Yrjo Kukkapuro (1933–2025) is one of Finland's most influential designers. His Karuselli chair has been named "the most comfortable chair in the world."
Kuccapuro passed away in February of this year at the age of 91. The Paper reported that a "Retrospective of Kuccapuro's Design Career and the Signing of the Chinese Edition of 'Blue Door'" event was recently held at the School of Design and Innovation at Tongji University in Shanghai. Kuccapuro's daughter, Isa Kuccapuro, attended the event and reviewed her father's design career. In Hangzhou, a special exhibition titled "Seated Man: A Retrospective of Kuccapuro's Works (1933–2025)" is currently underway, showcasing his significant works.
In Finnish design, Joliot Kukkapuro's work marks a post-Aalto era, boldly transforming the radical design trends of the era into unique organic forms. Although his work is often attributed to postmodernism, he is pragmatic, emphasizing that "comfort always comes first." Kukkapuro's ergonomics are not the result of precise calculations, but rather the product of personal experience. Throughout his 75-year career, he has contributed a wealth of innovative and influential furniture to modern life.
Jolio Kuccapuro
The most famous of these is the Karuselli chair, designed by Kuccapuro in 1963-1964, which was voted the "world's most comfortable chair" by the media at the time. It's said that after thousands of entries, including the Eames Chair (designed by Eames), the Bean Bag, the Grand Comfort (designed by Le Corbusier), and the Wing Chair (designed by Hans Wagner), Kuccapuro's design ultimately won.
The Karuselli chair was named the "most comfortable chair in the world"
Kuccapuro sitting on the Karuselli chair
The design of the "Caruselli" chair tells an interesting story. One evening, while drunk and excitedly walking home, Kukkapuro fell into a snowdrift. As he struggled to free himself, the sensation of his body in the snow inspired him to design the chair. He believed that no design could be more beautiful than the curves and radians of the human body. This was the first chair made of fiberglass, and its plasticity and curved surfaces opened up entirely new design possibilities for the furniture industry. Since then, fiberglass and plastic furniture have become popular worldwide and continue to do so today.
Finland in the 1980s was undergoing a period of social transformation. Compared to his peers, Kukkapuro was more relaxed and was among the first to embrace new technologies and trends. Besides designing around fiberglass in the 1960s, he turned to ergonomics in the 1970s, driven by the oil crisis and the rise of plywood craftsmanship. In the 1980s, with the rise of postmodernism, he experimented with decorative chairs. Since the 1990s, Kukkapuro has focused on "ecological" design.
A500 seating series designed by Kuccapuro
Kukkapuro, design sketch for the Experiment series
Since the end of the last century, Kukkapuro has entered the Chinese market, bringing his minimalist, modern, fashionable, and avant-garde design ethos to China. He has made dozens of trips to China, participating in events commemorating Finland's centenary. Kukkapuro, driven by his exploration of Eastern culture, has experimented with incorporating Chinese bamboo into furniture design.
At the age of 91, Kukapuro published his biography, The Blue Door, compiled by his daughter, Isa Kukapuro. For him, the "Blue Door" was a symbol of life, representing memory and belonging. This blue door led to the home where he, his wife, and their daughter had lived for over twenty years.
The Blue Door, located deep in the forest outside Kauniainen in southern Finland, is an exquisite house once considered a model of 20th-century futuristic architecture. Its rounded triangular structure resembles a guitar pick from above. Kukkapuro designed and built it with his friend, the designer Eero Paloheimo. Paloheimo, an engineer, later became Kukkapuro's design partner, served as a representative for the Finnish Green Party, and is a committed eco-enthusiast.
The studio that Kukkapuro designed for himself in the 1960s
From 1968 to 1993, Kukkapuro and his wife Ilmeli worked and lived in the studio
Kukkapuro's wife, Ilmeli, is a graphic designer and watercolorist. Her works feature soft, bright hues, with a particular fondness for pale blues. "She loved the Finnish poet Katri Vala's poem, which depicts a magical blue door that leads to a world of imagination, so we painted the studio door blue," Kukkapuro once recalled. "The blue door also serves as a practical guide, making it easy for people to find their way here."
The Chinese edition of "Blue Door" was recently published by China Electric Power Press. On September 8th, the School of Design and Innovation at Tongji University in Shanghai held a "Retrospective on Kukkapuro's Design Career and the Signing Ceremony for the Chinese Edition of "Blue Door." At the event, Kukkapuro's daughter, renowned Finnish designer Issa Kukkapuro, reviewed her father's design journey. She noted that Kukkapuro's work is an integral part of everyday Finnish life, with nearly everyone sitting on one of his chairs, from subway stations to schools to libraries. Throughout his nearly 130 works, he consistently explored new materials and embraced emerging trends, launching a new collection almost every decade.
The scene of the "Review of Kukapuro's Design Career and the Release of the Chinese Version of "Blue Door"" held by the School of Design and Innovation of Tongji University
Isa Kukkapuro, daughter of Kukkapuro and famous Finnish designer
Isa Kuccapuro added, "My father also saw something in Chinese tradition that resonated with his own design philosophy: excellence, the beauty of simplicity, and the combination of decorative details and functionality. He loved visiting Chinese museums and appreciating the country's long and sophisticated craftsmanship. His own designs were based on industrial design, but he admired all furniture that paid attention to detail, had perfect dimensions, and was beautiful in appearance."
During the round-table discussion, Isa Kuccapuro discussed with design scholars and industry experts from Tongji University, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai University of Science and Technology, China Academy of Art, and Shanghai Avant Furniture Co., Ltd. Mr. Kuccapuro's design concepts, design style, and the production and application of his works in the Chinese market. Many teachers, students and young designers attended the discussion and were greatly encouraged.
Kuccapuro's exhibition at the School of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, 2013
Interior view of the library of Tongji University School of Design and Innovation
Reporters learned that Tongji University's School of Design and Innovation, the event's host, also has a deep connection with Kukapuro. He was once invited to serve as a visiting professor at the school and held a solo furniture exhibition in 2013. At the age of 80, he personally oversaw the exhibition, providing a valuable masterclass for faculty and students. Lou Yongqi, currently president of Shanghai University of Engineering Science, formerly served as dean of Tongji University's School of Design and Innovation. He recalled that the "Kukapuro Corner" in the school library, which housed nearly ten classic chairs donated by Avant upon the library's completion, had accompanied successive generations of students from enrollment to graduation, a scene that remains a heartwarming memory.
“We’ve lost his body now, but his spirit lives on, and we have to carry it on,” Isa Kukaporo said. “Every time we go to an event, my father always says, ‘If anyone remembers me, please give me your regards.’”
At B1OCK Gallery in Tianmuli, Hangzhou, an exhibition titled "Seated Man: A Retrospective of Kukkapuro's Works (1933–2025)" is currently on display, showcasing Kukkapuro's representative works spanning seven decades.
Exhibition view of “Seated Man: A Retrospective of Kukkapuro’s Works (1933–2025)” presented by B1OCK Gallery in Tianmuli, Hangzhou
Exhibition view of “Seated Man: A Retrospective of Kukkapuro’s Works (1933–2025)” presented by B1OCK Gallery in Tianmuli, Hangzhou
This exhibition, organized by time, combines the designer's ergonomic research and material experimentation to present a panoramic view of Kuccapuro's work, from Moderno in the 1950s, to Karuselli, Remmi, and Ateljee in the 1960s, to the Experiment Chair of the postmodernist era in the 1980s, and finally to his graphic art collaborations in his later years. Visitors can systematically trace Kuccapuro's exploration of the design theme of "how people sit."
Book cover of "Blue Gate"
"Blue Gate" is published by China Electric Power Press.
“Seated Man: A Retrospective of Kukkapuro’s Works (1933–2025)” will be on view until October 8.
