Ohtake
"The design is like the sea horizon, recalls the movement of water, of waves, the ocean, elements of Nature.”
Those daring curves and the organic character of his work made him an ideal guest collaborator for Roca. Ohtake’s close attention to the execution and detailing of his designs, no matter what scale, perfectly aligned him with Roca’s commitment to craftmanship excellence. In developing the collection, the architect found inspiration in an unexpected most primordial item: the egg. “The egg is something of an exceptional quality, with its high rigidity even with such a thin skin!”, he would comment. Seeing a correlation between the lightness of the egg skin and Roca’s Fineceramic material, he applied cutting edge technology to achieve the ultra-thin borders he had envisioned for his sculptural designs for the collection.
The resulting pieces feature Ruy’s signature sensual shapes, with undulating edges and outlines, resembling more a walk on the beach than simply a basin container. As he would say: “A good piece of Architecture, of design, must have an element of unpredictability, of emotion”.
That first washbasins collection, timeless in its sleek aesthetic, would go on to receive the prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2019 for the way it fused “technology, functionality and aesthetics come together in a symbiotic way” (as mentioned in the award statement).
“Living with Art and Nature makes life gentler, softer”, states Rodrigo. The designer certainly knows about coexisting with both Art and Nature, having grown up amidst the prolific cultural environment of his father’s designs and the artworks of his grandmother, the pioneer Asian Brazilian artist Tomie Ohtake. Not surprising, Art for him is, well, second nature. Bringing both his and his father’s experience full circle, Rodrigo is imbuing the office with a contemporary take, interested as much in creating unique architectural experiences as crafting one of a kind signature design pieces and even confronting the challenges of mass production of design.
To further compliment the collection, Rodrigo dug into his ancestor’s heritage to bring back the Japanese art of bathing with the introduction of a Furo soaking tub. Infusing tradition with a fresh, modern take, the design creates a perfect setting intended to induce as much an experience of relaxing Zen ritual as one of cleansing. Altogether, the combined pieces by Ruy and Rodrigo make for a carefully curated Ohtake collection that brings both designers’ interest in art and Nature full circle into a cohesive collection. Fluid lines, daring free forms, all coming together into a sophisticated design that challenges the usual perceived expectations to create an environment that favors the sensorial in the everyday activity.
About Ruy Ohtake
Born in Brazil, the son of Japanese-Brazilian Tomie Ohtake, one of Brazil’s leading artists, Ohtake grew up in a highly cultured environment, exposed to the world of art and design. He studied Architecture in São Paulo, under João Vilanova Artigas, worked with Oscar Niemeyer, and then went on to establish his own practice, designing over 400 buildings throughout his long career, many of them in his hometown, the city of São Paulo. Among his career highlights are the house/studio designed for his mother, in the early days of his office, and the half-circle shaped Hotel Unique, considered by many an icon of the Brazilian boom of the 2000’s and his years long collaboration with the community of the Heliópolis favela. A multi-faceted designer, Ohtake was also known for his product designs, bringing his originality and whimsical creations to one of furniture pieces, commercial collections, table-top items, and rugs creations.
An enthusiastic speaker, he was a well sought-after lecturer, travelling both domestically and abroad for speaking engagements.
He was the recipient of many national and international awards and honors, including the “Best of the Best” Red Dot Design Award in 2019 for his design for Roca’s Ruy Ohtake Collection. He passed away in November 2021, at the age of 83 and since then his office is led by his son, architect and designer Rodrigo Ohtake.
About Rodrigo Ohtake
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, and the son of legendary Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake, Rodrigo graduated from the Architecture program of the University of São Paulo and complimented his studies at the renown Politecnico di Milano. He collaborated with several international architects before starting his own design firm. Since the beginning of his career product and furniture design has been a staple of Rodrigo’s output and seen by the designer as an intrinsic extension to his projects and has exhibited his designs in high profile events all over the world.
Since Ruy Ohtake’s passing, Rodrigo has fused both his and Ruy’s practices together into the OHTAKE office, a multidisciplinary studio focusing on architecture, design, urbanism, and innovative materials and technology resources. Bringing both his and his father’s experience full circle, Rodrigo is imbuing the office with a contemporary take, interested as much in creating unique architectural experiences as crafting one of a kind signature design pieces as much as confronting the challenges of mass production of design.
In 2023 he received the “Best in Show” award at the Expo Revestir yearly desgn event that takes place in São Paulo.
Product photography by Ruy Teixeira.
Text and architecture photography by Paul Clemence.
Technical information
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Step element for easy access into the bathtub
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