Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy, formerly called O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B is a former furniture producer located in Littoinen, Kaarina, Finland. The company was once known for manufacturing Alvar Aalto designed furniture.
| Formerly | O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B. |
|---|---|
| Company type | osakeyhtiö |
| Industry | furniture |
| Founded | 15 February 1912[1] in Turku, Grand Duchy of Finland[2] |
| Headquarters | Littoinen, , |
| Revenue | 1,534,000 (2014) |
| 1,983,000 (2014[3]) |
The company was started in 1910 when Otto Korhonen and three other carpenters bought Puuseppien Osuuskunta ("Carpenters' Co-operative") based in Turku, then the Grand Duchy of Finland. Its portfolio comprised doors, windows and furniture which were produced in facilities located in Uudenmaankatu 7.[2] The company was registered as Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas in 1912.[1]
At the end of the 1920s Otto Korhonen partnered with architect Alvar Aalto. Aalto had recently gotten into two large projects: the Southwestern Agricultural Cooperative Building in Turku and the Paimio Sanatorium. The sanatorium was the most significant collaborative project between Korhonen and Aalto. Aalto designed the building itself; he and Korhonen designed a range of armchairs and tables for the facility's personnel and patients. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas manufactured the furniture and other interior elements. [2] The Paimio Sanatorium project represents the introduction of Aalto's stackable furniture designs which later influenced the American designers Charles and Ray Eames.[4]
In the 1930s Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas developed a special wood bending method. Aalto used the technique extensively: his "Y-leg", introduced in 1947, and his "X-leg" that followed in 1954 are notable examples. The bent wooden parts became distinguishing features in many Aalto furniture designs, such as "Stacking Stool Model 60" and "Tea Trolley Model 98".[2]
In 1966 the company was renamed Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy.[1] During the subsequent decades, the company's portfolio was largely based on Aalto's design classics.[2]
Korhonen's furniture production was sold to Artek, a subsidiary of Vitra, in 2014 and continues in Littoinen under the new name.[5]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Yrityshaku – Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy Oy". Kauppalehti (in Finnish). Alma Media Oyj. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
- ^ a b c d e "Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy". Luettelomedia (in Finnish). Turku, Finland: Suomen Luettelomedia Oy. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
- ^ "Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy – Taloustiedot" [Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy – Financial data]. Taloussanomat (in Finnish). Sanoma News Oy. Retrieved 2016-05-09.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Paimio chair in MOMA collection
- ^ "Artekille myös Littoisten Korhosen tehdas" [Also Littoinen Korhonen factory to Artek]. Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). Turku, Finland. 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
External links edit
- 1931 Stackable chair from Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Otto Korhonen and Alvar Aalto on Artnet