August 15, 2023 by Naomi Moriyama

Paavo Tynell (1890 – 1973) was a metalsmith, internationally famed Finnish lighting designer, and co-founder and chief designer of Taito Oy, established in 1818 as the first industrial producer of lighting fixtures in Finland, with the goal of manufacturing objects from gold, silver, bronze, and iron. 

Tynell’s lighting designs from the 1930s to 1950s are illuminating some of the most prominent public spaces in Helsinki to this day. Anyone can walk into these buildings right now to be awed by their sculptural beauty and be emotionally uplifted by the intricate light-shadow ambiance that fills the spaces.