A stool in three heights, handmade and guaranteed for life.
By Rachel Gallaher
The Za stool, designed by Naoto Fukasawa for Emeco.
At the end of February Emeco—the American furniture maker known for its seemingly indestructible recycle aluminum 1006 Navy Chair—introduced an elegant, minimalist collaboration with renowned Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. The name, Za, meaning “a place to sit” in Japanese, was chosen by Fukasawa and gives nod to the the versatility of the product, which can be used both indoors and out.
The Za stool comes in three heights; small, counter height, and bar stool height, and it is built at Emeco's Pennsylvania factory following the same unique and elaborate 77-step process used to produce the 1006 Navy chair. Made from recycled aluminum—Emeco’s signature material—the piece is light, strong, non-corrosive, fireproof, and it has a low carbon footprint. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee.
"Aluminum is a warm material, a friendly material" says Fukasawa, who is a leading proponent of the super normal school of design: the idea that there can be delight in the normalness of the mundane and that objects don't have to be flashy or expensive to be well designed. "I wanted to design a stool for the living environment, "he continues, "A stool is slightly different from a chair. It moves around our behavior. I thought Emeco should have that icon in its collection."
Naoto Fukasawa pictured with the Za stool.