HOT ! Riki Watanabe / Solid Stool

Stool with Elegant Form Combining Oak and Steel

The Solid Stool was designed by Riki Watanabe as a compact stool for the entryway. Watanabe, who designed furniture for Kiyoshi Seike’s “Mathematician’s House” (1954, Meguro, Tokyo), created this piece during a time when most furniture in Japan was custom-made, with few ready-made options available. While it attracted attention in various settings, including a photography studio waiting room and the Modern Living Exhibition at Takashimaya, it was not commercially produced until 2005, when METROCS faithfully revived it over half a century later.

The combination of a solid oak seat and steel rod legs creates a linear, refined form reminiscent of Watanabe’s celebrated Torii Stool (1957), which won the first gold medal for a Japanese designer at the Milan Triennale.

The seat’s gentle slope reflects Watanabe’s intent to provide greater comfort than a flat seat. Between the two wooden boards, a small handhold is subtly incorporated for easy portability—an example of the meticulous attention to detail that defines its minimalist beauty.

The collaboration between architect Kiyoshi Seike and designer Riki Watanabe continued for many projects, including the Prince Hotel, producing a series of iconic works in Japanese modern design.