Maruhiro Flagship Ceramics Store Designed by Yusuke Seki

Get out! Seriously, how good is this? Tokyo based designer Yusuke Seki shared with us his latest project – a flagship store for Maruhiro, leading producer of Hasami ceramics, pottery and porcelain in Japan. The store’s conceptual and experiential focus is an arresting stacked central platform made of 25,000 pieces of ceramic, produced in cooperation with numerous pottery factories from the Hasami area.

The platform features layers of locally sourced defected tableware and poured concrete. Each one of the pieces, called “Shinikiji” in Japanese, was found to be flawed after the initial bisque-firing by their respective local production facilities. As part of his design process, Seki revived all the pieces by deciding to use them to make ‘bricks’, thereby transforming a fragile material into a key structural component for the store. In doing so, the designer has managed to create a sense of reverence for the history of ceramics in the area. This projects also highlights the fragility of each individual piece of ceramic, re-engineered to inspire and cultivate respect for the legacy of the local industry. Genius!

Maruhiro is the leading producer of Hasami ceramics, pottery and porcelain, named after the Hasami region in Nagasaki prefecture. This area has a long history of ceramic tableware production and wholesale distribution dating back to the early 17th Century.

Yusuke Seki established his Tokyo-based design practice in 2008. His approach to design challenges us to conceptualise and revaluate our preconceived interpretations. His designs embrace simplicity and minimalism at a first glance. His inspiration is derived from elements which already exist within the context such as materials, location and heritage; all gathered and represented through the formal design approach. The function is essential in his design, although through his work he also focuses on facts and phenomena from the environment, including the essential design methods from the past, passed through to the future.