Accessible Design

From IKEA to Arne Jacobsen, Scandinavian design has consist­ently been high profile and has become increas­ingly desirable in recent decades. This book provides a valuable insight into the history and philosophy behind both its most iconic and lesser-known ideas. This new book is divided into 11 sections, each of which focuses on different object types – innovations in ceramics, plastics and textiles all feature, for example, as do larg­er-scale works such as architectural structures.

Each sub-division begins with an informative, accessible and thoroughly researched introduction, and is then partitioned into detailed sections on specific works. Plenty of examples come directly from Scandinavia, but others show the global influence of these designers: a section on Arne Jacobsen’s work at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, is especially illuminating.

The book is beautifully illustrated, and is exemplary in its content and scope. It will be fascinating for existing enthusiasts and newcomers to Scandinavian design alike.

Modern Scandinavian Design is published by Laurence King Publishing.

Anna Feintuck

Credits:
1. Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, by Alvar Aalto, 1967–1971.