Studioilse turns the VitraHaus loft into the home of a fictional couple for Vitra and Artek’s current exhibition

Living room in apartment, lived in by fictional couple

The first joint exhibition of design brands Vitra and Artek, curated by Ilse Crawford, takes the form of an apartment, lived in by fictional couple Hari and Astrid, in the loft of the VitraHaus, Weil am Rhein. Photography: Felix Odell

(Image credit: Felix Odell)

By Ellen Himelfarb

last updated 14 July 2022

in Features

The loft of Harri and Astrid in Weil am Rhein, Germany, is the perfect fusion of their Finnish and German heritage: easy, understated and practical. A musician and set designer, respectively, they've blended their passions harmoniously, building a space for work, rest and entertaining that is full of light and life. Along the way they've been guided by a tenet of the legendary Finnish designer Alvar Aalto, that 'every house should be a fruit of our endeavour to build an earthly paradise for people'.

Harri and Astrid are, of course, fictional characters. They represent the shared values of Artek and Vitra, the two contemporary design brands that joined forces last autumn. Ilse Crawford of Studioilse curated the design of the loft, atop VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein, not only to celebrate Vitra's recent acquisition of Artek - founded by Aalto - but to portray the collections as they are in life, not as artworks behind glass.

The loft will be open to the public all year, as an extension of the Vitra campus.

Studio in VitraHaus loft — The home of Harri (a musician) and Astrid (a set designer) is also their joint studio

VitraHaus loft apartment — A quiet corner in the VitraHaus loft

Candles in brass mugs — Crawford's domestic tableaux are a response to a request from Nora Fehlbaum of Vitra and Mirkku Kullberg of Artek to bring the two brands to life in the loft installation

Joint desk workspace in loft studio — At the centre of the studio is a joint desk, where Harri and Astrid can work at either end

Communal workspace in studio — Alongside items from the back catalogues of Vitra and Artek, Crawford filled the loft with personal items that communicate the couple's creative lifestyle

Loft dining area with long table — The loft is loosely divided into a studio and a living area, which is anchored by a long dining table that could serve multiple purposes

Long dining table with assortment of chairs — An assortment of chairs collected over the years circle the long dining table

Upright piano and drinks trolley — The upright piano, next to the drinks trolley, is used for spontaneous performances at parties

Library area with occasional chairs — A history of the Vitra and Artek collections is arranged among books and objects from this fictional lifestyle

Grand piano and art easels — A grand piano in the studio nods to Harri's work in music

Corkbboard faced studio goodwill — A studio wall faced in corkboard is used as a moodboard by both residents

Daybed and artwork in loft studio — Next to Harri's easels and beneath his recent artwork is an Artek trolley, designed by Alvar Aalto. The Vitra 'Suita' daybed was designed by Antonio Citterio

Artist work trolley with art supplies — The trolley doubles as an artist's workstation

ADDRESS

Ray Eames Strasse
1 D-79576
Weil am Rhein
Germany

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Based in London, Ellen Himelfarb travels widely for her reports on architecture and design. Her words appear in The Times, The Telegraph, The World of Interiors, and The Globe and Mail in her native Canada. She has worked with Wallpaper* since 2006.