Finnish Design Blog

AALTO FOUNDATION DIRECTOR, MARKKU LAHTI, LECTURES IN USA ON ALVAR AALTO – The Man and his Work

Professor Markku Lahti, Director of the Alvar Aalto Foundation and the Alvar Aalto Museum, is perhaps the Worlds most knowledgeable individual on Alvar Aalto. Markku Lahti, born in Finland in 1947, will travel in November to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Center for Architecture in New York City, and the National Building Museum to lecture on Aalto – the man and his work. Professor Lahti’s trip is sponsored by iittala, Inc. and Iittala, manufacturer and distributor of the famous design icon – The Aalto Vase designed in 1936.

Markku Lahti has been the Director of the Alvar Aalto Museum since 1973 and the Director of the Alvar Aalto Foundation since 1998. Professor Lahti has published several books on Aalto – most recently: “Alvar Aalto. A Gentler Structure for Life”, 1998 and “Alvar Aalto Houses”, 2005. Professor Lahti will be at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on November 2 for a public lecture on Alvar Aalto. On November 4, he will offer a public lecture in New York City at the Center for Architecture. He will then travel to Ithaca, New York for a VIP reception on November 5 at Contemporary Trends. The National Building Museum in Washington D.C. will host Professor Lahti and the iittala company for the entire day – November 8. The National Building Museum will host a VIP Luncheon with Ambassador Pekka Lintu from the Embassy of Finland. The evening lecture at the National Building Museum will be open to the public.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Contemporary Trends and the National Building Museum retail stores will present the entire Alvar Aalto Vase Collection produced by Iittala.

Iittala has produced the famous Aalto vase since 1936 and in celebration of the 70th Anniversary has launched a special petrol blue anniversary vase that will be produced in 2006 only – then retired. The Aalto vase has been in constant production since 1936 and represents what most people think of when referring to modern design. The Iittala Factory in Finland celebrates 125 year history this year.

Just arrived! The Spotted Towhee was created by Oiva Toikka and iittala in partnership with the Audubon Society in Washington. This beloved backyard bird is a symbol of the local Tahoma Audubon Society. Truly a collector’s item, the Spotted Towhee is a limited edition of only 1,500 – each bird is individually numbered xxxx/1500.

On the bottom of each handmade Spotted Towhee is hand-etched the number (xxxx/1500), name of the artist, Oiva Toikka, and of his studio in Nuutajärvi, Finland.

iittala Toikka birds are great gifts for bird-lovers and glass collectors. Each bird is a unique piece of handmade artwork.

You may have noticed from our previous post that a couple Marimekko fabrics were spotted on Project Runway last week. Well, those of you who watched the season finale last night are sure to recognize these two prints from Marimekko as well. Shown here (L to R) are the Marimekko Appelsiini and Marimekko Kaiku patterns. These patterns were spotted in the beginning of the episode – the Blue Appelsiini as a tablecloth and Kaiku as a wall hanging. Currently available are the Appelsiini Tea Towel, Kaiku Tea Towel, Kaiku Mug, Kaiku Shower Curtain, Kaiku Tray, Kaiku Napkins, and Kaiku Fabric. 

The Aalto Votive Candle Holder is a stunning combination of designer Alvar Aalto’s vision and the remarkable craftsmanship of the iittala glassworks. The shape of these votives is based on Aalto’s iconic design and is large enough to easily accept a votive candle. Available in three colors: clear, grey, and blueberry, these Aalto Votive Candle Holders are a great gift for that design-conscious someone in your life.

If you’ve been following Project Runway: Season 3, then you’ll recognize these Marimekko fabrics. The Marimekko Kaivo and Marimekko Lumimarja fabrics can be seen adorning the walls of the designer’s rooms in a recent episode. Each print was used in a slightly different way; The Lumimarja fabric was split into individual panels to create a wall hanging, while the Kaivo fabric was used as one larger piece. Marimekko fabrics are a great way to decorate the walls of your home.

Timo Sarpaneva, a Finnish designer whose creative pieces have found their way into museums throughout the world, died on Monday, October 2nd according to Finnish news agency STT.

Sarpaneva is one of the great personalities of Finnish design. In addition to his many creations, including the Sarpaneva Pot, Timo Sarpaneva created the iittala i-mark, which celebrated it’s 50th anniversary this year.

Timo Sarpaneva has been honored with innumerable awards and acknowledgements and many of his designs remain as popular today as the day they were introduced.

Lokki Brown Duvet Cover

These plush brown duvet covers by Marimekko will add a sense of warmth to your bedroom. Style, function, and comfort – these Lokki brown duvet covers by Marimekko have it all. Made from 100% cotton, the Lokki duvet cover is comfortable, durable, and easy to wash. The Lokki brown duvet cover is available in three sizes: twin, queen, and king.

Marimekko will participate prominently in the Designpartners06 event to be organized at the Cable Factory cultural centre in Helsinki as the culmination of the second international Helsinki Design Week festival.

On its stand, Marimekko will show award-winning designs from the “Design, meet the user!” competition organised in celebration of the 2005 year of design. The designers whose works will be exhibited are: Iiro A. Ahokas, Tom Cederqvist, Anna Ervamaa, Pia Holm, Tuula Kaakinen, Elina Keltto, Aino-Maija Metsola, Jenni Tuominen ja Katriina Viitaniemi.

Marimekko fashion designed by Samu-Jussi Koski and Mika Piirainen can also be seen at the event, in an exciting fashion show on Saturday, 30 September, starting at 4pm.

Designpartners06 will be open to the public Thu–Fri, 28–29 Sept., from 1pm to 7pm, and Sat, 30 Sept., from 11am to 6pm.
http://www.helsinkidesignweek.fi/english