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ITOKI Corporation (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Koji Minato) will present “THE STAGE by NII,” a conceptual presentation by office furniture brand NII, from Friday, October 31 to Friday, November 28 at ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE AOYAMA, which is scheduled to open this autumn.

NII sets the stage for energizing work. Our furniture energizes teams, spurring communication, collaboration, and imagination. We collaborate with globally-acclaimed designers to turn furniture into a feature. Creating collections that configure in innovative ways. Sparking curiosity and unexpected possibilities.

NII is an ITOKI brand. ITOKI has designed furniture and office workspaces in Japan for over 130 years. NII brings limitless imagination through ingenious design that experience, with the same commitment to quality, comfort, and craftsmanship in every last detail. Launched in Japan, the first lineup features architecture studio AMDL CIRCLE, led by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, as well as New York-based designers Todd Bracher, Rodolfo Agrella and Jun Aizaki/CRÈME.

At this exhibition, “THE STAGE by NII,” visitors will have the opportunity to experience NII’s unique worldview. The exhibition will unfold in a venue designed by creative duo SPREAD, whose work extends from graphics to installations and is characterized by color and concept. Working with NII, SPREAD has moved beyond existing office conventions to create a stage that turns work itself into a form of entertainment.

During the exhibition, the designers of PIGNA, Michele De Lucchi and Davide Angeli (AMDL CIRCLE) will be in attendance, followed by Todd Bracher, who designed the BITMAP sofa.. Join us for an exclusive session with the designers and gain fresh insights into the concepts and thinking behind their respective designs.

PRESENTATION

THE STAGE by NII

Turning work into a form of entertainment, “THE STAGE by NII” will unfold in a venue designed by creative duo SPREAD, whose work extends from graphics to installations and is characterised by color and concept. Within the space, black lines turn into stripes that stretch across the walls, floors and ceilings, combining with mirrors to transcend conventional visual boundaries, yielding a variety of new interpretations and meanings.

Turning work into a form of entertainment

This is the future that NII aims to realize. Yet at the same time, it does not yet exist. For this courageous brand to embark on its journey, the venue was designed based on the concept of “Expanding Border.” It required us to break down the pre-existing boundaries around work and expand into new realms. A source of inspiration was the NII logo, which is composed from inverted elements. Starting from the border, we visualized the scope expanding and then realized that in spatial form. Mirrors on the stage reflect the NII furniture from various angles, exploring the scalability of office furniture. -SPREAD

SPREAD

  • SPREAD
    Spread is a creative unit founded by Haruna Yamada and Hirokazu Kobayashi. Spread fuses the long-sighted environmental approach of landscape design with the vivid visual techniques of graphic design, incorporating memories into their creative work as they strive to expand (“Spread”) whatever subject they take on.Notable projects include “Life Stripe,” which represents life’s records through striped patterns, and “Much Peace, Love and Joy,” a piece that arranges gradations of different colors in space. Their works, which explore the expression of color, have been showcased in cities like Milan, Basel, Miami, Singapore, and Tokyo. Key projects include the visual design for the 10th anniversary of the National Art Center Tokyo, “The Carpenters’ Line” exhibition at Japan House London, “Yamanote Line Museum” for JR East, “Factory Festival”, Burberry’s “The Burberry Trench”. They have received numerous awards, including consecutive Grand Prix honors at the Red Dot Design Award. The design monograph “SPREAD by SPREAD” features a collection of their works.

    https://spread-web.jp

EXHIBITION OUTLINE

THE STAGE by NII

Schedule: Friday, October 31 to Friday, November 28
Hours: Oct. 31 to Nov. 9: 11:00‒18:00 (open daily)
Nov. 10 to Nov. 28: 10:00‒17:00 (closed on weekends, holidays)

Venue：ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE AOYAMA Aoyama Bldg.1F 1-2-3 Kitaaoyama Minato-ku Tokyo

PRODUCTS

With originally iconic and strikingly eye-catching designs for offices and public spaces, NII products possess a flexibility that stimulates the user’s imagination. Other notable features include elements that nurture communication and modular designs, which can be flexibly adapted to a wide range of work environments.

BITMAP

  • BITMAP
    This sofa has a unique shape formed by two rectangular blocks, one large and one small, fused along one edge. The smaller block seems to float in space, giving impression of levitating and introducing an element of surprise. This smaller block can be used as a side table, armrest, or even as a seat, accessible from all sides.Although this sofa is a single piece, the design allows multiple pieces to be fitted in a modular layout, enabling communication in multiple directions, whether side-to-side, face-to-face,or in diagonal positions.

    Design：Todd Bracher


PIGNA

  • PIGNA
    Characterized by its two components: a divider and a sofa, this furniture gently shields its seating from view with distinctive shingled panels while allowing light and air to pass through. The collection offers three models according to the level of privacy desired: a Low version with a height that provides a view of the surroundings, a Middle version that offers a strong sense of seclusion, and a High version (divider only) with moderate screening. The seating area of the sofa is wider than standard to ensure comfort. This seating encourages communication by embracing a sense of privacy within while maintaining a connection to the surrounding space.

    Design：AMDL CIRCLE

CONNEXA

  • CONNEXA
    The skeleton-like frame contributes to this table’s organic impression while supporting the translucent glass tabletops with its points. Despite the simple structure, multiples of the table can be combined and expanded limitlessly with the selection of four different glass tops and five types of frames. Its unique presence transforms a space whether used as a standalone piece or in a connected series. While evoking the shapes of nature, plants, and living creatures, its subtle appearance invites people to open their minds and engage in conversation.

    Design：Rodolfo Agrella

PARLAMENTO

  • PARLAMENTO
    This modular furniture is available in four units of different heights, with the aim of creating spaces where various individuals can interact. The sofas and tables, evoking rippled water and timeless nature, are available in both low and high versions.Ergonomically designed, they facilitate interaction and information exchange in all directions from any position in the space. Flexible combinations create a sense of unity not only in boardrooms but also in reception and common areas where hospitality is valued.

    Design：Jun Aizaki

DESIGNER PROFILE

Todd Bracher

  • Todd Bracher
    Todd Bracher is an industrial designer and design strategist. His approach draws on his experiences living and working in Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, London, and New York, integrating diverse cultural perspectives with practical design solutions.Named a Top Global Design Influencer by Wallpaper* Magazine and a recipient of multiple Designer of the Year awards, his work balances art and functionality, drawing on science, nature, and mathematics to create enduring solutions. He partners with some of the world’s leading brands, including 3M, Burberry, Cappellini, Herman Miller, Humanscale, Issey Miyake, Jaguar, and the City of New York. With over 200 products in the market, two dozen patents, and more than 40 design awards, Bracher brings contemporary solutions to a wide variety of industries, from furniture, and beauty to technology and science.

    Photo by Jean-Claude Cancedda 


AMDL CIRCLE

  • AMDL CIRCLE
    AMDL CIRCLE is a multidisciplinary studio in Milan, founded by Michele De Lucchi. Combining a humanistic and interdisciplinary approach, the studio offers its clients projects that embrace architecture, interior design, product design, and graphics. It carries out continuous research on the future of architecture and its responsibility to imagine projects that not only acknowledge change, but also inspire it. The studio has worked with major corporations such as Deutsche Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Novartis, and UniCredit, and has designed buildings and exhibition systems for institutions such as the Neues Museum in Berlin, the Triennale Milano, and the Gallerie d’Italia in Milan, Turin, and Naples. The studio has also designed lighting, products, and furniture for Alessi, Artemide, Cassina, Hermès, Poltrona Frau, and UniFor.


    Photo by Max Rommel
    From Left to Right:
    Angelo Micheli, Managing Director Michele
    De Lucchi, Founder
    Davide Angeli, Deputy Managing Director 

Rodolfo Agrella

  • Rodolfo Agrella
    Rodolfo Agrella is a designer and architect, and creative director of his eponymous design studio RADS. His work has received international acclaim, including a Special Mention at the German Design Award, the Hublot Design Prize, and the NYCxDESIGN Awards, and is included in the Collezione Permanente at the Salone del Mobile in Italy. He has worked with many international brands such as Absolut, Koziol, WeWork, Juniper Lighting, 3M, ICFF, Bernhardt Design, Steinway & Sons, Heller, NKBA, and Untitled Art. Agrella’s work mingles his native Latin American flair with contemporary European and American codes to form a vibrant creative language.

    Photo by Francisco Fernandez 

Jun Aizaki

  • Jun Aizaki
    Jun Aizaki is an architect, the owner and principal of CRÈME, a creative design studio based in New York. In the hospitality industry, he has worked with high-profile clients including Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group, Highgate, Marriott and Gerber Group. In addition, he designed the master plan and renovation of two floors of the Kimpton Hotel Eventi in New York and completed a full interior design and branding of the Hyatt Centric Center City in Philadelphia. The firm has also completed projects for iconic venues such as Redfarm, L’Amico and Mr. Purple.

    Photo by Taran Wilkhu

BRAND OUTLINE

COMPANY PROFILE

  • ITOKI
    ITOKI CORPORATION was founded in 1890. With the mission statement of “We Design Tomorrow. We Design Work-Style.” ITOKI manufactures and sells office furniture, designs office spaces, consults on work styles and provides office data analysis, among other services. The company’s strengths in “Tech × Design Based on People” support the creation of various spaces, environments and places with a range of furniture for working and studying at home, as well as equipment for public and logistical facilities.
    With the growth of hybrid work and increasingly diverse places and ways of working, ITOKI provides spatial digital transformation services to boost productivity and creativity, along with consulting on the optimal operation of office spaces. The company also collaborates with designers and partner companies to propose new work styles and workplaces for the future.
    URL：https://www.itoki.jp/en/

CONTACT

SALES CONTACT

NII Sales Contact
nii-sales@nii-ingenious.com

PRESS CONTACT

NII Press Contact
nii-press@nii-ingenious.com