CNC and laminated together in a hydraulic press. This ensures that all parts are perfectly shaped and interlocked with precision. The design is based on elemental geometry, which allows for optimized quality control and low production costs.

More than just a piece of furniture, the Tatamu stool is a response to the challenges of urban living. It is designed for people whose space is limited and who are frequently moving. The stool is easily transportable, weighing less than seven kilograms, and can be stored and shipped in a flat-pack. When unfolded, Tatamu reaches an optimal seating height of 43cm. It is a solution for those who need to fit more activities into a shrinking physical space.

The Tatamu stool is not just a piece of furniture, but a testament to the power of design innovation. It is a solution to the problems of urban living, a response to the need for flexible, reusable furniture. With its unique design and functionality, the Tatamu stool is a shining example of how design can transform our living spaces and our lives.