Designer Koichi Futatsumata from Japan is behind the creation of the Artek bench Kiulu. His design is influenced by the traditional round containers used in public bathhouses, which are common in both Japan and Finland. These containers are called Kiulu in Finnish, which explains the bench's name. The Kiulu bench is constructed with a sturdy solid birch frame, and the crescent-shaped storage compartments are created from pressed birch veneer. These storage spaces mean that the bench not only offers a place to sit, but also practical storage for things like newspapers, headgear, gloves or the children's toys. The bench is therefore perfect for use in an entrance, a children's room or a living room.

 

Koichi Futatsumata, born in 1975 in Kagoshima, is one of the initiators of the design company Case Real, which today has operations in both Fukuoka and Tokyo. The company is active in areas such as furniture design and architecture. Futatsumata's design work is represented in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and has also been exhibited at the Design Museum in London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.