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Wood is both universal and unique. No other material is as deeply
embedded in the history, culture and life of humans worldwide as
wood, yet every single piece of wood is unique.
The color tone, texture, durability, flexibility and even sound
qualities of different tree species have puzzled and challenged
artists, architects, designers, builders and artisans for thousands
of years.
Still today, nothing matches wood in versatility or beauty, so
it is great to see how today’s designers and architects continue to
face the challenge of wood, and use it creatively to interpret
sleek, modern designs.
They use wood to meet their current needs and desires for which
wood is ideally suited. People seek calm surroundings, simplicity
and minimalism to soothe their frayed nerves and to counter the
constant visual overload they face. Wood’s warmth and natural
beauty works wonders for creating a sense of balance and calm.
People also look for sustainable alternatives, eco-friendly
options, greener solutions. When harvested, managed and used
sustainably, forests are still the source of the greatest material
on earth.
We especially love the influence of Scandinavian and Japanese
traditions that we can detect in today’s wood architecture and
design. Minimalist, functional, beautiful, and light in both color
and weight.
Scandinavian building and design traditions are based solidly on
the use of wood. Finnish modernist master, architect Alvar Aalto,
stunned the world with Living Wood, his design for the Finnish
Pavilion for the Paris World
Exposition in 1937. In the pavilion, he combined both
traditional and modern architecture and showcased his functionalist
design sensibilities. It was considered one of the boldest and most
innovative pavilions of the Expo.
Earlier, Aalto’s exploration of the limits of bent wood and mass
production had resulted in the Paimio
chair (1931)and other furniture classics, and had a permanent
impact on how furniture looks even today. Aalto’s work influenced
many other modernist masters including Charles and Ray Eames and
Eero Saarinen.
The use of wood in Japanese architecture and design is
characterized by austere construction methods, the lightness of
materials, the connectedness between indoors and outdoors, and the
way in which buildings merge with their surroundings.
With hardly any furniture used inside, Japanese master craftsmen
were able to focus their skills on the buildings themselves, on
skilful joining of sections without nails, and on revealing, rather
than covering or adorning, the original texture and tone of the
wood.
Wood as a material has held a charmed place in architecture and
design for both its simplicity and complexity. It lends itself to
imposing, bulky structures, yet also yields to delicate, undulating
forms that seem lacy and transparent.
We love this lightness and elegance, the play of light and
shadow, the countless tones of color that can be achieved with
skilful use of wood both structurally and decoratively.
In more and more residential projects, both big and small,
architects and designers are finding new, creative ways to reveal
and highlight the beauty and versatility of wood. They manage to
create structures that appear current and cool, yet also exude a
classic, timeless elegance.
Every day, we come across images of fantastic single-use
residences, recreational cottages, furniture, decks and patios,
where the qualities of wood are perfectly matched with the users’
needs and the requirements of the surroundings as well.
In retail and hospitality, wood is also making an impact. We love
the blocky, clean look of the Aesop
stores. At the other end of the spectrum a good example is the
lightness and playfulness achieved in RDAI
Architects’ use of wood-slat “huts” as
departments in the Paris Hermès store built inside an old hotel
swimming pool.
In not just eco-lodges, but also in luxury resorts, spas and
hotels, wood is becoming the material of choice. As guests are
looking for a retreat, a sense of being back in nature, a
quilt-free, tranquil vacation, resorts are responding with
wood-frame structures, wood interiors and sustainable solutions
that also look fabulous.
Wood is not trendy yet it is incredibly cool. It is a demanding,
noble, ancient, living material that we have the privilege to use
and enjoy. In wood, the architect, designer and builder face the
exhilarating challenge of the sculptor — to reveal the character of
the specific species, the individual tree. And we, the viewers and
users of their work, have the opportunity to discover it for
ourselves. We are looking forward to more. -
Tuija Seipell.
At TCH, we are so obsessed with wood that we even
created Treelife, an
event to showcase the most innovate work using wood in the design
of Treehouses.
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