Incastri: Interlocking Japanese Culture and Contemporary Design

The Japanese chidori technique is a joinery system that avoids the use of nails and screws. Chōzu is a water‑related purification ritual, while yakisugi is an ancient wood‑charring technique that preserves the material and improves water resistance. Gessi’s new Incastri collection grew out of reinterpreting these elements of Japanese culture through a contemporary lens. Architect Kengo Kuma collaborated on the project, contributing his unifying vision of nature, craft, and innovation to this range of faucets and sinks with their essential forms, tactile details, technology, and gentle visual poetry.

Each element explores the emotional potential of materials according to their intrinsic qualities and Japanese philosophy. Surfaces become a sensory experience within a larger interplay of solids and voids, light and shadow, with geometries reduced to the essentials. The form of each piece has been stripped back to the basics in an eloquent balance of aesthetics, visual restraint, and functionality. Each element also engages with its surroundings, adding its own touch of sophistication and elegance.

Available as deck‑mounted, wall‑mounted, ceiling‑mounted, and floor‑mounted units, the Incastri collection includes two faucet types – a traditional model and a visually striking suspended version. Vertically ribs on the faucet body and handles create shifts of light and tactile depth, emphasizing the contrast between smooth and textured surfaces.

As well as faucets, the collection includes washbasins inspired by the yakisugi technique. Made using innovative materials and with sculptured three‑dimensional surfaces, these products have an eye-catching yet understated presence. Water becomes part of the design as an expression of calm and regeneration.

Reflecting Gessi and Kengo Kuma’s design philosophy, Incastri expresses respect for tradition, the search for beauty through simplicity, and the elevation of water to a sacred, regenerative element.

For more information: www.gessi.com