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Zense: A Transformative Table Chair Set Bridging Asian Heritage and Modern Ritual

Zense, designed by Hong Kong-based architect and educator Louis Wai Yin Hung, has been awarded the prestigious Golden A' Furniture Design Award 2025, recognizing its exceptional contribution to contemporary furniture design. The project, which began in 2018 and has been showcased at renowned venues such as DesignInspire 2019 and Milan's SUPERDESIGN SHOW, reimagines the boundaries between furniture and cultural ritual by transforming the act of use into a multisensory experience rooted in Asian heritage.

Handcrafted from 553 upcycled timber components using traditional Chinese joinery, Zense achieves a remarkable structural elegance with its slender exoskeleton and screwless assembly. The table chair set seamlessly transitions between a writing desk and a tea ceremony platform through smooth, deliberate motions that engage all five senses. Each interaction-whether the tactile slide of wood or the audible click of precision joinery-invites users to participate in a living tradition, making cultural memory tangible and present in everyday life.

What sets Zense apart is its dual role as both functional furniture and ritual instrument. The design's transforming structure, achieved without metal fasteners, required master artisans to push the limits of wood's strength and thinness through generations of material intelligence and sensory intuition. This meticulous process not only revives fading craftsmanship traditions but also embodies a philosophy where every operational motion becomes a ceremonial act, turning spaces into vessels of heritage and mindfulness. Zense stands as a testament to the enduring relevance of vernacular craftsmanship in contemporary design, bridging the past and future through intentional, embodied use.

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