The London Design Fair which was on from 18–22 September, saw Swedish designers showcase their designs in a temple-like Swedish pavilion clad in factory-finished white oiled Swedish pine. The pavilion was the work of architectural practice Förstberg Ling, in collaboration with Svensk Form Syd – Form/Design Center and the industry organisation Swedish Wood. Source: Timberbiz
“At last year’s London Design Fair, Sweden’s pink pine pavilion was named ‘Best Stand 2018’ and this year the Swedish design pavilion once again embraces wood. The colour palette is a little more subtle this time round, but the structure is perhaps even more impressive in its construction and design,” Björn Nordin, Director of Interior and Design at Swedish Wood said.
The design makes use of prefabricated panels in sustainable Swedish pine to ensure that the installation can be disassembled, moved and reconstructed on a new site. This oasis in wood also offered a comforting echo of the tranquillity of the forest.
The section of the pavilion allocated to Swedish Wood featured pine furniture by three established and five graduate Swedish designers. The designers showed the striking 2.8m-long wood and cast iron Loggia table and benches by In Praise of Shadows, a dark stained pine lounge chair, Pinzo, by David Ericsson, and Studio Fredrik Paulsen’s Röhsska chair with an orange-stained pine plywood seat.
The graduates, from Malmsten’s and Beckmans schools of design, showed Jennie Adén’s Pine Stools, which showed the extraordinary life of these Swedish pine trees through their tightly packed growth rings, Rickard Torstensfelt’s Tensta glass on massive pine table, Anders Gjertz’s Orgo & Klick floor lamp, which caused quite a stir with its combination of glued pine and bio-organic waste screen material, Edward Nordendahl’s versatile Blackant seating system and Felizia Matthews’ Amass designs in crosslaminated pine CLT, a brilliant and sensuous take on what is essentially a construction material, showing off the beautiful contrast of colours within the pine itself.
Swedish Wood supports design students in Sweden with materials, advice and opportunities to get their designs in front of trade and public customers. Judging by the response to their work at the London Design Fair, they are well on their way to successful careers making beautiful, sustainable works in wood.
There is a similar opportunity for UK design schools to work with Swedish Wood to encourage British design students to develop their work in wood.
