Gallotti&Radice Akiko swivel dining chair

Description

Akiko is a chair by Oscar and Gabriele Buratti whose circular seat and forward stretched backrest form two armrests in one continuous line. The swivel version adds a 180 degree movement with a smooth return, carried on a four spoke metal base lacquered in warm grey. Upholstery comes in fabric or leather from the sample range, making one compact chair suited to a dining table or a meeting room.

Design Inspiration & Philosophy

The Buratti brothers work from architecture into product, and Akiko shows that discipline plainly. The backrest is not applied to the seat but drawn out of it, curving forward until it becomes the arms, so the entire upper structure is a single gesture. The proportions carry a distant echo of traditional oriental furniture without quoting it. It took a German Design Award in 2023, which for a chair this quiet is a fair measure of how well the line resolves.

The Swivel Movement

Rotation runs through 180 degrees and returns to the original position on its own. For dining this matters more than it sounds. Guests can turn toward each other across the corner of a table, and the chair squares itself again when they stand, so a set of six never drifts out of alignment. The return is silent and needs no adjustment over time.

Construction

The inner structure is wood and wood based panel, padded with non deformable polyurethane foam in several densities and fire resistant polyester fibre. That layered padding is what allows a chair this slim to stay comfortable through a long dinner. The base is metal, lacquered in the warm grey finish used across the collection, with decorative detailing where the spokes meet the column.

Perfect For

– Dining rooms furnished with a glass or crystal table

– Round and oval tables where guests turn toward one another

– Home offices needing a chair that avoids looking like office furniture

– Contract and meeting room settings requiring durable padding

– Buyers pairing seating with an existing Gallotti & Radice table

– Compact dining areas where bulkier chairs would dominate

A dining chair earns its place by asking for nothing until it is needed. Akiko does exactly that, and the half turn it carries makes a table of six far more sociable.