Last week Wallpaper* made the annual journey to Helsinki Design Week, where it discovered a city gearing up to take the reins as World Design Capital 2012. Habitare, the main show itself, was rife with interesting finds, including Finnish brand Nikari's beautiful handcrafted wooden furniture and the Protoshop group show of items just waiting to be put into production. Factories, studios and private houses also threw open their doors, including that of Finnish maestro Alvar Aalto. Here's what caught our eyes.
Today it houses the Alvar Aalto Foundation, the Alvar Aalto Archives and the Alvar Aalto Museum Architectural Heritage
Alvar Aalto ran the office until his death in 1976
The studio was built in the 1950s
Living room at the house of Alvar Aalto in Riihitie, just a short walk from his studio
The dining room of Aalto's house, completed in 1936
Aalto's original iittala glassware collection
Aalto’s studio in his own home
A telephone table in Aalto's house
Objects illustrated with Oiva Toikka designs at the Design Museum
Oiva Toikka's many birds
Toikka also doubles as a stage and costume designer. This is one of his opera costumes
Iittala's miniature world of coloured cubes at Helsinki Design Week's main show, Habitare
Tall cupboard by Nikari at Habitare
Sketch by Hannu Kahonen, winner of the Kaj Franck Design Prize, at Habitare
Sketch by Hannu Kahonen
'Kulmio' tiled hexagons by Maija Puoskari
'Tuoli' chair by Antti Tuomi
'Align' book storage by Satoshi Yoshida
'Tilkku' tiles series by Niina Aalto
'Stump' stools by Pasi Kärkkäinen
'Marker' by Mikael Mantila
'Keikko' markable wall clocks by Muoto2
Stools by Muoto2
Vintage architect's model
Vintage Kartio glasses by Kaj Franck for Nuutajärvi Notsjö
'Nappi' magazine storage by Suomi Soffa
Towels by Dora Jung for Lapuan Kankurit
Throws by Dora Jung for Lapuan Kankurit
Classic shelves at the Artek stand
'Kainu' rocker by Kaarle Holmberg for Kainu
'Solaris' striped cabinet by Habitek
Scatter cushions by Johanna Gullichsen Textile, Craft and Design
Tattoed scissors by Fiskars
New collection at Samuji design studio
Inside the Samuji design studio
One of the many traditional Finnish worker's houses spotted on an architectural tour of the Vallila district of Helsinki
The interior of the house, now the home of Samuji creative director, Samu-Jussi Koski
Religious artifacts on the walls of the house
A wooden staircase at the house
Marjukka Takala glassware on show at Design Forum Finland
Wooden 'Piknik-kit' by Katriina Nuutinen, which plays music and contains a set of champagne glasses, on show as part of Hit Happens at the Design Forum Finland
Didrichsen Art Museum designed by Viljo Revel. This image shows the dining room with an early version of a wall mounted dimmer switch
The living room and winter garden of the Didrichsen Art Museum
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Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in TexasThe artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
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Pierre-Yves Rochon celebrates ‘the great tradition of Italian design’ in Four Seasons Hotel Milano refreshThe sophisticated hotel’s 118 rooms and suites have been redesigned by the acclaimed designer and long-time collaborator of the brand
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How Bureau Betak transformed the runway showPioneering production company Bureau Betak has masterminded some of the most inspiring runway sets of the last 30 years, dazzling both real-life guests and an ever-growing virtual global audience. Hugo Macdonald meets the people behind the magic
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Postcard from Helsinki Design Week 2024The Finns lead the way when it comes to integrating design into everyday life, as they deftly demonstrate during Helsinki Design Week 2024
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Helsinki Design Museum celebrates Finnish icons Vuokko and Antti NurmesniemiA new exhibition in Helsinki (28 October 2022 – 9 April 2023) highlights the bold and bright creations of Finnish textile artist Vuokko Nurmesniemi and her equally talented husband Antti, Wallpaper* visits the designers’ house in Kulosaari
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Finnish village Fiskars opens new art and design BiennaleBritish designer Jasper Morrison co-curates the inaugural festival, appointing 18 international designers to create benches for the village
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Eero Aarnio at 85: ‘I am the master of my own design’ -
Iittala and Arabia's new Helsinki store offers the full Finnish design experience -
Global gathering: Jyväskylä welcomes the 8th International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar -
Maiden voyage: L3 Design Dock opens for Helsinki Design Week -
Helsinki Design Week 2011
