Helsinki-based outfit Joanna Laajisto Creative Studio recently completed a top-to-toe refurbishment of Intro. Located in Kuopio – an eastern Finnish town dramatically framed by a tableau of lake, sea and forest – the restaurant has long been a neighbourhood standby, known as much for its cosy, if dated, interiors as for its reliable local classics. The new space is now smartly divided into a nightclub, and a 50-seater restaurant headlined by local chef Risto Mikkola. The latter is an airy cocoon that parses Nordic restraint with unexpected punches of colour. The monochromatic geometric floor pattern is enlivened by sofas covered in Kvadrat wool fabric designed by Paul Smith; wooden dining chairs by Ton; and white pendant lamps by Slovenian designers Vertigo Bird.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Kauppakatu 20
Kuopio
Finland
-
Inside Kazakhstan’s brutalist Tselinny cinema – now a hub for contemporary cultureTselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, a modernist landmark redesigned for its new purpose by Asif Khan, gears up for its grand opening in Kazakhstan
-
Oliver Spencer’s orbiting installation offers a meditative shopping experience during London Design FestivalAt Oliver Spencer’s Shoreditch store, a sensory light installation by Studio Rhythmics offers a calming moment during LDF
-
These benches are made from £2.5m worth of shredded banknotesYou could be sitting on a fortune this London Design Festival, as the Bank of England Museum explores the creative repurposing of waste with furniture made from decommissioned banknotes
-
A local’s guide to Helsinki by Finnish-Karelian sculptor Anna PesonenAnna Pesonen shares her essential addresses in the Nordic region’s ‘alternative little sister’
-
Why Finland’s oldest city prides itself on its future legacyRediscover Turku, a city of islets and saunas, which is growing and changing with tradition, sustainability and climate as its guides
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Finland has been named the happiest country in the world, again – here’s what to do in this Nordic utopiaIf you want a taste of life in a country deemed the happiest in the world for eight years running, be sure to check out Wallpaper* editors’ favourite spots while you’re there
-
Finlandia Hall apartments: now, you can stay at a modernist masterpieceThe two Finlandia Hall apartments, Finlandia Homes, have now been restored to their former glory and are open to the public for booking, offering stays at Alvar Aalto's modernist masterpiece
-
Finlandia Hall bistro blends culinary indulgence with reborn modernismFinlandia Hall bistro opens in Helsinki, adding a foodie dimension to the Finnish modernist architecture marvel by Alvar Aalto
-
Welcome to Solo Sokos Pier 4, Helsinki’s fascinating new timber hotelArchitecture director Ellie Stathaki visits Helsinki’s timber hotel Solo Sokos Pier 4, designed by Anttinen Oiva Architects
-
Helsinki’s Hotel Maria is marked by history and opulenceThe Hotel Maria sets out to redefine the Nordic hospitality landscape with luxurious interiors, in-room saunas and a sumptuous spa
