Kirizuna: when wood defies its own limits
There is a moment in the design process when a material stops being a constraint and becomes a vision.
MM Design presents Kirizuna, a seating system born from the collaboration with Xlam Dolomiti, a company from Trentino with over a decade of know-how in structural timber panel processing. The project was conceived for NODI — Culture, enterprise and design of Trentino wood, the collective exhibition inaugurated on 27 March 2026 at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, promoted by the Autonomous Province of Trento with Trentino Sviluppo and Trentino Marketing.
The name carries the DNA of the project: Kiri is the Japanese name for Paulownia, a sacred tree symbolising strength and longevity; Kizuna means "bond" — the invisible thread connecting nature, technology and design in a single design gesture.
The material protagonist is SUPERTIMBER: the result of a patented industrial densification process developed by Xlam Dolomiti in collaboration with the Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK). Paulownia is the fastest-growing tree in the world, capable of absorbing over 100 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare per year — up to ten times more than any other forest species. It regenerates from the stump without needing to be replanted. Starting from a natural density of just 250–300 kg/m³, densification brings it above 1,000 kg/m³, with mechanical strength comparable to steel, a negative carbon footprint and fire resistance superior to common woods.
"We rediscovered wood, working it at the molecular level to reveal a new strength, entirely biological" says Evgeny Borovin, R&D Engineer – Timber Innovation at Xlam Dolomiti.
The structural core of Kirizuna is a reduced-thickness band where form and function merge: the backrest becomes both support and surface. The module is scalable from an ergonomic armchair to a system for collective spaces, in contract, hospitality and tertiary contexts.
Kirizuna is on show at NODI, curated by Aldo Colonetti, on display at the ADI Design Museum in Milan from 27 March 2026. During the Fuorisalone, the project will also be on view at the Fiemme 3000 space in Milan.
