Lightness_Cover

Ilkka Suppanen, Gustaf Kjellin

Lightness

Ilkka Suppanen Design

This book is a study of the element of lightness, a theme which is reflected throughout the work of Finnish designer Ilkka Suppanen. The content will go beyond simply exploring Suppanen’s designs, and dive deep into the theme of lightness itself, offering a comprehensive and profound perspective. The exploration of lightness will be presented in various contexts, evidencing its influence in numerous aspects, such as in material and architectural choices, philosophical considerations, and aesthetic behaviours. The book will be divided into nine distinct topics, each one written in collaboration with a contributor with a unique knowledge, thus offering a range of fascinating perspectives. Each topic functions as a self-contained story, providing an opportunity for individual absorption and understanding. Additionally, the book serves as a visual essay by Suppanen, showcasing the poetry of lightness as it is manifested in different cultures, contexts, and scales globally.

This book is a study of the element of lightness, a theme which is reflected throughout the work of Finnish designer Ilkka Suppanen. The content will go beyond simply exploring Suppanen’s designs, and dive deep into the theme of lightness itself, offering a comprehensive and profound perspective. The exploration of lightness will be presented in various contexts, evidencing its influence in numerous aspects, such as in material and architectural choices, philosophical considerations, and aesthetic behaviours. The book will be divided into nine distinct topics, each one written in collaboration with a contributor with a unique knowledge, thus offering a range of fascinating perspectives. Each topic functions as a self-contained story, providing an opportunity for individual absorption and understanding. Additionally, the book serves as a visual essay by Suppanen, showcasing the poetry of lightness as it is manifested in different cultures, contexts, and scales globally.

Author(s): Ilka Suppanen, Gustaf Kjellin

With contributions by Max Borka, Stefana Broadbent, Dai Fujiwara, Sara Heinämaa, Leon Hidalgo, Jamer Hunt, Toshiko Mori, Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos

Design: Kenya Hara

19 x 24,5, 7,5 x 9,5

ca 230 pages, ca 60 illustrations

2025, 978-3-03778-779-3, English
CHF 50.00
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Ilkka Suppanen

ILKKA SUPPANEN (*1968) is one of the world’s best known contemporary Finnish designers. Suppanen studied architecture at the Technical University of Helsinki, Interior and Furniture Design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, with one year at Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. In 1995 he founded Studio Suppanen in Helsinki. Throughout his career, his work has expanded across various sectors, including architecture, product- and furniture design, from coin design to radical concepts for the automobile industry, as well as projects for the casteless in India and the homeless in São Paulo. Suppanen’s works have received numerous international design awards, been exhibited worldwide at institutions such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, MoMA in New York, and are in the permanent collections of museums such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris. For his contribution to the Scandinavian design scene, Suppanen has been awarded two of the largest Nordic design awards: the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize (2015) and the Kaj Franck Design Prize (2020).