Nappula, Iittala, 2012
The commission from Iittala was to come up with ideas for ambient lighting. Since I had recently realized the ”Birds by Klenell” project I had spent a lot of time within the company and was very influenced by the Iittala heritage. Work on site at the studio in Nuutajärvi gave great insight into a part of Finnish design history as well as the fundaments of the brand.
One day I visited the village glass museum. It houses a fantastic exhibition, designed by Kaj Franck in the mid-sixties, realized with very small means. One of the delicate details that stayed with me – besides the glass treasures on display – was a small, low table with “swollen” feet. An awkward shape, one might say, but all of a sudden I started seeing it everywhere, just study the works of Toikka and later projects by Franck and you see what I mean.
I quickly jotted it down in my sketchbook and pretty soon the outline for the Nappula candle holder appeared, an elegant stem with an almost clumsy bottom.
That silhouette came to stay, very little was actually changed during the process. Available in polished brass or powder coated steel. It’s not exactly ambient, but a successful product nonetheless and it has quickly become one of Iittala's trade mark designs.
Size: Ø 89 mm, H 111-186 mm.
Material: Brass or powder coated steel.
