Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Nordic Architecture Special – Finland
Owners Sanni Seppälä (left) and Milka Tulinen (right).
Helsinki City Museum features some of Kakadu’s unique designs: from an ‘80s-style conference room where the cabinets have been inspired by an old TV format, to old doors used in the museum’s shop and grass stools in the lounge area.
Creating atmospheric spaces From offices to meeting and business spaces – and, most recently, a project with a museum in Helsinki – no job is too ambitious for Kakadu. Armed with plenty of expertise and bucket loads of enthusiasm, the company is set to create functional spaces to suit every client’s needs. By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Tulinen & Partners
Ten years ago, Sanni Seppälä and Milka Tulinen set up Kakadu, an interior architecture company. Since then, the company’s extensive portfolio has included offices, meeting spaces and business spaces to name a few. “Working with each project is a unique puzzle, where the first piece is assessing the functionality needs for the space in question, along with any additional client needs,” says Seppälä. “We believe in all-round co-operation with our clients and we work closely with them on each project.” Kakadu’s most recent project involved designing the public spaces and signage for the new Helsinki City Museum, opened in May this year, which showcases everyday life in Helsinki 106 | Issue 93 | October 2016
in the past and present. The museum has been nominated as New European Museum of the Year in the Leading Culture Destinations Awards. From fixtures in the museum shop that use old doors from buildings in Helsinki, to detailed illustrations in the ceiling of the customer toilets to depict the idiosyncrasies of neighbourhoods in Helsinki, Kakadu specialises in unique design features to support the special requirements of a space. “The museum was a slightly different project to our usual repertoire. The museum’s aim was to attract 200,000 visitors in its first year. That amount has already been passed, less than five months since opening, which means
their goal of a new kind of accessible public space has been achieved,” Tulinen explains. “We always aim to create spaces that people can interact with – and spaces that ooze positive vibes,” she says. Kakadu also try to create an atmosphere that reflects the purpose of the space in question through different materials, colours and furniture choices for example. They can make even a compact room feel more spacious. Seppälä adds: “We use durable, good-quality materials that look stylish but are also timeless.” Tulinen concludes: “For us, design is all about answering to our clients’ needs, and that is why we work closely with our customers. The rest follows – and our passion for design shines through in our work.” For more information, please visit: www.kakadu.fi