Oliver Franz
Creative Director
Takesada Shoten
Oliver Franz, creative director of Takesada Shoten and designer at Hosoya Schaefer Architect, originally from Switzerland, began his career as a furniture maker before pursuing industrial design studies at the Zurich University of the Arts and the IK Design Center in Sweden. After completing his studies, he launched his design career at One&Co in San Francisco.
Driven by a desire to deepen his understanding of traditional crafts and Japanese aesthetics, Oliver moved to Japan in 2007. Following two years at hers design inc. in Osaka, where he immersed himself in Japanese culture, Oliver founded his own design studio, silent., in Kyoto in 2009. His work at silent. encompassed a variety of projects that blended traditional techniques with modern design, including product design, branding, and exhibition design. In 2014, he began a close collaboration with the bamboo manufacturer Takesada Shoten Co., Ltd., focusing on establishing their brand positioning and developing new interior applications for bamboo, including the scenography of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado’s photography exhibition.
In 2019, Oliver joined Hosoya Schaefer Architects, an architectural design firm in Zurich, where he brought his expertise in high-end bespoke furniture design, collaborating with manufacturers in both Japan and Switzerland. In 2024, he relocated back to Japan, continuing to provide high-quality design at the Kyoto office of Hosoya Schaefer Architects, while deepening his collaboration with Takesada Shoten.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takesada_bamboo_artisans/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.jp/takesadashoten/n
Website: https://en.takesada-shoten.co.jp
oliver.franz@ik.me
