The family-run company Piiroinen creates high-quality design furniture for public spaces around the world. Their products can be spotted at the Aarhus Music House in Denmark and the Helsinki Olympic stadium among others.
The news about the Design Deed 2020 award were received with joy at the Piiroinen factory, located in the small town of Salo in South-Western Finland.
”This award means a lot to our whole personnel. All our 100 employees have been part of creating our products. We are so proud that our success has been noted this way too,” CEO Risto Piiroinen comments.
Piiroinen has accumulated unrivaled experience in furniture production over the seven decades of their operation. Every Piiroinen product is produced at their own factory in Salo.
Bringing the designer’s vision into life
Usability and design as a part of everyday life are some of the criteria for the Design Deed award. Piiroinen’s products are a perfect example of what it means in practice: their furniture are beautiful but also built to last.
”Our professionals work on realizing the design exactly how the designer imagined it. We are responsible for the technical production of the designer’s handprint. Some adjustments might be required so that the materials can be joined together to make sure the product also endures heavy use. Flawless work is a staple for us,” Risto Piiroinen explains.
Masters of metal and wood
Especially metal is essential in Piiroinen’s products.
”We have worked with metal throughout our history. We master a vast scale of different welding techniques and the newest technology. Wood is the other key material that has been a part of our furniture since day one,” Risto Piiroinen describes.
Piiroinen uses Finnish birch wood in chairs and table tops. Pale wood that has no branch marks has attracted interest in, for example, Japan. In the future, renewable materials will play an increasingly bigger part in Piiroinen’s products.
”Natural materials and especially recycled materials will have even bigger role in our products. We’ll produce unique products that don’t even exist yet. Our designers excel in finding new materials. Our role as the producer is to ensure that the materials work well together and endure wind, water and heavy use,” Risto Piiroinen sums up.
Main photo: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, photographed by Wellu Hämäläinen.