Who would have thought that I’d find occasion in this life to use the metaphor of an archipelago to elaborate on not one but two different architecture and design products? Subsequent to the Archipelago Collection by Designtex, I’ve been lucky enough to encounter the award-winning Koh by Israeli designer Eyal Soodai. A modular system of different size sofas, Koh bears a definitive resemblance to the proverbial islands in the stream.

Koh Public Seating. Designed by Eyal Soodai.

Eyal Soodai’s Koh Encourages Creative Interaction

I don’t embellish when I say that Koh is one of the most inventive public seating solutions I’ve ever encountered. And that comes from someone who has profiled designs modeled after an airplane fuselage, the outstretched legs of a spider, and the circuitous perambulations of a mobius strip.

In contrast to these creatively connected concoctions, Koh’s defining characteristic is its absence of connectivity, as, very like the aforementioned archipelago, Koh is constituted of separate pieces of various shapes and sizes, though each is every bit the equal of the other in terms of comfort, color, and texture.

Koh bears the most marked resemblance to an archipelago when seen from on high. But in the form users are most likely to encounter it, that is to say, from ground level, Koh rather resembles a smattering of haphazardly strewn, moss-covered stones, as if gathered and tossed from the hand of some genial strolling giant.

The winning entry in the Hotel and Hospitality category for the TIFF 2012 award, Koh is appropriate for a variety of public venues, including hotel lobbies, airports, office breakout rooms, and commercial vestibules. Notwithstanding the pervasive organic allure of moss green, Koh is available in a variety of customized materials and colors.

About the Designer: Sooda e design factory is two years young. The brainchild of Israeli designer Eyal Soodai, Sooda e design specializes in unusually creative everyday accessories, custom furnishings, and industrial design. As evinced by his innovative product portfolio, Soodai believes in embracing the challenge of new forms and odd materials, as they frequently lead to unorthodox yet effective solutions: “He sees every design challenge as an opportunity to venture, search, create & learn something new, about design and people.”