STUDIO YK
Design
Among the greats of Finnish design, Yrjö Kukkapuro defies categorisation. He lives as he designs, with a pragmatism that never compromises on experimentation and imagination, and he is a cornerstone of contemporary Finnish design and visual culture.
Much of a career that spans some 70 years, has originated from Studio Kukkapuro, the embodiment of his ideals, with its innovative undulating concrete ceiling, seemingly hovering above walls of windows, and so mathematically perfect it needed no interior columns to support the weight of its seemingly featherlight ceiling. Here on the outskirts of Helsinki, Kukkapuro lived and worked alongside Irmeli, his artist wife, and built his prototypes. Famed for his chairs – he thinks he has designed nearly 100 – Yrjö Kukkapuro is a true polymath who designed everything from furniture and lighting to exhibitions and fair booths. His status as a collectible designer means his work claims high prices at auction and several of his designs are being put into production again. The exhibition at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA), Yrjö Kukkapuro – Magic Room, honours his prolific career.
Read more in Ark Journal VOLUME IX.
WORDS ALISA LARSEN
PHOTOGRAPHY JONAS BJERRE-POULSEN
STYLING SIGRID GRY LAURSEN
JOURNEY’S END
A 90s portable church has found its home on a secluded hill in the forest, becoming a contemporary respite for creation and reflection for Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer.
CASE STUDY
— DISSONANT BEAUTY
As in music, interior design calls on many elements – rhythm, contrast, repetition – to create that most subjective of visions: beauty.
DESIGN MUMBAI
India’s creativity, natural resources, extensive skills, technological advancements and deep historical roots deserve wider recognition and appreciation.
STUDIO YK
Design
Among the greats of Finnish design, Yrjö Kukkapuro defies categorisation. He lives as he designs, with a pragmatism that never compromises on experimentation and imagination, and he is a cornerstone of contemporary Finnish design and visual culture.
Much of a career that spans some 70 years, has originated from Studio Kukkapuro, the embodiment of his ideals, with its innovative undulating concrete ceiling, seemingly hovering above walls of windows, and so mathematically perfect it needed no interior columns to support the weight of its seemingly featherlight ceiling. Here on the outskirts of Helsinki, Kukkapuro lived and worked alongside Irmeli, his artist wife, and built his prototypes. Famed for his chairs – he thinks he has designed nearly 100 – Yrjö Kukkapuro is a true polymath who designed everything from furniture and lighting to exhibitions and fair booths. His status as a collectible designer means his work claims high prices at auction and several of his designs are being put into production again. The exhibition at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA), Yrjö Kukkapuro – Magic Room, honours his prolific career.
Read more in Ark Journal VOLUME IX.
WORDS ALISA LARSEN
PHOTOGRAPHY JONAS BJERRE-POULSEN
STYLING SIGRID GRY LAURSEN