Maiden voyage: L3 Design Dock opens for Helsinki Design Week

For this year’s Helsinki Design Week, a new harbour-side exhibition space – L3 Design Dock – has opened, housing a small yet special selection of Finnish craft and innovative creations that divert a little from the usual Habitare furniture fare. Taking over the downstairs section of the show, an exhibition of award-winning designer Samuli Naamanka’s multifaceted work called ‘Art and Industry’ is on display

(Image credit: Samuli Naamanka)

By Sujata Burman

last updated 31 October 2022

Since being bestowed the title of World Design Capital 2012, Helsinki has been busy instilling the discipline into its cultural DNA. This is the Finnish hub's 11th – with over 200 events taking place around town and a Guggenheim museum incoming, it’s conspicuously climbing the global design ranks. For this year's voyage, a new harbour-side exhibition space – has opened, housing a small yet special selection of Finnish craft and innovative creations that divert a little from the usual Habitare furniture fare.

Located in the developing waterside district of Jätkäsaari, the listed Lars Sonck-designed warehouse building has been transformed, by interior architect Joanna Laajisto, into a bustling design emporium for the week.

This year, Helsinki has further proved it can put on a cool show, with 40 exhibitors in residence, from artful student works to international talent, the latter exemplified in the installation 'Japanese Design Revisited' by Lexus. Curated by Stockholm-based Ikko Yokoyama, the crafted display included tech pieces by fashion designer Issey Miyake, aluminium 'Pipegram' toys by Ryu Kozeki and pigmented handmade tin tumblers called 'Four Seasons', launched this year by Jin Kuramoto for Nague.

From the student works on display, Aalto University’s ‘Sybaris’ project stood out as particularly cutting-edge. Named after the Greek city where inhabitants sought opulent pleasure and passion within luxury, the young designers took it upon themselves to interpret sensuality and pleasure in form. A variety of technological and interactive pieces were developed using idiosyncratic materials – from 'The Brushstroke'’s wafer thin, oxide dyed paper-clay ceramics, created by Anni-Marja Kuula; to more literal pleasure pieces such as Laura Maldonado’s 'Mimame', crafted in anything from feathers and pink granite to silver chains, in unusual ornamental hanging shapes.

Other innovative projects included the recently launched architecture enterprise Atelier House, by brother-sister duo Ateljé Sotamaa. The designers have conjured up the ideal answer to creating dream holiday homes made purely out of wood. Starting from sketches and then moving to 3D digital models, they allow clients to engage in every step of the design process, with the aim of creating affordable bespoke homes. The project is currently focusing on houses located on islands near Helsinki, with prototype models made of locally and sustainably sourced spruce and birch. Also being furniture designers, Ateljé Sotamaa can even kit out the houses’ interiors. It’s the full package.

Amidst the installations there were also furniture shows by the usual Nordic big hitters, including Carl Hansen and Kinnarps, while food was provided by wild herb foraging chef Sami Tallberg, popping up just for the occasion in an organically designed space at the top of the concrete set.

Oxide dyed paper-clay ceramics – called ’The Brushstroke — These oxide dyed paper-clay ceramics – called ’The Brushstroke’, by Anni-Marja Kuula – are part of the ’Sybaris’ exhibition devised by students from Aalto University

Also showing as part of ‘Sybaris’ are these ’Planetary Bowls’ by Erin Turkoglu. The free blown glass constructions continuously spin on their table, changing the visualisation of the creamy pastel colours.

Aalto University student Laura Maldonado’s ’Mimame’ pieces engage with the senses in their use different materials – from pink granite to silver chains in unusual ornamental style shapes

An installation by Lexus called ’Japanese Design Revisited’ was also on show. Curated by Stockholm-based Ikko Yokoyama, it included these Jun Murakoshi vases

Ryu Kozeki’s ‘Pipegram’ aluminium toys are playful yet digitally innovative

Jin Kuramotot’s ‘Four Seasons’ tin tumblers play with colour gradients (they were launched this year by Nague)

The exhibition took place right on the harbour, in the developing district of Jätkäsaari

New architecture enterprise, Atelier House by Ateljé Sotamaa, creates bespoke holiday homes from sustainable wood

Chairs by Pirkko Stenros’ Muurame brand

(Image credit: Muurame)

An organically designed space was conceived for wild herb foraging chef Sami Tallberg’s pop up cafe

Work by students at the LAMK Institute of Design and Fine Arts segued from pieces embracing the intricately crafted…

Geometric steel wall hangings from LAMK students

Sustainable wood design company Nikari’s stand

Nikari’s pieces are produced at their studio in a Fiskars village in southwest Finland

Carl Hansen showed their classic ’CH88’ chair in a series of bold colours

Iittala displayed their delicate new wall art pieces in a craftsman-style set up, that they advised the organisers not to tidy

INFORMATION

Helsinki Design Week runs until 13 September

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Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.

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