NEW INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

text: Vesa Puoskari
photos: Artek

The 10-UNIT SYSTEM furniture concept and UPM ProFi Floor for balconies are the latest wood plastic composite products to emerge from cooperation between furniture manufacturer Artek, architect Shigeru Ban, and UPM.

“The furniture range is ideal for both indoor and external spaces. Different versions of the chair, which match the patio floor tiling perfectly, can be easily produced,” says Art Director Ville Kokkonen showcasing the products on Artek’s sun patio in Helsinki, Finland.

The products were launched internationally at Artek’s stand at the Milan Furniture Fair in April. Subsequently, Artek has showcased the range at New York Design Week under the theme “One Chair Is Enough” as well as at the international Alvar Aalto Symposium in Jyväskylä, Finland in August.

The hotel which was the venue for the exhibition in New York purchased the furniture range for its own use. The range has also been accepted in the sales catalogue of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Furthermore, Shigeru Ban intends to use the chairs in his hotel projects in Goa, India, and in the outdoor café for the new Pompidou Centre due to be completed in Metz, France.

As well as for outdoor terraces, Artek manufactures chairs for offices, homes and public spaces. “The product has generated significant visibility for us not only in the international architectural and design press but also in other publications. International projects are definitely the best way to market the product,” says Mirkku Kullberg, CEO of Artek.

The 10-UNIT SYSTEM furniture concept is ideal for both indoor and external spaces.

Art Director Ville Kokkonen

Patio floor tiling available soon

Injection moulded UPM ProFi Floor is a beautiful and fresh floor material, as the marbled surface of each floor tile is unique. The tiles are manufactured in several colours and have a plain or wave patterned surface. The ingenious clip system enables quick and easy installation and disassembly without tools.

“UPM ProFi patio floor tiling is currently in the process of being manufactured and the first deliveries have recently been exported to dealers in central Europe. We are now waiting for consumer reaction. Wood plastic composite is a new material in patio floor tiling, and the reception from dealers and at trade fairs has been enthusiastic and positive,” says Markku Koivisto, Director, UPM ProFi.

UPM ProFi wood plastic composite is mainly made from self-adhesive label materials left over from UPM Raflatac’s production. The surplus consisting of plastic and paper would otherwise be incinerated to generate energy, but instead new, first-rate products are produced from the recycled material.

Koivisto expects potential new collaborative projects with architects and designers. “Besides use in tiling and chairs, injection moulding is being employed in the Giant’s Kettle pavilion due to be completed for the World Expo in Shanghai. These have been excellent examples, and therefore we will undoubtedly find additional new applications. We have many excellent ideas for how ProFi could be used. We are looking into new opportunities within the packaging industry, for example,” Koivisto says.