Reading Room

Welcome to the reading room. Have a seat and leaf through news, stories, interviews and anecdotes about our products, its designers and the people around the world who brought Artek into their lives.

Artek Villa Mairea Takapiha

How Villa Mairea came to embody the Artek Interior

How Villa Mairea came to embody the Artek Interior

Finished in 1939, Aino and Alvar Aalto’s modernist masterpiece became a symbol of Artek’s ongoing quest to merge function with artistic expression in the home.

Artek Crafted Through Time in-situ dining capsule Armchair 45 envy olive leather A333 table 91 walnut screen 100

Crafted Through Time - furniture for multi-layered living spaces

Artek forest collection group landscape SRGB

Forest Collection

Forest Collection

The Forest Collection introduces a new "wild birch" wood selection developed by Artek and design studio Formafantasma. Classic Aalto furniture pieces are made using more of the tree, embracing the natural variations...

PR Paul Smith Artek2small

Artek Reimagined By Paul Smith

Connected by a shared commitment to innovation, enduring quality and human-centric design, Paul Smith and Artek have come together to present bold new versions of several classic products from the Artek collection.

Tekla ainoaalto artek tekla percalebedding kirsikankukka campaign press 6 LR

Tekla and Artek pay homage to Aino Aalto

Reading Room by Formafantasma at Stockholm Furniture Fair 3

Formafantasma’s Reading Room at Stockholm Furniture Fair previews Artek’s upcoming Forest Collection.

Making of Tiili Collection 14 min

Finding strength in fragility

VITRA LDF 2023 web 18

Friendly alterations: ‘Hackability of the Stool’ by Daisuke Motogi

Formafantasma Cambio on Finnish forestry 6

Ecological Shifts, Artek and Formafantasma

3192781_Stool_60_photo_Mikko_Ryhanen_preview

Care & Maintenance

Kaleidoscope Room 0910 3 min

Artek and Formafantasma inaugurate the Kaleidoscope Room at Seoul’s SONGEUN

230228 artek SB0007

Artek launches Stool 60 Sleeping Beauty

ARTEK TANE ELEPHANT 2

Artek meets Dover Street Market Ginza

Kori Table Light_on

Kori Collection: a skilful interplay of direct and indirect light

Pendant_light_A333_On_2

Lighting

Chair_611_Aalto_table_91_Riikka_Kantinkoski

Re-Webbing Guide

Archive

86 items in total

Elegance Updated

"Today the new top-class Restaurant Savoy was opened in a handsome new building at the corner of the South Esplanade and …

"Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec / Art & Technology" at Artek Tokyo and Cibone

For the two installations titled "Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec / Art & Technology" currently shown at Artek Tokyo an …

Perfect Imperfection

Artek began its collaborative journey with Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec in 2013. After two years of development, the graph …

The Poetry of Light

Where do art and technology converge? Can industrial manufacturing produce poetic simplicity?
A new family of mirrors p …

New: Rope Chair and Tupla Wall Hook by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec are known as much for their technical expertise as for their graceful artistry. Celebrated …

Atelier Chairs for a good cause

Founded in 1991, La Source is a French organization supporting the social development and integration of underprivileged …

Artek at Stockholm Furniture Fair

At Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020, Artek introduces Rope Chair and Tupla Wall Hook designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroull …

Artek at imm cologne 2020

At imm cologne 2020, under the slogan “One Chair is Enough” Atelier Chair, Chair 611, Domus Chair and the newly relaunch …

Designing for the world

How did a humble wooden chair from Finland become an international bestseller 70 years ago?
Today, in our global and di …

Aalto + Chamberlain at the Judd Foundation New York

Donald Judd (1928-1994) remains one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century. An avid collector of Aalto …

So far and yet so close

Beauty for the everyday, nature and traditional crafts- qualities that connect Japan and Finland. On the occasion of Fin …

Alvar Aalto’s Stool 60 wins 2019 Long Life Design Award

Artek is proud to announce that Alvar Aalto’s iconic Stool 60 has been awarded the 2019 Good Design Long Life Design Awa …

Blue Gold from BUAISOU

BUAISOU, based in Japan’s Tokushima prefecture, is a “farm-to-closet” project run by four friends with a shared passion: …

“Landscape of Design” at Artek Tokyo

During Tokyo’s annual design and art festival DESIGNART, Artek Tokyo launches the new Kiulu Bench designed by Koichi Fut …

The secret world of COMPANY

The Finnish-Korean design practice COMPANY has its studio in Helsinki, but its founders dream far beyond the boundaries …

Jo Nagasaka’s ColoRing meets Artek classics

Launched on the occasion of the centennial of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan, Jo Nagasaka’s collaboratio …

Artek and Institute of Contemporary Arts present artist’s edition by Barbara Kruger

Artek has joined forces with London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, ICA, to produce an artist’s edition by Barbara Kru …

Cherry blossom returns to Japan

Aino Aalto’s Kirsikankukka textile design was inspired by a gift to the Finnish designer from Madame Ichikawa, wife of t …

CHANGING ROOMS – Artek at Helsinki Design Week

During Helsinki Design Week, 5-15 September 2019, Artek Helsinki shows the installation CHANGING ROOMS, highlighting the …

Pieces of Aalto - A conversation between friends

Created to celebrate the anniversary of 100 years of Finnish-Japanese diplomatic relations, Artek’s FIN/JPN Friendship C …

Kiulu Bench - from bathhouse to sauna, and beyond

Public bathing has been central to both Japanese and Finnish culture for hundreds of years. So what better way to celebr …

CIBONE Aoyama premieres the FIN/JPN Friendship Collection in Japan

CIBONE Aoyama in Tokyo launches ColoRing by Jo Nagasaka and premieres Artek’s entire FIN/JPN Friendship Collection in Ja …

Suspended Illumination - Pendant Lights AMA500 & A201

Alvar Aalto believed that the purpose of architecture is to ‘bring the material world into harmony with human life.’ To …

Artek Helsinki hosts FIN/JPN Friendship Exhibition

Artek’s FIN/JPN Friendship Collection was born to mark the 100 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland …

Chair 611: The Staying Power of a Modern Icon

Visiting a friend’s house for dinner, Kim Byman’s eye was caught by some beautiful but in-need-of-restoration chairs. Th …

Artek opens its first store in Japan

To mark the 100-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan, Artek has opened its first store in …

Buy Now Keep Forever

Authenticity, longevity, and a sustainable use of resources are expected from good design today, making Artek products m …

Artek at Salone del Mobile 2018

At Salone del Mobile 2018 Artek is asking „How big is small?”, exploring the potential of smaller spaces. As cities are …

Modernism Transformed

Alvar Aalto’s tuberculosis hospital in Paimio was acclaimed as the epitome of functionalism, yet unleashed a new humanis …

Artek at Milan Design Week 2019

To mark the 100 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan, Artek presents the FIN/JPN Friendshi …

A fresh look for the Restaurant Savoy

With a lot of love and a bit of repair, Helsinki’s iconic Restaurant Savoy and archetypal Artek interior have been given …

Artek 2nd Cycle is online

Please step in! The Artek 2nd Cycle initiative now also has an online presence. Design-lovers now can not only discover …

The Elemental Simplicity of Rope

Few materials are as multifunctional as rope. Due to its tensile strength, its applications are endless: from hunting an …

Artek at imm cologne 2018

Artek classic and contemporary items come together to demonstrate that even spaces of limited proportions can be intelli …

Tung Chiang: "My favourite Aalto chair - now also Aalto’s favourite."

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Felix Burrichter: "An Artek-TikTok love letter."

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Stool 60 duos for a good cause

Founded in 1991, La Source is a French organization supporting the social development and integration of underprivileged …

Nobuyuki Hamada: "I can feel the former owner's excitement."

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Artek and BLESS at the Chicago Architecture Biennial

Finnish furniture company Artek and Berlin/Paris based BLESS have joined forces to create BLESS N°60 Lobby Conquerors, c …

Linda Bergroth: “My love affair with rescue chairs is still going strong.”

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Artek at Maison & Objet Paris

At Maison & Objet Paris in September 2017 Artek introduces Daniel Rybakken’s new 124° mirror series. A new version o …

Something Fantastic: "To us, it's a chair in the making."

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Factory Visit - an exhibition at Artek Helsinki

The summer exhibition at Artek Helsinki in 2017 brings in a piece of the wood-scented Littoinen factory where Alvar Aalt …

Johanna Gullichsen: "I have no intention of letting it go just yet."

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Supreme x Artek

Artek has joined forces with cult brand Supreme to develop two collaborative products: Alvar Aalto’s Stool 60 and Bench …

The quest for a universal wooden chair

Ilmari Tapiovaara was one of the greatest interior architects and designers of his era. We talked to Pekka Korvenmaa to …

124° - Artek on Skeppsholmen

From 7th to 11th February 2017, the installation “124° – Artek on Skeppsholmen” showcases the new collection by Daniel R …

Garden as a Room

It’s early. Karoliina Hellberg has a lunchtime appointment at a printer in Lahti, an hour north of Helsinki, where her n …

Artek at Maison & Objet Paris

At Maison & Objet Paris in January, Artek presents three new products: Rivi, a new textile pattern by Ronan & Er …

A hook for all seasons

A powerful tool for all seasons and weathers, Tupla can hold a variety of items, indoor, outdoor and all year round.
Its …

imm cologne: Artek celebrates Finland’s 100th anniversary

At imm cologne 2017, Artek presents Alvar Aalto’s classic L-Leg products in a fresh new finish to commemorate the centen …

Petter Eklund: “The chair began to whisper to me”

Easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose, Artek’s designs are made to last. Many of our friends and collaborators have li …

Tracing Architectural Patterns

Alvar Aalto was famously enamoured of Tuscany – its picturesque landscapes and rolling hills, its medieval cities and st …

Aalto in Paris

While Alvar Aalto’s architecture and designs can be found all over the world, this spring the Finnish master’s presence …

Built to Last: The Aesthetics of Utility

At a display of the beautiful patched boro textiles of northern Japan, shown at Stockholm’s Museum of Far Eastern Antiqu …

Kindred Spirits – Artek + Heath Ceramics Collaboration

Two companies with a shared passion for craftsmanship and beauty come together to create new takes on classic Artek desi …

Blending the past and present

An embodiment of thoughtful contrasts, the Rope Chair designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec makes a public debut in t …

Maharam Stool 60 edition

Maharam’s range of color, pattern, texture, and natural materials come to life on Aalto’s three-legged stool. As complem …

New Artek Oy office in Helsinki

Artek Oy has moved its headquarters to new premises in central Helsinki. Situated in an elegant 19th century building at …

The Aaltos at Villa Mairea: A More Human Light

In the 1930s, Alvar and Aino Aalto evolved a radical new approach to architecture, one which emerged fully fledged at an …

Daniel Rybakken exhibition at the Helsinki Design Museum

Until 26 August 2018, visitors to Helsinki’s Design Museum will encounter “Daylight & Objects”, an exhibition presen …

Artek, Forbo Linoleum and Aalto University present designs for hospitality needs

For over 80 years Artek and Forbo Linoleum have worked together to produce many of Artek’s best-loved designs. To celebr …

The Compact Home Office

Today, as new approaches to work become ever more common, many of us are spending increasing amounts of time working fro …

Artek at Maison & Objet Paris

At Maison & Objet Paris in September Artek continues its exploration of compact space. Classic and contemporary desi …

Nationalmuseum in Stockholm reopens showing Atelier Chair by TAF Studio

A collaboration is often unpredictable but always exciting when it combines the strength of two well-matched partners. T …

Artek at Orgatec 2018

At Orgatec 2018, Artek focusses on the role of the Universal Wooden Chair in the contemporary workspace, introducing the …

Artek at imm cologne 2019

At imm cologne 2019, Artek presents Atelier Chair, a universal wooden chair that was designed by TAF Studio for the new …

Artek at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2019

Atelier Chair, designed by TAF Studio for the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, and Alvar Aalto’s Chair 611 from 1929, are se …

Artek wins first ever German Sustainability Award for Design

Artek is proud to announce that Stool 60 won the first-ever German Sustainability Award for Design in the category Icons …

Artek and the ICA present artist customisation by Fischli/Weiss

Peter Fischli & David Weiss’s 21 Questions (2021) is the second in an ongoing series of artist customisations betwee …

From the Pacific to the Baltic: an Artek + Heath collaboration

Artek and Heath continue their creative union with a limited-edition, custom Stool 60 Nesting Set designed as part of He …

TEN: 10 years, 10 stories, 10 products

Artek 2nd Cycle is Artek’s platform for pre-loved Finnish design: it buys and sells rediscovered furniture, lighting and …

“Kesäjuhla Artekissa” - an exhibition at Artek Helsinki

The best moments of summer are encapsulated in memories that tell the story of a lifetime. They are unplanned encounters …

"Cambio – on Finnish Forestry” at Designmuseo Helsinki

In 2020, Formafantasma set up Cambio, an ongoing investigation into the extraction, production and distribution of wood …

Wooden Conversations

The award-winning Domus Chair was designed in 1946 by Finnish designer and interior architect Ilmari Tapiovaara for the …

Connecting Craft in Wood and Clay

Artek and Heath Ceramics have come together once again to produce a collection of furniture that embodies their values a …

Connecting Craft in Wood and Clay

Artek and Heath Ceramics have come together once again to produce a collection of furniture that embodies their values a …

Tekla and Artek pay homage to Aino Aalto

The collection features a scaled version of Aino Aalto's Kirsikankukka (or cherry blossom) motif, printed across white, …

W.W. Artek - Celebrating Wood Wood's 20th anniversary

WOOD WOOD co-founder Brian SS Jensen added a dimension of colour to the iconic Stool 60 without compromising the wood's …

Kori Collection by TAF Studio

In Finnish, Kori means “basket”, and speaks of the intelligent core element designed to create a warm, generous atmosphe …

Decades: An Exhibition by Artek 2nd Cycle to Celebrate 90 Years of Stool 60

To celebrate Stool 60’s 90th anniversary, Artek 2nd Cycle presents the exhibition Decades, which pays tribute to the thr …

The Paimio Sanatorium Anniversary Collection

The Paimio Sanatorium, Aino and Alvar Aaltos’ groundbreaking functionalist building, was completed 90 years ago. Artek c …

Artek and Formafantasma introduce a new aesthetic of sustainability with “wild birch”

Artek and design studio Formafantasma have teamed up to encourage a wider, wilder, and more responsible use of wood. Sto …

Artek presents Tiili, a new collection of extruded ceramic objects.

Tiili (‘brick’ in Finnish) is a collection of everyday ceramic objects designed and made by Catalan ceramicist and desig …

Stool 60 Loimu

To share the dramatic reveal of the flame pattern and to encourage an understanding of this rare varietal, each Stool 60 …

Aalto Tables and Benches

Artek introduces new sizes and typologies to the Aalto Table collection for compact living and office spaces and a wider …