In the “Forest of Tranquility,” located near the center of the Expo site, H2O Retailing will install the Envisioned Bench created in collaboration with three designers, aiming to inspire reflection on the “Cycle of Life.” The concept is “design for the sake of trees.” These works will allow visitors to feel the breath of living trees and engage in a dialogue with the wood itself.

　Takashi Matsui is designing a bench that is produced by using a single tree as it is. The design is minimalist, cutting the seating and leg components from the whole tree and fitting them together with notches. It is designed to accommodate natural variations in the wood, such as differences in thickness, warping, or cracking, as much as possible.

　Shizuka Tatsuno found inspiration for her design at a timber auction. At these auctions, wood with many blemishes and knots is often ranked as Grade C due to its appearance and difficulty in processing, and it is usually broken down into chips. Feeling that “even these trees have their own life,” she selected Grade-C wood, processed it into square lumber, and reconfigured it. This process highlights the wood’s raw and powerful nature while creating a design that fits into simple spaces. A key feature is the use of wood with the bark still intact, allowing one to appreciate the diversity of the material.

　Fumihiko Sano intentionally uses the materials without any processing for his bench. While it is typical to dry freshly cut wood before use due to its high moisture content, he plans to carry out part of the drying process at the Expo venue. It is uncertain how the wood will change during the Expo, but this endeavor is aimed at inspiring reflection on the product creation process and foster a closer connection to the forest.

　“Each idea is truly innovative and exciting. This collection of works is the result of the designers who consistently visited forests, lumbermills, and auctions, observed the journey from living trees to lumber, exchanged opinions, and engaged in extensive discussions at each stage,” said Shimamoto, serving as project coordinator.

　After the Expo, the benches will be installed in places where nature and people gather and in those for interaction throughout Osaka Prefecture. “I hope they will be used to foster new connections and strengthen community bonds,” said Shimamoto. The benches are aimed at sparking public interest in forests, which will lead to an increased use of local lumber. This process will in turn promote forest circulation and contribute to the maintenance of healthy forests. They want to build this kind of future with the local community, and hope that “production for trees,” the shift in value they pursued in this project, will become a new norm.