*myarchiexpo

Catalogs
Artek
kiki collection

kiki collection

Product catalog summary

KIKI Collection Overview
The KIKI Collection, designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1960, is a versatile furniture line intended for both public and private use. It includes sofas, benches, a lounge chair, and side tables, all characterized by a modular, right-angled design that allows for easy combination of pieces. The collection is available in a variety of fabrics and leathers, showcasing its visual generosity and adaptability.

Design Philosophy
Ilmari Tapiovaara, a Finnish designer, aimed to improve everyday life through furniture suitable for mass production. His designs transitioned from organic forms to modular systems inspired by molecular structures. The KIKI Collection was his first consistent system of matching parts, utilizing an oval metal tube as a core element.

Materials and Construction
The KIKI furniture pieces feature a steel frame powder-coated in black, with PU foam and polyester wadding. They are upholstered in either fabric or leather and equipped with plastic glides. The tables have tops available in black or white laminate, birch veneer, or oak veneer.

Historical Significance
The KIKI chair became a favorite among Modernist architects in Finland during the 1960s and was awarded a gold medal at the Milan Triennale in 1960. The collection's design was partly inspired by a request to utilize an overstock of oval metal tubes, which Tapiovaara successfully incorporated into his designs.

Product Specifications

KIKI Bench: Available in 1-seater, 2-seater, and 3-seater options.
KIKI Sofa: Available in 2-seater and 3-seater options.
KIKI Lounge Chair: Features the same construction materials as other seating options.
KIKI Side Table and Sofa Table: Offer various tabletop finishes.

For more information, visit artek.fi.

Catalog excerpts

KIKI Side Table KIKI Sofa Table KIKI Lounge Chair

Open the catalog to page 1

THE KIKI COLLECTION – DESIGN ILMARI TAPIOVAARA 1960 KIKI TABLES AND BENCHES KIKI LOUNGE CHAIR AND SOFAS Designing not for the few, but for the many was a guiding principle for the Finnish master Ilmari Tapiovaara (1914-1999) throughout his career. Already as a student, Tapiovaara focused on improving everyday life for larger parts of the population through furniture based on serial production. He took the aesthetic and ideological aspects of modernism as a starting point for his profession. At the end of the 1950s, Ilmari Tapiovaara’s designs shifted from the organic, curved forms found in nature...

Open the catalog to page 2

kiki collection

kiki collection

Catalog excerpts

All Artek catalogs and technical brochures

Archived catalogs