Finland: Designed Environments

Minnesota and Finland have many connections, both historic and contemporary. The year 2014 marks the sesquicentennial of a significant Finnish presence in the state. Like Finns, Minnesotans value their natural environment, which in some ways resembles that of Finland. With similarly sized populations and shared geographical characteristics, such as an abundance of lakes and northern birch forests, Finns and Minnesotans have long sought to develop and sustain their relationships with nature. In Minnesota, this need was first recognized and nurtured in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when philanthropists, lawmakers, and city fathers reserved large tracts of land for state and urban parks.
In Finland: Designed Environments, a similar affinity for the natural world is evident throughout, from object forms and materials to environmental respect. This catalogue explores Finnish design through a lens of innovation.