Hasta La Ideas

In Transit is a book about Claesson Koivisto Rune, featuring products and projects designed by the Swedish studio over three decades. The book’s editor Gustaf Kjellin highlights 10 key projects from across that period.

Published by Rizzoli, the book contains an overview of the international work created by Claesson Koivisto Rune. It presents projects ranging from brass candle-holders, snowflake-shaped side tables and streamlined sofas to secluded Swedish summer houses and 250-room hotels.

Since its beginnings, the studio has worked on projects in 26 nations. These countries form the chapters within the book, in which an edited selection of projects are included.

The studio was established in 1995 by its three founders, Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune. The trio originally met while studying interior architecture and furniture design at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm.

Claesson Koivisto Rune emerged as the Swedish economy was rapidly improving, fueled by the IT bubble in the run up to the millennium. The burgeoning studio belonged to a generation pushing a new direction for Swedish design and a new aesthetic in the wake of postmodernism.

“For over three decades they have exercised great influence over the image of Scandinavian design,” writes Kjellin in the introduction to the book.

“While their work in Sweden is well documented, the extent of their international projects has been harder to grasp, and that is why this curated overview is important.”

To introduce each chapter, the designers include insights from each country and stories about how new client relationships and projects came about and evolved.

“This book serves as a beautiful reminder that cultural exchange is essential to the enrichment of our designed living environment,” continued Kjellin.

Kjellin is a writer and curator based in Stockholm and the founder of Gus Gallery. Read on for his selection of 10 key projects featured in the book:

Pebbles seating island, Cappellini, 2001

Pebbles felt like an international breakthrough not just for Claesson Koivisto Rune, but for the whole image of design from Sweden.

It was the first major furniture of a Swedish office to be produced by Cappellini, which at the time were at the zenith of the design world.

Dodo swiveling zaisu chair, E&Y, 2002

I was in Tokyo during the design week in 2002 and went to see Claesson Koivisto Rune’s exhibition Family Tree at Axis Gallery in Roppongi, and there it was, Dodo.

I have not seen a better fusion between East and West since then, and it is still my favourite of all their work.

Nobis Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden, 2010

This is the best place in Stockholm to see the most designs for Swedish producers by Claesson Koivisto Rune.

Personally I always get nostalgic when I visit, since the general atmosphere reminds me of a time when Stockholm was still the capital of Scandinavian Design.

Folded Leaf mobile phone, Huawei, 2011

I often get the question, what distinguishes Swedish design from its neighbours? One answer is, the incorporation of dry humour (that is why Sweden once was in charge of marketing for SAS, while Norway and Denmark handled service and maintenance).

The slit for the speaker is designed so it graces the camera lens to create a “camera eye”.

Torus bracelet, DFTS Factory, 2012

This was a company I set up with some friends. The ambitions were high, sales were low, and within three years we had to file for bankruptcy.

Still, I have to thank Claesson Koivisto Rune, because I think Torus probably prolonged the inevitable for a few extra weeks.

Richard Juhlin Optimum glass, Italesse, 2014

Although I rarely can afford to pour champagne into this glass, the great thing about it is that the radii gives even the cheapest Cava the best condition to reach its fullest potential.

Oval stacking chair, Skandiform, 2015

Sweden never excelled in what was described as concept design, even though it seemed promising in the first decade of the new millennium.

Sweden was, still is, and will likely remain the best in class in ergonomic furniture for the office and public environments. And it is the reason why it is impossible to find even one single fault in this stackable and connectable chair.

Inde/Jacobs Gallery art gallery and private residence, Marfa, USA, 2015

Since the land around this small town in the middle of the Texan desert is owned by private ranches, it can not expand and new developments within its limits are carefully scrutinised.

On the opening night, I went up to the only guest wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat, one of Marfa’s true originals, the artist Boyd Elder (1944–2018). I asked him what he thought of the building and when he answered that it was “alright by me”, I knew Claesson Koivisto Rune had received the ultimate seal of approval from the community.

Yuzu armchair, Arflex, 2023

I think Yuzu is a beautiful piece of furniture and it makes me think about how the analysis of aesthetics in design journalism have all but disappeared today even though that is how the majority of users interpret an object.

Getaway vacation house, Borås, Sweden, 2023

For a while I thought that the only new Swedish private houses we would ever see, for the rest of our lives, were the all-natural untreated wooden ones. So seeing the presentation of Getaway gave me some hope for a more aesthetically diverse future.

On a rather small and steep lot, four cubical buildings break out between the trees. These cubes are “cut” at the waistline, with all glass from the lower half and all galvanised steel for the upper half.

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