maison et objet designer of the year nendo unwraps chocolate lounge

maison et objet designer of the year nendo unwraps chocolate lounge
all photos by akhiro yoshida

as maison et objet‘s ‘designer of the year’ 2015, nendo unwraps a sweet chocolate lounge on the occasion of the international fair which takes place twice a year in paris.

the spatial design of ‘chocolatetexture’ is defined by a forest of 2000 8mm-thick aluminium pipes which have been painted in chocolate-coloured gradations, to create the feeling of being surrounded by a large rippling molten wave of the delectable goodness. within, a number of the japanese designer’s known pieces for such companies as cappellini, desalto, emeco, glas italia, moroso and offecct, which have been custom-colored to resemble the sweet treat, furnish the lounge and offer a place for maison et objet visitors to take a rest.

the nine distinct ‘chocolatexture’ designs by nendo

the icing on the cake is the limited edition production of 400 ‘chocolatexture’ chocolate sets that are being sold on site. while there are many factors that determine a chocolate’s taste, most importantly the cocoa used — its country of origin, kind, percentage content — the techniques employed by the chocolatier, and the additional infused flavors, nendo wanted to put his focus on the shape of each morsel of candy. while the composition of ingredients of all nine ‘chocolatexture’ designs are identical, and each one measures the same dimensions (26x26x26mm), it is the distinctive textures that nendo has employed — hollow centers, pointed tips, smooth and rough surfaces — the create different tastes.

the chocolates have been named after various japanese expressions

the nine chocolates are named after various japanese expressions used to describe texture:
1. ‘tubu-tubu’ – comprised of small chocolate drops.
2. ‘sube-sube’ – with smooth edges and rounded corners.
3. ‘zara-zara’ – rough and granular like a file.
4. ‘toge-toge’ – projecting sharp pointed tips.
5. ‘goro-goro’ – a composition of fourteen connected small cubes.
6. ‘fuwa-fuwa’ – soft and airy with the presence of many tiny holes.
7. ‘poki-poki’ – a cube frame made of chocolate sticks.
8. ‘suka-suka’ – a hollow cube with thin walls.
9. ‘zaku-zaku’ – featuring alternately placed thin chocolate rods forming a cube.

‘chocolatexture’ candies and packaging

the ‘chocolatexture’ sets are being sold at the lounge (as well as on-the-spot tasting) on show at maison et objet (hall 8, stand F1-G2) from january 23-27, 2015.