Tape Dining

Tape Armchair — Nendo (Oki Sato) for Minotti, 2018

The Tape armchair debuted in Minotti’s 2018 collection as the studio’s first collaboration with Japanese design practice Nendo, founded by Oki Sato. It arrived as a studied departure from the Minotti house language: where Rodolfo Dordoni worked in architectural gravitas and goose-down weight, Nendo brought lightness, irony, and a distinctly Japanese economy of means. The result is a chair with strong formal personality and a silhouette that reads as a sketch — precise yet effortless.

The design’s central conceit lies in its feet. Where conventional chairs have legs that emerge from beneath the seat body, Tape’s metal feet are positioned externally — attached to the outer shell rather than hidden within it. They are held in place by a narrow band of Light Bronze-coloured metal, the “tape” that gives the chair its name. This is the couture detail: a piece of ribbon that references Minotti’s sartorial tradition while overturning its conventions. The enveloping shell describes the armrest and cradles the soft back cushion; the shell’s soft curve creates a silhouette that is both generous and refined. Two upholstery configurations are offered: fabric covering back and seat cushion with a leather shell and tape detail in matching tone, or a full-textile version where the tape appears in Bronze saddle hide as an accent against an otherwise monochrome composition.

About the Designer

Oki Sato (b. 1977) founded Nendo in Tokyo in 2002. The studio works across product design, furniture, graphic design, and spatial installations, with a practice philosophy built around discovering small, unexpected moments of surprise. Nendo’s work for major European brands — including Cappellini, Alias, Magis, and Minotti — has earned recognition from the Good Design Award, the iF Product Design Award, the Red Dot Award, and multiple Compasso d’Oro nominations. Wallpaper named Sato Designer of the Year; Maison & Objet named him Designer of the Year in France. Nendo has become one of the defining design voices of its generation.

Specifications

Designer: Nendo / Oki Sato

Manufacturer: Minotti S.p.A., Meda, Italy

Country of Origin: Italy

Structure: Solid wood with high natural rubber content elastic strap webbing

Backrest Padding: Fire-resistant polyurethane foam

Seat Padding: Variable-density polyurethane foam

Cover: Breathable heat-bonded fibre laminated to white hypoallergenic cotton

Base / Feet: Light Bronze powder-coated metal; front legs with curved metal strip in matching finish; rear legs with leather or saddle-hide trim

Upholstery: Available in leather and fabric from Minotti programme; two pairing configurations offered

Available Models: Armchair with armrests, armchair without armrests, lounge armchair, bergère, two- and three-seat sofa, ottoman

Lead time: 12–16 weeks from order confirmation

Available Through Le Belle Arti

Le Belle Arti is an authorized Minotti dealer serving Edmonton, Calgary, and clients across Western Canada. The Tape armchair is available to order in your choice of upholstery. Contact us to explore configurations and material options.

For full specifications, materials, and configuration options, visit the Minotti official website.

Frame: Powder-coated aluminum. Seat: Interwoven cord in technical outdoor material. Lounge chair versions including flat and reclined configurations. Fully weatherproof. Origin: Italy.

Nendo is the Tokyo-based design studio founded by Oki Sato in 2002, internationally acclaimed for its ability to distil complex ideas into deceptively simple forms. In collaboration with Minotti, Nendo translates Japanese spatial philosophy — lightness, precision, and considered negative space — into seating and table collections of refined character.

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