HUG: ECAL's Swiss chair for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka
For the Swiss Pavilion at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, innovation meets tradition in HUG, the chair designed by Jacob Kouthoofd Martensson and Min Xiyao, ECAL Master Product Design Master students. Selected from ten original proposals, HUG stands out for its enveloping shape, evoking an embrace, and its ability to be stacked in reverse - a choice that is both functional and poetic.
Designed specifically for this global event, HUG reflects the values of the Swiss Pavilion: sustainability, intelligent design and intercultural dialogue. Produced in 60 units by Karimoku, a Japanese furniture manufacturer renowned for its high standards of craftsmanship and commitment to quality wood, the HUG chair, which will be on display in the Pavilion restaurant, embodies Swiss hospitality in an architectural setting designed by Manuel Herz. This partnership illustrates a wonderful meeting of two design cultures: Swiss rigour and Japanese finesse.