Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Designer So Koizumi (SO KOIZUMI DESIGN) has designed the bench Presence, installed in the main studio of the photography studio kuppography Takanawa Studio.

This stainless-steel bench embodies the studio’s philosophy of being a “museum where people take center stage.” Its sculptural form, where straight and curved lines intersect, transcends the mere function of a bench to exist as an object that quietly inhabits the space. The cold, rigid texture of stainless steel accentuates the warmth of the human body when someone sits on it, enriching the presence of the person in the space.

The form is not derived from complex three-dimensional surfaces, but carved out from a simple cylinder, resulting in gentle, natural curves. By starting from a primitive element, the design achieves a balance between sculptural beauty and practical feasibility in production.

Presence is a stainless steel bench and stool designed by So Koizumi of SO KOIZUMI DESIGN for kuppography Inc. at NEWoMan Takanawa, Tokyo. Measuring W1800 × D400 × H420 mm, it was completed in August 2025 and fabricated by Yoji Kitagawa. The bench combines sculptural form and practical function, carved from a simple cylinder into smooth, natural curves. Photo credits: SO KOIZUMI DESIGN and kuppography.

About: So Koizumi Designer SO KOIZUMI DESIGN was founded in Tokyo in 2021. The studio engages in a wide range of design projects spanning spaces, furniture, and objects. Starting from personal reflection, it reexamines the functions and meanings inherent in materials and structures, pursuing distinctive forms through an experimental and conceptual approach. Through this process, the studio seeks to build new relationships between people, objects, and environments.