Scandinavian design, organic design

France has known for ten years a craze for the Scandinavian design, and yet the interest for this design is not of yesterday From the interwar period the French are interested in the design of the Nordic countries that " They discovered during the universal exhibitions in Paris in 1900 and 1925 But it is really out of World War II that the Scandinavian design, and more particularly the Danish furniture, is experiencing a growing success The 40 to 70 will see the birth of the creations Of the great Scandinavian designers whom we still admire today: Kaare Klint, Alvar Aalto, Bruno Mathsson, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen, Finn Juhl, Hans J Wegner, Börge Mogensen, Grete Jalk, Nanna Ditzel, Poul Kjaerholm, Verner Panton , To name only a few of the best known Today their creations are part of the world heritage of design, and are sought after by designers, not only in France, but throughout the world wave

Until the end of the 19th century, the Scandinavian countries lived mainly on agriculture. Finland distinguished itself at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1900, thanks to the national pavilion conceived as a total work of art by the architect Eliel Saarinen, Which thus places Scandinavia at the heart of European cultural interest

Indeed, the emergence of Scandinavian design and especially Scandinavian furnishings began already before the Second World War, continuing its ascent during the 1950s and 1960s. As we shall see, all European countries will be marked by this surge Exceptional If France, the United States, England and Germany were among the leading exporters of Scandinavian furniture manufacturers during the glorious 30, France was not left behind As soon as the Second World War France is passionate about the Scandinavian countries; Their lifestyles, school systems, architecture and design. While Sweden is the focus of attention at first, Finland, in particular with the creations of Finnish Alvar Aalto and Swedish Bruno Mathsson, Denmark is fast becoming a great nation of design Design is constitutive of their cultural, economic and social well-being The alliance of ancestral know-how and modern techniques makes Scandinavian designers of high-quality objects that respond to the quest for balance between form, function, color, texture, longevity and cost

Features by country:

• Finland : Very respect for materials and a strong taste for natural forms, mainly using wood of indigenous origin such as birch, maple, oak but also mahogany imported in these first creations. An aesthetic that can be tied to the English Arts and Crafts During the First World War, Finnish design is still influenced by Art Nouveau, it is only in the interwar period with the creations of the architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) that a new kind of creation will emerge

• Sweden : design is oriented towards purity, functionality and social harmony In 1915, Svenska Slöjdföreningen created an agency to facilitate contact between creators and manufacturers in order to improve the quality of Swedish design and to encourage the creation Simple, good quality and above all cheap. As everywhere, the 1920s and 1930s will be characterized by a clever mix of modernist ideas and more traditional inspirations. Let's remember the creations of Carl-Axel Acking.

• Denmark : The great achievement of the Danish design and industrial production is that of harmoniously mixing old models, from craftsmanship to high standards of quality. Danish craft tradition is characterized by the use of organic forms, materials Natural, especially wood, and attention to the functional and aesthetic qualities of objects The search for "ideal form" is also quite characteristic of Danish design, often leading to great simplification. The great pioneer of Danish design is undoubtedly Kaare Klint Due to his ergonomic research towards standardization, he will switch the Danish decorative arts to the world-famous Danish design of the 1950s