Kazuhide Takahama

Kazuhide Takahama (1930-2010) was a Japanese designer and architect. He got his first important assignment at the age of 27, shortly after graduating in architecture in Tokyo: in 1957 he was in fact commissioned to create the Japanese pavilion at the XI Triennale in Milan, Japan's first participation in the event. He then had the opportunity to travel to Italy where a life-changing meeting took place, the one with the visionary entrepreneur Dino Gavina. The result was a friendship and an intense professional exchange that lasted throughout his career and that convinced him in 1963 to move to Bologna, the city where he remained for his entire life. He has designed products for all the companies led by Dino Gavina: Gavina (later sold to Knoll), Simon (now incorporated by Cassina) and the Paradisoterrestre gallery. Other collaborations worthy of mention are the one with the furniture giant B&B Italia, for which he designed the Olinto bookcase system, or with lighting brands such as Sirrah and Nemo. He too worked a lot as an architect, especially in Bologna, where he created the facade of the city airport and all the bus shelters scattered around the city.