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40 Years of Wirkkala's Ultima ThuleThe birth of the Ultima Thule range of glassware in 1968, designed by Tapio Wirkkala, tells us a lot about his approach to design.
The form he created for Ultima Thule is based on what is known as the ice glass technique, which Wirkkala was involved with in developing at the Iittala Glassworks.
The rough surface structure characteristic of this technique was achieved by blowing into the mould.
Always the innovator and always keen to roll his sleeves up, Wirkkala did this part of the job himself at first.
Wirkkala worked as a designer at the Iittala Glassworks from 1946 to 1965, when he moved over to his own design company.
He designed a multitude of art pieces for Iittala over the years, many of which received awards at the Milan Triennial in the 1950s.
The first of his mass production designs was the Tapio range, which was launched in 1954 and is still a popular feature of the Iittala range to this day.
more: 40 Years of Wirkkala's Ultima Thule
April 27, 2008 | Viewed 21,045 time(s)
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