Sofar

Technology connects voices and images across the globe, but the feeling of physical presence remains absent. Sofar bridges this gap by transforming seating into a shared, responsive medium for interaction across distance.

The design consists of two identical modular block chairs, each composed of independent, pressure-sensitive cubes. Every movement—sitting, leaning, shifting—triggers a corresponding physical response. The cubes in the distant chair rise and fall in synchrony, creating a mirrored interaction: an evolved seesaw that transmits presence and touch between remote participants.

This interplay of motion turns furniture into a living interface. Its striking geometry and vibrant palette emphasize its dual nature: playful yet profound. More than an object, it is a kinetic sculpture and a new typology of empathetic furniture—inviting people to communicate through posture, rhythm, and movement rather than words.

Unlike video calls that privilege sight and sound, Sofar conveys the subtler textures of togetherness—the weight of a lean, the rhythm of shifting, the companionship of shared stillness. Across continents, participants can “sit together” and experience one another’s gestures in real time. By transforming absence into presence, Sofar shows how furniture can transcend function to become an instrument of intimacy, play, and cross-cultural connection. Sofar Yet So Close.