Contract - October 2013 - (Page 22)

for artek, alvar aalto designed armchair 41, “paimio” (left), in 1932, and Ville Kokkonen created the white Collection (right) in 2010. Vitra Acquires the Finnish Furniture Company Artek One company long known for design excellence has acquired another. Vitra has purchased the Finnish furniture and lighting design company Artek in a deal announced in early September. Artek will continue to operate as a separate entity within Vitra, a furniture company with headquarters in Birsfelden, Switzerland. Architect Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino, along with art promoter Maire Gullichsen and art historian Nils-Gustav Hahl, founded Artek in 1935. Artek has been owned by the privately held investment company Proventus for the past 20 years. Mirkku Kullberg, CEO of Artek, said the move will provide a great opportunity for the company, and will help invigorate its international efforts. “The international dimension, which was a clear goal already in Artek’s founding manifesto of 1935, needed to be revitalized,” Kullberg says. “That arena is where we want to be, and alliances or ownership arrangements are one way of building the future. In our judgment, having an owner from the industry was the best choice for Artek.” Simone Vingerhoets-Ziesmann, executive vice president of Artek USA, says: “We are looking forward to even greater growth and opportunity in the marketplace that we’ve been building since we started Artek USA in 2010.” Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman of Vitra since 1977, says his company has held Artek in high regard. “There is definitely a comeback of Nordic design and there is a renewed appreciation of Aalto’s work,” Fehlbaum says. Artek’s portfolio had primarily consisted of Aalto’s designs, but expanded after acquiring the rights to Ilmari Tapiovaara’s collection. Artek has also worked with prominent designers and architects including Eero Aarnio, Shigeru Ban, Naoto Fukasawa, Harri Koskinen, Juha Leiviskä, Enzo Mari, and Tobias Rehberger. —Cody Calamaio select no. 202 at Contractdesign.com/readerservice photography: juha neonen (left); tuomas uusheimo (right); Courtsey of Vitra industry news http://www.nydreeflooring.com/contract http://www.nydreeflooring.com/contract http://www.ContractDesign.com/readerservice

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2013

Contract - October 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Winning Work at the Interview: It’s All About Chemistry—Part II
Product Focus: New Classics
Product Briefs: Health and Wellness
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion
Banaji Pediatric Dental Specialists
Seattle Kids Dentistry
Healthcare Environment Awards
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre at Austin Hospital
Seattle Children’s Building Hope: Cancer, Critical and Emergency Care Expansion
Dale & Frances Hughes Cancer Center
Kent Campus Expansion, Phase 2 Pavilion
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Camp Southern Ground
Poetic Living
FOUND: An Adolescent and Young Adult Cultural and Wellness Center
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Healthcare Design
Book Review: Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, Second Edition
Designers Select: Healthcare
Sources
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - October 2013