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iittala
The iittala Group is a leading company in modern Scandinavian design and it believes that in an increasingly disposable world there is value in objects that are well designed and made to outlive changing times and trends. Their vision is to be the leading Scandinavian design company in home wares and interior design and their success is measured by the satisfaction and loyalty of their customers: the people that enjoy their products. iittala has a strong Scandinavian design heritage and it is constantly developing exciting new products.
User-friendliness, high quality and the combination of functionality and high-level aesthetics that together produce a lasting design. In a nutshell: the design philosophy aims to offer people Lasting Everyday Design. The products bring simple beauty and joy into life.
DESIGNERS:
Aino Aalto
(1898-1976) Born in Kuortane, Finland. Thanks to his original style and unique talents, Alvar Aalto is one of the greatest names in modern architecture and design. During his career, he designed many buildings in different parts of the world: concert halls, libraries, hospitals, museums, and private homes, including the Villa Mairea. His furniture and lamps, often starting out as a part of the buildings he designed, are produced together with Finnish Artek.
Born in Meda, Italy, in 1950. An internationally renowned designer and architect, Citterio has won many prizes including the Compasso d’Oro in 1987 and 1995. He has carried out a range of striking design and architecture commissions for companies like B&B Italia, Kartell and Vitra and his products are part of the MOMA permanent collection and the Centre di Pompidou in Paris.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, in1957. Björn Dahlström works both two- and threedimensionally. His work includes highly regarded furniture for Cbi, as well as industrial design products for Atlas Copco, among others. Dahlström works in Stockholm and has over the years established himself internationally. In 2001, he was awarded the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg design prize, one of the most prestigious Nordic design prizes.
(1911-1989) Born in Vyborg, Finland. Kaj Franck is described as the conscience of Finnish design. He removed everything excessive in his designs, leaving only the essentials. Kaj Franck has been awarded a large number of Finnish and international awards and prizes and his work has been displayed at a range of design museums around the world. Some of his most famous objects are the Teema tableware and the glass series Kartio.
Klaus Haapaniemi (b. 1970) has had plenty of coverage recently in the Finnish as well as foreign media. His CV of design work is impressive: garment prints for Diesel, Levis, Marimekko, Dolce & Gabbana, Cacharel and Bela’s Dead, a new brand. He has also worked as Creative Director of the Italian fashion house Bantam, published a book entitled ‘Giants’ together with the Finnish writer Rosa Liksom, produced illustrations for the Observer newspaper, shown his work in exhibitions – and done a few other things in between. The international WGSN trend analysis service has dubbed him as one of the most important rising stars in illustration and design. The international media often refer to Klaus Haapaniemi’s Finnish roots, and even the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, has been mentioned. It is true that his illustrations have references to folklore; both Slav and Japanese influences also have a strong presence.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1964. Today, he is an internationally established designer based in Zurich. Alfredo Häberli manages to unite tradition with innovation, joy and energy in his designs. He works with companies such as Alias and Cappellini, among others.
Born on Ahvenanmaa, Finland, in 1962. Today, Lindfors is active both as a designer and sculptor and he has many international commissions behind him. His work includes Winged Victory (1996), a sculpture for Swatch’s pavilion during the Olympics in Atlanta, as well as Freedom of Speech, a sculpture exhibition at the Finnish Embassy in Washington D.C. His collaboration with Marimekko has contributed to several new patterns and products.
Born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1943. Heikki Orvola is one of the driving forces within Finnish design. He works in glass, ceramics, cast iron and textiles. Orvola has worked for the industrial art business, but he has also worked in a variety of different materials as a form of pure, artistic expression. During his career as a designer, Heikki Orvola has received awards and prizes, including the Kaj Franck prize in 1998 – perhaps Finland’s most important design prize.
Born in Genoa, Italy, in 1937. After a number of large, eye-catching projects like the Centre Pompidou in Paris, San Nicaola Stadium in Bari and Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Renzo Piano has become one of the most important architects of the 20th century. He is responsible for the main layout of the Potsdamer Platz and eight of its buildings in Berlin. Over the years, he has received a range of prestigious prizes and awards: the Compasso d’Oro, the Pritzker Prize, the Erasmus and Kyoto awards, to name a few.
Timo Sarpaneva
Sarpaneva was one of the great personalities responsible for the world reputation of Finnish design since the 1950s. He was a master of materials as glass, porcelain, cast iron and textile as well as graphic art. Timo Sarpaneva designed the current Iittala trademark for his glass collection called I-line (I-linja) in 1956, for which he received one of his Grand Prix in Milan the following year. He has been honoured with innumerable awards and acknowledgements.
Carina Seth-Andersson Born in 1965 in Stockholm, Sweden. In recent years, her work has been displayed at a variety of international exhibitions. Her pieces are part of the permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 1994, Carina Seth-Andersson was chosen to represent Sweden at the Triennale in Milan. In 1998, she designed a glass object for the collection Quite Simply, as part of the Cultural Capital City project.
Born in Finland. Nanny Still (1926-2009) was, with her wide range of products, one of Finland’s most colourful designers. She worked with the same clear elegance in a variety of different materials: metal, glass and ceramics. She had mastered almost everything to do with art and industrial design, and was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal in 1972 and the Diploma of Honour at the Triennale in Milan in 1954.
Professor Oiva Toikka is one of the greatest names in Finnish glass. His imaginative, rich and bold glass art deviates from the streamlined aesthetic of Nordic design. He has worked in the performing arts for as long as he has in glass. The Birds collection is Toikka’s best-known work. He has enjoyed an international career and received numerous awards, among them Lunning Prize, Pro Finlandia Medal, World Glass Now 85 Award, Kaj Franck Design Prize and the Prince Eugen Medal.
(1915-1985) Born in Hanko, Finland. Tapio Wirkkala is known as the versatile genius of design. His contribution to design includes everything from glass products to the design of banknotes and graphic art. During his career, Wirkkala has participated in many international exhibitions, as well as being the artistic director of the University of Arts and Design in Helsinki for many years. He has won a large number of awards, including three gold medals at the Triennale in Milan in 1951, followed by another three in 1954. |
