ÉCAL students and Karimoku create HUG chair for Swiss pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

The Designed in CH Made in JP exhibition at Milan design week showed chairs designed by students at Swiss design school ÉCAL for the country's national pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.

Ten chairs were designed by the master students on the product design course at University of Art and Design Lausanne (ÉCAL) as part of a competition to create seating for the Switzerland Pavilion at the world exhibition.

Students Min Xiyao and Jacob Kouthoofd Mårtensson took home first prize with their HUG chair, a curvy design with an encompassing shape that has been produced by Japanese furniture brand Karimoku in a run of 60 chairs.

"We designed the HUG chair with a simple yet thoughtful principle: three curves – one for stackability, one for comfort, and one for aesthetics," the designers said.

All of the ten chairs, which were exhibited at the House of Switzerland space during Milan design week, were designed to be stackable and made from wood.

"The aim was to design a stackable and versatile chair that could meet the various needs of visitors and pavilion staff," head of master product design at ÉCAL Camille Blin told Dezeen.

"To avoid the environmental impact of shipping the chairs to Japan, we collaborated with Karimoku New Standard to produce them locally."

The winning chair, shown in special red and white versions at House of Switzerland, is able to stack frontally in pairs and was chosen because of the way it represents collaboration.

"In addition to being comfortable, stackable and allowing for different sitting positions, the HUG chair has a beautiful metaphorical narrative," Blin said.

"Like characters, the chairs, stacked upside down, imitate an embrace, symbolising the friendship and collaboration between Switzerland and Japan."

The two countries "share many values", he added.

"In the field of design, this translates into a mutual appreciation of excellence in craftsmanship, an emphasis on the essentiality of the concept, and a humility in expression," Blin explained.

Other designs that were made for the competition include a stool with a star pattern and a chair with a T-shaped backrest.

The HUG chairs are now in use at the Switzerland Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, which was featured in Dezeen architecture editor Lizzie Crook's roundup of the expo's ten standout pavilions. Designed by Manuel Herz Architects, it features lightweight spherical structures clad in plastic that decorate its facade.

Other pavilions at Expo 2025 Osaka include the France Pavilion designed by Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati and the gateway-like USA Pavilion by Trahan Architects.

The photography is courtesy of House of Switzerland.

Designed in CH Made in JP was on show from 7 to 13 April at House of Switzerland. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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