Protoshop designs highlight versatility and user engagement
Selections have been made for the prototypes to be showcased at the Protoshop exhibition, produced by Finland’s leading design event, Habitare, and Imu Design. To be held for the 11th time, the exhibition is a platform for young designers to meet potential manufacturers and users of their products. Habitare will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki from 11 to 15 September 2019.
Curated by Habitare and Imu Design, the Protoshop exhibition, to be located in Habitare’s The Block area, serves as a platform for young designers to test the appeal of their product ideas. This year’s Protoshop will feature ten new prototypes, all of which demonstrate an insightful way of finding new solutions to current issues and the ability to turn an idea into a product that will stand the test of time.
The designers Elina Aalto, Krista Kosonen and Saara Renvall have served as curators of the Protoshop exhibition since its inception. The 2019 Protoshop call for entries attracted 117 proposals, among which the curators sought ideas that would combine a new vision with strong product potential.
“It is interesting to see the themes that young designers are interested in each year. This year’s designs share the features of versatility, efficient use of materials, producibility and user engagement. Since 2009, Protoshop has presented 127 prototypes from 120 designers, and through Protoshop, dozens of product ideas have made it into production with manufacturers in Finland and other Nordic countries”, says Elina Aalto from Imu Design.
The main partner of Protoshop is Glorian Koti magazine. “Glorian Koti has represented bold and passionate interior design enthusiasts for 25 years. Young designers introduce delightful energy to Glorian Koti. It is important that, alongside classic beauty and interior decoration trends, we provide coverage of the completely new, fresh mindset of a new generation”, says Saila-Mari Kohtala, editor-in-chief of Glorian Koti.
The designs selected for Protoshop in 2019 include:
NUKU, Elisa Defossez
A modular acoustic element that receives its organic, wavy shape as sound-damping tiles are attached to each other.
MR, Anna-Sofia Juntunen
A magazine rack with minimal use of materials and manufacturing stages.
DAWN, Iina Kettunen
A glass tie-back that secures an open curtain, giving it a beautiful look.
HILJA, Helmi Liikanen
A versatile woven fabric that works both as a blanket and as an art textile.
UUNO, Fanni Laukkanen
A cafe chair with an integrated storage compartment for personal items.
FRIENDS, Tomi Laukkanen
A set of furniture with a stool and a table, which can also be stacked to form a shelf.
VARPU (‘Sprig’), Laura Meriluoto
A floor lamp with a light source and a magnifying lens. By adjusting the parts in relation to each other, the lamp provides either general or spot lighting.
VARJO (‘Shadow’), Onni-Vilhelm Ojanen
A ceiling lamp in which a plant acts as a shade.
NIGHT FLOWERS, Matilda Palmu
A series of interior textiles inspired by wilting tulips.
MAIDEN, Jukka Surakka
A two-part product including a table lamp and a floor lamp, with curved, freely drawn shapes.
More information:
Habitare: Messukeskus, communications manager Eva Kiviranta, tel. +358 40 7756609, eva.kiviranta@messukeskus.com
Imu Design: Imu Design, www.imudesign.org, Saara Renvall, tel. +358 50 585 7399, saara@imudesign.org Imu Design, Elina Aalto, tel. +358 50 511 8888 elina@imudesign.org
Habitare
Habitare, the largest furniture, design and interior decoration event in Finland, will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki, from 11 to 15 September 2019. Habitare offers experiences and ideas on interior decoration, and on the functioning and look of homes and other spaces. Habitare highlights the ideas and works by a new generation of designers, and sparks discussion. The International Friend of Habitare in 2019 is Alberto Alessi. To be held concurrently with Habitare is the Hifi event. | www.habitare.fi | @HabitareFair | www.facebook.com/habitare | #habitare2019