26 — Designers 26. Provide profiles of any local designers who have made a significant impact on the city or on the design industry in general
The following is a brief who’s who of some of the central names in Finnish design. By far the majority have lived or worked in Helsinki; happily, many continue to do so. This list is just a sample; there are hundreds of other talents whose names are known both inside and outside the industry and whose work contributes to the economic and social vitality of the city. •
Aalto, Aino (1894–1949) An architect, designer, and textile artist, the first wife of Alvar Aalto and his valuable business partner. Aino Aalto was the CEO of Artek in 1941–1949, a company that she started together with her husband, Nils-Gustav Hahl, and Maire Gullichsen.
• Aalto, Alvar (1898–1976) An architect, designer, and an academician. His famous works in Finland include Villa Mairea, the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki (1971), Kulttuuritalo (1958), the main office of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (1956), Rovaniemi town plan, Säynätsalo municipal building, the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki, the Civil Guard house as well as the campus area of the Helsinki University of Technology in Otaniemi, Espoo. Aalto’s building projects outside Finland included e.g. Viipuri library, a hall of residence at MIT in Boston, USA, residential buildings in Zürich Switzerland, and the opera house of Essen in Germany. • Aalto, Elina Elina Aalto graduated from the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH in 2000 and has since worked on a wide variety of design projects both alone and together with a group of three other designers called Fiasco. The projects have ranged from exhibition design for the Vantaa City Art Museum to the design of a new dining room for the Finnish embassy in Moscow. She has also worked for the Finnish design magazine Muoto. Elina Aalto is one of the cofounders and organizers of Imu. • Aalto, Klaus Klaus Aalto belongs to a group of three designers called Fiasko, whose recent works include the entrance facilities for Vantaa City Art Museum. He participated in the Saunabus project at the Milan furniture fair 2002. He currently works together with three other designers on a winning competition entry for new home furniture. In addition to furniture design, he also works with environmental art. His most recent work was a permanent painted wallpaper installation for a power plant in Helsinki. • Aarnio, Eero (1932–) An interior architect and furniture designer, Aarnio became famous for the futuristic chairs that he made from fibreglass in the 1960s, of which especially the Ball Chair has aroused international interest. His other fibreglass chairs include e.g. Pastil, Tomato, and Formula. On November 30, 2007, the president of Finland bestowed the honorary title of Professor on Aarnio. • Aartomaa, Tapani (1934–) A graphic designer and professor emeritus. Aartomaa operated his own graphic design studio and lectured for years at the Institute of Design in Helsinki and the School of Design in Lahti. He has designed several hundred posters and book illustrations and has received national and international recognition, exhibiting notably in Poland, Germany, Russia, Estonia, and Sweden but also in Cuba, Mexico, China and South Korea. In 1975, he was one of the acclaimed creators of the International Poster Biennial in Lahti. • Alfström, Tony ( 1972-) A tableware designer, who founded Tonfisk Design together with Brian Keaney. In addition to Tonfisk Design, he also designs for Sarner Cristal Ag and Arabia.
Open Helsinki — Embedding Design in Life
World Design Capital 2012 Application