A series of spatial installations in Suomitalo celebrate classics, creativity and the meaning of encounters
The annual theme of Helsinki Design Week is Celebration. In the atmospheric rooms of the main venue Suomitalo (open 5–14 September), a series of spatial installations will showcase the diversity of design – celebrating encounters, light, living, renewal, freedom of expression and cross-disciplinary creativity.
Encounters have always been at the heart of Helsinki Design Week. This year, they are celebrated together with the festival’s long-time friends, Nikari and Woodnotes. A space has been created in Suomitalo that invites both friends and strangers to sit down together around the same table.
Classics are celebrated in Vitra’s room. At HDW, Vitra presents a comprehensive update of its world-famous Eames collection, highlighting several iconic designs by Charles and Ray Eames in a new light. The updates include more sustainable materials, new finishes, and a selection of authentic colour shades. The American design duo Charles and Ray Eames were always searching for solutions to both old and new challenges: they experimented with innovative structures, materials, forms and methods. Again and again, they introduced pioneering ideas driven by a strong desire to unite design and practicality. Yet Charles and Ray never considered their work finished. Each new step forward or meaningful insight was for them an opportunity to refine and push their creations even further. Classics will be discussed on stage as well, when Stine Liv Buur from Vitra joins Weekly Talks on Monday 8 September at 4pm. More details can be found here.
A new material innovation from Aalto University, Shimber – which has already attracted international attention – celebrates the uncompromising combination of research and top-quality contemporary design.
For Helsinki-based SAAS INSTRUMENTS, the heritage of Finnish design is itself a cause for celebration. On show is, among other highlights, the 340Y luminaire designed by Yrjö Kukkapuro and Henrik Enbom. Alongside carefully selected classics, a new product is also unveiled: the Taiten lamp, designed by Mikael Mantila. Made of brass and acrylic, this new piece emphasises minimalist design. SAAS INSTRUMENTS is also launching a limited edition of its Light Ware table lamp in collaboration with Fiskars. In this series of just 50 pieces, the Light Ware lamp is paired with a beautiful serving board crafted by Fiskars. The collaboration brings together design expertise from two different fields. It forms part of Fiskars LAB – an innovative platform exploring new ideas, partnerships and design expressions that challenge the traditional boundaries of everyday objects.
A theme particularly close to HDW – housing architecture – is given its own room. Although the home is our most intimate space, housing design often remains in the shadow of more monumental public buildings. In recent years, several new residential areas have been designed and built for city dwellers in Helsinki, and some of the most distinctive of these are presented at the House of Finland. Visitors can explore, among others, Ambra (One Architects) and Meander (Newil & Bau). The same theme is also addressed in the House by an Architect evening on 11 September. More information can be found here.
Celebrating freedom of expression demands a dedicated room – after all, skilful graphic design plays an irreplaceable role in this. Posters are mirrors of their time and can act as instruments of social change. They are a true celebration of free expression. The Lahti International Poster Triennial will bring to this space, in collaboration with Grafia, the Poster Friends Guild, the Malva Museum of Visual Arts, and Amnesty International Finland, a selection of the most impactful poster art.
The final room in the series celebrates applied arts. At its core lies the integration of aesthetics, functionality and usability in objects, environments and services. Their aim is to make everyday life not only more practical but also richer, both visually and experientially. Lokal has in a remarkable way brought applied arts into the present, giving the field and its makers the artistic freedom to create. At Suomitalo, participating artists and designers include Jaea Cheng, Sasha Huber, Paula Kasu, Inka Kivalo, Nathalie Lautenbacher, Linda Linko, Raija Malka, Santtu Mustonen, Renata Schirm, Milla Vaahtera and Sini Villi.
The corridor connecting the rooms is taken over TUULI by Experience Aika, a spatial artwork celebrating the 20th anniversary of Helsinki Design Week. This multisensory installation evokes memories and imagination, inviting visitors to linger in the space. The international team behind the work consists of Marta Lissowska, Otso Vartiainen, Mika Johnson, Jukka Karhula, Eli Stine and Nikolas Žáček. Johnson will be one of the presenters of PechaKucha Night on 12 September. Book your tickets to a memorable evening in the Old Church here.