Since its foundation in 1964, Iyobe Kogei has supplied furniture to some of Japan’s most prestigious institutions, including the Imperial Household Agency, the State Guest House, and the National Diet Building. The company has now launched ‘IYB.’, a new brand dedicated to high-quality living spaces, and held its inaugural exhibition and launch event at the AXIS Gallery in Roppongi, Tokyo. Shindo was responsible for the spatial design of this exhibition.

Guided by the philosophy of ‘Bespoke Furniture’, the brand expresses a harmonious relationship between the furniture—created in close alignment with the user’s aesthetic sensibilities and lifestyle, much like a tailor crafting garments for each individual—and the surrounding space.

In terms of spatial design, the environment was carefully crafted to engage the senses through materials, light, sound, and scent. Temporary wall panels made of natural walnut, each 1,200 mm wide, were installed to evoke the atmosphere of a refined living environment. To bring a sense of the outdoors into the windowless gallery space, sheer curtains were placed at the far end.

Following the exhibition, the company proposed a circular system for spatial materials by repurposing the temporary walls—including the walnut panels used in the exhibition—at its own factory and showroom in Koto Ward, Tokyo.