Press Release
Yoko Komatsu and Hajime Tokura Receives the Golden A' Design Award for GGO Biomorphic Lobby Furniture in Furniture Design
Yoko Komatsu and Hajime Tokura of Kokuyo recognized for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ GGO Biomorphic Lobby Furniture by Yoko Komatsu and Hajime Tokura of Kokuyo, designed for Grand Green Osaka JV Group, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
About GGO Biomorphic Lobby Furniture
Located in Grand Green Osaka, this biomorphic bench is a 16 meter monumental seating system crafted from Japanese oak. The project utilizes advanced digital fabrication to assemble over 6,000 individual parts into 29 organic units. A proprietary concealed joint system successfully hides all metal fasteners. This sculptural public furniture merges traditional manual craftsmanship with parametric computational design, functioning seamlessly as both a relaxing bench and a vibrant planter within the lobby space.
About Yoko Komatsu and Hajime Tokura
Yoko Komatsu is a Design Director and Workplace Strategist at KOKUYO Co., Ltd., specializing in comprehensively managing interior architecture projects from initial conceptualization to final execution. Her methodology balances visionary concepts with highly feasible execution, seamlessly coordinating with contractors and strictly controlling budgets as a dedicated Project Manager. This collaborative and human-centric approach is rooted in her participation in the Stanford University ME310 program, where her team won the Creative Award from the Japanese Society for the Science of Design.
About Kokuyo
KOKUYO is a leading Japanese company providing innovative stationery, office furniture, and spatial design. Guided by our corporate message "Curiosity is Life," we stimulate creativity to enrich the world.
Award Record
This recognition makes Yoko Komatsu and Hajime Tokura of Kokuyo a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Entries typically include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. Awarded furniture designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/180101
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180101
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180101
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/374325
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://emarf.co/emarf-note-framer-sync-development-5/ggo2
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- GGO Biomorphic Lobby Furniture
- Function
- Lobby Furniture
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Dark Gray, Light Gray, Silver, Dark Slate Gray and Gainsboro
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Grand Green Osaka JV Group
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yoko Komatsu and Hajime Tokura
- Country
- Japan
- Brand
- Kokuyo
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180101
Credits
- Team
- Yoko Komatsu, Takashi Ueda, Katsuhito Yui, Mamoru Yamazaki, Hotaka Inagaki, Hajime Tokura, Shimpei Ogawa, Pyaezone Aungsoe, Yasufumi Hanada, Yoji Konishi and Kazuki Nagao
- Image Credits
- Creator KOKUYO Co., Ltd., GGO Biomorphic, 2025.; Photographer Hayato Kurobe, GGO Biomorphic, 2025.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This 16-meter long furniture bridges the boundary between a static office lobby and a lush urban park. The design process fused analog and digital techniques: organic forms created by hand-molded clay models were 3D-scanned to capture vitality that computational design alone cannot produce. Crafted from 100 percent domestic Japanese oak using precision computer numerical control cutting, the structure conceals all metal joints, creating a seamless, life-like wooden landscape.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the unique context of Grand Green Osaka, where a vast urban park meets a sophisticated office tower, the goal was to bring the vitality of nature indoors and to bridge the boundary between the static lobby and the dynamic greenery outside. Inspiration was drawn from analog processes, using hand-molded clay models to capture organic warmth and complex undulations that computational design alone cannot produce, offering a moment of healing to busy office workers.
- Research
- Research Objectives: To connect a static lobby with a dynamic park. Methodology and Data Collection: The project utilized an analog-to-digital translation. Clay models were hand-sculpted to verify comfort and volume, then 3D-scanned. Results: This captured organic irregularities lost in pure computation. Full-scale prototyping verified strict safety standards. Insights and Impacts: The project demonstrates how digital fabrication can preserve human touch using underused domestic hardwood.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was translating the hand-molded clay's organic warmth into digital data. Initial 3D scans contained noise, making precise modeling of over 6,000 parts impossible. This was overcome by using parametric algorithms to extract and smooth cross-sections. Furthermore, to bypass the CNC milling risks of hard Japanese oak and ensure structural safety, rigorous full-scale prototyping was conducted, successfully fusing analog craftsmanship with advanced digital manufacturing.
- Realization and Technology
- The project is constructed from 100 percent domestic Japanese oak laminated panels. To handle the high density of oak and prevent grain tear-out during computer numerical control fabrication, the engineering team developed custom cutting tools and parameters. A key innovation is the concealed joint system featuring rotating wooden rings to cover assembly bolts, ensuring a seamless pure wood aesthetic without visible metal parts. Over 6,000 intricately milled parts were hand-finished.
- Operation and Interaction
- Designed for the lobby of a high-rise, this bench bridges the gap between the office environment and the adjacent park. Users can sit, recline, or wait, experiencing the warmth of wood. The floating organic form invites touch and offers a surprisingly soft seating experience, described by users as being embraced. It functions as a biophilic element that alleviates stress for office workers and visitors, providing a moment of tranquility.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project was completed in May 2025. It is installed at the Park Tower lobby, Grand Green Osaka, located at 5-54 Ofukacho, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan.
- Specifications
- Dimensions: Total Length 16,000 mm. The structure is composed of vertically laminated plywood panels utilizing domestic Japanese oak. It functions as both a large-scale public bench and a planter. The modular units were precision-cut in the factory and assembled on-site to achieve millimeter-level accuracy across the massive 16-meter span. The design adheres to strict safety standards.
- Keywords
- Biomorphic Design, Public Furniture, Japanese Oak, Digital Fabrication, Parametric Design, Office Lobby, Wellness, Sustainable Design, Wood Craft, Bench
