A sofa expressing functional elements through layers of shells

Post-COVID, activities occurring in various places have changed, leading to the diversification of furniture functions to meet those needs.

For example, spaces like lounges are not just places to relax as they have traditionally been; they are now required to accommodate multiple uses, such as serving as places to work or to hold simple meetings. Against the backdrop of these changes, we have designed furniture that can add the required “functionality” and make it easy to see what can be done in a given space.

The backrest is an important component of a chair. By changing its height, its function changes; it can function as an armrest, a bolster, or a backrest to ensure the comfort of the person sitting, and it can also function as a privacy screen which adjusts the point of contact with the surrounding environment.

“OVERLAY” is a sofa series that can be customized to meet the user's needs. It combines the comfort of a lounge chair with separate shell layers, allowing configurable functionality for the armrests and bolsters, backrests, and privacy screens.
By providing versatile functionality as needed, the sofa can be used in various settings without limitation, such as at hotels, offices, and other locations.

The sofa is available in three variations: compact “S,” with a backrest “M,” and with a privacy screen “L.” The upholstery colors of each layer are gradient, thus emphasizing each function in a design-oriented manner.

“OVERLAY” sofa transforms a lounge into a “place to work” without compromising the lounge’s atmosphere as a “relaxing place.”

We are proposing furniture that fits in with ever-changing spaces in the post-COVID world, changing the space little by little based on the functionality of the furniture, rather than furniture that is just beyond the function of the lounge.

Designers: Keita Aono, Yu Yoshie of no.10 NOMURA