// By now, anyone who has already visited Helsinki in 2012, or indeed anyone who has considered visiting Finland’s capital, will be aware of its proud designation of World Design Capital 2012. There are reminders everywhere, from the brand new Chapel of Silence in Narinkka square to the bright red public seats that have popped [...]
Celebrating its 150th anniversary and located in the heart of Helsinki, the Stockmann department store is the largest in Finland with around 17 million customers visiting the store annually. It is also the largest department store in the Nordic countries in terms of area and total sales. Stockmann’s is renowned for carrying all of the [...]
The Entrepreneurs and Shopkeepers of the Design District Helsinki Present Themselves Design District Helsinki celebrates the beginning of the summer with its own series of events during the first week of June. This year, the Design District Week is strongly coloured by the World Design Capital Helsinki -project. Another cause for celebration is the seventh [...]
The Pavilion is Open! An open-to-all space between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, the Pavilion is World Design Capital’s meeting point in Helsinki, where visitors who love design, architecture and urban culture can learn about and experience many aspects of the WDC 2012 year. Opening today, the weekend programme includes origami [...]
Founded in 1873 as a study collection for the School of Arts and Crafts, DESIGNMUSEO is a specialist museum that selects and maintains a versatile design collection of around 75,000 objects. The museum’s permanent exhibition, “Finnish Form”, traces the history of Finnish Design from the late 19th century to today, highlighting the most important periods [...]
As part of WDC Helsinki 2012, DocPoint 2012 will be screening four documentaries under the theme “Design/Garbage”. This series of documentaries will explore the significance of good, and bad, design. DocPoint is now in its 11th year, having been established in 2001, and is the largest festival of documentary films in the Nordic countries – [...]
Helsinki’s attainment of the World Design Capital designation has inspired Vaasa to take part in the events of 2012. The City of Vaasa’s participation in WDC2012 aims to create functional meeting places that provide for local residents, using the principles of sustainable development, and ensuring that there is a diversity of designs made visible. Vaasa [...]
Discovering Finland congratulate interior architect, designer and lecturer Simo Heikkilä on winning the Kaj Franck Design Prize of 2011. Professor Heikkilä set up his own studio in 1971 and he has also acted as the Director of Aalto University’s Wood Studio. In its statement the prize jury notes that with his humorous touch, Heikkilä has [...]
Along with the sauna and Santa Claus, it’s fair to say that Finnish design has reached virtually every part of the globe, even when people are unaware of it. The patterns Maija Isola designed for Marimekko can be seen in almost every city, and who knows how many people have passed through JFK airport in [...]
Although WDC2012 hasn’t begun quite yet I think this should make an interesting introduction to it. If you’re looking for something special for someone special this Christmas you’ll find a wealth of interesting options at any of the Ornamo Christmas Bazaars that will be open in five Finnish towns over the next month. Ornamo is [...]
