Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2011 | Page 19

flocking to Helsinki, eager to get a sneak peak at the coming year. For instance, The Guardian claimed that there’s good design everywhere in Helsinki, and even the natives (with their high cheek bones) have a statuesque quality. Trend bible Monocle picked Helsinki on its list of the world’s best cities to live in (at number five), and launched an entire special edition on Finland. Nature & Nurture The roots of Finnish design, of course, run deep and wide. There is the spectacular father and son combo (Eliel and Eero Saarinen) and the sheer genius of Alvar Aalto; nicely complemented by Tapio Wirkkala’s romantic stylings and the sculptural forms of Timo Sarpaneva (to name but a few). Throughout the decades, designers have been inspired by the forces of nature, the changing seasons, and the delicate play of Northern light. Standing between East and West, Finnish design has always been in a unique position to do something a little bit different. The present-day designers – such as Paola Suhonen and Stefan Lindfors – are continuing this tradition of “Finnovation”. Tero Vähäkylä, Chairman of the International Design Foundation which is in charge of WDC2012 Helsinki, observes that in the aftermath of the Second World War, Finland was in a search of a more modern identity. Together with the industry, designers took on the challenge of the changing times and came up with a blueprint for new, urban life. During 1950-1960, many design classics were created products which even today, fifty years later, are still in production and very much in demand. “Design was one of the key building blocks of the national identity in post-war Finland. Designers such as Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck won international acclaim and the whole nation was rooting for them,” says Vähäkylä, former CEO of design powerhouse Iittala Group. Practically Beautiful At the same time, the link between design and everyday Finnish lifestyle was very strong. Ordinary Finnish households would feature Iittala, Arabia or some other (soon to be world-famous) brand. The practical approach was always evident in the works of the era, and the aesthetic appeal was felt well outside the so-called design-lovers’ circuit. “In a sense, a certain democratisation of design was taking place in Finland. Under this ideology, design belonged to everyone,” Vähäkylä states. Nordicum 17