The Kyoto Series
These benches were commissioned by the University of California, San Francisco in commemoration of September 11, 2001. Conceived as public memorial works, the benches were intended to create spaces for reflection, contemplation, and human connection within the university environment.
Maruyama intentionally employed industrial building materials—including Corten steel, stainless steel, and concrete—to indirectly reference the destruction of the Twin Towers and the physical language of urban architecture. Rather than emphasizing monumentality or trauma, however, the works balance these materials with calming forms, subdued colors, and gently curving backs that suggest the gesture of an embrace.
Two distinct bench designs were developed for the commission. One incorporates dual seating orientations: a convex outer curve that allows individuals to sit facing outward in a more solitary and contemplative posture, and a concave inner curve designed to encourage conversation and intimacy between sitters. Through these contrasting spatial relationships, the benches explore both private mourning and collective interaction, transforming functional seating into sites of memory, comfort, and social exchange.