Interview The Kanto team
Images Jorge Yulo Architects and Associates
Jorge Yulo Architects + Associates (JYAA) recently unveiled SINTESI, a collection of “functional sculptures” that debuted at Maison&Objet 2025 in Paris. Two pieces from the collection, an armchair and modular bench, were showcased at the ARTIPELAGO II booth, organized by CITEM and DTI Philippines, bringing Filipino craftsmanship and innovative design to the global stage. Designed by JYAA principal architect Jorge Yulo, SINTESI blends brass, steel, and wood, merging raw materiality with sculptural form. “This collection explores how materials and methods, initially distinct, can enhance each other, creating a new dialogue between contrast and harmony,” shares the architect-turned-furniture designer.
We reached out to Jorge to learn more about his latest venture, its connection to his architectural practice, and how it expands his creative horizons.
Hi Jorge! Congratulations on the SINTESI collection! Your design work often explores the intersection of contrast and harmony, evident in the contrasting material palettes and intricate, rhythmic forms in your architecture. How does SINTESI refine or challenge this ongoing exploration in your practice? Why release SINTESI now?
I approach design from multiple perspectives, in various states of mind and without fixed processes. Often, I arrive at several possibilities that may solve a problem, but practicality usually means I select one method. While this works functionally and aesthetically, many ideas remain unused, some more groundbreaking than others. In SINTESI, I merge opposing but parallel—or complementary yet separate—ideas into a singular object. Whether the result is functional or not is secondary, even accidental. SINTESI lets the accident of synthesis happen.
The armchair and modular bench presented at Maison&Objet under CITEM’s Artipelago display introduce rhythm, repetition, and implied motion. What was the driving force behind selecting these pieces as the starting points for the collection, and how do they converse with one another?
They are distinct pieces. The armchair forms a tactile relationship with wood and is more anthropomorphic in design. The bench, on the other hand, is more cerebral—it’s an object to be both looked at and sat upon.
You describe SINTESI as a fusion of materiality and process. While the collection clearly aligns with your architectural philosophy, would you say that it also marks a shift in your creative practice?
There’s an abstract connection between my architecture and furniture. I often layer two or more contrasting concepts within projects through materials and process. These dualities complement each other and show how different components of a structure work together.
“In SINTESI, I merge opposing but parallel—or complementary yet separate—ideas into a singular object. Whether the result is functional or not is secondary, even accidental.”
Furniture typically serves space, yet SINTESI feels more sculptural, autonomous even. Are the pieces designed to integrate into any environment, or do they assert their own spatial presence?
I must admit, at its infancy, SINTESI doesn’t completely identify with either sculpture or furniture. The pieces have both experiential and functional qualities, but since the concept emerged organically, defining them isn’t that significant.
As new pieces emerge, do you see SINTESI maintaining its current material language, or do you anticipate a shift in form and construction methods?
I want SINTESI to grow organically, free from thematic constraints. The exploration of new forms and construction methods is inevitable.
There’s an introspective quality to these pieces, as if they belong to a private world (Like within the angular realms of your Equilateral House). Was there a moment that led you to bring them into the public sphere? Who do you see as their natural audience?
Actually, it was accidental. I initially made these pieces for myself. Some visitors were drawn to them, but it was my daughter who encouraged me to exhibit them at Maison&Objet, alongside other Filipino exhibitors.
Finally, what does SINTESI reveal to you about the intersection of design and personal expression? How do you hope this relationship resonates with your audience?
Design and personal expression are terms we use to describe the indescribable moments of creativity. •
