The golden age of Finnish design at the Triennales

Ever so often there’s a design and architecture exhibition held in Milan, Italy called the Triennale and from 1933 to 1964 Finland triumphantly cleaned out the awards table. Suddenly the world saw Finland in a different light and it gave the country a much needed confidence boost.

Many of the awarded items and exhibits have since faded into obscurity but I’ve sought them out in books and articles. As there is little information to be found about which items were actually awarded, I’ve had to piece it together from many different sources.

Triennale V – 1933

Grand Prix:
Elsa Elenius: ceramic objects
Maija Kansanen-Størseth: tapestry
Harry Röneholm: Exhibition display

Honorary mention:
Eva Brummer: collection of rugs

Gold:
* Alvar Aalto: Furniture
* Eva Anttila: Tapestry
* Toini Muona: Ceramic objects

Silver:
* Friedl Holzer-Kjellberg: Ceramic objects
* Werner West: Furniture

Bronze:
* Dora Jung: textiles
* Kurt Ekholm: ceramic objects
* Gunnel Gustafsson (Nyman): glass objects
* Jussi Mäntynen: miniature sculptures

Triennale VI – 1936

Grand Prix:
* Aino Aalto: exhibit display

Gold Medal:
* Aino Aalto: Bölgeblick series

Triennale IX – 1951

Grand Prix:
* Tapio Wirkkala: glass works (Chantarel), veneer items and exhibit display.
* Rut Bryk: Ceramic wall plates
* Dora Jung: Fabric works

Gold Medal:
* Toini Muona: Ceramic items
* Ilmari Tapiovaara: Furniture
* Kaj Franck: Ceramic items

Silver Medal:
* Lisa Johansson-Pape: Lamp fixture

Honorary Mention:
* Birger Kaipiainen: Ceramic art

Triennale X – 1954

Grand Prix:
* Timo Sarpaneva: Glass objects Orchid and Kayak
* Tapio Wirkkala: “Kuutonen” bowl
* Dora Jung: Tapestry

Gold Medal:
* Lisa Johansson-Pape: Lamp fixture
* Göran Hongell: Aarne series
* Antti Nurmesniemi:
* Ilmari Tapiovaara:
* Yki Nummi: Light pendants
* Bertel Gardberg

Silver Medal:
* Michael Schilkin: Bird sculpture
* Saara Hopea: Stackable glass series

Honorary Mention:
* Rut Bryk: Birds ceramic plate
* Kaj Franck:
* Toini Muona:

Triennale XI – 1957

Grand Prix:
* Timo Sarpaneva, 2 wins
* Kaj Franck: Colourful enamel bowls
* Dora Jung: Viivaleikki table cloth

Gold Medal:
* Antti Nurmesniemi:
* Yki Nummi:
* Ilmari Tapiovaara:
* Vuokko Eskolin: Glass series
* Bertel Gardberg: Triennale cutlery

Silver Medal:
* Saara Hopea: Flamingo liqueur glass series

Triennale XII – 1960

Grand Prix:
* Antti Nurmesniemi: Triennale chairs
* Birger Kaipiainen: Curlew bird made out of beads

Gold Medal:
* Ilmari Tapiovaara:

Silver Medal:
* Bertel Gardberg:

Triennale XIII – 1964

Grand Prix: 
* Antti Nurmesniemi and Vuokko Eskolin: Exhibition display

Gold Medal:
* Ilmari Tapiovaara: Polar cutlery

Biennale / Triennale XIV – 1968

Gold Medal:
Helmiriitta Honkanen and Armas Nyberg: Posters

The 1968 Triennale had a strong Finnish presence the committee consisted of H.O. Gummerus, Jonas Cedercreutz, Timo Sarpaneva, Antti Nurmesniemi and Tapio Wirkkala with Yrjö Kukkapuro as the exhibition architect.

But immediately after the opening ceremony students, mostly architecture students, invaded the Triennale destroying exhibits in the process. The Triennale was postponed and it was only opened a month later. The Milano Triennales would never be the same again.