Kazuhide Takahama

1930 Mijasaki



The Japanese designer Kazuhide Takahama studied architecture between 1949 and 1953 architecture at university in Tokyo. In 1957 he met the furniture designer Dino Gavina in Milan and started to work for his firm.
In 1957 Kazuhide Takahama designed the "Naeko" sofa bed for Gavina. In 1965 Kazuhide Takahama came up with "Dada" modular wall storage furniture. Other Kazuhide Takahama designs from 1965 are "Marcel", "Suzanne", and "Raymond" (seat furniture named after Marcel Breuer and his brother and sister), made of huge blocks of polyurethane foam. In 1968 Kazuhide Takahama "ESA", a seating system composed of hexagonal blocks of foam plastic which can be arranged or stacked as desired.
In 1975 Kazuhide Takahama (for Sirrah) the "Kazuki" lamp, consisting in a wire frame covered in elastic white jersey. "Kazuki" is obviously an adaption of the traditional East Asian rice-paper lanterns.
Kazuhide Takahama's designs are distinguished by astringent clarity of line and form, qualities that reveal his Japanese origins. Kazuhide Takahama has often used traditional forms and techniques, combining them with Western elements, as exemplified by his lacquer-coated furniture. In 1961 Kazuhide Takahama designed "Gea", a semicircular shelving system of lacquered wood.
The 1971 Kazuhide Takahama "Kazuki" chair is notable for straight, linear form and is made of light, lacquered wood with a leather-covered seat. In 1968 Kazuhide Takahama designed "Acca", a table with aprons and substructure made of lacquered wood and surmounted by a glass top. For B&B Italia Kazuhide Takahama designed the "Olinto" range in lacquer furniture in 1970.