Tapio Anttila of Tapio Anttila Design is a designer based in Lahti, Finland. He has worked as an in-house designer at Isku, designing contract furniture, and previously as chief interior architect in large projects such as the interior design project of the Helsinki Vantaa Airport, at PES Architects. His scope of design varies from accessory items such as trays to entire furniture collections and wall paneling systems. Many of his designs have won awards, among them “Design Plus”, “Good Design”, “Fennia Prize” and “Adex Award”. Products designed by Anttila are available in design stores in Finland and around the world, including the MoMA Design Store in New York. His designs are produced and marketed by companies such as Lundia, Showroom Finland, and Woodnotes. Anttila is interested in working with Finnish wood in a modern way, while at the same time following tradition. The best examples of his technically innovative woodworking are the Kuvio and Tuohi collections for Showroom Finland.
TUOHI
Tuohi is Finnish for birch bark; in Finland there is a long tradition of making various kinds of utility articles from the material. The design of the Tuohi products is inspired by this tradition, combined with modern technology. Birch being a living organic material and structure makes each Tuohi product unique; the tones and patterns differ for every tree trunk. The choice of raw material is also very ecological because normally in the wood processing industry the bark would be wasted. The Tuohi wall element included in the exhibition section of STRAIGHTFORWARD is a new kind of surface product for the home or public spaces – lending interiors a living and organic touch. The elements can be used to cover either entire walls or smaller areas. The body of the wall element is made of 12 mm MDF board, and the surface of selected birch bark. All edges have interlocking joints. The elements can be nailed or glued to the wall. Tapio Anttila’s Tuohi collection also includes a selection of trays and a lamp.
