The things that we design are things that you can touch. We don’t need things that are of no use to us. We strive for things that are not swayed by the times, that will continue to remain with us tomorrow, and all the tomorrows after that.

This is the design principle established by Japanese and Tokyo-based studio Miyake Design, which consists of a small team of designers led by Kazushige Miyake, and is evident throughout the studio’s body of work. With a primary focus on homewares for household brands such as MUJI, one of Miyake’s latest offerings in the wonderfully simple and understated Air Purifier for Plus Minus Zero (±0).

Arriving at this design, Miyake considered what constituted an appropriate shape for an air purifier within a living space. It was decided that an air purifier would fit into a living space better if it was seen as being more like a table or a sofa rather than as an industrial product. This approach allows the design to become a key feature of an interior space, rather than a tool that sits unnoticed in the background. Miyake explains:

We considered every aspect of this product while we created it, choosing a shape that left the filter as unconcealed as possible and that quickly and efficiently cleaned the air. A shape that was easy to carry without a handle, and buttons that weren’t conspicuous yet were easy to operate. It combines the beauty and the functionality that is fitting for an air purifier.

Considering its size, it may not be discreet, but with a form like this, why would you want it be? This is not just an aesthetic piece of industrial design, it is an object that plays an important role in one’s home everyday.