Japanese office furniture manufacturer Okamura has rethought its Chicago showroom. The company, which has been based at The Mart since 2008, has taken its corporate mission to 'Set the stage for people' literally, by commissioning architect Perkins + Will to create a number of different work settings within the space that investigate the needs and requirements of the contemporary workforce.

Based around the concept of 'Work Your Way', the designers have built narratives around a trio of imaginary professionals – Oscar, Raven, and Aiko – whose daily needs differ quite starkly. The common thread is that each scenario contains a strong sense of 'natural-being' – a term coined by Okamura that encompasses both physical and mental wellbeing. The 11,421 sf space will open at Suite 1100 in The Mart on June 10, 2019, the first day of NeoCon.

During the exhibition, the company will also be launching new products including a collection of sofas focused on the ancillary environment, an area of the office which is becoming increasingly important, as well as conference seating designed to complement the award- winning table collections, Traverse and Traverse satellite.

'We are delighted to show visitors our new space,' says Okamura's Marketing Director, Kazumi Arakawa. 'The company was founded more than 70 years ago and has become well known for its high-quality engineering and design. Importantly too, it has recognized that the manner in which we work is changing rapidly. The showroom illustrates exactly how the company's products are adapting to these different demands quite brilliantly.'