Scan Magazine | Issue 56 | September 2013

ARNE DAHL SATISFIES OUR THIRST FOR NORDIC NOIRLARGE THEME: MADE IN FINLANDSOUTHERN NORWAY – THE NORWEGIAN RIVIERATHE BEST SPAS IN SWEDEN P

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Scan Magazine | Contents

COVER FEATURE8 Arne Dahl

It’s no secret that the Brits have developed a penchantfor Scandinavian crime writers. The latest is Arne Dahl,the novelist behind the bestselling Intercrime (A Unit)series, with more than 2.5 million copies sold. ScanMagazine caught up with the author at Nordicana, Lon-don’s first ever expo celebrating the best of Scandina-vian crime fiction and film.

DESIGN FEATURES16 Copenhagen Fashion Week

The true essence of fashion is being able to reinventyourself. This maxim not only applies to designers,stylists and style publications, but also to CopenhagenFashion Week.

18 VerydayScan Magazine talked to Swedish Veryday, a leadingDesign and Innovation agency that helps its clients im-prove from being good to being excellent.

20 Iris HantverkOfficially founded in 1953, but based on a tradition withover one hundred-year-old roots, Iris Hantverk is thebrush-binding business that gives the word hand-madea whole new meaning.

76 Bornholm BiennialEvery other year, hundreds of European artists flock tothe small Danish island Bornholm to take part in theBornholm Biennial for European contemporary glassand ceramics.

FEATURE21 Kulturkirken JAKOB

Twenty-eight years ago the Jakob Church was des-tined for demolition. Today it persists as a unique cul-tural pearl in the heart of Oslo, resurrected as Norway'sonly cultural church.

SPECIAL THEMES23 The Best Spas in Sweden

In Sweden, the spa trend is bigger than ever. What waspreviously considered a rare luxury is now available tomost people. We care about our well-being and in-dulge in more recreation at spas and wellness facilities,either in the company of friends and family or in con-nection with conferences and meetings.

42 Made in FinlandFinnish design is still made in Finland though the harshlaws of business have outsourced parts of the manu-facturing. Ecological and ethical reasons have becomemore and more important. Many a Finnish designeralso uses local materials and craft skills as sources ofinspiration and design – things that can't be importedfrom anywhere else.

79 Health in Finland & SwedenThe Nordic countries are known worldwide for the highstandard of their health services. However, obesity andcardiovascular diseases are among the largest publichealth concerns. To combat these problems, Scandi-navians have come up with numerous ways to educatepeople on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

83 Southern NorwayThe southern part of Norway has been the numberone summer holiday destination for Norwegians fordecades, while remaining a hidden gem for many visi-tors. Southern Norway evokes strong emotions with itswhite wooden houses along the archipelago, togetherwith beautiful islands, small cosy villages and its manybeaches.

Scan Business

REGULARS & COLUMNS108 Business Columns & News

Key note, columns and news stories on Scandinavianbusinesses and business events.

110 Conference of the MonthThe best conference venues of the month.

112 Scandinavian Business CalendarHighlights of Scandinavian business events.

FEATURE111 El Hotelito

In the heart of Spain, 100 kilometres west of Madrid, ElHotelito welcomes guests with enchanting sceneries,home-cooked food and wonderful rooms. Scan Maga-zine visited the small boutique hotel and was blownaway by its authentic charm and the owners’ genuinewarmth.

REGULARS & COLUMNS12 We Love This | 14 Fashion Diary | 94 Hotels of the Month | 99 Attractions of the Month

103 Restaurants of the Month | 113 Humour | 114 Music & Culture | 118 Scandinavian Culture Calendar

Contents


4 | Issue 56 | September 2013

Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader,

Scan Magazine

Issue 56 | September 2013

Published 06.09.2013

ISSN 1757-9589

Published by

Scan Magazine Ltd

Design & Print

Liquid Graphic Ltd

Executive Editor

Thomas Winther

Creative Director

Mads E. Petersen

Editor

Nia Kajastie

Graphic Designer

Svetlana Slizova

Copy-editor

Mark Rogers

Contributors

Emelie Krugly Hill

Christina B. Poulsen

Ian Morales

Cecilia Varricchio

Linnea Dunne

Magnus Nygren Syversen

Maria Malmros

Inna Allen

Karoliina Kantola

Malin Wiander

Anna Taipale

Signe Hansen

Thomas Bech Hansen

Julie Lindén

Elin Berta

Stian Sangvig

Anette Berve

Didrik Ottesen

Stephanie Lovell

Kjersti Westeng

Helena Whitmore

Mette Lisby

Maria Smedstad

Karl Batterbee

Sara Schedin

Sales & Key Account Managers

Emma Fabritius Nørregaard

Mette Tonnessen

Johan Enelycke

Jonna Klebom

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Next issue 6 October 2013

© All rights reserved. Materialcontained in this publication maynot be reproduced, in whole or inpart, without prior permission ofScan Magazine Ltd.

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This magazine containsadvertorials/promotional articles

SCANM A G A Z I N E

As summer turns to autumn, we startstowing our garden and barbecue equip-ment and fold away picnic blankets to fo-cus on life indoors – and that’s not such abad thing at all. We’ve had a pretty goodsummer, and even today, on the last day ofAugust, the sun is shining brightly, and aquick glance at the weather forecast re-

veals that there is no sign of autumnal chill in the air just yet.

But back to my original point: once the weather does cool down,there is plenty to look forward to, from autumn fashion (whodoesn’t enjoy the feel of new leather boots?) to sipping red wineindoors (instead of white wine spritzers in the beer garden). Andonce the last of the summer’s festivals have petered out, we canget ready for the range of events taking place in autumn.

One of these is, of course, the annual Scandinavia Show, whichreturns to us on 12-13 October. For 2013, the show is moving tothe historic Tobacco Dock in Wapping, close to Tower Bridge andthe City of London, but the emphasis on Scandinavian design andlifestyle, tourism, food and entertainment has stayed the same.Don’t miss out on reindeer, Vikings, music, food and travel pre-sentations, and a long list of excellent exhibitors – for an up-to-date programme visit: www.scandinaviashow.co.uk.

I’m writing this note feeling slightly heavy-hearted as it will be mylast one for Scan Magazine. I’ve been on an exciting, almostfour-year, journey with Scan, which has included close to 40 is-sues and three Scandinavia Shows. I’ve met and spoken to plentyof wonderful Scandies who are proud of what their home coun-tries stand for, and many non-Scandies who appreciate theNordic countries just as much.

I will be succeeded by one of our own, freelance writer and so-ciable Swede Linnea Dunne. I’m very pleased to be able to leaveScan Magazine in such capable hands, and I wish her all the bestin her new position.

And to all my Scan Magazine colleagues: Thank you for every-thing!

Nia KajastieEditor


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Nia Kajastie (Editor) was bornand raised in Helsinki, Finland,and moved to London in 2005 tostudy writing. With a BA in Jour-nalism & Creative Writing, shenow describes herself as a full-time writer and grammar stick-ler.

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s lead-ing female comedian. She invitesyou to laugh along with hermonthly humour columns. Sinceher stand-up debut in 1992,Mette has hosted the Danish ver-sions of “Have I Got News ForYou” and “Room 101”.

Thomas Bech Hansen hasmoved between England andDenmark, with London and nowCopenhagen among the placescalled home. As well as coveringeverything Scandinavian from ar-chitecture to aquavit, he is madabout English music and foot-

ball, works in PR and Communication.

Swedish Sara Schedin is a free-lance writer with a degree injournalism from City UniversityLondon. She moved here in 2006and is currently covering Scandi-navian culture in the UK.

Linnea Dunne has been writingprofessionally for over 10 years.Having started out on a local pa-per in Sweden, she is passionateabout Scandinavian music andculture, and currently works inLondon as a full-time writer andtranslator.

KjerstiWestengmoved fromNor-way to London to study journal-ism. She now finds it impossibleto leave, despite having finisheduniversity two years ago. From 9to 5 she works in PR, but in theevenings she writes her blog andplans her next holiday.

Helena Whitmore moved to theUK from Sweden in 1989. Shejoined SEB Private Banking in theUK as a wealth structuring spe-cialist in January 2013 and hasextensive experience in cross-border tax planning having previ-ously worked at a law firm.

Maria Smedstad moved to theUK from Sweden in 1994. She re-ceived a degree in Illustration in2001, before settling in the capi-tal as a freelance cartoonist, cre-ating the autobiographical car-toon Em. She writes a column onthe trials and tribulations of lifeas a Swede in the UK.

Karl Batterbee is devoted toScandinavian music and knowsexactly what is coming up in theUK. Apart from writing a monthlymusic update for Scan MagazineKarl has also started the Scan-dipop Club Night and its corre-sponding website: www.scan-dipop.co.uk.

Inna Allen is a freelance writer,translator and photographerwhose passions lie in all thingsart and design. She moved to theUK from her native Finland in2001 and has since developed achronic yearning for sauna.

Having travelled much of theworld, Signe Hansen, MA gradu-ate in Journalism and previouseditor at Scan Magazine, is nowback freelancing in London,where she writes on everythingScandinavian and her main pas-sions: culture, travel and health.

Julie Lindén is half Swedish andhalf Norwegian, and came toLondon two years ago to pursuea degree in journalism and cre-ative writing at Kingston Univer-sity. When she’s not busy study-ing, she is travelling the globe,learning new languages andplanning novels to be written.

Karoliina Kantola is a Finnishjournalist with a BA in Literatureand an MA in Journalism. Cur-rently, she lives in Helsinki,works for the Finnish Broadcast-ing Company and occasionallywrites for various publications.She previously spent some pre-cious years in Japan and the UK.

Magnus Nygren Syversen is aNorwegian freelance journalist,who graduated from MiddlesexUniversity with a BA in Journal-ism & Communication in 2010.Having left London and relocatedto the other side of the world, heis currently doing his MA at

Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

Emelie Krugly Hill has workedon a number of Swedish news-papers. After travelling exten-sively, she has been based inLondon since 2006. Her particu-lar interests are news and cur-rent affairs within Sweden andthe export of Scandinavian cul-ture to the UK.

Elin Berta is a Swedish freelancejournalist. After working as anews reporter for Swedish Ra-dio, she decided to leave themotherland for a life in London in2010. Now her focus is back onher first true love - writing - oftencombined with her love for musicand writing reviews.

Anette Berve is a Norwegianfreelance journalist based inLondon. She has previouslyworked in Buenos Aires for a cul-tural newspaper and is currentlyfinishing her degree in journal-ism and Spanish.

Maria Malmros is a freelancewriter from Sweden, with a jour-nalismdegree from IthacaCollegein New York (USA). She enjoyspainting, learning foreign lan-guages, and rummaging throughLondon, looking for any areas ofthe city yet to be uncovered.

Norwegian Didrik Ottesen isback living in London after acarefree time travelling aroundthe world. He is currently doinghis MA Journalism degree whilealso working as a freelance jour-nalist and trying to play as muchfootball as possible.

Regular Contributors

Scan Magazine | Contributors


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Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Arne Dahl



Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Arne Dahl

Arne Dahl- satisfies the UK’s thirst for Nordic noirIt’s no secret that the Brits have developed a penchant for Scandinavian crime writers. The latest is Arne Dahl, the novelist be-hind the bestselling Intercrime (A Unit) series, with more than 2.5 million copies sold. Scan Magazine caught up with the authorat Nordicana, London’s first ever expo celebrating the best of Scandinavian crime fiction and film.

By Emelie Krugly Hill | Photos: Sara Arnald

Some of us would say that Arne Dahl, realname Jan Arnald, is one of the most im-portant contemporary names in the crimegenre today. He has become known as agenuine storyteller who persistently man-ages to relate pressing and contemporaryissues within his work. During the lastfew years he has experienced an enor-mous breakthrough, receiving rave re-views from some of the most respectednewspapers in Europe.

During ten intensive weeks this spring, wefollowed the emotional and investigativejourney of the A Unit on BBC4. Featuring ateam of hand-picked Stockholm detec-tives, it made for compelling viewing andquickly hooked the British audience, whoare now eagerly awaiting a further seriesand suffering fromwithdrawal symptoms.

Nordicana, a showcase for ScandinavianTV shows, film and novels, took place atthe Farmiloe Building in Clerkenwell inJune. The two-day event delved deep intothe worlds of Wallander, The Killing, Bor-gen, The Bridge, and our latest favourite,Arne Dahl. Here, on a rainy summer’s day,author Arne Dahl sat down with ScanMagazine to reflect on his career as awriter.

A step into the world of crime fiction

“I’ve got one foot in the so-called world of‘fine culture’ in Sweden, and to take thestep into the world of crime fiction wasnaturally a big one,” explains Dahl, whowas known as a literary novelist, aca-demic and cultural critic before turning tocrime fiction.

He made the choice to write under apseudonym because he was looking for afresh start, and inhabiting the roles ofboth an academic and crime writer didnot seem possible in Sweden. “I needed tobe born again as a writer, with new en-ergy, seeking a new audience,” he re-flects.

“It was a long process that led me to thedecision to start writing crime fiction.When I had children, I became interestedin examining society, and with the eco-nomic downturn in the 90s, I wanted to tryto study the effects of this crisis on peo-ple’s private lives in a thrilling way.”

Dahl does not remember having readmuch children’s literature during his earlyyears; instead, he would immerse himself



in his father’s bookshelves that were ladenwith classic crime novels. A seed wasprobably already planted at this point.

Creating an ‘Anti-Wallander’

Arne Dahl describes how his intentionwas to create an ‘Anti-Wallander’, but im-mediately apologises to his respected col-league Henning Mankell.

“I was personally tired of the portrayal ofthe lonesome and depressed police offi-cer. I was curious to find out what wouldhappen if you bring a group of policemenand policewomen together, what the dy-namic would be like, while inventing a newkind of protagonist and creating relation-ships between the cops.

“Thus the A Unit was born, a blend ofseven very different yet charismatic de-tective characters. When it came to trans-ferring the stories to the screen, it was anerve-racking and bizarre moment tomeet the A Unit in real life at the audi-tions,” he explains.

These characters he had lived with for asubstantial amount of his life were all of asudden standing in front of him. But forDahl it could not have been a better se-lection of actors. They have also all be-

come good friends in real life, somethingthe Nordicana audience clearly witnessedduring the Q&A session as they joked andchatted in a relaxed manner.

“I’ve obviously grown very fond of them all.When it was time to end the Intercrimeseries, I just had to keep some of thecharacters, which then followed throughto my next journey, in the Opcop series, aquartet of free-standing novels about con-temporary, international crime – and thecontroversial Europol unit that is formedto combat it,” Dahl explains.

Dahl has close contact with his readers,which is something that he enjoys. He isvery active on his Facebook page. In fact,he reached out to his fans for ideas for ti-tles for his upcoming books in the Opcopseries, which then gave him the idea toborrow names from children’s games.

A dream comes true

He openly admits that he, as well as theactors from the Arne Dahl series, ishugely overwhelmed by the enormous in-terest from the British audience. Due tothe success of the show on BBC4, thepublication date for Bad Blood waspushed forward from July to June. BadBlood is the second Arne Dahl crime novel

to be published in the UK and Ireland, fol-lowing The Blinded Man (Misterioso). TheUS, Australia and New Zealand are thenext markets that Dahl is about to breakinto.

“I have always known that my books couldpotentially do well over here, but it takesa lot to break through in the UK. It’s beena very long process to get my work trans-lated into English, but once it became re-ality, it all moved quicker than I could haveever imagined. It’s absolutely remarkableand a dream come true.”

Dahl explains that he feels at home in theUK, and that Scandinavians and Brits havea lot in common with their love of crimefiction and humour. He loves Shakespeareand believes that every crime fiction writershould read Macbeth. His all-timefavourite British crime TV series is PrimeSuspect.

“Sweden is a small country and cansometimes be a little claustrophobic, alittle duck pond like,” Dahl reflects.“Everyone who works in the cultural in-dustry more or less knows each other,and it can be a bit demanding at times.You do need to leave the country once in awhile, to get some inspiration and freshideas and simply take a break from it all.My wife and I have a flat in Berlin whichwe visit on a regular basis. London wouldbe even better, but the house prices overhere are of course in a different league.We’re both dreaming of taking some timeout to live in London for a while in the fu-ture,” he says.

At the moment Arne Dahl is travellingaround Europe promoting his books andtaking part in various events, readings andinternational book festivals.

“It’s a very exciting time in my life, but it’staken some time to adjust from being alonely writer at home to all of a suddenbeing in the public eye. But I’ve actuallydiscovered that I love every moment of it.”

For more information, please visit:www.arnedahl.net


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Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This

We love this...September is amonth of change in Scandinavia: we swap raspberries for blackberries on our breakfast porridge, andwe love the seasonal changes we can see and feel around us. September is one of Scandinavia’s finest months, andwe celebrate it with sweet things and by adding colourful design objects to our minimalistic homes.

By Christina B. Poulsen

Two Swedish girls have opened a sweet

shop in Covent Garden to the delight of

many Scandies. Lovely glass jar filled with a

mix of Swedish hard-boiled sweets. Great as

a different dinner party gift. £13

sugarsin.co.uk

Swedish designer Johan Lindstén has designed an amazing new lamp called Meltdown for Cappellini.

Price: On request

www.lindstenform.com

Watch me wall clock adds a fun splash of

colour to any hallway or kitchen. £35

www.normann-copenhagen.com

Brilliant as drinking glasses but also for display on a dinner table or as vases. From £17

www.normann-copenhagen.com

Lovely soft cosmetics purse from Danish

knitwear brand AIAYU. £89

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Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

Fashion Diary...Embrace the colours of late summer! The beauty of the changing seasons is a Nordic treasure - one to celebrate inplum colours, cool greys, and in one of the season’s biggest trends: the statement sweatshirt! Teamed with a pair ofjeans and heels it’s a very wearable way to join the Scandi fashionistas.

By Christina B. Poulsen

Stine Goya does great trousers with a

point of difference – we love these navy

blue trousers with tiny golden dots.

£235

b56store.com

Cheeky Versace look-a-like print from

Swedish sweatshirt masters 5preview. £90

www.brownsfashion.com

Perfect half boots in a great on-trend plum

colour that will work with any wardrobe as

well as the classic black boots. £180

wild-swans.com

Danish brand Storm & Marie has launched a collaboration with one of the brightest stars of Danish

fashion, Anne Sofie Madsen. Very cool printed sweatshirts and T-shirts with Anne Sofie’s signature

shapes and prints – but at a fraction of the price.

Prices start at £60

shop.stormandmarie.com

Scarf from brand Dagny in the loveliest

aubergine colours – a great way to update

an outfit going into autumn. £55

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Fashionistas don’t sweat. But as the tem-perature outside City Hall hit a record30°C many required more than one glassof champagne to keep cool. The other ma-jor surprise for visitors arriving on theopening day of Copenhagen Fashion WeekSS14 was the truncated schedule: 22shows, compared to an average of 40. Thiswas partly due to increasing competitionfrom emerging fashion weeks such asStockholm, Oslo and Berlin, as well as adecision by the most acclaimed Danishlabels to opt for an alternative to the tra-ditional catwalk format.

The event was officially opened by theDanish enfant terrible Asger Juel Larsen.The thirty-year-old London College of

Fashion graduate earned his stripesshowcasing two previous menswear col-lections that evoked his signature dark,edgy, urban style. For SS14, Larsen takesus to an asylum where the inmates es-cape, only to regret their action and re-turn. Entitled “A Triple Distilled Dream”the show kicked off with white, oversized,medical-inspired mesh jackets and pro-gressed into a series of sporty looks punc-tuated with forward-thinking tailoring.Clockwork digital prints occasionallyemerged from a treasure chest of insan-ity. Larsen’s show went down a storm withthe international press. But many Danishfans hooked on his first collections couldnot help notice a shift towards a morecommercial approach.

Henrik Vibsov staged his SS14 collectionin an empty warehouse on Paper Island,near the hippie commune Christiania.This season’s installation “The BathtubObserver” featured models parading in agigantic, catwalk-sized bathtub, completewith ubiquitous tufts of yellow and whitehair. The observer, or audience, was in-troduced to a universe overloaded with vi-sual disorders and dysfunctions that com-prised oversized tops, baggy trousers,layered dresses and light knits with en-larged herringbone patterns, Cubist andAfrican inspired prints, and hand printeddots. Unfortunately, Vibskov’s staging wasnot as compelling as in previous seasonswhere the models interacted with the in-stallation and few had expected the avant-garde designer to present such a wear-able collection.

One of the most anticipated shows atCopenhagen Fashion Week was Anne So-

Copenhagen Fashion WeekSpring/Summer 2014 highlithsThe true essence of fashion is being able to reinvent yourself. This maxim not only ap-plies to designers, stylists and style publications, but also to CopenhagenFashionWeek.

By Ian Morales | Photos: Copenhagen Fashion Week®

Anne Sofie Madsen Brunns Bazaar Mark Tan



Scan Magazine | Design | Copenhagen Fashion Week

phie Madsen. Growing from strength tostrength each season, the new star ofDanish fashion showcased her latest col-lection “Post-Human Speed” inspired byKapser Hauser, Inochi and RubberJohnny: three different stories of teenageboys from the Romantic and Millenniumeras who never grow up. Influences of theteenage sport motocross can be seen inher oversized leather jackets andtrousers. The collection featured a lot ofleather – embossed and moulded – in-cluding several exquisitely crafted whitemini leather dresses with whip stitchingand open back. The monochrome palettewas complemented by 90s Japanese popart prints. By far the most inspiring showof the week.

Princess Mary of Denmark was spotted onthe front row of the Bruuns Bazaar show.Presented in the beautiful courtyard ofthe label’s headquarters in Copenhagen,the master minimalist unveiled a classicsummer collection inspired by Baubotanic– a new technique advocated by a group ofGerman architects of using living plants in

building construction. It was a Scandina-vian affair with clean lines and simple sil-houettes. Delicate floral prints and mod-els with wavy hair and round, oversizedframe glasses added a touch of cool.

Charlotte Eskildsen, co-founder of De-signers Remix, never fails to impress withher choice of location. This season sheshowcased the label’s SS14 collection inthe newly opened The Blue Planet aquar-ium on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Thesetting was breathtaking. The Shark Tun-nel was converted into a catwalk with topmodels sashaying fearlessly alongsidehammerheads, stingrays and other exoticfish, swimming an arm’s length away onall sides. Inspired by the 1980s LucBesson film The Big Blue, the models ap-peared from the “sea” sporting a wet-lookwith body-hugging aquatic inspired sil-houettes in black, white and power green.Special guests included Princess Marieof Denmark.

The new boy on the block in Copenhagen isMark Kenly Domino Tan. Fresh from com-

peting as a finalist at the H&M DesignAward 2013, the Kolding School of Designgraduate presented his debut collection atthe Nimb Hotel. Tan’s experimental mix ofmaterials such as neoprene and silk andwool and foam were unveiled as cocoonstyle coats, pencil skirts, two-piece suitsand bell-shaped skirts. Exaggeratedrounded shoulders and a delightful paletteof red, white, blue and black added a uniquefeminine touch. Tan is currently studying atthe Royal College of Art in London.

The event was marked by a noticeable ab-sence of the most prominent brands onthe main schedule as they opted to pres-ent their collections in alternative for-mats: Soulland presented his “Katastro-phe” collection at an exclusive pop-upcafe; Malene Birger unveiled “Ladies ofthe World” at a dinner at the 5-star Hoteld'Angleterre; and Stine Goya used the oc-casion to open her small flagship bou-tique on Gothersgade. Things are chang-ing in Copenhagen. Let’s hope nextseason’s schedule includes all.

Asger Juel Larsen Designers Remix Henrik Vibskov



Today’s business is not what it used to bea few years ago, and change is rampingup, driven by megatrends such as global-ization, ageing populations, technology de-velopment and consumer adoption of newtechnology, to name a few. Companiesneed to adopt new strategies to satisfymore demanding clients who nowadayscan choose from awider selection of prod-ucts, available at their fingertips throughnumerous online devices. Malin Orebäck,Director of Design Strategy and a Partnerat Veryday in Sweden, tells us that com-panies need to understand the total expe-

rience of their customers when using aproduct or service. When you truly under-stand why people buy your product or whythey don’t, new opportunities will open up.

Getting closer to the customers

To be able to keep up, and lead develop-ments, it is important that companies un-derstand what customers and users willwant tomorrow and how they change theirbehaviour and habits. They need to trulyunderstand the needs, demands, aspira-tions and pain points of their customers.And it is not just about asking questions:they really have to get close to the cus-tomer, or they will not learn about the cus-tomer’s unmet needs. It has to be a rapidlearning process, otherwise any companywill soon be out of the game. An interest-ing fact that Orebäck tells us is that 80% ofcompanies believe that they are offering afantastic product, while just 8% of theircustomers agree with this view. Looking at

Why do people love certain products and are willing to pay a premium price eventhough equal, cheaper ones are available? How can a company increase the value andprofitability of its products and services in times when competition is getting harderthan ever? To answer these questions, we decided to talk to Swedish Veryday, aleading Design and Innovation agency that helps its clients improve from being goodto being excellent.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Veryday

People-driven design– the new approach to reinventing business strategies

Design strategy work - Malin Oreback in themiddle

Veryday headquarters

Design research - getting close to the user



Scan Magazine | Design | Veryday

these surprising numbers, anyone can in-fer that most companies need to increasetheir understanding of what clients reallywant, to meet diverse expectations.

How design will change value

Today, many brands refocus from cus-tomer acquisition through advertising, to-wards adding value for existing cus-tomers, increasing loyalty and thusearningmarket share by delivering a greatcustomer experience. Veryday is expert inhelping companies increase the value andattraction of their services and products,to secure bigger client groups, and, moreimportantly, to make customers moreloyal and satisfied. They help companiesto work systematically in being able to un-derstand what kind of functions and fea-tures customers want and what they areattracted by, to create a superior cus-tomer experience, whether it is a productor service, digital or physical.

Fail fast – fail cheap

Increased competitive pressure, technol-ogy convergence and market complexity

require a new way of thinking and collab-orating with stakeholders and customers.Organizations need to focus, drive sav-ings, build new revenue, create differenti-ation and re-think business models. Bytapping into unmet needs business op-portunities will be revealed. This customerfocused business strategy is also a greatway of bringing departments closer to-gether. Further, it mitigates the risk offailure as the new products and servicesare generated out of the true needs anddemands of customers. By using the de-sign methods of prototyping and testingnew concepts at an early stage togetherwith customers and company representa-tives, potential weaknesses can be dis-covered and adjusted rapidly and at a sub-stantially lower cost. “Did you know thatthe rate of failure of new services isaround 60%? Those companies should re-ally have tested their offering before thelaunch. The benefits of design are defi-nitely several,” finishes Malin Orebäck atVeryday.

For more information, please visit:veryday.com

Analyzing biometric dataThe November chair

Aerocrine asthma treatment device Brio Go - stroller

FIVE KEY QUESTIONS FOR ALLORGANIZATIONS

To future-proof a business there are afew key questions that the companyshould always ask itself:

1. Do you really know why yourcustomers choose your brand? Mostcompanies know what theircustomers think, but not why.

2. Do you know what your customers’true needs and aspirations are? Howdoes your company use thatknowledge to improve anddifferentiate?

3. How many layers do you havebetween your customers and R&D?Get as close as possible.

4. How will rapidly changing customerbehaviour and preferences affectyour business?

5. Fail fast and fail cheap – do you testand prototype new concepts at anearly stage?



“It started as industrialisation forced peo-ple to leave rural areas and move to thecities – the agrarian society was dissolving,and people had to start fending for them-selves,” co-owner and vice president SaraEdhäll explains. “The brush-binding pro-fession appeared well-suited to the visu-ally impaired, and so the Manilla School, aworkhouse for the blind, was set up.” In1870, nine people lived and worked at thehouse, earning 75 per cent of the products’retail value. A lot has happened since inthe struggle for the right to employment,such as the foundation of the National As-sociation for the Visually Impaired (Syn-skadades Riksförbund). But Iris Hantverkstill proudly employs skilled, visually im-paired craftsmen and women. “This is ab-

solutely key, this right to self-sustainabil-ity,” stresses Edhäll. “This is why we exist.”

Everyday items that age beautifully

Using natural materials and Swedishwood exclusively, Iris Hantverk producesbrushes that are as beautiful to look at asthey are enjoyable to use. The clearly vis-

ible wire at the back of the brush is a re-minder of a long tradition of hand-draw-ing brushes, while the wood feels nice inthe hand and the materials used in everybrush have been sourced specifically forthe purpose of the product: tough materi-als handle heavy-duty cleaning; fine bris-tles like cereal roots make root vegetablecleaning a pleasure; and goat hair care-fully cleanses the skin of your face. Thedistinct design and unquestionable func-tionality of the Iris Hantverk brush hasmade it popular across the globe. Whilehalf of the company’s turnover comesfrom its two Stockholm shops, the rest isspread evenly across other markets suchas Taiwan, South Korea, Canada and theUnited Kingdom.

Partnerships with a number of prominentdesigners, includingmore than a decade’scollaboration with Lovisa Wattman, whosedesigns can also be found at HöganäsKeramik and Design House Stockholm,make for a range of over 100 differentproducts that are so muchmore than justhousehold items. “Our brushes are every-day items that age beautifully,” says aproud Edhäll.

For more information, please visit:www.irishantverk.se

Brushes that give‘handmade’ a new meaningOfficially founded in 1953, but based on a tradition with over one hundred-year-oldroots, Iris Hantverk is the brush-binding business that gives the word hand-made awhole new meaning. Not only are the brushes hand-drawn using refined techniquesfor exceptional durability and functionality – they are made by visually impaired arti-sans, proudly telling the story of how an isolated group reclaimed its right to activeparticipation in society.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Iris Hantverk

Scan Magazine | Design | Iris Hantverk

The brush-binding house in 1927



As Norway's only dedicated culturalchurch the Jakob Culture Church aims toshowcase the qualities of the nave as acultural arena. “We want to combine thefeeling of a nave with the professionalismof a concert hall,” says events managerKristin Folkvord Pedersen.

Built in 1880, in what was then known asKristiania, the Jakob Church served as aparish church for 105 years, up until 1985.By then, residents had abandoned thearea, which was slowly turning into an of-fice landscape, and the congregation hadall but dispersed. With the church sittingunused, several prominent figures calledfor it to be demolished, but the people atKirkelig Kulturverksted (KKV) decided tofight to give the church new life.

On 18 February 2000, after 14 years ofhard work, the church was resurrectedand reopened in its new format; a profes-sional cultural arena, still with strong tiesto Lutheran Christianity, and with the best

sound and lighting system you are likely tofind in any church. “We host a range of dif-ferent events at the church, from art ex-hibits, theater and dance to concertswithin all genres. I think people areamazed by how well we can adapt to dif-ferent settings, and how flexible the naveis,” says Folkvord Pedersen.

Depending on preferences, the church canprovide anything from small, intimate set-tings to a grand, scenic concert hall hous-ing as many as 530 guests. Every Sundaynight from September through to Aprilthere is a special Jakob mass, where pro-fessional musicians collaborate to createa church service unlike any other. Soundand lighting play a big role in these serv-ices, which have run continuously sincethe church reopened 13 years ago. “In ad-dition to cultural events we rent out ourfacilities for seminars, conferences,christmas parties and banquets, and wehost funerals, christenings and wed-dings,” says Folkvord Pedersen.

Twenty-eight yearsago theJakobChurchwasdestined fordemolition. Today it persists asaunique cultural pearl in the heart of Oslo, resurrected asNorway's only cultural church.

By Magnus Nygren Syversen | Photos: Kulturkirken JAKOB

Scan Magazine | Feature | Kulturkirken JAKOB

For more information, please visit:www.jakob.no

Where culture and Christianity meet


All the best of brand Scandinavia for you to taste, test and buy!

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The Scandinavia Show is the only UK show dedicated exclusively toshowcase the best of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.The show incorporates Scandinavian design, travel, lifestyle, fashion,culture, music and food and all our exhibitors have well-stocked stalls– everything can be purchased at The Scandinavia Show.

DESIGN & LIFESTYLEIf you love the bright and airy Scandinavian design, then TheScandinavia Show will be a can’t-miss event. The show will exhibiteverything from top-end furniture, lighting, fabrics, carpets, interior de-sign items, designer clothes and footwear, to timeless classics that willalways embody the simple, yet stylish Scandinavian disposition.

For further information, competition and tickets:

www.scandinaviashow.co.uk

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The task of the Association of SwedishSpa Hotels (Svenska Spahotell) is to en-sure a positive development and to workfor the industry in maintaining a certainlevel of quality. This is accomplished byensuring that the association’s membersprovide a range of facilities based on thefour cornerstones of motion, recreation,nutrition and salutary skincare, and thatstaff possess the right training and expe-rience. In Sweden, there are 37 hotels thatmeet the criteria set by the board of Sven-ska Spahotell.

Generally we see two parallel trends in themarket. One is “back to basics”. We refineancient forms of treatment that we knowshow good results scientifically, such asdifferent varieties of massage, scrub,detox and spa. There is a great interest inusing organic skincare products that areas gentle as possible, for both body andnature. The second track is a develop-ment of visually rejuvenating treatments.Many focus on treatments with firmingeffects for the face and invest in the mar-ket's latest devices. The equipment uses

different types of energy to counteract theprocesses that affect skin aging.

We also see an increase of interest in ex-ercise, healthy food, and lifestyle analysis,which mixes various activities together,such as detox, tailor-made diets, exerciseprogrammes with a PT, mindfulness andsolution-focused counseling, and relax-ation through yoga, qigong and massageto create a healthier life and achieve bet-ter harmony.

Sweden’s spa trendIn Sweden, the spa trend is bigger than ever. What was previously considered a rareluxury is now available to most people. We care about our well-being and indulge inmore recreation at spas and wellness facilities, either in the company of friends andfamily or in connection with conferences and meetings. More and more spas haveopened.

By Sara Hellgren, marketing manager for the Association of Swedish Spa Hotels,[email protected] | Photo: Svenska Spahotell

For more information, please visit:www.svenskaspahotell.se

The Association of Swedish Spa Hotelshas very high standards for itsmembers, which comprise 37 hotelsthat all include high-quality spas.

Please visitwww.svenskaspahotell.se/en/the_members/members.aspx to see all of thesemembers.

SPECIAL THEME:

THE BEST SPAS IN SWEDEN



What really makes the difference at Var-bergs Kurort is that here everything is trulyauthentic. Customers can really feel thegenuineness in every single detail. Hereguests will find real seaweed, saltwater,and a true, genuine smell of the sea. Thisis the place where real people meet. Theconcept of a spa is so old that it has almostbecome new again, and Varbergs Kurortcan pride itself on being, historically, one ofthe oldest spas in Sweden. With its longtradition and extensive expertise, it has al-ways been and continues to always be astep ahead of its competitors.

The four cornerstones of spa

Every spa should work around the fourcornerstones principles. These consist of

Movement, Physical Contact, MentalStimulation and Nutritional Diet. SpaManager Carina Wallberg tells us thatthey have built the whole concept of Var-bergs Kurort around these foundations.Such dedication to this objective has ledthem to win several awards, such as BestServed Food and Spa Star Award in 2012.For the Movement cornerstone, everyweek they offer their guests more than70 classes. There is a wide variety ofchoice: indoor and outdoor activities, ter-restrial or aquatic (spinning, aqua fitnessand more). Most of the activities are actu-ally aquatic as the spa concept itself hasits roots in the water. They have severalcalming activities which help tostrengthen body awareness. For Mental

Award-winning spa hotelwith focus on body and mindVarbergs Kurort is an historical health resort on the Swedish west coast and the only medical resort in Sweden. Here, they com-bine a long tradition of spa and wellness withmedical knowledge. They work around the four cornerstones of the spa concept andhave won several awards as a spa hotel as well as for their fabulous food.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Varbergs Kurort



Scan Magazine | Special Theme | The Best Spas in Sweden

Stimulation, Varbergs Kurort offers hathayoga, mediyoga, meditation, silent walkmeditation by the sea, mental coachingand theory classes in fitness and dieting,to name a few.

In their award-winning restaurant cus-tomers will only be served the best tradi-tional Swedish food, made with the finestingredients and vegetables, and guestswill also find guidelines from the spa’sown dietician explaining how tomake sureof getting all the vitamins and other es-sential elements that the body needs. Thechefs at the restaurant work in close con-tact with the dietician to ensure that thefood has a good taste but at the sametime maintains healthiness.

At Varbergs Kurort there is a strong focuson massage. 60% of the treatments aremassages, and they specialise mostly inthe world-renowned Swedish massage.Since 1992, they have massaged 10% ofthe Swedish population and the number isstill growing. During summertime, guestscan also enjoy a fantastic massage out-doors. The treatments are mainly focusedon genuine Swedish cures such as wash-

ing with seaweed. They have 35 treatmentrooms and practise more than 41,000treatments yearly on their 110,000 guests.

A mix of medicine and spa

Asmentioned, Varbergs Kurort is the onlyplace in Sweden which can pride itself onbeing a medical resort. They have exten-sive experience and solid education in re-habilitation techniques. Their treatmentapproach is based on the latest researchin rehabilitation, physical therapy andstress management. They have their ownCognitive Behavioural Therapist and cus-tomers can also have a massage on re-ferral from their doctor. In this way, theyblend medical knowledge with the well-ness of a regular spa, allowing theachievement of the perfect mix of physicaland psychological well-being. “It is im-portant that all our patients and guests

feel good, this is why we have experts inevery field of body health,” Wallberg says.Varbergs is also known as Sweden’shealth resort city and is also famous forbeing one of the country’s most populartourist destinations. It is not a surprisethat this spa hotel is always mentioned invarious tourist guides. As a Thalasso spathey use local natural resources. At Var-bergs Kurort all guests are guaranteedmaximum pleasure and results thanks tothe mix between the cornerstones princi-ples and the outstanding staff expertise.This aspect, coupled with the passion ofthe staff, makes Varbergs Kurort the lead-ing spa year after year.

For more information, please visit:www.varbergskurort.se



When opening five years ago, Sankt Jör-gen Park Resort launched a brand newconcept in terms of Swedish spa experi-ences. Inspired by the ayurvedic doshas,the vata, the pitta and the kapha, three sparituals were developed to suit different

moods and needs: Relax, Energy, and Pu-rify. “Which one of the three rituals you’llwant to try depends on where you are inlife. Perhaps you’ve had a hectic week andjust need to switch off with Relax, or youhave an important day ahead and need to

be energised,” says marketing managerLisa Thorén.

This holistic attitude is typical for theayurvedic school of thought, a medicalapproach that is all about harmony and isjust as respected and relied upon in Indiaas western medicine. “There’s a deepermeaning, a level beyond the skin,” Thorénexplains. “It’s about the whole body – a be-lief that good energy creates balance inour lives.”

As ephemeral as it might sound, the con-cept spread like wildfire and is now usedacross the majority of Swedish spas. Butthe original experience, and the very bestversion of it, is only available at its home:Sankt Jörgen Park Resort. The awardsand top reviews keep on coming, andthere simply is no question that the venueis onto a winner.

Ask Svenska Spahotell, themembership organisation for high-quality Swedish spa es-tablishments, where to go for the best spa experience in the country. Or, by allmeans, ask Reseguiden, the Swedish travel guide. If their awards are anything to goby, the answer will be the same: Sankt Jörgen Park Resort is the best spa in Sweden.In fact, it seems likemost resorts across the country are in agreement about this onething – why else would they all go and copy the spa ritual concept that originated here?

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Sankt Jörgen Park Resort

In the name of the vata,the pitta and the holy kapha




A modern country clubBut the spa is only one of many legs ofSankt Jörgen Park Resort’s, albeit a cen-tral, defining one. Providing something assought-after as a true oasis of calm, bangin the middle of Gothenburg city, this self-styled modern country club offers morethan one way to relax: foodies will covetthe four different food and drink venues,while hotel guests benefit from access toa gym complete with exercise classes aswell as a top-of-the-range golf coursewith accompanying green areas.

Everything has been done with panache,too; the juices are organic, there is a raw-food option, and you can choose from ascrumptious lunch buffet or traditionalSwedish cuisine. Not to mention the golfcourse with its Park Golf Academy, threesimulators with advanced Trackman tech-nology, golf carts and equipment for hotelguests’ use, and a golf pro offering one-to-one tuition to perfect that swing.

Sankt Jörgen Park Resort’s popularityamongst golfers is partly down to itsboundless quality, as well as its efficiency,Thorén explains: “Wherever you are onthe 18-hole golf course, you are nevermore than ten minutes away from the ho-tel, and the club house is only 150 metersaway. Both Gothenburg Airport and theCentral Station are within a 10-minutereach. Why waste time when what you re-ally want to do is play golf?”

A healthy, active lifestyle that sparkles

Unsurprisingly, Sankt Jörgen Park Resortis a popular place for corporate confer-ences and staff away days. Modern, top-notch conference facilities are a given, butit also helps that you can get away withoutreally having to travel far. Besides, youhave the option to take a break for some

leisure activities without really having todecide what kind beforehand, knowingthat you will be surrounded by an envi-ronment that is all about a healthy, activelifestyle.

This year, that lifestyle gets some extrasparkle, figuratively as well as literally.Figuratively in that the spa facilities openanew this month after six weeks of refur-bishment, adding a brand new kneipp poolalongside a long line of improved finishesand special surprises. And literallythrough the new Limited Edition Spa Rit-ual of the Year, kicking off in 2013, underthe theme “Sparkling” and featuring thesmells and products of the essential oilsof grape, cassia and sandalwood.

“Our spa rituals are everywhere at thisstage, so this is a nice way for us to takeback the baton and show that we are atthe top of the game,” says Thorén. Whatwill the special ritual for 2014 be? Bookyour slot and see.

For more information, please visit:www.sanktjorgenpark.se

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Spa Kitchen of the Year 2013– SpaStar International

Spa Hotel of the Year 2013– Svenska Spahotell, industry award

Best Conference Facilities 2013– Congrex

Spa of the Year 2012– SpaStar International

Spa Ritual of the Year 2013– SpaStar International

Spa of the Year 2012, Readers’ Choice– Reseguiden.se

Fitness Spa of the Year 2011– Amelia hälsa & skönhet

Facilities of the Year 2009– Gothenburg City Council

Sweden’s Best Spa 2009– Leva Magazine



The location of Hotel Havsbaden inGrisslehamn could not be better, at leastnot if you are thinking of the best place fora spa hotel. From the building customerscan enjoy a magnificent view overlookingthe Sea of Åland. The hotel is equippedwith large panorama windows to fullybenefit from, and provide enjoyment of,the fantastic view. Hotel Havsbaden is nota massive spa hotel, but has an intimateand personal vibe. Here customers can beassured of finding the peace and quietthat they were so much looking for duringthe year. Moreover, guests can benefitfrom the small size of the hotel and spa asthey do not have to walk around in theirrobes through different buildings, but in-stead they have all the facilities under thesame roof. Many guests report this as a

great feature of the hotel. One of the spe-cialities on the spa menu is the chocolatemassage, which is incredibly good and ef-fective both for body and mind.

Good food and great activities

At Havsbaden, food is something reallyspecial, very much influenced by proxim-ity to the sea. Customers can take delightin their evenings with plenty of freshseafood locally sourced. In fact, at Havs-baden a particular focus is given to theuse of local ingredients both for fresh-ness and environmental impact. In thedining room guests will enjoy fantasticdishes while admiring the view of the fish-ing harbour. Around the hotel there arealso stunning walking trails where cus-tomers can stroll or cycle. Several nice

Let yourself relax in a traditional spa at Hotel Havsbaden while admiring the stunningview of the magnificent Sea of Åland. Here you will achieve complete relaxation andyouwill be able to rest and recover from hectic everyday life. After a stay at Havsbadenyou will be completely regenerated and this sensation will last for a long time.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Hotel Havsbaden

Clear horizonsacross the Sea of Åland

For more information, please visit:www.hotellhavsbaden.se

beaches and cliffs are located close to thehotel, representing the ideal spot for thosewho love sunbathing. Another popular ac-tivity that can be combined with a stay atHotel Havsbaden is a trip to Åland whichis just 4 ½ hours by boat. This spa hotelgreets guests all year around with specialofferings every season.



Besides the sea and the alluring naturesurrounding the hotel, what makes HotelSkansen unique, is its cold bath (Kallbad-hus). Walking along a 60-metre-long pierto two saunas and a warm outdoor pool,guests will get a really special and uniquespa experience. Different elements createan exciting environment in the other spa in-side the main building. It is strongly advis-able to book one of the several spa pack-ages which provide exceptional value.Everything at Hotel Skansen is about qual-ity, and every room maintains a very highstandard and great comfort. Hotel Skansenis also famous for its excellent food servedin its restaurant which offers an extraordi-nary view. Here customers can end a per-fect day enjoying a delicious dinner.

Tennis and other activities

Hotel Skansen is located in Båstad which is

world famous for hosting two internationaltennis tournaments. The centre tenniscourt which hosts the games during thetournaments is located at the resort. Be-sides tennis, which in Båstad is a very pop-ular activity of course, there aremany othersports that clients can engage in, such asjogging or cycling in the surrounding hillswhich,many say, resemble the Italian land-scape. Guests can also combine their stayat the hotel with different experience pack-ages such as “Smaka på Bjäre” (TasteBjäre). These packages are tailor-madeand inspire activities such aswalking beau-tiful trails, visiting cosy coffee shops andcharming farm shops.

A part of Scandinavian Resort

The very same genuine feeling that can beexperienced at Hotel Skansen is also themain characteristic of their sister hotels

which are all part of the group “Scandina-vian Resort”. Torekov Hotel is located just15minutes fromHotel Skansen and is alsoequippedwith an amazing spa. This hotel isin the middle of nature, quiet and focusedon health, and offering activities such asyoga. The other two hotels which are part ofthe group are Sälens Högfjällshotell andGammelgården, both located in the north ofSweden, and ideal for skiing in winter andother outdoor activities in summer.

Hotel Skansen is not an ordinary hotel. In fact it is a resort whichwill make you feel re-laxed at the exactmoment that you enter the premises. Its comfortable spa and the pro-fessional staff will ensure that every customer receives particular care and service.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Hotel Skansen

Get an overall feeling of well-ness at a spa hotel with taste

For more information, please visit:www.hotelskansen.se

Special Theme | The Best Spas in Sweden


Enjoy some time off at Vann Spa Hoteland ConferenceVann is located on the Swedish west coast,one hour north of Gothenburg. The hotelwas opened only four years ago and is ex-clusively built with Scandinavian materialssuch as granite andwood. It is a huge facil-ity hosting a 1,000-square-metre spa withsix indoor pools, an outdoor pool, threesaunas and a private beach. Moreover, atVann customers can spoil themselves witha vast number of different treatmentswhichwill make them feel better than ever. Foodplays a central role at Vann. Every singledish that customers enjoy during their visitismade fromscratch and ingredients are allfresh and locally sourced. Themenu is sea-sonal and is carefully designed in every sin-gle aspect. A unique option offered to guestsis the possibility to cook their own disheswith the help and supervision of a first-classchef and to choosewine to combinewith thehelp of professional sommeliers.

Smögens Hafvsbad – A spa hotel with ahistoryAt Smögens Hafvsbad customers will en-joy deep contact with the sea, as the ho-tel is based on an island connected to themainland by a bridge. Smögens Hafvsbadis an historical hotel opened back in1900. At the time it had only 8 rooms,but since then it has been restructuredand expanded and now the hotel consistsof 73 rooms, a spa, a restaurant and con-ference facilities. Guests will enjoy apeaceful environment and will releasestress in this magical place which is openall year around. The building is reallyspecial with the spectacular sea bath,bubble pool and sauna. Smögens Havfs-bad also hosts occasional wedding cere-monies. There are several options forwhere to hold the ceremony such as in achapel on Hållö, another island not farfrom the hotel and reachable by a shortboat trip.

Make sure not to miss one of these westcoast gems that will give you that warmfeeling of well-being you have been seek-ing for so long.


Treat yourself to an outstanding spaexperience on the Swedish west coastTheSwedishwest coast is world renowned for its beautiful and amazing nature.Which other place could be better to visit if youwantto take a break from frenetic city life? Luckily, we can recommend twomagnificent places offering extraordinary spa treatments andmaximum relaxation.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Vann and Smögens Hafvsbad

For more information, please visit:www.vann.sewww.smogenshafvsbad.se

Vann Spa Hotel

Vann Spa HotelTop: Smögens Hafvsbad pool. Below: Vann Spa HotelSmögens Hafvsbad hotel



Orbaden Conference & Spa is located inHälsingland, in the north part of Sweden,and the first thing to be noted, when some-one visits this beautiful facility, is the fan-tastic view from the hotel: highmountains,deep valleys and the Lake Ljusnan, whichalso has a lovely beach in proximity to thehotel. This bucolic environment will makeanyone’s heartbeat slow down and calmeven the most stressed persons.

Owner Helene Åkerström tells us that themission of Orbaden Conference& Spa is tooffer its customers a typical Scandinavianspa with bright colours, first-class Scandi-navian food prepared in its exclusiverestaurant and the best products fromKer-stin Florian. The spa offers several spa-treatments for customers’ well-being andis equipped with a small thermal salt pool

with water at a pleasant temperature of35-36 degrees. The use of the pool is in-cluded in the daily rate of every room andapartment. The hotel also offers an amaz-ing outdoor Jacuzzi overlooking the breath-taking lake.

Customers staying at Orbaden Conference& Spa are assured that they will never getbored. In the vicinity of the hotel, there aresomany outdoor and indoor activities to doall year around that many guests feel thatthey should have allowed more time fortheir stay at the hotel. Visitors will be ableto enjoy concentrated bit of Sweden, with afocus on nature and typical Swedish cul-ture, such as big farmhouses, handcraftsand, of course, the famous JärvZoo hostingNordic animals.

It’s very easy to reach Orbaden as there isa direct train from Arlanda. Orbaden Con-ference & Spa offers 30 newly renovatedrooms and 19 apartments for those willingto stay a bit longer. The spa-treatmentrooms are completely new and brought tothe highest standard. After a stay at Or-baden Conference & Spa, anyone is en-sured to go home feeling younger, lessstressed and more peaceful than ever.

If you are looking for a special place where you can relax in outstanding surroundings,then Orbaden Conference & Spa is the right place for you. Here you will enjoy benefi-cial relaxation and also discover interesting culture and fantastic nature.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Orbaden Conference & Spa

A one-of-a-kind spain lovely North Sweden

For more information, please visit:www.orbaden.se

Special Theme | The Best Spas in Sweden



Back in 2001, when Asia Spa first opened,the Asian theme was a way for the estab-lishment to distinguish itself from otherspas opening up across the country at thetime. Today, oriental influences in theform of ayurveda, Feng Shui and the fiveelements have been left free to roam, cre-ating a spa experience characterised bycalm and commitment – and the visitors

keep coming back for more. “Many spasthese days are inspired by eastern philos-ophy, but there’s a clarity in our concept,almost like a statement, which is hard tofind elsewhere,” says hotel director BoSamuelsson. “Let’s just say you won’t beswimming in seaweed here.” What youare more likely to be doing is attending ameditation class or be lucky enough to

get a place at a guest lecture, like lastsummer’s week-long yoga retreat withyoga master Alan Finger.

As a result, a lot of Asia Spa’s regulars arevery specific about what they want. “Theyknow their philosophies and treatments,and they want the real deal,” the directorcontinues. That is not to say that all visi-tors are spa pros. “We made the decisionto apply an age limit to the spa to protectthe calm and the silence, so there’s a realbreadth in terms of our guests, but theyall rate the peaceful environment.”


Varberg Asia Spa

Where Asia meets Swedenand you find inner peace

One pushes Asian philosophy to its limits; the other prescribes relaxation amongst hotsprings and beautiful art. But Varbergs Stadshotell & Asia Spa and Arken Hotel & ArtGarden Spa, the two establishments on the west coast of Sweden owned by the sameparent company, both promise you this: an intimate, cosy environment where innerpeace and great customer service are at the top of the list of priorities.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Varbergs Stadshotell & Asia Spa and Arken Hotel & Art Garden Spa

Well-being the oriental way– at Varbergs Stadshotell & Asia Spa




Now hotel director of Arken Hotel & ArtGarden Spa, Christer Rådeströmwas pre-viously headhunted for a job at anotheraward-winning Swedish spa after yearsin the hotel industry, and slowly but surelya new catalyst developed. “You grow pas-sionate about working with these issues:you want people to be happy, not just ef-fective. We need the space to breathe.”

Combining a love and appreciation of artwith all nature’s benefits, Art Garden Spaworks with the Chinese five elements tocreate that space: no high-impact aero-bics or other cardiovascular exerciseclasses, just plenty of space, comfortableday beds, dark therapy rooms, hot springsand classes along the lines of yoga andmeditation. With the changing of the sea-sons, so the elements change at the spa.“Different elements work well during dif-ferent seasons, so we adapt our treat-ments and products accordingly,” Råde-ström explains. With earth being thecurrent theme, metal will soon take overbefore water gives a refreshing start tothe New Year.

The concept of relaxation and well-beinglends itself to an appreciation of all thingsbeautiful, which is why there is an art ex-hibition by local artists at Arken Hotel atall times, changing five times per yearalongside the changing elements. In ad-dition, the spa has its own mini exhibi-tion, and the entire venue is full of sculp-

tures and installations. And speaking ofbeauty: this may be a city hotel, locatedonly 12 kilometres outside Gothenburg’scity centre, but in line with the gardenconcept it also offers the views and freshair of a seaside location, as well ashealthy, organic food. “We’ve got a job todo. People don’t go to church these daysthe same way they used to, but they stillneed that inner peace,” says Rådeström.If art and nature might make up your roadto that peace of mind, you will be in yourelement here – whichever of the five ele-ments that may be.

Housed in a building from the turn of thecentury, the spa at Varbergs Stadshotell of-fers contrast as well as clarity. Its Swedishhistory is allowed to shine through and thehotel restaurant serves up traditional dishesmade from local produce, but guests whowant it Asian all the way can pop down-stairs to the Japanese restaurant. Even con-ference guests can enjoy a Qi Gong or yogasession as part of their package withouteven having to leave their conference room.

If Asia Spa is a small piece of the orient in-side an old yet modern piece of Sweden,Varbergs Stadshotell is an escape for in-ner peace with panoramic seaviews only300 metres away from the train station. Itis intimate and cosy yet free-spirited andspacious, offering a large Vitality Pool withmassage stations, hot springs at a tem-perature of 40 degrees, dark and lighttherapy rooms, and suspended swingsoverlooking the sea. “Just like our cus-

tomers are dedicated to well-being andrest, we are dedicated in everything wedo,” says Samuelsson. “To great service,great facilities, and a great spa experi-ence that’s oriental all the way.”

For more information, please visit:www.varbergsstadshotell.com

For more information, please visit:www.arkenhotel.com

Arken Art Garden Spa

Stop, rest, relax– at Arken Hotel & Art Garden Spa



Lundsbrunns Kurort is a special place of-fering a variety of treatments of all kinds.The concept is to offer a classic spa, withclassic bathing rituals that will fully cleanand heal you and help you recover from

stress. One of the most exciting ritualsoffered at Lundsbrunns Kurort is a largefountain with warm running spring water.Customers can take the water with a jugto clean themselves, just like in the old

days. This is a very smoothing treatmentfor the skin which can leave a long-lastingfeeling of well-being. For anyone lookingfor an exciting group activity, this will bethe perfect choice, as the fountain canhost up to 35 people at one time. The spais also offering several other kinds oftreatments such as massages, and facetreatments. All of these are performed byhighly trained professionals to ensurecustomers the highest standards and ef-fectiveness. In order to satisfy any requestand to be able to offer to all guests exactlywhat they want, whenever they want it,Lundsbrunn Kurort is equipped with 44treatment rooms representing the largestfacility in Sweden. If you are a prospectivecustomer you will never have to worryabout a queue or waiting lists.

Theme weekends

Another special feature of this spectacu-lar place is that it offers theme weekendsall year round, every weekend, but alsoduring the main holidays such as Christ-mas, New Year, Easter and Midsummer.Among other themed offers, customerscan find the Chocolate, Champagne orRomance weekend. During these themedweekends guests will enjoy massageswith aroma oils, chocolate or champagnetastings. Also the food will be inspired byeach theme. The romantic theme can in-clude, for example, a piano bar, a picnicbasket to enjoy outside in the countrysidearound the facility and, of course, a dinnerwith a romantic atmosphere. This is theperfect treat when you want to spoil your-self and your loved ones with somethingspecial and out of the ordinary.

Royal visits

Lundsbrunns Kurort is a large spa hotelwith 196 guest rooms and 39 conferencerooms. In addition, it has 3 dining rooms

Sörbodal, a part of Lundsbrunns Kurort, is one of the oldest hotels still in operation. The firstguests were welcomed at this stately Gustavian building already in 1811.

For the true feeling of SwedenLundsbrunns Kurort is a classic spa located in one of Sweden’s most beautiful areas,Västra Götaland, and has a strong connection with culture and nature. With a historyof almost 300 years, it is one of the oldest spas in the world. At Lundsbrunns Kurort,you can treat yourself with the best pleasures that life can offer and enjoy beautifulsurroundings that will take your breath away.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Lundsbrunns Kurort



so there is always plenty of space to hostmany guests at the same time. The largeflexibility and capacity of the hotel hasbeen very much appreciated by the crewof the “Arn” films. Indeed, they choseLundsbrunns Kurort as their base duringfilming. Lundsbrunns Kurort is also per-fect for “royal families”: in 2007 theSwedish Crown Princess Victoria choseto celebrate the Swedish national day inthis lovely facility.

Food made from scratch

What makes the difference during a stayin a hotel is the quality of the food. Guestsat Lundsbrunns Kurort will not be disap-pointed as every single dish is made to or-der with love and care. Dishes are influ-enced and inspired by the availableproducts coming from the nearby forestand hunting activities (very popular in thesurrounding area).

In addition, to maximise guests’ pleasure,the hotel has its own bakery which pro-duces the most incredible bread. It alsohas its own little shop, reserved for hotelguests, so that they can take home one ofthese fantastic products. The bakery alsobakes crisp breads and pralines, whoseincredible taste is beyond any expecta-tions and will surprise and amaze alsothe most demanding.

The typical Swedish mood

At Lundsbrunns Kurort you can enjoy thesimplicity of life, with its old values andtraditions. The outstanding service andthe beauty of the facility make this hotelthe ideal and perfect match for those whoare looking for a place to relax and ap-preciate typical Swedish culture and na-ture. Lundsbrunns Kurort is a family runbusiness; speaking with one of the ownersand Managing Director Kamran Redja-mand, makes you realise how importantthe authenticity and attachment to itsroots is for the character of the hotel. Atrue feeling of freedom, in a very genuinepart of Sweden, makes this spa hotel oneof the best in Scandinavia.

For more information, please visit:www.lundsbrunn.se


Brunnsbadet, with space for group treatments for up to 35 people.

Lundsbrunns Kurort offers a large range of spa and beauty treatments.

Enjoy golf at a high level - suitable for both experienced golfers and novices.



Even though Strömstad Spa is a big andrelatively new spa hotel, it has been ex-

tremely successful in managing to keepan incredibly intimate and cosy feeling. Ithas 262 fantastic new rooms whereguests will feel immediately at home.Such a result has been obtained thanks tothe huge investment in the developmentof the hotel and its spa and to the greatpassion and cordiality of the staff. It is im-mediately apparent that the personnellove their jobs and that they are all greatteam players. Every sector of the hotelknows what the other sectors can offer, socustomers are always offered the bestservice. The hotel is only six years old andbuilt with a particular architecture. The

building consists of three main bodies toallow as many rooms as possible to havea beautiful sea view. Strömstad Spa takesadvantage of what the town of Strömstad(from which the hotel takes its name) hasto offer. The hotel is strategically locatedjust 160km from Gothenburg and 130kmfrom Oslo, putting it close to four airports.Being placed between two countries andtwo big cities, makes it extremely easy foranyone to reach the facility, even guestscoming from outside Scandinavia.

Taking care of each and every guest in anindividual way

A red line through the concept of Ström-stad Spa is that every guest needs to betaken care of with warmth and their indi-vidual needs fulfilled. The hotel welcomeslarge and small conference groups as wellas private guests. Since the premiseswere constructed in three different build-ings, it is very easy, even when hostinglarge groups, to maintain quiet and privacyfor every guest. The hotel always gets pos-itive feedback from customers on the levelof privacy and quiet. As this is so impor-tant for the hotel, guests can be sure

Value for money ata spa focusing on resultsStrömstad Spa is the spa hotel which has found its niche in adapting to any possible re-quest from its guests. This, of course,makes this the perfect place for anyonewhowantsa relaxing and intimate stay at a spa hotel that is still big and can satisfy any possibledesire. Do notmiss the chance to visit a place that has something special for everyone.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Strömstad Spa




about getting something extra in termsof value for their money.

Flagship spa for Decléor

Strömstad Spa is the flagship spa for thefamous French brand Decléor and itworks exclusively with their treatmentsand products. Working with an interna-tionally recognised brand helps to achieveoptimal results as well as a guaranteedfeeling of luxury and well-being. Massag-ing is one of the hotel’s niches and they of-fer customers a wide selection of differentkinds of massage. All treatments startwith a massage and guests are ensuredthey are never left alone by the staff, noteven during a facemask, during whichthey will receive a hand massage, just touse all available time effectively. The spais built as a labyrinth, so even though it is2,000 sqm, it feels small and intimate. Intotal they have 19 treatment rooms, sothere is plenty of space to take care of allguests. Recently a new spa shop wasopened which now makes two in total.

Many opportunities for exciting activities

The town of Strömstad has a long historyof cold baths, sea weed baths and spa, sobuilding a spa hotel has been a naturaldevelopment. As Strömstad Spa is locatedjust beside the coast there are many funand exotic activities that can be offered tocustomers, such as lobster fishing. Thereare also plenty of physical activities thatcan be practised such as a pentathlon.

Worl-class spa and world-class foodThe restaurant at Strömstad Spa is best inclass. It is called ABC which stands forAsia, Bohuslän (the region where Ström-stad is located), and California. It servesfood that is typical of these parts of theworld including sushi, traditional localfood and American food such as Hawaiianburgers. Every guest will find in the menua dish he/she loves. The red line through

the whole concept of this amazing spahotel is that they can offer anything toanyone.

For more information, please visit:www.stromstadspa.se

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At Stenungsbaden Yacht Club customerswill always have fun. There are of courseplenty of opportunities to relax, but themain focus of the Yacht Club is to give itsguests the opportunity to recover energythrough sports and entertainment. TheBluewater Sports & Health Club at Ste-nungsbaden is the ideal place to achievethis objective. The character of this spahotel is much sportier than regular spasand naturally inspires guests to take partin many different activities to get a properworkout. Sport is a natural element of theresort. The hotel has a large gym, and of-fers a range of different classes such aszumba, spinning, and military fitness,seven days a week. Of course, as a Yacht

Club, sailing is one of the main activitiesand is practiced all year around. Very of-ten a team from the hotel takes part invarious sailing competitions. The activitiesare practised and organised in the inter-ests of the environment, nature, and well-

being. The resort is located just in front ofthe shore and customers can choose andenjoy all kinds of water sports, such asjet-skis and canoes, in addition to sailing.Stenungsbaden is ideally located at theHakefjorden beach, just 45 km fromGothenburg, making it easily reachablefrom all of Sweden and abroad.

Enjoy a spa in a different way

Stenungsbaden’s Bluewater Sports &Health Club is definitely a unique spa.Every epicurean will love a place like Ste-nungsbaden. Here you are met by the un-mistakable air of the American East Coastwhere relaxed elegance and bracing out-door pastimes complement a wide-rang-ing assortment of treatments. But thegood life would not be good enough with-

Stenungsbaden Yacht Club is the right place for anyone looking for well-being in com-bination with fun and glamour. Here, the goal is to recover energy with a mix of ac-tivities, sports, music, and spa treatments. All you need to get your energy at maxi-mum level again is Stenungsbaden.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Lisa Nestorson

Patric Eriksson Österström

Come ‘sparty’ at Sweden’sbest yachtified sports club




out a glass of champagne together withgood friends. We call it ‘spartying’. But itsimply means there’s more to enjoyinglife than cucumber eye treatments. Alsothe dining rooms have a fun party atmos-

phere at weekends. Those looking for apeaceful and quiet place will not be dis-appointed as weekdays are extremelycalm and relaxing and more focused onpersonal care than on entertainment. Thespa itself is traditional and can offer al-most any treatment that one can desireand think of. Stenungsbaden also offers,of course, a bubble pool as well as relaxand activity areas.

Built for spontaneous meetings

The whole facility is built to easily hostmeetings and this is why somany compa-nies and groups choose this place forteambuilding and networking events. Thehotel has the capacity to host conferenceswith up to five hundred participants. It isequipped with 13 conference rooms and 11group rooms, and can accommodate 450guests in the 215 rooms. For anyone look-ing to create a mingling event, the capac-ity of the hotel can be increased to 1,500people. Even if Stenungsbaden is great forcouples and people who travel alone, it isreally optimal for big groups as its ambi-encemake it the perfect place to socialize.The fact that there are so many diversegroups which attend the hotel creates amagical atmosphere as there are somany

different kinds of people. During the sum-mer, the Yacht Club becomes a lovely lux-ury resort with its ownmarina. Themarinacan host about 100 boats. This gives thehotel a lively and chic summer feeling, likethe one enjoyed on the American EastCoast. Even though Stenungsbaden is aYacht Club, it is not snobby or pretentiousin any way, but has a relaxed and easy-go-ing atmosphere. Anyone will receive agreat welcome, and will feel comfortable.

Treat yourself with amazing offers

At Stenungsbaden customers can have ayachtified stay with one of the packagesthat provides incredible value for money.There are plenty of packages to choosefrom, such as spa packages and dancepackages. For those who just want tospend a day at the spa there is the possi-bility of buying a daily entrance. If you arelooking for a place which will help youand your team to connect and meet peo-ple, or if you just want to have fun and en-joy a luxury resort, then StenungsbadenYacht Club is the right place for you.

For more information, please visit:www.stenungsbaden.se

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This hotel was opened in 1970 after a ma-jor investment by Arne Sandberg, theowner of the successful gas-station chainUno X. Already since inception, the visionof the founders was to create a place witha deep focus on taking care of the bodywith a 360 degree spectrum. This visionled to paying lot of attention on sports andto building, at the time, one of Sweden’sbiggest spas, with a 32 degree warm pool,saunas and several different treatments,so that guests could enjoy taking care ofthemselves and relief from stress. Theidea was to inspire health, relaxation andentertainment, all in the same place. Thebuilding is located on the mountain Billin-gen. Fitness activities play a central role in

the hotel and they are placed in the bestpart of the property. For example, the gymis placed on the side overlooking thebeautiful town Skövde, giving guests whotrain a spectacular view.

Pleasant working environment duringthe day, total relaxation at night

Another fantastic feature of First HotelBillingehus is that they have outstandingconference facilities. There are 25 con-ference rooms, and the largest hall has acapacity of 1,300 people. Together withtheir 241 rooms, this is the ideal place tohost big company events or trade shows.Billingehus is the ideal place to host fairsas it motivates workers to work hard dur-

ing the day, while they can eat finely in therestaurant and relax completely duringthe evening.

Endless choice of activities

For those who also want to try fun activi-ties there are plenty of options. The hotelhas its own adventure golf, which is verypopular also among those who have neverplayed before. Other activities in the sur-rounding area include skiing on artificiallyfrozen ski slopes, with a fun park, 2.5-16km cross-country skiing trails that areused as walking trails during the summer,several outdoor swimming pools, andSkara Sommarland. They all contributeto making First Hotel Billingehus not onlythe ideal place for companies, but alsofor families with children of all ages.

First Hotel Billingehus is more than just a classic spa. Here they focus 100% on well-being for the whole body, whichmeans that sport is also a very important componentof their range of offerings. This facility can offer customers a real boost of healthiness.If you are looking for something extra, make a visit to lovely Billingehus.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: First Hotel Billingehus

100% focus on well-beingfor the whole body

For more information, please visit:www.firsthotels.se/Vara-Hotell/Hotell-i-Sverige/Billingehus/First-Hotel-Billingehus



It has been passed down through threegenerations, and today Linda Peterssonruns it alongside her two brothers, DanielCarlsson, and Mattias Carlsson. Peters-son says Ästad Gård is a way of life forthem, rather than a business. Havinggrown up on the premises, the siblingshave made it their mission to carry on thefamily legacy. Linda Pettersson says: “Wewanted to create something completelyoriginal, and poured all of our passion intomaking the impossible happen.” The re-sult is the world’s first underwater sauna,and the biggest vineyard in Sweden,

spearheaded by critically acclaimed wineconnoisseur Lars Torstensson.

The owners are determined to put Swedenon the map with its vineyard, and guestsare invited to take part in guided winetours. Visitors enjoy the stunning visionof fifteen thousand vines sprawled acrossthe surrounding landscape; vast fieldswith spectacular, emerald green rollinghills extending as far as the eye can see.Surrounded by a leafy garden, the saunasits at the bottom of a pond, with fishcoming right up to the glass to take a peek

at visitors. Making full use of the nearbyponds, visitors are welcome to bathe inthe crystal clear waters.

Crowds flock to Ästad Gård for both leisureand business. Business conferencesmakeup a big chunk of the clientele, and the ho-tel routinely caters to groups of up to 150participants. Out of office hours, partici-pants can choose from a range of adven-ture activities, all in the name of team-building and healthy competition.

Ästad Gård’s restaurant is known for itslocally grown, ecological delicacies; theSwedish Christmas tradition “julbord” isespecially popular with guests. The hoteloffers affordable luxury with a range of ac-commodation options, all featuringMotherNature within immediate reach as soon asyou step outside. Expect quaint log cabinswith grass on the rooftops. The interior de-sign offers plenty of rustic charm, Scandi-navian style; refined chandeliers mix withrough-looking walls, and stone clad floors.This family-run hotel makes guests feelright at home; the range of memorableactivities and the mesmerising landscapemake a visit to the siblings’ family home atruly unforgettable experience.

Luxury as Mother Naturewould have itTucked away in the Swedish landscape of Halland, in the midst of looming beechforests, lakes, and vast farmlands, Ästad Gård offersmuchmore than a hotel, and hasbecome a haven for domestic and foreign visitors alike.

By Maria Malmros | Photos: Ästad Gård

For more information, please visit:www.astadgard.se



Fiskars was founded in 1649 as an ironworks and it manufacturedcast iron and forged products such as knives, nails and horseshoes.During the centuries it has produced household items from iron, cop-per and steel, and spades, axes and knives are still made, along withmore modern cutlery and gardening tools, in this small eponymousvillage in south-western Finland. The world-famous Aalto vases areproduced a bit further northwards in Iittala where the glassworkswere founded in 1881. (The Arabia porcelain factory is not, however,situated in Arabia but in Helsinki, in a place that was called Arabiaas it was so far from the city.)

Finnish design is still made in Finland though the harsh laws of busi-ness have outsourced parts of the manufacturing. Ecological andethical reasons have becomemore andmore important and it is alsomuch easier to maintain the quality when you can just pop up at thefactory any time. Many a Finnish designer also uses local materialsand craft skills as sources of inspiration and design – things thatcan't be imported from anywhere else.

The Association for Finnish Work grants Finnish products and serv-ices two symbols of origin, the Key Flag and the Design from Finlandtrademark. These two symbols indicate the origins of design andmanufacturing – an official proof of Finnishness. Another way to en-sure buying Finnish is to visit a craftsperson or workshop where youmight have an opportunity to see how the products are actuallymade. Or just visit Design Forum Shop in Helsinki, with the world'slargest selection of Finnish design in one place.

One of the biggest design companies in Finland is Fiskars. Youmight know its orange-coloured scissors, a design classic from the1960s and still in production. Today Fiskars also owns Iittala withits subsidiary companies Arabia and Hackman, among others.

By Anne Veinola, Communications Manager,Editor-in-Chief, Design Forum Finland

For more information, please visit: www.designforum.fi

Design Forum Shop, Erottajankatu 7, Helsinkiwww.designforumshop.fi

Arabia production 2009. Fiskars HQ.Photo: www.fiskarsgroup.com

It's made in Finland!

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Lasismimanufactures unique, high-qualityglassworks for well-known Finnish de-signers and artists andmakes customisedpieces for companies and private cus-tomers. Using traditional manufacturingmethods and high-classmaterials, Lasismiprovides elegant design gifts and bespokeworks of art that stand the test of time.

The members of the co-operative – MariaJutila, Toni Kokkila, Joonas Laakso,Kaappo Lähdesmäki, Maarit Lähdesmäki,Kimmo Reinikka, Helmi Remes and ErnoTakala – with their individual, bold designstyles make various types of glass items

using different methods. “High quality andexpert know-how are absolutely crucial inanything we do,” says glass designer HelmiRemes, one-eighth of the studio. In addi-tion to commission work, the Lasismimembers also have collections of their own– ranging from art glass to small batchproductions – and actively participate inexhibitions and presentations within theglass industry. “Our skills are versatile aswe make bespoke and customised items,and not just our own pieces. We are inno-vative, broadminded and collaborative,breaking rules and honouring traditions,”says Remes and continues. “We all share

the zeal to work with our hands and the de-sire to learn new skills.”

Following century-old glassblowing tradi-tions, Lasismi’s studio is located in an oldglass factory in the glassworks town of Ri-ihimäki, some 70 kilometres north ofHelsinki. The studio contains a shop-galleryand a hot shop where Lasismi also organ-ises workshops and experience evenings.With the events always tailor-made to cus-tomers’ needs, Lasismi provides atmos-pheric evenings with glassblowing per-formances and memorable moments withmolten glass. Visitors will also get thechance to create a bowl of their ownwith thehelp of one of the expert glassblowers. “Ourdoors are open to everyone – anyone canpop in to explore ourwork and try out glass-blowing,” Remes says. “We are happy tospread information – glass is our passion.”

Blown away by glassLasismi is a co-operative of eight glassblowers and glass designers. Working in whatcan, today, be classed as a very small industry, Lasismimaintains the practice of am-bitious glassblowing and honours the traditions of the handicraft. Passionate aboutglass they proudly promote the Finnish glass industry.

By Inna Allen | Photos: Lasismi

For more information, please visit:www.lasismi.fi

Lasismi members showcasing their pieces. From left to right: glassblower Joonas Laakso withglass designers Maria Jutila and Helmi Remes.

Glassblower Joonas Laakso at work.

Groove by Helmi Remes uber by Joonas Laakso Veska by Maarit LahdesmakiTulipa by Kimmo Reinikka



Markku Salo’s design roots lie in a freeform of art, which he began developing atthe Art Institute of Kankaanpää. Soon af-terwards he moved on to study industrialdesign at the University of Art and DesignHelsinki (current Aalto University), acourse that also touched upon applied art.

“You can actually detect these influencesin my current work. I do serial production,as well as art and unique pieces,” explainsSalo. “It all comes down to my basic phi-

losophy, a certain survival technique,where I alternate between industrial de-sign and art. While applied art is made forpeople with the end user in focus, andwith plenty of conditions brought about byergonomic and production-related mat-ters; with art, on the other hand, you can-not think about anybody else. You won’t beable to make so-called good art if you’rebowing to the wishes of others. BasicallyI have to be clear in my mind what I amaiming to make: art, design or a product.”

After finishing his industrial design de-gree, Salo began working for Finnish elec-tronics company Salora, designing televi-sions and hi-fi equipment. But once adesign position opened up at Nuutajärviglassworks, he began his enduring rela-tionship with glass, a path he has yet tostray from.

“The factory was still run according to thediscipline of Kaj Franck [a leading figure inFinnish design], and we worked on glass

Designer and artist Markku Salo began his career working on glass in 1983 when he joined the Nuutajärvi glassworks, the old-est glass factory in Finland still in operation. Today, Salo has his own workshop and gallery at the Nuutajärvi Glass Village, whereall his work, from art to serial production, is still made by handicraft glassblowing techniques.

By Nia Kajastie

Glass innovation through product design and art

Together-vase. Photo: Jani Kaila

Crown Jewels. Photo: Muotohuone Oy Maiden Dancing on Water. Photo: Muotohuone Oy Inari-bottles. Photo: Timo Kauppila



Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Finland

through serial production. It was a greatway of being introduced to glass the hardway as there are plenty of boundary con-ditions, technical limitations and chal-lenges within product design. I becamewell acquainted with glass as a material,”Salo says.

Later on he returned to his artistic rootsby designing as part of a small workgroup, and ten years ago he was amongthe founders of Lasikomppania (Glass-company) and a designers and glassblowers’ workshop at Nuutajärvi; he hascontinued on a similar path ever since.While the well-known Iittala factory at Nu-utajärvi will be closing at the beginning ofnext year, the 220-year-old glassworkswill continue to thrive as a lively glass vil-lage, with the help of the Glasscompanyand the workshops.

From serial production to art projectsSalo’s work available for sale at GalleryMarkku Salo includes both unique pieces,as well as serial work under the MarkkuSalo Design trademark. In addition to thecreation of a larger series of products, healso makes small batches of some of hiswork, including his Dogs collection. TheDogs, a theme he has returned to timeand again, are now made of glass andmetal and produced in a limited, signed100-piece series.

Markku Salo was also recently chosen tocreate a two-storey artwork for the lobbyof Tampere University Hospital’s newbuilding. In this large two-year project, hewill be working together with the architectto create the best possible piece for thespace available. While Salo is concentrat-ing more on his artistic projects, his long-

running Diiva glassware series will alsobe supplemented with a new size, adessert cup, this autumn.

For more information and details forretailers, please visit:www.markkusalo.com

Also visit Nuutajärvi Glass Village’sown website:www.nuutajarvi.fi

Galleria Markku SaloNuutajärvi Glass VillagePruukinraitti31160 Nuutajärvi

The gallery is open upon agreement, as wellas publicly for a couple of days yearly, andthe dates are announced on Markku Salo’sweb page.

Net Bottles. Photo: Timo Kauppila Red Dog. Photo: Timo Kauppila Danger of Frost. Photo: Timo Kauppila

Stars, Stars. Photo: Muotohuone Oy It Winds. Photo: Timo Kauppila DIIVA-series, champagne glass (hollow).Photo: Timo Kauppila



Entering the beautifully renovated and re-designed office building, a former bus re-pair hall, you cannot help but be im-pressed. Talking with Jari Inkinen, thedirector of Gullstén-Inkinen Design & Ar-chitecture, I soon realise that this is notthe first time I have been in a buildingcreated by this company. Not at all: I havealready studied in a university library,eaten in a restaurant, slept in a hotel and

worked in an office that have all been de-signed by Gullstén-Inkinen (GI).

Everywhere, for everyoneThe Helsinki-based company was foundedby young architect couple, Hanna Gullsténand Jari Inkinen, 25 years ago. Today, thecompany has a subsidiary in St. Petersburg,an exceptional résumé, and a row of awardtrophies. So, howmanybuildings or interiors

has GI created? “I quit countingmany yearsago. But the other day, I calculated that wehave designedworking places for altogether75,000 people inNordic countries,” says Ink-inen and adds that some 500,000 peoplehave studied, worked or spent their leisuretime in a place created by GI.

Nevertheless, likemyself,many out of thosehalf amillion people are not knowledgeableof the fact that they have visited or passed abuilding byGI. Theywill remember the placeitself though, since it most likely has beenconvenient for its purpose and probably stillexists. The building does not have a brand

Designing for the purpose of the space or thebuilding, not only for the joy of designing

The new headquarters of the media corporation Alma Media were completed in 2013 in the centre of Helsinki. GI designed the interior of the 8,500m² office for around 450 employees.

Gullstén-InkinenDesign&Architecture gives new life to old buildings.Whether theworkinvolves a snow castle or luxury hotel, it is always perfectly suited to its purpose.

By Karoliina Kantola | Photos: Gullstén-Inkinen Design & Architecture




For more information, please visit:www.gullsten-inkinen.com

GI gave a contemporary and fresh look to the 750 m² office of the Russian SIAB Bank. The proj-ect received the first prize for best lighting at the Russian Best Office competition in May.

tag – except the quality. “Unlikemany otherarchitecture companies, we do not have acertain continuous style. Our projects looklikewhat the customerwants andneeds.Weconvey the message which the client wantsto convey,” Inkinen describes.

Improving and developing

The work of Gullstén-Inkinen can be any-thing from a doghouse to a kindergarten;from an aquarium to a media corporationbuilding. The company concentrates onthree sectors: improving buildings, work-place development and the design andhospitality sector. “We challenge thewhole organization to think what kind ofenvironment really supports the differentprocesses. What kind of office space so-lutions help and what stand in the way ofefficient work?” Inkinen asks.

Those are also the questions that led In-kinen, twenty years ago, to create a format

of a functional interior: an activity basedoffice, which is now used in various com-panies, designed by various architects.

Now, together, the 30 team members ofGI can continue the excellent work be-cause they put together their versatileknowhow. The backgrounds of the peopleworking for GI vary, from the fields of ar-chitecture, advertising, photography to in-dustrial and graphic design or other cre-ative industries. The result, in any case,must support the ideology of the owners:sustainable development. “It is importantto ask, is it really worth building a totallynew building? If the answer is yes, then wewill build it. But sometimes the answer isto heal an old building for a totally newpurpose,” says Inkinen.

What the creator loves, the client loves

Resently Gullstén-Inkinen wanted to askclients what they think about what they or-

dered. In the enquiry, GI found out that 97per cent of all clients over 25 years weresatisfied and would recommend the workof the company.

“In addition, more than 80 per cent ofclients said the place that we had de-signed was still used as it was originallyplanned to be used,” Inkinen adds.

That speaks of good planning, good qual-ity, and therefore sustainable develop-ment. That also speaks of another impor-tant detail: during the interview, Inkinensmiles all the time when talking about hiswork. The reason is simple.

“We love this job. Every day,” he laughs.

The Finnish railway company VR’s former workshop from 1889 is being renovated into sportingequipment manufacturer Amer Sports Oyj’s headquarters. GI is in charge of the principal, ar-chitectural and interior design.

Sokos Hotel Villa, located in the premises of a granary built in 1890 in Tampere, was renovatedcompletely and reopened in 2011. The hotel was also granted the Nordic Swan ecolabel.

It all started in 1991 with a 1,900m² studio for cleaning company SOL. This concept of an inno-vative work space brought new customers to SOL, provided more projects for GI and receivedplenty of international attention.



“We are weavers,” asserts sales managerJaana Hjelt, who runs the factory with herhusband and fourth generation weaverEsko Hjelt. “While design and the appear-ance of our products is very important tous, we, above all, make things. We knoweach step of production, from thread tothe finished article, and our values arewoven into our products. The materials,our respect for the environment, our de-signers’ ideas, the people who make theproducts – the whole chain speaks vol-umes about our ideals.”

The first wool and felt boot factory in thefamily was founded by Esko Hjelt’s great-grandfather in 1917, the year of Finland’sindependence. Today the Lapuan Kanku-

rit mill continues to create skilfully wovenand durable fabrics from the best possibleorganic materials.

LapuanKankurit is the only Finnishweavingmill whose linen textiles have been grantedthe Masters of Linen hallmark, while itshalf-linen fabrics and linen terry are madeof long-staple linen and cotton that complywith the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. The woolproducts are made using pure new woolandmohair. Their newest product develop-ment is amix of cotton and Tencel, creatinga soft and absorbent textile that adds luxuryto their line of bath products.

Twice annually, Lapuan Kankurit presentsnew products at European design fairs, in-cludingMaison&Objet in Paris and Formexin Stockholm. “While our designers keep ontop of trends, they also aim to create time-less designs; and we naturally have a se-lection of classic patterns that continue tobe popular,” explains Jaana Hjelt.

The designers behind the Lapuan Kanku-rit products draw their inspiration fromnature, an inherent Finnishness andScandinavian design heritage. And whilethey all share a vision for timeless, func-tional and beautiful textiles, each designeris able to add something interesting andexciting to the Lapuan Kankurit textilesand linens, which are perfect for everydayuse as well as more luxurious momentsand events.

Find your closest retailer or visit theweb store for customers in Finlandand Sweden:www.lapuankankurit.fi

There is a lot in a name, especially in the case of Lapuan Kankurit (Lapua’s Weavers).The family business stands formany things, including nearly 100 years of Finnish qual-ity and design, but the name also tells us who has always been at the centre of its op-eration: the weavers. Lapuan Kankurit’s beautiful table, bath and other interior tex-tiles aremade at the Lapua textile factory in western Finland, all the way from the firstthread to the final product.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Lapuan Kankurit

Weaving Finnishquality and design

Helsinki ShopGovinius HouseKatariinankatu 100170 Helsinki



Established in 2004 by designer MikkoKärkkäinen, Tunto Design specialises indesigning, developing and producing inno-vative lamps that combine modern tech-nology, wood and timeless design. With abackground in both design and artisan car-pentry, Kärkkäinen has a special relation-ship with wood, and all Tunto Design prod-ucts are manufactured from woodenmaterials such as oak, walnut and birch.True to the company name (Tunto is Finnishfor sense or feeling) Kärkkäinen beginseach design process by getting a feel for thematerial and drawing designs on paper.

Located in Järvenpää, some 35km northof Helsinki, Tunto Design offices are runby Kärkkäinen and his partner Sini Zan-noni. “We put emphasis on environmentalissues in every production phase andmaintain an ecological approach in all de-sign and packaging,” Zannoni says. “AllTunto products are handmade at our ownworkshop here in Finland.”

The company’s LED-series with its touch-sensitive switch feature has been praisedfor its distinctive design and innovativetechnology. LED1, LED2 and LED4 have allwon the prestigious Red Dot DesignAward for product design, along with sev-eral other international prizes and nomi-nations. The subtle, touch-sensitiveswitch technology gives a true feel of thematerial and provides eye-catching, so-phisticated illumination for all kinds ofspaces. “Our LED8 model provides state-of-the-art wireless charging. Ideal forpublic spaces, such as hotels and offices,the lamp's surface can be used to chargeall types of mobile devices without anycables,” Zannoni explains. The company’sButterfly lamp is equipped with the all-new OLED technology, the next step intothe future from traditional LED lights.“Development in high-tech lighting is fastand we want to stay on top of it,” Zannonistresses.

Tunto Design products are already soldin several European countries and, thisautumn, the company is extending toAmerican markets. “We will also belaunching new products in the spring atthe Light&Building trade fair in Frankfurt,Germany. You can expect somethingbrand new, both from a design and tech-nology perspective, but that’s all I can sayat the moment,” Zannoni laughs.

For more information, please visit:www.tunto.com

Combining a traditional building material, wood, with the latest cutting-edge tech-nology, Tunto Design creates innovative and award-winning lighting concepts with adifference.

By Inna Allen | Photos: Tunto Design

A feel for light


Tunto Design owners Sini Zannoni and MikkoKarkkainen

LED8 Powerkiss LED1



Since 2006 Bruuveri has been attractingbeer devotees and epicures, as well asthose simply looking for a relaxed place tomeet friends and colleagues. At the brew-ery restaurant, patrons can choose from40 different types of beer and a wide se-lection of other drinks, including qualitywines and whiskies, not forgetting aboutnon-alcoholic refreshments. “Our startingpoint has always been to offer somethingfor everyone,” confirms development di-rector Jussi Laukkanen.

The small corner brewery on the prem-ises can be glimpsed through windows atthe back of the restaurant – you mighteven get to witness brewmaster IlkkaSysilä hard at work. Here, craft beer iscreated from Finnish barley malt andhops from countries such as Great

Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic andthe US. The result is a seasonally chang-ing selection of beers, from lagers andbitters to porters and stouts. Bruuverialso sells the Marsalkka products ofSaimaan Juomatehdas and other qualitybeers and ciders from Finland andaround the world.

The restaurant’s menus have naturallybeen created to fill small and big ap-petites, as well as to complement thechoice of beers on offer. Dig into a plate ofvendace fried in rye flour, a Wienerschnitzel or an elk burger for some sim-ple yet satisfying flavours. On weekdays,the lunch buffet includes salad, soup, twomeat dishes and a vegetarian one, andfruit for dessert.

Bruuveri is also a great choice as a venuefor both private events and businessmeetings. The upstairs Malt cabinet canfit 12 people and is equipped with a videoprojector and laptop, whereas the down-stairs Fireplace cabinet is suitable forlarger events with capacity for 100 guests.

For more information, please visit:bruuveri.fi

From Mikkeli in the Finnish lake district to the capital city, a family business hasbrought its beer brewing expertise into the very heart of Helsinki. At Bruuveri, a beer-house and restaurant with its own small brewery attached, customers are introducedto the wonderful world of craft beer, theMarsalkka products of Saimaan Juomatehdasand other quality tipples.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Bruuveri

Find Bruuveri at Helsinki’s Kamppishopping centre.

Fredrikinkatu 63AB, 00100 Helsinki

Something’s brewing in Helsinki



Plevna, Tampere’s only genuine brewerypub and restaurant, opened its doors inOctober 1994 in the old Finlayson cottonmills. Koskipanimo brewery, run by brew-master Sam Viitaniemi, is located on thepremises and currently produces 16 dif-ferent products, including dark and lightlager, stout and cider. With German,American, Czech and American stylebeers on offer, Viitaniemi is constantly de-veloping new types of brews, and thebrewery produces several smaller batchesof seasonal and speciality beers.

Among the house beers are severalaward-winning brews, including Plevna’sdark lager, Plevna’s Bock (lager), Plevna’sstout, Severin Extra IPA, and the Siperia

Stout that was featured in the book 1001Beers You Must Try Before You Die andvoted as the Finnish beer of the year 2012by olutopas.info.

“Our beer selection should offer some-thing for every palate. We definitely rec-ommend sampling a few as all of the 16beers currently in production are quitedifferent,” says Viitaniemi.

Plevna’s varied foodmenu includes plentyof dishes that will not leave you hungry, in-cluding the best-selling sausage panmade with bratwurst, Thüringer sausage,herb and cheese sausage, and smallsausages filled with pearl barley servedwith a bacon-onion-potato mix; and the

popular bockwurst served in Plevna’soriginal tomato, curry and green peppersauce. Naturally, you can also skip theheavy meat options and go for a freshsalad or vegetarian dish.

Following its many German influences,Plevna will also be celebrating Okotber-fest between 27/9 and 5/.10. During thefestivities, customers can order a specialOkotoberfest beer and food off an Okto-berfest-themed menu. There will also belive music every evening, and as Viitanieminotes, “a great atmosphere all around”.

For more information, please visit:www.plevna.fi

In the style of the beer halls and cellars of central Europe, restaurant Plevna offersan authentic, historic atmosphere, in which patrons can sample beer and cider madeat the Koskipanimo brewery at the heart of the premises. Serving Finland’s beer ofthe year 2012 along with a wide selection of other great tipples, Plevna is sure to de-light both beer aficionados and novices looking for a great taste experience.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Plevna

Award-winning beers atTampere’s only brewery pub



Established in 1974 by Jukka Puskala, Ag-tuvi created Kivat, its best-known brand,after recognising a gap in the market forchildren’s headwear and knitwear madefrom high-quality natural materials. “Myfather, who started the company, was sur-prised to find that only acrylic children’sgloves were easily available in shops,which meant my mother had to hand-knitcotton ones for my brother who had aller-gic skin. After a few twists and turns alongthe way, the company started makingthese themselves, and later on added aselection of cotton hats and collars as thedemand grew,” explains designer and ex-port manager Katri Halme.

Today, the Kivat product range is still madeat Agtuvi’s production facilities in Tam-pere, and it includes cotton and wool items

that will keep your children warm fromhead to toe. In 2011, the company alsostarted using organic cotton in their prod-ucts, and their newest material is a mix ofsilk andmerino wool. The natural rawma-terials used in the products are sourcedfromwell-known, reliable suppliers in Eu-rope, while all the knitwear is created onthe premises in Tampere with no chemi-cals added in production. The final processof cutting, seaming and finalising is com-pleted in Tampere and the local area.

“The current ecological thinking and trendssupport our ideologies, which have alwaysbeen to use natural materials and produc-tion methods that will not harm our envi-ronment. We recycle everything, from card-board to fabricwaste, andwe try tominimiseall types of transport costs,” says Halme.

Kivat products are all made with thewearer in mind. “Finnish and Scandina-vian children spend a lot of time outdoorsin cold weather, and we aim to make theitems as comfortable as possible. Qualityis also of high importance, from the rawmaterials to the final products, as we wantto make long-lasting clothes. We can nowalready speak of the products beinghanded down from one generation to thenext,” Halme adds.

Kivat products are available at well-stocked department stores and children’sclothing retailers all over Finland.

For more information, please visit:www.kivat.fi

Based in Tampere, Finland, the family-owned company Agtuvi Ky has been producingchildren’s knitwear for over 20 years now. Their popular Kivat brand is a favourite amongmany families, where the items are handed down fromone sibling to the next.With theirquality headwear, clothing and accessoriesmade fromnaturalmaterials, all the prod-ucts are durable, functional, comfortable and really made with children in mind.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Kivat

Children’s knitwear with heart

Left to right: Janne Puskala, Katri Halme, Jukka Puskala,Auli Puskala and Krista Puskala.



People have felted wool for centuries. Feltboots found their way to Finland from Rus-sia during the late 19th century, and thebirthplace of the Lahtiset company – theJämsä region – has been one of the maincentres of the Finnish felt industry. The fam-ily-run factory has beenmanufacturing feltboots since 1921 and has won numerousawards along theway. Producing innovativeproducts whilst maintaining traditional

methods, Lahtiset and its felt productsproudly represent the family Lahtinen’s longheritage. “Even today, although the produc-tion has expanded to thousands of pairs ofboots a year, each boot is made carefully,step-by-step by hand, as machinery is notable to carry outmost of theworking phasesaccurately enough,” explains Jukka Lahti-nen, managing director and third-genera-tion owner of the company.

All Lahtiset footwear is made from purelambswool, which is the best material formaking felt boots. “Pure wool materialsare environmentally friendly, and wool feltfeels both soft and warm on the feet, yetlight and breathable at the same time,”Lahtinen says. There are currently threeavailable collections. The long-standing andever-popular Original by Lahtiset consistsof classic felt slippers, calf-high felt bootsand thick felt socks. Representing a moremodern style of felt products, the Aki Chok-lat for Lahtiset collection contains high-end designer footwear and bags. Created bydesigner Aki Choklat, the contemporary,cheery and colourful collection is widelypopular in countries across the globe.

Lahtiset’s latest collaboration venture hasresulted in a collection of felt bags andbackpacks by designer Jonas Hakaniemi.The JonasHakaniemi for Lahtiset collectionis created for an urban lifestyle and providesa suitable and practical model for any oc-casion. The sturdiness of felt as amaterial,combined with real leather, gives the col-lection a clear graphic look. In addition toclassic black and grey, available coloursinclude pink, red, yellow, blue and green.

Lahtiset will be exhibiting at the Micam –the leading international footwear fair –in Milan, Italy on 15-18.9.2013.

For more information, please visit:www.lahtiset.fi

WhenFinns hear the nameLahtiset, they think of felt. Lovinglymade by hand from100%pure lambswool, the company’s timeless felt slippers, boots and socks have beenwarm-ing Finnish feet for decades.

By Inna Allen | Photos: Lahtiset

Feeling the felt

Below: Aki Choklat for Lahtiset

Special Theme | Made in Finland

Original by Lahtiset Jonas Hakaniemi for Lahtiset




Light therapy has long been known to helpfight the symptoms of Seasonal AffectiveDisorder (SAD), a type of depression thatoccurs at certain times of the year. Mostcommon during autumn and winter, thesymptoms include anxiety, tiredness andcraving for food rich in carbohydrates.Traditionally, light therapy is administeredthrough the use of bright lamps that shineartificial light through the eyes and part ofthe skull into the photo-sensitive cells,making up for lost sunlight and synchro-nizing the circadian rhythm – the body’sinternal clock. “People don’t need to feeltired and depressed just because the daysgrow darker,” says Pekka Somerto, CEOat Valkee. “Using our headset helps boostenergy levels and lift the mood that oth-erwise sinks every autumn.”

The Valkee device uses the same principleas traditional light therapy but channelsthe light through the ear canal directly to

the areas of the brain that need it themost. Small and stylish, it is portable andcan be used anywhere – in the office, onyour daily commute or relaxing on thesofa. The device has been clinically testedfor effectiveness against SAD and has theEuropean CE Class II(a) medical devicecertification.

The scarcity of daylight and the ensuingextent of SAD are particularly evident innorthern regions, but affect many peopleregardless of where they live. Office work-ers, people doing shift work or who com-mute long distances often do not get theirvital dose of natural sunlight.

Long distance travel can also affect thebody’s internal clock. Since the launch ofValkee, customers have regularly givenfeedback about how their jet lag has de-creased when using the device while trav-elling. The company is currently conduct-

ing a study of the effects of Valkee on peo-ple flying between the Nordic countriesand the US.

Whether it is fighting the winter blues ormaking your travel experience more en-joyable, the Valkee bright light head setcan give you that much needed boost ofenergy. “We offer people the change totake charge of their well-being withoutresorting to pharmaceutical medication,”Somerto explains.

For more information, please visit:www.valkee.com

The Power of LightWith autumn here and winter approaching, many of us feel less energetic than usualand would rather hit the snooze button than get out of bed. Is this you? If so, the Val-kee bright light headset can help you beat the winter blues.

By Malin Wiander | Photos: Valkee




With regard to both design and quality, PioniDesign jewellery is made to stand the test oftime. Designed and manufactured in Finland,the main material of the collections is silver.Themetal’s pure and light tones and great mal-leability provide the perfect base forJunkkaala’s designs. “Pioni Design jewelleryis not born out of some artistic anguish butpurely from life’s meaningful and even mean-ingless matters,” laughs Junkkaala. “I am in-

spired by the city and people around me, easyliving and vibrant spirit.”

A certain unified look of graphic lines andminimalistic style is characteristic of Pioni De-sign jewellery, but pieces still vary greatly in ap-pearance, even within the same collection. Al-though the majority are designed for women,there is also some jewellery aimed at men andchildren. In addition to the main collections,Pioni Design also designs and manufactures

unique, made to order jewellery. “When I designbespoke pieces, the main basis for the designalways comes from the customer’s personality.It is also important to take usability, durabilityand materials into consideration,” Junkkaalaexplains.

Currently Junkkaala is preparing for thebusy Christmas season and planning the PioniDesign collection for next spring. “I am happywith my work as long as the passion and love

for my profes-sion comesacross in thefinished prod-uct.”

Individual andmultidimensional jewelswith a hint of Scandinavian simplicity – that aboutsums up Pioni Design. TheHelsinki-based company, established by jewellery designerJaana Junkkaala, specialises in jewellery design and small precious metal objects.

By Inna Allen | Photos: Pioni Design

In 2009, four business partners united by a pas-sion for entrepreneurship and the will to createsomething unique came up with the idea of de-veloping smoke alarms that were not only es-sential for safety, but beautiful to look at. Aftera careful development process they launchedtheir products at the beginning of 2012.

“The design side to smoke alarms is ex-tremely neglected,” says Mikko Järvenpää, CCOof Jalo Helsinki. “We saw a gap in the marketand decided to go for it.”

It was an opportunity worth taking – 18months later the company has acquired 15% ofthe domestic market share. With distributorsaround Europe, they sell their products in coun-tries ranging from the Middle East to Australiaand now have the capacity to provide largequantities to buyers worldwide.

Jalo Helsinki currently has two very differ-ent models of smoke alarm on the market.One is sleek and stylish with a fabric cover –

giving an appearance of softness that would notnormally be associated with the product. Theother is quirky and different, takes the shape ofa moth and comes in four colour patterns. De-spite being created by two top Finnish design-ers, Paola Suhonen and Harri Koskinen, theproducts are surprisingly affordable.

“We want to offer our customers beautifuldesign items at consumer prices,” Järvenpääexplains.

Safety can be beautifulSmoke alarms – used in every household, essential for safety but not that nice to lookat?Well think again, because Jalo Helsinki will change your preconceptions about life-saving devices.

By Malin Wiander | Photos: Jalo Helsinki

For more information, please visit:jalohelsinki.fi

Light tones & graphic lines

Jaana JunkkaalaPhoto:Hanna Linnakko

For more information, please visit:www.pionidesign.com

Pho

to:H

anna

Linn

akko

Voice Earrings Taite Necklace Diamond Necklace Clutchbag Necklace



Created by Chinese-born designer LiangLiang, the word “Elinno” is an amalga-mation of “elegant” and “innovative”.Liang was introduced to both Western andEastern art and culture from an early age.However, it was her fascination withFinnish design that lured her into comingto Helsinki, (where she and her family set-tled) in order to learn more about it at theAalto University of Art and Design. Liangrecounts: “I felt a powerful pull to Finlandwith an idea to recreate the fantasticScandinavian style and make it appeal toa wider global audience. The freedom ofmodern Finnish design allows me to ex-press this in a completely new and inno-vative way.”

In 2004, the award-winning Liang Liangexhibited her fabulous and unique Galaxyvases at the annual Aalto University Designfair and sold out very quickly. According tothe designer it was thismoment thatmadeher realise that she had something veryspecial. Only two years after, she foundedElinno. Joining forces with other like-minded individuals such as Finnish de-signer and artist Anni Paunila, they col-lectively shared the same passion forcombining the best of the East andWest tocreate something incredibly unique. Elinnocorporation was born.

The first customer was Casuarina, a luxu-rious lifestyle boutique in the heart of

Helsinki. Aside from the vases, the vision-ary owner aspired to sell different lines ofthe unique design. Thus began their cus-tom design business for dinnerware andtableware. Now Elinno’s tableware adds aspecial touch to fine-dining restaurants,idyllic cafés and teashops and family ta-bles worldwide. Elinno's Custom DesignService also offers fully personalised din-ner and tableware for those looking forsomething truly unique to commemoratetheir wedding or other special event.

Elegant and classic, yet surprisingly modern, sums up Elinno's design ethos. But-terflies and nightingales painted in delicate water colours flit between soft flower pat-terns, whilst the award-winning designers have given them new hues which adornplates, cups and serving trays. The skilfully drawn designs are carefully in-glazed toensure a durable finish. Elinno's latest award-winner, the Pure Blossom Collection,presents yet more excitement as its asymmetrical relief lines disappear into an in-credibly smooth, translucent white surface for a look that’s simply timeless.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Elinno

Elinno Finland sets world’stableware trends

Elinno’s New Willow and Blue Peony Collectionsmixed & matched

Elinno’s Trends 2013 selection, Pure Blossom, cus-tomized with calligraphy

- Elinno Collections sell in 33 countries in

Europe, Asia and the Americas.

- Elinno designers, Liang Liang and Anni

Paunila, won the Muoto2011 award for the

best Finnish tableware design of the year

for all nine Elinno design collections.

- Between 2010 and 2013 all of Elinno’s 10

bone china collections received TRENDS

awards in the Prestige tableware segment

at the Frankfurt Ambiente, Germany.

For more information, please visit:www.elinno.comFacebook: elinnodesignE-mail: [email protected]: +358 9 2316 1668

Bite of Beauty

Morning Flirt

New Willow

Rose Garden



The Lillagunga story started when founderAnton Stenfors was looking for a good-quality swing for his children. Unable tofind exactly what he wanted, he bought aplastic swing which broke after only a fewweeks of use. Left with the ropes, he at-tached a wooden plank to the loops, andthe idea of Lillagunga was born. “Therewere no high-quality, functional and beau-tiful wooden swings on the market, and Iquickly realised that I was onto some-thing,” Stenfors explains.

The product has come a long way sincethe idea was first formed in 2010. Usingonly high-quality wood, first-grade

braided rope and a patented mechanismfor assembling and adjusting the swingand ropes, Lillagunga now has five whole-salers in Finland and the company sellsits products around Europe and beyond.

The original model, Lillagunga Classic, isdesigned for children aged three to 14.Complementing the natural qualities ofthe wood, it is painted in a snow-whitecolour or coated only with a layer of oil-based transparent varnish. The ropescome in eight standard colours, but a to-tal of 26 colours is available. With the twodifferent types of wood, this means a greatvariety of combinations that enable Lilla-

gunga's customers to choose and pickexactly what suits them.

The company is working on two new de-signs in addition to the classic Lillagungaswing: one designed for the use of adultsand the other, the Lillagunga Toddlerswing, for children under the age of three.

Stenfors has an ambitious goal: to makethe best wooden swings in the world. “Wewant tomake stylish and durable swings forall ages and all occasions,” he says. With aquality product focused on functionality andbeautiful diversity – and based on the feed-back from customers – Lillagunga is wellon its way to achieving that goal.

For more information, please visit:www.lillagunga.com

The wooden swing. It has been around for 3,500 years, and is not going out of fashionany time soon. Put a child in front of a swing, and he or she will spontaneously get onit. Present it to an adult, andmany of us are tempted to give it a try, remembering ourchildhood days and how much fun you could have on this simple yet irresistible toy.

By Malin Wiander | Photos: Lillagunga

Reinventing the wooden swing




“WAVE is such a great and unique product,and I truly believe that it has the potentialto become a Finnish design icon and besuccessful globally,” gushes AndreasJank, the managing director of DesigniumBrand Group, the company behind MaritaHuurinainen’s brand, established at thebeginning of 2013.

Jank has every reason to be excited aboutthe product as the elegant design of thelight wooden shoe is unique, memorable,and very Finnish in many ways. Whilewooden shoes have been popular for along time, with different styles going inand out of fashion over the years, the

WAVE is refreshingly different. The “high-heeled” shoe has no heel to speak of; in-stead the wood curves underneath theheel in a wave-like shape, lending theshoe its quirky name.

Applying this design to wood as the rawmaterial was not simple. Initially, expertssaid that the production of such a shoewould be technically impossible. Only af-ter persistent testing was it possible tocorrectly apply the traditional Finnishwood bending technique, pioneered by thefamous Finnish designer Alvar Aalto, tothe shoe.

Birth of the WAVEMarita Huurinainen had an itch to designclothing from a very young age, but herpractical side briefly got the upper handwhen she decided to pursue studies in in-ternational politics. However, her creativestreak could not be silenced, and soon shehad enrolled at the University of Arts and

Beauty, comfort and functionality are the key words behind Marita Huurinainen’s de-signs. Passionate about all the raw materials found in Finnish nature, Huurinainenwants to offer the world something lasting and truly valuable. Her unique WAVEshoe design and ethical and responsible WILD fur collection have already caught theeye of many fashion and design lovers, and this is only the beginning.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Marita Huurinainen

A Finnish design icon in the making

The WAVE shoe

Marita Huurinainen

“WILD allows you to enjoy furwith a good conscience”



Design, fromwhere she graduated in 2006.Huurinainen started her career by de-signing collections for Marimekko and afew other design labels, but she was al-ways developing her own products on theside. She finished the first version of theWAVE shoe during her studies while ex-perimenting with basic shapes and dif-ferent materials. She created a few de-signs with simple and functional features,and the WAVE was something that stuckwith her. She continued the project in2009, which is when she won the presti-gious Ornamo Design Award for the bestdesign product in Finland.

At the beginning of 2013, with the help ofAndreas Jank, Huurinainen was finallyable to dedicate all her time to her ownbrand. “Now is the right time for me toconcentrate on my own products,” Huuri-nainen confirms. A second WAVE model,with a lower “heel” and tighter strap, wasbrought out in spring, and Huurinainenwill continue working on further productsusing wood as the defining material.

Into the WILD

Marita Huurinainen’s WILD, an ethical andecological fur accessories collection,sprang from a desire to redefine fur cloth-ing. The idea was to make sure that the

fur of the animals that are hunted for con-servation reasons – to maintain a bal-anced eco-system – would not go towaste. Accordingly, WILD offers a respon-sible alternative for wearing fur, some-thing that appeals to not only traditionalfur wearers but also those who would nothave considered it otherwise.

The collection focuses on fur items, suchas gloves, hats, scarves, vests and capes,which are noticeably different from con-ventional fur fashion. “Fur is such a lovelymaterial, and I really want to bring out itsspecial features that make it so muchmore than just a luxurious adornment,”Huurinainen comments. The WILD ac-cessories are beautiful and elegant pieceswith the primary aim to look and feelgood. The idea behind most pieces is thatthey are an accessory to other clothingitems and give the entire outfit, as well asthe person wearing it, a distinct character.For example, there is a small black minkcollar which goes perfectly with a littleblack dress.

WILD is unique in combining beautiful furitems with cherishing and respecting nat-ural wildlife. Or, as Huurinainen puts it:“WILD allows you to enjoy fur with a goodconscience.”

For more information and the webshop, please visit:www.maritahuurinainen.com

Marita Huurinainen’s boutique inHelsinki’s design district can be found at:Albertinkatu 2800120 HelsinkiFinland

Marita Huurinainen’s brand currentlyconsists of the two collections WAVEand WILD, but she is constantlydeveloping new additions to her brand,including a men’s shirt collection, awomenswear collection and a WAVEhandbag made of wood.

WICKED Men’s shirtWILD - an ethical and ecological fur accessories collection




Italian sun and spirit combined with Scan-dinavian soul and sincerity – beautiful, isit not? The background and interests ofKristiina Michelsson, the owner of thecompany, can be seen in the company’swork. Michelsson is a Finnish third-gen-eration architect, who graduated as an in-terior architect in Milan. “I think the styleof Studio Arcibella is unique partly be-cause of that combination,” she says.

Founded in 1994 and based in Helsinki,Studio Arcibella has become known es-pecially in Finland but also internationally.The main industry the design office worksin is hospitality. The references of Studio

Arcibella include the Glo Hotels chain inHelsinki, Långvik Congress Wellness Ho-tel, and recently opened Marja Kurki silkfashion boutique on Pohjoisesplanadi,Helsinki – just to mention a few. “Theother growing sector is property develop-ment. It means that we plan the entiretytogether with the client company,”Michelsson adds.

The common denominators in the hotelsand other properties are sustainability,consumer-friendliness and the harmonybetween environment and the target.“Some people have said, for example, thatthe buildings or interiors suit the sur-

South and north meet at interior design office Studio Arcibella. The places designedby the company provide visitors with an unforgettable feeling and a desire to experi-ence it again.

By Karoliina Kantola | Photos: Studio Arcibella

The atmospherethat makes people return

For more information, please visit:www.arcibella.com

roundings so well that it seems as if theyhave always been there,” Michelsson de-scribes. Most importantly, the interiordesignhasbeenpraisedbothby thebuyers andendusers. “The visitors have come again andagain to the hotels and restaurants, raisingtheir revenue remarkably,”Michelssonsays.

You certainly cannot get much better evi-dence of the quality of Studio Arcibella’swork.

Marja Kurki silk fashion boutique on Pohjoisesplanadi, Helsinki, is one of Studio Arcibella’s latest projects.

Långvik Congress Wellness Hotel




For more information, please visit:www.agencyleroy.com

Established in 2004, Kotonadesign is the brain-child of Mia Battilana, who came across theidea of creating wooden chalk noticeboards bychance while visiting a carpenter’s workshop.“I was a busy stay-at-home mum, and I’d justdrawn a design for a kids’ table. While visitingthe carpenter, I noticed these large plywoodboxes full of leftover wood pieces, and I waspermitted to take as many of them with me asI could carry. I went a bit nuts and draggedthem all to my car,” Battilana recalls.

“My first idea was to create wooden notice-boards and magnets. With three children, I al-ways have a lot to remember, so writing thingsdown and pinning things with amagnet is some-thing very practical for me. I began creatingthese boards as a hobby, but then one designstore after another started showing interest.”

Today, the idea of beautifulmagnetised chalkboards has been developed further, with newcolours and patterns added to the collection.Kotonadesign now also makes clock, letter,stone and alphabet magnets. Battilana’s latestcreation is a largemoon noticeboard with a LEDnightlight behind it; she will be presenting it atMaison&Objet on 6-10 September in Paris.

The success story behind Private Case startedquite organically when architect and industrialdesigner Ari Korolainen began visiting clients,bringing with him all necessary documents anddrawings. While other architects continued

dragging along heavy cases, Korolainen de-cided to design something more practical, alighter briefcase made solely of recycled card-board. “I brought the prototype with me to clientmeetings, and once I set it on the table, alleyes turned to it, and designers were askingwhere they could get their hands on somethingsimilar,” Korolainen recounts. This was back in1985, and today Private Case has been sellingproducts made from recycled cardboard andother environmentally friendly materials for al-most 30 years.

While the design and production of the productsis still all done in Finland, the Private Casebrand has also been recognised on an interna-tional level, starting from the very beginningwhen the products were noticed in Japan andthe U.S. Private Case has also received multi-ple honours for its different collections, includ-ing three Red Dot Design Awards (2011-2013),

a Good Design recognition and a Pro FinnishDesign honourable mention.

Aki Korolainen has also made a name for him-self as a furniture designer for his Adessinbrand, which was recently praised by the pressfor its Divine Light, a large pot that consists oftwo parts placed around a growing tree. Thelight illuminates the pot and tree, and evenlarger trees look like flowers in a pot.

Award-winning design from recycled materials

For more information, please visit:www.privatecase.comwww.adessin.fi

Spreading joy with playful and functional designs

For more information and a list ofretailers, as well as the online shopfor customers in Finland, please visit:www.kotonadesign.fi

Private Case is an internationally renowned Finnish design company that creates prod-ucts from recycled and renewable materials. Its range includes bags, calendars,notebooks and other office supplies created for professional use and designed in aminimalistic style.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Private Case

Kotonadesign, which translates as “design at home”, is a Finnish interior design brandwith a focus on colourful noticeboards and magnets, great for both home and officesettings. The products, which are handmade in Finland from surplus materials, area fun and functional way of communicating with others, as well as beautiful designobjects.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Kotonadesign




Tuulia Penttilä designs functional solid-wood objects, inspired by modern archi-tecture, minimalist art, handicraft tradi-tions and everyday insights. “I want tomake objects that have a long life cycle,and a simplistic design language fits thisconcept best. You could describe my de-sign style as ‘quiet’ and timeless,” shemuses.

From her studio at Fiskars, Penttilä workson unique items, custom-made designs,as well as products available in smallbatches, including her Monikko (Plural)shelf for eggs that has garnered great in-terest from design magazines and evenpopped up in the Helsinki World DesignCapital 2012 promotional video. “I findeggs unbelievably beautiful; I use themevery day, thus I wanted to create an eggrack of sorts that doesn’t take much

space and is lovely to behold,” Penttiläexplains.

Her Lumikki (SnowWhite) series of hand-bags made from wood and steel offers amodern take on a fairy tale. Lumikki 1, forexample, is, despite its severely minimal-ist aesthetic, almost soft due to the use ofwarm, light birch.

Together with photographer Sade Kahra,Penttilä has created “image cabinets”,which are made from solid Finnish aspenand walnut wood and decorated withKahra’s eye-catching, yet calming naturephotographs.

Art as part of everyday life is somethingthat Penttilä greatly values. “Art is oftenthought of as a two-dimensional pictureor an item that stands apart from every-

Quality, not quantity. That is the philosophy Tuulia Penttilä designs and lives by. As adesigner and cabinetmaker, Penttilä has always been fascinated by objects. Woodwasalso a natural choice of material for her as a Finnish designer and because of its eco-logical qualities. Today, she creates “partners for life” instead of loud, trendy itemsthat fast lose their appeal.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Sade Kahra

Demand more from design

For more information, please visit:www.tuuliapenttila.fiwww.imagecabinet.fi

Top: Flying Saucer - eggcup; birch.Below: Plural shelf for eggs; maple.

Snow White 4 handbag; colanders, aluminium, brass.

Image Cabinet; aspen or walnut wood, acrylic mounted pho-tographs. www.imagecabinet.fi. Photo: Chikako Harada

thing else. But art can also be an objectthat forms a functional part of our envi-ronment. Among other things, I’ve de-signed several small sculptures with ahidden box function. They’re ultimatelypractical items, but the actual function ishidden, often only known to the owner,”Penttilä says.

Tuulia Penttilä is taking part in theHelsinki Design Open event on18-21.9 2013.Find out more at:www.helsinkidesignopen.fi

Top: BAU 3 unique series of cases; oak, black waxing.Below: Snow White 1 handbag; birch, stainless steel, alu-minium.




For more information, please visit:www.agencyleroy.com

Lamberg, designer, and Owren, modelmaker, met when both were working inHelsinki for Arabia Finland. In pursuit offinding a refuge from the hectic city lifethey bought a house in the small coastaltown of Loviisa. “Moving there changedour lives. We had a yearning to createsomething of our own and with our newpremises we suddenly had the opportunityto produce our own design. We jumped inand set up our own factory in a backyardshed,” Lamberg says.

The duo consider the years working forArabia invaluable in terms of learning andperfecting their professional finesse in ce-ramic production. “The craftmanship welearned with the company dates back tothe early 1900s – the tradition of produc-

ing fine ceramics had been continuoussince then,” Owren credits. The coupleconsiders this craftmanship to be endan-gered as more and more of design man-ufacturing is being moved across theworld to downshift the costs. “This is incontradiction to our idea of creating qual-ity design that lasts,” Owren says.

The opportunity to offer their craftman-ship for the use of other designers thrillsthe duo as much as the artistic freedomthey now have. “We offer services for ce-ramic serial production for other design-ers and for the ceramics industry. Thisway we get to preserve the heritage ofhigh standard ceramics manufacturingyet get to be playful with our own line.”

If you want to build a blooming industry of your own, sometimes all you need is a pieceof clay and a playful mind. This is true for the Finnish duo Henna Lamberg and FredOwren behind the brand VAJA Finland. By Anna Taipale | Photos: VAJA Finland

It all started in 2006 when Finnish sculptor andart teacher Outi Puro headed to South Africa tolead an art project involving 17 South African ar-tisans. The artisans were all mothers working

from home and it was from this setup the ideafor Mum’s arose. “Through the project I realisedthe potential of using design to help people inpoorer parts of the world create progress, and

that was what drove me to create Mum’s. Theaim is not just to import stuff from other coun-tries but to collaborate with the people there; tocombine Scandinavian design with their hand-icraft skills,” explains the founder of Mum’s.

In Mum's collection you will find cuddly toys,flowery lights, furniture made by hand andbrooches, one of which was recently worn bythe Finnish First Lady, Mrs. Jenni Haukio. Everyproduct is made from local, natural or recycled,and carefully chosen materials and is fair-trade. “People buy our products because theylove them; the story and background just comeas an extra crown on top of that,” stresses Puroadding: “We love design and all we want is tocreate beautiful things that are also made in abeautiful way.”

Mum’s is sold by retailers in Finland, Denmark,Iceland and Japan and through their webshop:www.mums.fi/products

Beautiful designs with beautiful stories

For more information, please visit:mums.fi

Design from the backyard

For more information, please visit:vaja.fi

Through the Finnish design companyMum’smothers all over the world work to createprogress and beautiful design. The company makes and sells unique fair-trade, eco-friendly items, based on Scandinavian design and traditional artisanship, fromBolivia,South Africa, Cambodia and India.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Mum’s

Helmia

ndWhite

JarSirkus

blac

kJu

gSirkus

red

Carpets designed by Mum's and Susanna Vento, handmadein India.

BOKKIE and ZEBRA wall trophies. Designed in Finland,handmade in South Africa where artisans interpret thedesigns into unique wall figures.



In 2004, Anniina graduated from KuopioAcademy of Design with a BA in Ceramicsand Glass Design, but quickly her interestshifted to fabric design. She had alwaysbeen an admirer of the clean and boldlines of Maija Isola, as well as KajFranck's timeless and simple designs.Anniina started making toys for her chil-dren and keeping a blog that became

quickly very popular. Through her blog shegot more andmore enquiries about whereher creations could be bought, and shethen decided to start her own business.Now you can find PaaPii's products in 10different countries and more to come.

The products are made with high-qualitymaterials and the finishing touches are

hand-crafted. When making products forchildren, the safety and longevity of thematerials and colours used is extremelyimportant. “Local and ecological produc-tion is essential for us and although it cansometimes be a real challenge, all theproducts are made locally. When you areproducing locally, there is never a doubtabout one’s ecological and ethical valuesnot being respected, and it also eliminatesunnecessary delivery costs. Producing lo-cally makes it possible to react very quicklyand to be flexible, and for example producea small unique series,” Anniina explains.

“I wanted all of PaaPii's creatures to havea name and their own distinctive charac-ter. ‘Pu-Puu’ the owl for example spendsa lot of its time wondering about life’smysteries. ‘Vili’ the fawn is very ambitiousand daydreams about conquering theworld, and ‘Sisu’ the fox is completelycarefree and playful! While designing I'mlooking at the world from a child’s per-spective and this creates a lot of free-dom,” Anniina says. Most of PaaPii's crea-tures can be found near the home or inthe forest, and the name PaaPii comesfrom the verb ‘paapia’ which means ‘tosleep’ in children's language. The prod-ucts that have two sides, like the owl orthe fox, have their eyes closed on one side(it’s sleeping) and open on the other side.

PaaPii Design collaborates with variousbrands and designs fabrics, clothes andpostcards and is always interested inworking with new brands.

Designer Anniina Isokangas has turned her favourite hobby into a successful business.PaaPii Design is all about original and colourful designs, and the current collectionconsists of fabric soft toys, do-it-yourself sewing kits, pouches and posters. All theproducts are made in Kokkola, Finland.

Paa Pii Design– inspired by children’s joyful play

For more information, please visit:www.paapiidesign.comContact: [email protected]



Johanna Gullichsen tells us that a big partof her inspiration comes from urban land-scapes because she likes cities and envi-ronments crowded with people. On theother hand, her inspiration can also havenon-visual foundations, such as music orbooks. Her creations are modern; they of-ten have bold, geometrical, and simplepatterns, but are industrially made withsophisticated techniques. While speakingwith Gullichsen, who is the founder of herown design brand, she tells us with greatempathy how she loves to feel woven ma-terials and handcrafts. Also, the difficul-ties and limits in working with woven tex-tiles are a main source of her inspiration,as she tries as much as she can to breakthese limits. She is always trying to ex-plore and improve new patterns and skills.

New collection of rugs

Excitingly, we will soon see more and newcreations of Johanna Gullichsen as she isgoing to launch a complete new rug collec-tion at Habitare Fair in Helsinki from 18 to22 September. It will be presented as amix

of both cotton andwool rugs, allmade in In-dia. These rugs, like all the products of Jo-hanna Gullichsen, aremadewith the finestmaterials and the best productionmethods,ensuring a very high quality and incredibledurability. Her design is never too trendy; in-stead she prefers to make classical piecesthat the buyer will love for a lifetime.

Constantly growing

Customers love the amazing products andbusiness is doing extremely well for thedesigner and she is expanding quickly.She already has two shops, one inHelsinki and one in Paris, but her prod-ucts can also be found at retailers in manyother countries such as Italy, Spain,Japan, Portugal and the USA. Almost allthe production is performed in Finland,where she closely works with three dif-ferent family-run weaving mills. JohannaGullichsen’s design fits in both modernand traditional interiors. A piece of hand-craft from Johanna Gullichsen is a piecewith a history that will give pleasure inyour home for years.

With a genuine love for handcraft, Johanna Gullichsen has become one of the mostimportant Finnish designers of woven textile. Her designs will never be out of fash-ion and she is now launching a complete new rug collection.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Johanna Gullichsen

Finnish urban design at its best

For more information, please visit:www.johannagullichsen.com




In my household Sunday night is series-night and snacking is mandatory. Sincemy first introduction a couple of years ago,one of my munchies of choice has beenFinn Crisp’s thin rye crisps. Why? Well,with only 20 calories per crisp bread theycan be enjoyed en mass without theslightest guilt (if not without a few crumbsin the sofa) and their yummy crunchinessis simply addictive. My favourite combina-tion is that of a solid layer of creamcheese and a topping of sweet vegeta-bles, but the options are numerous. “InFinland crisp bread is a part of daily con-sumption, basically everyone from tod-dlers to old people eat it. But, thanks tothe improved focus on healthy living, thegrowing cooking culture and the in-creased consumption of snacks on thego, our products’ popularity has also been

spreading to other parts of the world.People want to eat something that’shealthy, tasty and natural. FINN CRISP’sthins are all of that,” says Finn CrispBrand Manager Azaliya Sungatullina. De-licious and packed with goodness FINNCRISP breads are indeed all that. Mostvariations are made from 100 percent ryeand 100 percent wholegrain, and withabout 20 percent fibre and absolutely noadditives they are likely to become your di-gestive system’s best friend.

Traditional Finnish product sourdough ryebread has been baked in Finland for cen-turies. FINN CRISP brand was launchedin Helsinki at the 1952 Olympics. Sincethen the crisp bread’s global popularityhas grown steadily, especially in coun-tries accustomed to rye bread consump-

tion such as Sweden, Norway, Germanyand Russia. In recent years, however, thegrowth has gone into double digit num-bers as the health benefits of the Nordicdiet have become obvious to people allover the world. Today, FINN CRISP breadsare sold in 40 countries and include abroad range of thin, classic and roundcrisp breads as well as rye snacks. Nowa-days you can meet FINN CRISP productsin the UK and Northern America, Aus-tralia and Iceland.

As a healthy snack on the go, a tasty appetiser or a crispy, fibre-rich alternative tobland, white slabs of bread, Finn Crisp has been a staple in the Finnish diet fordecades. Today, the natural, healthy and pure rye crisp breads capture the essenceof Scandinavian food for millions of health-conscious people worldwide.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Finn Crisp

Meet Finland’s most delicious guilt-free snack

For more information, please visit:www.finncrisp.com

Learn more at :www.facebook.com/THEFINNCRISP

FINN CRISP’s Original thin crisp bread is among the most popular of the company’s many healthy products.



The Morris. To fans of Finnish furniture itrequires little more introduction. The ideabehind the small, asymmetrically shapedrounded coffee tables came to Kirsi Gul-lichsen in 2005 and coincided with the ar-rival of her pet dog.

Soft, playful shapes

“Big sofa tables were trendy then. Mypragmatic sense made me think ‘howpractical is that?’ I decided to make a col-lection of smaller tables that could standalone or together, depending on spaceand practical needs,” explains Kirsi Gul-lichsen. Finding the shape required in-volved her new four-legged friend. “Sud-denly I had this living thing around me,moving in its soft, playful shapes but withperfect balance. Yes, my dog Morris in-spired me.” Incidentally, the dog is namedafter William Morris, the English artist

and designer who, almost as an omen forthe story, believed you should not keepthings at your house that are not practicaland beautiful.

Pragmatism meets elegance

This exemplifies architect-trained KirsiGullichsen’s ideas process and designethos. “My approach is to analyse func-tional needs and use my surroundings forinspiration, whatever shape they have,”she says. Her aim is to produce simple yetelegant products to serve pragmatic pur-poses. “A well-made design is one you donot think about when it’s there in yourroom but appreciate more and more thelonger you have it.” Habitek’s mission is toproduce items locally, to high craftsman-ship and design standards. The Helsinki-based company uses natural woods andsynthetic materials, and unites hand-

made finishes and industrially producedcomponents.

Not only nature

Such a mission statement from a Finnishfurniture maker often comes with the pre-sumption that the nation’s vast and beau-tiful naturemust be themain source of in-spiration. While Habitek adheres to itsprincipals passionately, this does not au-tomatically make nature the sole source ofinspiration. “It is a myth that I don’t buyinto,” says Kirsi Gullichsen. “Yes, Finnsare characterised by a still, simple life-style, and nature is a big factor. But for meit is more about observing our immediateenvironment. Look at streets, livingrooms, schools. Wherever the furniturewe make is used is where we should lookfor inspiration,” she argues. Somewheremight just be the inspiration for the nextMorris.

For more information, please visit:www.habitek.fi

Habitek Furniture’s Kirsi Gullichsen strives to combine simplicity, functionality andelegance. Her coffee table success does just that with inspiration from an unex-pected source.

By Thomas Bech Hansen | Photos: Original Habitek Works

Beautiful solutions to practical needs




Keraplast Interior is part of the third gen-eration of the family business Keragroup,founded in Finland 42 years ago. Ker-aplast has been very successful since itsinception in 1971, and won the prestigiousNational Entrepreneurship Award lastyear, which was delivered by the Presidenthimself. This award is given to the threecompanies that are the most successfuland useful to the community in Finland.During last year’s economic crisis, Ker-aplast kept on achieving positive results,successfully escaping the recession.

Finland’s best designers

Keraplast only works with the best andmost famous Finnish designers such as,for example, Tapio Anttila, Elizabeth Salo-nen, Heikki Turunen and Jonas Hakaniemi.They are chosen by Keraplast to ensurethat the company is at the forefront of thelatest trends and for their know-how inworking with acrylic materials. Currently

the company is following the high-endtrend developing many new and exclusivelamp models. Of course, Keraplast is stillwell known and appreciated for offering1950s design classics that remain popularyear after year and never go out of fashion.In addition to working with the most high-end designers in Finland, it lets its em-ployees design and try to launch newlamps on the market. This unusual butvery effective practice has been an ex-tremely fruitful concept and is a symbol

and exemplifying principle of the strongentrepreneurial spirit of the company.

Focusing on export

Peter Peltomaa, Project Engineer ExportandDevelopment, tells us that they are nowfocusing and expanding on exportmarkets.The company is constantly growing andwillbe participating at Valo Light trade fair inHelsinki 18-22 September. Keraplast notonly produces lamps for home and privateclients, but they also deal with public light-ing and offices. Their fundamental valueproposition is that a lamp’s function shouldnot only be to shed light, but also to be partof the interior design. This is why the ap-pearance of a product matters so much toKeraplast and why it only works with thebest, both materials and people.

Keraplast Interior, part of the famous Keragroup, is an innovative Finnish lampman-ufacturer which exclusively collaborates with the best Finnish designers. With ex-tensive experience, Keraplast Interior is always the leading lamp producer, withclassic models and new products incorporating the hottest designs.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Keraplast Interior

Carefully selected designto create harmony

For more information, please visit:www.keraplast-interior.comwww.keragroup.fi

Kera Group Oy

Established: 1971 in Kerava, FinlandMain office in Orimattila, Finland

Turnover: 20.8 million Euros (2012)

Employees: 135 (2012)

Four business areas:

Keraplast Interior, Keraplast, KeraplastB2B, Keravent

Operations in:

Finland, Sweden, Russia, Estonia and Latvia

Triple, designed by Tapio Anttila. Tip 60 hanging light, designed by Tapio Anttila. New York table light, Old classic Orno.

Lisabell Group, designed by Elizabeth Salonen. Dipol opal-orange, design Keraplast Interior.




The Myssy, a home-knitted, traditionalwool beanie has become a favourite ac-cessory among socially and environmen-tally conscious Finns. The beanies areproduced from 100 per cent organicFinnish wool from Finnsheep, a Finnishlandrace known for its soft and lightwool.

Located in the village of Vistola, in south-west Finland, Myssyfarmi (the beaniefarm) was founded by former professionalwindsurfer Janne Rauhansuu and his wifeAnna Rauhansuu, in 2008.The farm, andits two- and four-legged inhabitants, arethe source of all Myssy beanies. Most arehand-knitted by Janne Rauhansuu,though in recent years the originator ofthe Myssy has had help from his wife anda handful of local grannies to keep up with

demand. “To us it is really important thatthe story behind our products is trans-parent. We want to know exactly wherethe wool comes from and how the sheeplived, and that is why we get all our woolfrom our own sheep and the sheep of ourneighbouring farm. It is also organic, andI think our customers appreciate that,”says Anna Rauhansuu.

While Myssy’s most popular beanies arethose in the naturally wide colour spec-trum of the soft Finnsheep wool, AnnaRauhansuu also designs more colourfuldesigns for seasonal collections. Besides,Janne Rauhansuu has recently expandedhis knitting repertoire with a versatile woolcollar, as well as a unique, knitted wooltie.

Home-knitted from organic wool– Finland’s beanies are one-of-a-kindBy Signe Hansen | Photos: Myssyfarmi

Why the Finns love liquorice no-one re-ally knows, not even Halva, one of theleading Nordic soft eating liquorice pro-ducers feeding the obsession. But thathas not stopped the company, which pro-duces 3,000 tons of liquorice a year, fromspreading the liquorice love to all cornersof the world.

Founded by the Karavokyros family in1931, Halva Ltd is today one of the world’sbiggest liquorice exporters, and theirmarket is continuously expanding. Thanksto liquorice’s natural qualities and Halva’s

growing product range the preference forliquorice is spreading like wildfire. Man-aging Director Jean Karavokyros explains:“Liquorice is a rapidly growing segment;earlier it was a bit of a niche product butduring recent years it has been growingmuch faster than other candy segments inmany parts of the world. One of the rea-sons for that is that liquorice is a naturalproduct compared to other sweets.”

Halva, which in earlier decades gainedpopularity mainly for its quality soft, non-filled liquorice, today produces an array of

soft filled liquorice products of differenttastes, shapes and colours, includingsugar free variations. “Liquorice’s popu-larity started in Finland but now it isspreading everywhere from Scandinaviato Australia, New Zealand and SouthAfrica – everyone is eating liquorice,” saysKaravokyros.

Annually Halva produces approximately3,000 tons of liquorice at its two plants inFinland, more than half of which is ex-ported to feed the world’s growing ap-petite for liquorice.

Why the Finns love liquorice?They simply just do! By Signe Hansen | Photos: Halva Ltd

For more information, please visit:www.halva.fiwww.facebook.com/halvamakeiset

For more information and to buy yourown Myssy visit:www.myssyfarmi.fi

Finnsheep are the happy suppliers of the soft wool used forthe Myssy.



Bette and Cilla Eklund are a great exam-ple of how great teamwork leads to suc-cess. Bette, who is the creative designer,focuses on creating amazing furnitureconcepts, whereas her sister, Cilla, who isthe expert in business strategy and mar-keting, takes care of running the busi-ness, knowing that she will get to marketthe amazing products designed by hersister. The fact that they master such dif-ferent fields, and complement each otherperfectly, has been themain reason for allthe great achievements of BEdesign inless than a year.

Timeless design that lasts forever

“Our vision is to bring joy to people’s homesfor years to come. We aim to create time-less design and high-quality products that

will last for generations.” Theymainly workwith materials such as wood, metal andacrylics. The result is a collection of stylish,practical furniture that has already gainedincredible interest in Scandinavia, the UKand the USA. Because things have movedso fast for the two sisters, they are alreadylooking for retailers in the Scandinaviancountries. The inspiration of their products

comes from nature, adapted by a personalcreative touch. All furniture products arelocally handmade in Finland so that all theproduction processes can be carefully con-trolled. Today, they are working on theironline shop, and it will soon be possible toorder and ship anywhere in the world.

Bright future for BEdesign

The two sisters are expected to have abright future ahead of them. They are cur-rently working on broadening their col-lection and they havemade a lot of new in-teresting contacts during exhibitions andtradeshows in Stockholm, New York andParis. Bette tells us that she has alreadyplenty of great ideas for new designs andwe are very curious to preview them. BE-design is the new up-and-coming designteam that we will all soon recognise as themakers of modern classics for countlesshomes.

Founded only recently, in October 2012, BEdesign has alreadymanaged to achieve in-credible success. Their success lies in the fantastic teamwork and effort of the twoFinnish sisters who created this up-and-coming start-up of Scandinavian design.Finnish BEdesignmay be new in the furnishingmarket, but is already a name to counton in designing the classics of tomorrow.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: BEdesign

A start-up that stands out from the crowd

For more information, please visit:bedesign.fi

Deer shelf for books or small items, also works as a piece ofart. Made of solid oak.

Cilla & Bette

Top: Idefix pallet that was inspired by ancient Greek chairs.Soft pallet clothed in leather or fabric.Below: Lily bowl for jewellery, small items, fruits etc. Curvedoak, available in two different sizes.

Top: Wave table that can be used in three different positions.Works also as a magazine rack. Curved acrylic.Below: Lume hanger. Material metal, available in two differ-ent sizes.



Designer Jussi Normi founded Normin-cies in 2010, but the idea of creating theperfect bag was born long before that. “Ihave worked in many different industriesand travelled quite a lot in my work andsomehow I always found myself lookingfor the perfect bag that would make mytravels easier. But I never found it,” hesays.

The spirit of the brand lies in three things– protection, function and style combined.And according to Normi there is no roomfor compromising on any of the three. Inorder to maximise the protection and keepthe content safe the bags have water re-pellant zippers and an aluminium frame.Normincies has an eye for the inside ofthe bags, where everything you mightneed on your travels has its place. And itall comes in a clean minimalistic Finnishdesign where the bags are available inblack, light brown and dark brown leather.

“Everyone wants to express somethingwith their appearance. So even though thefunction is the most important thing withNormincies bags, it is almost as impor-

tant to us that our products are stylish,”Normi continues.

“We have achieved a bag that is perfect forsomeone who needs to travel a lot forwork. If you always need to carry your lap-top it is crucial to keep it safe, and with ourbags you will never have to worry aboutthe bag falling and damaging your lap-

top. Our bags have plastic feet at the bot-tom, making sure the bag is kept in an up-right position,” Normi continues. “Theessence really is that you don’t have toworry about keeping your things safewhen using one of our bags.”

Just as technology constantly changes,providing more and more gadgets, thebags from Normincies constantly evolve.

“We have a lot of ideas for our comingproducts, as we can see the need for moreand different storage of electronics insidethe bags. We take a lot of pride in ourproducts. And when it comes to the futurein general, our disruptive design willchange the way people think about trav-elling,” Normi says.

For more information, please visit:www.normincies.com

With protection and function combined, designer Jussi Normi introduces premiumbusiness laptop bags. All presented in a classic, minimalistic Finnish design.

By Elin Berta | Photos: Petteri Mäntysaari

Making business a pleasure


Photo: Jussi Normi

Graphics: Jussi Normi




Vessi Jalkanen, a lifelong health enthusi-ast, decided to examine the sittingprocess. “Sitting is not a static state.Metabolic disturbances increase over thetime spent sitting.” After studying physi-ology, he found that normal chairs arewrongly designed. Obviously many leadingsitting-experts have not applied to theirproducts the basic needs of human phys-iology: undisturbed micro-and macro cir-culation of blood and lymph. This consistsof over 400,000 km of vessels, close to 20litres of liquid and about 700 lymph nodes.

Do we realise how dangerous regularsitting is?

The main cause of SD (Sitting Disorders)is circulation, not immobility. We sleepwithout mobility, yet it is still healthy. Sit-

ting can be very dangerous if it stops cir-culation as it does surprisingly frequently.There are numerous recent studies whichprove this. One enlightening example: busdrivers have twice as many heart diseasesas train conductors. Conventional sittingdisturbs circulation by pressing large bodyareas against furniture, by tighteningclothes, by causing muscle tension, bycausing poor posture and by keepingbreathing shallow.

So how do we sit right?

“The correct way to sit to avoid healthproblems and to fully benefit from ourbreathing capacity is to sit in the horse-rid-ing position on a divided saddle chair witha swinging seat (a two-part seat with a 40mm gap in themiddle). In this way vessels

work fairly normally and a 135 degreethigh/trunk angle maintains a good natu-ral posture automatically as in walking,”Jalkanen teaches us. The gap in the seatremoves dangerous pressure from thepelvic floor (and from the internal pelvicorgans ) and from the genitals as well.

Salli Systems has a wide range of chairs,accessories for various professions, e-tables and even an “AutoSmart” tablewhich optimizes office working by adjust-ing the table and monitoring heights au-tomatically.

The Salli team is committed to continuoussitting development with optimum furni-ture, adjustments, clothing, and increasedwork site physical activity consulting in-cluded.

Why is sitting in the office uncomfortable? This question was engaging Veli-Jussi“Vessi” Jalkanen’smind because, during his long hours of horse riding, he did not gettired. Vessi´s friend, a doctor, suggested he sit “as if riding” in the office. This hint ledto a “revolution” in workplace sitting.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photo: Salli Systems

The Science of Sitting– how our daily work impacts on our health

For more information, please visit:www.salli.com

Photo: Mia Bergius Vessi with famous Finnish TV presenter MariaVeitola, on whose talk show he was a guest in 2009.



When Lena Bergendahl and five of hercolleagues started noticing flaws in theprocess of conventional web develop-ment, they decided to take their knowl-edge to a new level. Enter Buena, a webdesign agency passionate about cus-tomer service, content marketing andagile thinking.

“What makes us a good choice of agencyis our wide-reaching competence thatcomes from years of experience withinthe field,” says Bergendahl, Managing Di-rector of Buena. “We are inherently com-prehensive as a bureau, working from theidea towards implementation, never for-getting what goal the client desires.”

Bergendahl says that a key feature ofreaching the goal of any business is tostart off by defining its needs and financialparameters. Only then can appropriate and

effective solutions be created – solutionsto fulfil a purpose. This notion is one of thereasons why Buena does not believe in aset model for web development. “You needto know your target audience. After thatcomes innovation – daring to brainstormand develop ideas to their full potentialwhile constantly keeping up a close dia-logue with the client,” says Bergendahl.

It never stops there. Buena strives to stayconnected with clients for a good periodafter publishing. This is in order to followthrough with the process and identify po-tential improvements to the solution.“Evaluation is a true passion with us, andpart of the reason why the six of us de-cided to start Buena two years ago. Wetake responsibility for what we create byassessing results – all in order to staycurrent and do the best job we can possi-bly do,” says Bergendahl.

Buena – ideas born from passionBy Julie Lindén | Photo: Buena

For more information, please visitwww.buena.fi

Valio is a great example of Content Marketingdone well.

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From early on the two brothers behindthe company, Timo and Mikko Hyppönen,used to dig through recycling centres fordiscarded bikes to take apart into bits, fixthem for themselves and their friends,and learn the craft at the local serviceshop. “We used to be impressed by the oldbicycles because of their built quality andaesthetic,” Timo recalls.

The brothers went on to work in the cre-ative fields, but all along were aiming forsomething more fundamental than amere poster job. They gained perspectiveby studying at the local university andthrough journeys to China, Africa andaround Europe.

In praise of beauty and utility

Pelago Bicycles was born as a reflectionand in honour of the city that inspiredthem, as the brothers decided to reorienttheir creative force. “The name is short for‘archipelago’. It crystallises our plain aes-

thetic vision and brings about a notion ofa fresh breeze into a city,” Timo says.

The bikes are stripped down to basics andthe compact range of bicycles offers mod-els that suit various needs from daily trans-portation to active cycling. “Ideally, you’relooking at a lightweight work horse thatcan eat the cobble-stoned streets and ridesafe through the winter,” Timo describes.

Their shop in Helsinki is known as “thehardware store of bicycles”, offering a fullrange of services from repairing bicycles toproviding related accessories for their cus-tomers. During high season the companyemploys up to 12 people. Since its founda-tion in 2009, Pelago Bicycles has beengiven a seal of approval by retailers inScandinavia, Germany, the UK and Spain.

Theirs is a subtle ecological message. Theframe of a Pelago Bicycle comes with a10-year guarantee. “We don’t want to

Like a rock in the Baltic surf this fine new ride stands out on the streets of the north-ern capital Helsinki. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Pelago Bicycles.

By Anna Taipale | Photos: Pelago Bicycles

Goods you can rely on

For more information, please visit:pelagobicycles.com

point fingers, but there is certainly an un-derlying green agenda. Creating sustain-ability is about offering quality. But thegreen thing is not the whole story; the bi-cycle is just a practical, economical andhealthy machine to take you to places todo what you do.”



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Going back in time, Bornholm, an island ofbarely 42,000 inhabitants, has its rich claydeposits to thank for its prominence in theworld of ceramics and glass. Already in theearly 18th century the first ships exportingpottery took off from the island’s shores.The ceramic industry continued to flourishup until the mid-20th century when the fo-cus shifted to a growing sector of skilled in-dividual craftsmen and women. During thefollowing years Bornholm’s artistic profilecontinued to grow as its rugged beauty at-tracted a string of artists including a num-ber of international studio glass artists whosettled on the island.

Bornholm’s strong artist community is stillat the core of the island’s identity. It is, ex-plains Project Director Susanne JøkerJohnsen, the main reason the Biennial

takes place onBornholm and notmainlandDenmark. “Somemightwonderwhy theBi-ennial is not located in Copenhagen, but thereason is that the peoplewho initiated it liveand work here; they are part of the largecreative community which Bornholm hasalways nourished. However, what wewanted to create was not a local event butan event with participants from all over Eu-rope – a hub for modern European glassand ceramic art.”

The Biennial comprises two comprehen-sive exhibitions: European Glass Art forwork made by professional, establishedartists, and New Talent for emerging, pro-fessional glass artists under the age of 35.A prize of 10,000 EUR is awarded to oneoutstanding glass artist in each of the twoexhibition categories.

Spreading ripples in the waterIn 1997, Bornholmbecame the home of theGlass and Ceramics School (now the RoyalDanish Academy, School of Design, Born-holm). The school, which offers the onlyhigher education in glass in Denmark, to-getherwithBornholmArtMuseum, initiatedthe first BornholmBiennial in 2006. FourBi-ennials later the ambition is, says JøkerJohnsen, essentially the same as it wasthen: to be a European manifestation ofwhat is happening on the glass and ceram-ics scene right now.

“In addition to the exhibitions, the variousother Biennale activities are synergisingwith one another and the event as a whole.They establish a platform where represen-tatives of the various disciplineswithin glassart canmeet to share ideas, do networking,

A small island with big ambitions– Bornholm convenes Europe’s best glass and ceramic artistsEvery other year, hundreds of European artists flock to the small Danish island Bornholm to take part in the Bornholm Biennial forEuropean contemporary glass and ceramics. The event, which is the only one of its kind in Europe, exhibits the works of 100 leadingartists from 30 different countries and offers a string of workshops, master classes and other events.

By Signe Hansen

Scan Magazine | Feature | Bornholm Biennial

Simon Klenell (SE), Frigger tactics, 2011. Cut and hot worked clear glass, various sizes.Photo: Erik Wåhlström

Jeannet Iskandar (DK), Between Fragmentand Whole, Ellipse, 2012. H:35, B:55, D 55 cm.Photo: Poul Ib Henriksen



and lay the groundwork for future collabo-ration. The Biennial creates ripples in thewater that spread in ever-widening circlesand put things in motion,” Jøker Johnsenexplains.

Growing diversity

In September last year theBornholmBien-nial attracted not only 600 of Europe’s bestglass artists but also approximately 10,000museumguests. The guests got the chanceto observe some of the very newest trendswithin European glass art, which is becom-ing less and less orientated towards func-tionality and turning towards more artisti-cally free forms. “There is a tendency forworks to bemore narrative and conceptual,instead of function-referring, podium-based

works. In someareas, I would venture to saythat glass has distanced itself from handi-craft and is increasingly exploring theworldof free art forms,” explains Jøker Johnsen.

Representing this diversity, the Biennial’sprogramme included a three-day masterclass by Architect James Carpenter as wellas a performance by Cirkus i Glasriket, agroup of performance artists showcasingthe process of glass production rather thanthe resulting product as the object of art.

The growing diversity which continues tostrengthen and widen the profile of Euro-pean glass and ceramicswill next be show-cased at theBornholmBiennial’s EuropeanCeramic Context in 2014.

For more information, please visit:www.europeanglasscontext.comwww.europeanceramiccontext.com

All 27 members of the European Union aswell as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland areinvited to participate in the BornholmBiennial for European contemporary glassand ceramics.

National commissioners in each country,appointed by the organisers, nominateartists for participation.

Bornholm Biennials for Europeancontemporary glass and ceramics are jointlyhosted and organised by The Royal DanishAcademy, School of Design Bornholm,Bornholm Art Museum, Grønbechs Gård,Glasmuseet Ebeltoft and Bornholm.info.

Bornholm is a Danish island of 588.5 km²located approximately 40km southeast ofSweden.

Lene Bødker (DK), Evolution I, II, III, IV, V. H 170 x B 25 x D9 cm. Materials: Gold leaf, Glass, LostWax Casting. Photo: Anders Sune Berg

Marta Klonowska. Venus and Adonis after PeterPaul Rubens, 2008. Glass on metal framework. H:68 cm L: 120 cm W: 30 cm. The dog is taken fromthe painting “Venus and Adonis” by Peter PaulRubens (1577 – 1640), which dates around 1615(Düsseldorf, Museum Kunstpalast).Photo: Stephan Wieland

Silviano Signoretto and Katrina from Berengo Studios, Venice, working with Benandsebastian. Photo: Julia Robert


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The Nordic countries are known world-wide for the high standard of their healthservices. However, as in many Westerncountries, obesity and cardiovascular dis-eases are among the largest public healthconcerns. To combat these problems,Scandinavians have come up with numer-ous ingenious ways to educate people onthe benefits of a healthy lifestyle andmod-erate exercise.

While “Nordic walking”, or pole walking,might look a bit strange to those who havenever heard of this physical activity, it is inmany ways intrinsically Scandinavian –perfect for people who are practical bynature. Once the snow has melted andskiing is out of the question, we grab the

poles and walk with them instead. (It mustbe noted that the real Nordic walkingpoles are actually shorter than those usedfor cross-country skiing.)

Health initiatives in Finland and Swedenare endorsed from all sides – by schools,businesses and non-profit organisations,to name a few. The Finnish social exercisemotivator HeiaHeia, for example, is usedby many companies to inspire their em-ployees to find new, fun ways of keeping fitand in touch with their colleagues at thesame time.

Swedish women’s rights organisation 1.6and 2.6 million club, on the other hand,promotes female-centric medial research

on heart conditions, with the aim of offer-ing men and women the same standard ofhealth care. Now the organisation is readyto take on the world, and England is nextin line.

Read on to find out more.

By Nia Kajastie | Photo: Sara Ingman/imagebank.sweden.se

Working towards a healthier tomorrow

MINI THEME:

HEALTH IN FINLAND & SWEDEN



As we all know, physical activity is good foryou. But finding the motivation to exerciseafter a long day at work is not always easy.Employers looking after their personnel'swellbeing know that the energy you gainshaping up also shows in your work atthe office. As a result, employers areseeking new ways to energize their em-ployees. This new, proactive approach towellbeing is also part of HeiaHeia's vi-sion. This web service for individuals andworkplaces offers a diverse tool for log-ging physical activities, sharing achieve-ments and cheering each other on –mak-ing exercise more social and fun.

Owned and operated by Finnish healthtechnology company H2 Wellbeing Ltd,HeiaHeia was originally created to serveCEO Jussi Räisänen and his friends as avirtual exercise diary. “We used to exercisetogether in Finland, and as our jobs tookus to different countries, we wanted tocontinue to stay active and share this witheach other somehow. It was a fun idea,but there weren’t many simple optionsavailable for logging your activities, so wedecided to create something ourselves –for our own use at first, but we soon re-alised there might be a need for this on alarger scale,” Räisänen recounts.

The fun and fairly laidback approach tosharing your physical activities withfriends is something that has been part ofthe HeiaHeia concept from the beginning.As not everyone is motivated by a com-petitive environment, the founders re-alised that a broader definition of exerciseand physical activity would open the serv-ice to a lot more users, not only seasonedexercise buffs. “Exercising together withothers is something that interests many,but exercise itself can mean differentthings to different people, so the idea wasto cheer others on rather than compete,”Räisänen adds.

Health experts surprisedby impact of social wellness platformSocial exercise motivator HeiaHeia.com brings healthy buzz to workplacesBy Nia Kajastie | Photos: HeiaHeia



Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Health in Finland & Sweden

Walking around the world togetherFazer Food Services is a company thatarranges contract catering and personnelrestaurant services in Scandinavia. Out ofits 3,700 employees in Finland many workin physically demanding jobs and requireplenty of energy every day, which is some-thing the company’s chief occupationalhealthcare physician, Kirsi Ailus, knowsfirst-hand. Fazer chose to use HeiaHeia’sservices for their recent wellbeing cam-paign. The decision was not a straight-forward one, although the campaignwould prove to be a success.

“We were slightly suspicious of using so-cial media for an exercise campaign be-cause our restaurant personnel do nothave any e-mail addresses or computersprovided by the employer,” Ailus says.They set an initial joint target of going“around the world”, expecting only a smallnumber of participants.

“Our objective was to exercise enough sothat the distance we covered would goaround the world, but we were able toclearly exceed this objective. With morethan 500 participants, we were able to goaround the globe twice in just the firstweek. Now that the campaign is over, we

have managed to go around the worldnearly four times, 111,000 kilometres,”Ailus explains.

Boosting team spirit

Company wellness programmes can offermany real benefits and tangible results,including reduced healthcare costs, moreengagement and higher productivity. ButHeiaHeia also adds a social element tothis. “While the online service is easy touse and flexible, and thus available to alltypes of users, the effects also spill overfrom the Internet into the break rooms.Each company that uses HeiaHeia has re-ported back not only how exercise habitshave changed, but also how wellbeing-related topics are discussed in hallways,during lunch and on coffee breaks. It’sadded a new dimension to people’s workrelationships. Previously you might haveonly known the professional profile of yourcolleague at the Stockholm office,whereas by using HeiaHeia you’ve alsofound out that you have a shared hobby,like kayaking or bowling,” says Räisänen.

Today, HeiaHeia has users in 150 coun-tries, with companies from 20 countriesfeaturing it as part of their workplacewellness programmes.

For more information, please visit:www.heiaheia.com

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“Most people don’t know that heart condi-tions are themost common cause of deathin our country,” Alexandra Charles, founderand president of the 1.6 and 2.6 millionclub, says. “Women and men even reactdifferently to heart attacks. Sowhen I foundout that medical research was based onmen, I wanted to put a gender perspectiveinto the research in order to givewomen thesame possibilities of getting the best healthcare.” Today Alexandra’s initiative has be-come Sweden’s largest non-political non-profit women’s rights organisationwith over35,000 active members. Run with a core offamous Swedish women and a group ofmedical experts, the organisation functionsboth as a lobbying organisation and as aneducational organisation.

Every spring the campain Woman in Red,aiming to raise funds for medical research

on the female heart, is launched. As withthe Pink Ribbon, supporters can proudlywear an awareness pin, but for this causeshaped as a red shoe. You can also down-load a free app that works as a pedome-ter. For every kilometre walked, oneSwedish Krona will be given to research.“Our goal is to make it possible for everywoman to have the best possible life qual-ity and health,” Alexandra continues. “We

arrange events all year to inspire womenwith a healthy lifestyle.” On 12 October anight of celebrations will take place inStockholm, to mark the organisations 15-year anniversary, just days after the initialEngland introduction will have been held.“We are arranging an event in London on8 October, and we hope our sister organ-isation in England will be up and runningin 2014,” Alexandra continues.

There are already clubs in Norway, Finlandand Germany and networks in both St. Pe-tersburg and Brussels. And after visiting awomen’s health conference in SouthAfrica, women from Botswana have con-tacted Alexandra showing their interest.

Everyone, male or female, is welcome asa member, as long as you are over 18.And as far as the name goes, it has noth-ing to do with money. “When I first tookthis initiative the number of women over45 years in Sweden was 1.6 million,”Alexandra says.

When Alexandra Charles realised nearly all medical research was based on men, sheknew she had to do something about it. Today, 15 years later, her organisation hasspread over the world, and England is next in line.

By Elin Berta | Photos: 1.6 and 2.6 miljoner klubben

The voice of millions

For more information, please visit:www.1.6miljonerklubben.comwww.26.7millionclub.com

Alexandra Charles and Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnusson

Top: A Woman in Red campaign event. Also pictured are politicians Lena Adelsohn Liljerothand Maria Larsson. Below: Fashion show from Woman in Red.

Top: Seminars and debates during the political week in Almedalen, Gotland.Below: Health day.



During the summermonths, the towns andvillages are teeming with happy summerguests from all over the world. The sum-mer holiday can be spent in a picturesquewhite painted cabin along the coast ormaybe in a boat along the Norwegian Riv-iera ready to jump in the sea in the morn-ing and then sail along the coast line to visithistoric locations like Merdø or Lyngør.

Southern Norway is also called the chil-dren’s holiday paradise! With long sandybeaches, Kristiansand Zoo, Sørlandsbadetin Lyngdal, Mineral Park in Evje, The Sci-ence Centre in Arendal, Aquarama in Kris-tiansand and a wide range of activitiesand attractions, I dare say it is!

The towns of Risør, Tvedestrand, Arendal,Grimstad, Lillesand and Mandal are

spread like a string of pearls along thecoastline. These are former timber portswhich grew when shipbuilding became anindustry, and the seafarers brought homeinspiration and knowledge from the mainEuropean ports. New for this summer isthat you can enjoy these beautiful villagesfrom the seat of a bike together withfriends or family.

Also part of this beautiful coastal regionare towns like Flekkefjord, Farsund, Lyn-gdal and Kristiansand. These towns arepopular for visitors with their narrowstreets, low-rise wooden houses, abun-dance of flowers and various shops, cafésand fine restaurants.

The Norwegian Riviera is quieter the restof the year, but with merely a few hours

between the sea and the high mountains,many visitors choose to come at this timeand enjoy the activities that are offered.Hiking along the coast or up to the moun-tain summits, fishing and cycling are allpopular activities. In the wintertime theskiing possibilities are many with placeslike Hovden, Evje, Bortelid and Åseral.

Welcome to Southern Norway!

The southern part of Norway has been the number one summer holiday destinationfor Norwegians for decades, while remaining a hidden gem for many visitors. South-ern Norway evokes strong emotions with its white wooden houses along the archi-pelago together with beautiful islands, small cosy villages and its many beaches.

By Inger Lund Hutchinson, Visit Sørlandet

Southern Norway – The Norwegian Riviera

For more information, please visit:www.visitsorlandet.com

SPECIAL THEME:

SOUTHERN NORWAY

Left: Ulvøysund in Blindleia, Lillesand (Photo: Anders Martinsen©Visit Kristiansand AS). Right: Isbua in Hidra (Photo: Hanne Feyling©Visit Sørlandet). Below: Lyngør(Photo: Anders Martinsen©Visit Sørlandet).



Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Southern Norway

The owner and marketing director of Fly-Nonstop, Espen Hennig-Olsen, might nothave followed the most typical road intothe airline business. Working for 32 yearsfor his family’s ice cream factory in Kris-tiansand, including 15 years as the mar-keting director, Hennig-Olsen had alreadymade a career for himself in a different in-dustry. “My father (now 86) used to run thebusiness, while my older brother is nowthe CEO. I had a great time working there,

seeing the company grow and reach a 43per cent market share in Norway,” Hen-nig-Olsen affirms.

While arranging large sales meetings forthe business in Europe, including every-thing from hiring an aircraft to hotel book-ings, Espen Hennig-Olsen showcased aninnate knack for travel organisation. “Atfirst I thought that perhaps in a differentlife I could have done something in this

line of work. But when I realised that mydaughter wasn’t going to go into the fam-ily business, unlike my nephews who wereeducated in marketing and economics, Ihad to think what would work best for thecompany, whether it made sense for meto hang on to my chair or do somethingelse,” he explains.

Hennig-Olsen ended up selling his part ofthe company and turning his attention tothe airline industry. After several monthsof thorough market research, the poten-tial and demand for a new airline flyingfrom Kristiansand was confirmed. So withCEO Daniel Lundberg on board, who has12 years of experience working on the op-erational side of an airline, the search forthe right aircraft was set in motion. Thefocus was set on passenger comfort, and

On 25 April 2013 the first FlyNonstop flight took off from Kristiansand Airport, Kje-vik, on the southern coast of Norway, heading for Paris. On the same day, the com-pany’s 100-passenger Embraer 190 completed its second and third flights to Nice andLondon respectively. Promising fair pricing and “that little extra” when it comes toservice, this start-up operator is aiming to make flying easy and enjoyable – and,above all, direct.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: FlyNonstop

Flying made easy and enjoyable




the 100-person Embraer 190, withoutmiddle seats, fits their bill. The brand newairplane was finally delivered on 16 April2013.

From where you live to where you wantto go

FlyNonstop is based in Kristiansand andcurrently operates direct return flightsfrom Kjevik to eight European destina-tions: Barcelona, Berlin, Dubrovnik, Lon-don, Nice, Palma, Paris and Parma. Thecompany’s mission is to fly from airportswhere the general offers are inadequate,but where the demand is high and thatshow great potential. FlyNonstop’s nextstep is to plan their programme androutes for next year, and depending ontheir review of the current destinations,they might launch some interesting newroutes.

“Our concept is to fly nonstop fromsmaller areas into bigger cities. The Em-braer 190 is excellent for this as it slots insomewhere between small and big air-craft, and we can fly to places where largeplanes and airlines wouldn’t necessarilygo as there isn’t a big enough marketthere for them,” says Hennig-Olsen.

That little extra

FlyNonstop aims to be an operator thatdoesn’t just offer flights for fair prices butalso invests in passenger comfort and thatlittle bit extra when it comes to service.

They have put plenty of thought into thelook of the plane and everything that canbe found inside, including leather seatsthat offer plenty of leg room and iPadMinis for each passenger to use freelyduring the flight. The experienced andfriendly crew is there to make your flightgo as smoothly as possible. The on-boardmenu was developed by none other thanNorwegian top chef Trond Moi, and Mas-ter of Wine Sebastian Bredal has chosensome exclusive wines for passengers’ en-joyment.

All the small details and a general em-phasis on quality are reflected in the feed-back they have received from both cus-tomers and the press. “They’ve been veryhappy with the concept, and journalistswho have scrutinized everything quitethoroughly have given us full marks,” saysHennig-Olsen.

Book your flight or whole holiday,with hotel and car rental, at:www.flynonstop.no

FlyNonstop’s routesfrom Kristiansand

Espen Hennig-Olsen,owner and marketingdirector of FlyNonstop




It is difficult to sum up Provianten in oneword. Defining it as “a restaurant” or “acafé” simply does not cut it. Yes, it is arestaurant, and a café, but also a bar, abakery, a brewery, a distillery, a deli-catessen and even a pottery. They makehome-made ice cream, smoke their ownmeat, roast their own coffee, produce theirown vinegar and churn their own butter.Let´s stop there.

Provianten opened its doors in 2008 at thepier in the southern seaside town of Man-dal. In their own words, they define them-

selves as a culinary workshop. Culinary,because food and beverages play themaincharacters and workshop, because theywork with quality produce to bring out au-thentic flavours.

The culinary workshop is run by Danishbaker Anders Christensen and Norwegianpotter Mette Jensen, who draw on theirtalents and interests to create the complexconcept that is Provianten. Christensenexplains that he is passionate about bring-ing back traditional styles of cooking thatlet the authentic flavours shine though.

“Food loses its freshness, aroma andflavours when produced on an industriallevel and sealed in plastic containers. Wetry and bring those flavours back to lifewith what we do here at Provianten.”

It is fair to say that Provianten goes togreat lengths to ensure they stay true totheir concept. Their bakery producessourdough bread, a traditional, time-con-suming and complex style of baking usingonly flour, salt, water and natural sour-dough bacteria as yeast. Just to add, theyeven grind their own flour. “When we bakewe leave out any artificial ingredients. Thisis because we believe natural ingredientsgive the best result. This type of produc-tion demands knowledge and experience,but that’s what makes it exciting! This

As the first Norwegian restaurant with its own distillery on the premises, Proviantenaims tomodernise and interpret traditional Norwegian beverages, food and flavours.

By Anette Berve | Photos: Provianten

A culinary workshop in Mandal




used to be knowledge that was passedbetween generations, but we who usethesemethods today are almost perceivedas archaeologists.”

Nothing is left to chance

The concept was to have a place that wasinviting at all hours of the day as well asthroughout the seasons. Located at thepier, overlooking the river, in a popularsummer town can have its challengesduring the autumn and winter. However,the two have prepared for the challengesof a slow winter season. “I believe we havecreated a palette that is the key to oursuccess,” Christensen explains. “We havedifferent elements that are popular at dif-ferent times. Nothing is left to chance andeverything is intertwined. We could not bewithout any of the elements.”

The menu changes according to season,but some specialities remain throughoutthe year. Provianten is known for servingcoffee of top quality, as well as Danish in-spired lunch treats, fresh bread andspareribs with a secret house recipe. “Ithink people notice that there is a thoughtand a purpose behind everything,” Chris-tensen adds. In the summer, the outdoordeck attracts thirsty locals and tourists,while the indoor fireplace sets the am-biance when darkness falls. To add to thewarm atmosphere they even have a woodfired oven where they bake their Italian-style pizzas. It doesn’t get more rusticthan that.

Developing new spirits

Since its opening five years ago, Pro-vianten has expanded and developed newelements to their restaurant concept. Thelatest addition is an in-house distillerywhere they plan to brew their own spiritsbased on traditional Scandinavian recipesand flavours. “The best part of our job isthat we get to go into the details of everypart of the production. I feel like a mixtureof a scientist, an archaeologist and an al-chemist. It satisfies my curious nature. Iam extra fortunate that I get to share mysuccessful experiments with our cus-tomers and experience the pleasure ofpresenting something so authentic andpure.”

BAKING WITH SOURDOUGH

For those interested in knowing moreabout the in-house production, Pro-vianten arranges workshops for the fol-lowing:- Coffee roasting- Beer brewing- Pottery classes- Baking with sour dough- Distillation- Cooking with the head chef

Provianten has its own delicatessenwhere you can purchase products thathave been produced on site as well as aselection of carefully chosen brands.Treats include cured meats, sausages,cheeses, juices and their home-madevinegar.

For more information, please visit:www.provianten.no



“Our location makes us a natural choicefor anyone wishing for an exciting visit tothe very southern tip of Norway, boththose who wish to be active during theirstay, as well as kick back and relax,” saysKathrine Ubostad.

Opened in 2010, the hotel and its 154rooms bear a modern and soothingly

Scandinavian look. Spaces have beenmade open and light to interlace seam-lessly with the distinctly raw south Nor-wegian nature, features which apply tobedrooms and conference spaces alike.

“The communal spaces are elegantand airy, and can accommodate up to 200people,” says Ubostad. “We understand

that many of our guests come from placesfar from where we are, so we strive tomeet their every wish and need – every-thing from activities to fresh food.”

Lindesnes’s coastal location makes itan ideal place to taste fresh seafood, andat Lindesnes Havhotell you can have itprepared by award-winning chefs. Youmay also book a traditional NorwegianChristmas party for your business. In ad-dition to an abundant line-up of yuletidetreats, the hotel can organise tastings atthe local brewery and trips to the beauti-fully decorated Lindesnes lighthouse.

“It’s a wonderful way of experiencingour coastal customs, all with a touch ofNorwegian Christmas tradition,” saysUbostad.

Located at the very southern tip of Norway, Lindesnes Havhotell offers relaxing get-aways and an inspirational conference destination – all in effortless harmony withbeautiful nature experiences.

By Julie Lindén | Photos: Lindesnes Havhotell

For more information, please visit:www.havhotellet.no

Lindesnes Havhotell – raw nature andScandinavian elegance


The museums concentrate on the follow-ing four pillars: maritime transport, hor-ticulture, Knut Hamsun and Henrik Ibsen.The two first pillars played essential partsin the growth of Grimstad for centuries.Novelist Knut Hamsun spent 34 years ofhis life in Grimstad, and German visitorsfrequently explore Hamsun when visitingthe town.

The main attraction is considered tobe the museum focusing on Norway’smost famous playwright Henrik Ibsen.“He probably arrived in Grimstad as a 15-year-old around 1844 in order to start hiseducation as a pharmaceutical assistant,”explains general manager Anita Estensen.

“Ibsen stayed in town until April 1850when he was 22, and he wrote his firstplay Catilina in Grimstad.” At the IbsenMuseum the visitor will learn of his lifeprior to becoming famous, the harsh eco-nomic conditions in which he lived andthe love stories. This summer and au-tumn the art exhibition “Henrik Ibsen forDummies” by Anni Onsager will be on dis-play. Books by and about Ibsen are alsofor sale in the museum shop.

Thanks to frequent direct flights toKristiansand’s Kjevik Airport from a num-ber of European airports Grimstad is eas-ily accessible for visitors from Scandi-navia, Europe and further afield.

Experience Henrik Ibsen atGrimstad Bys MuseerGrimstad Bys Museer (Grimstad Town’s Museums) is a cultural and historical com-plex of museums conserving the history of Grimstad. The idyllic town is located a halfhour’s drive east of Kristiansand on Norway’s southern coast.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Simen Samuelsen | Photo of the museum facade: Hanne Feyling

For more information, please visit:www.gbm.no


KURS OG KONFERANSER PÅ IDYLLISKESTRAND HOTEL FEVIK

25 minutter fra Dyreparken finner du Sørlandets eneste funkishotell, beliggende i havgapet mellom Arendal og Grimstad. Med nytt hotellbygg og

doblet kapasitet, 90 lyse og innbydende rom/leiligheter/suiter, velværeavdeling, kortreist mat og Sørlandets mest spektakulære utsikt, er vi et naturlig

førstevalg for kurs og konferanse, ferie og feiring. Velkommen!

STRAND HOTEL FEVIK 4870 FEVIK TELEFON 37 25 00 00

FAKS 37 25 00 01 EMAIL [email protected]

WWW.STRANDHOTELFEVIK.NO

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“It’s a great advantage to be situated soclose to the park, as well as the airportand local shopping hotspots,” says Gen-eral Manager Erik Nordahl. “That allowsus to focus even more on enthralling ex-periences for every single guest, alwaysmaking sure we meet all needs and de-sires.”

Whatever the need might be, the staff atQuality Hotel & Resort Kristiansand isthere to make your stay an unforgettableone. The event calendar is packed full withexciting opportunities designed to colourmemories way beyond your visit.

“We organise various kinds of events andkick-offs throughout the year, and we arevery much in tune with what is going onaround us. The entertainment programmeis always wide-ranging, offering every-thing from intriguing talks to celebrityhappenings,” says Nordahl.

Quiet retreats and a whole new you

Located approximately 10-15 minutesfrom the city centre of Kristiansand, thehotel is also an ideal starting point for aday of shopping. Sørlandsparken, a spa-cious shopping centre that will becrowned Norway’s largest this autumn,

guarantees a supreme shopping experi-ence. Everything you need – or desire – isonly a stop away.

And why not let a shopping trip inspire anew you? For guests feeling grey orslightly dated, inspiration is coming theirway in the shape of Norwegian TV styleguru Jan Thomas Mørch Husby. On 18September he will grace Quality Hotel &Resort Kristiansand with his fashionablepresence and Jan Thomas Live tour, call-ing on all women to become their bestselves. You may even win a makeover bythis A-list Hollywood stylist, so the oppor-tunity is not to be missed!

After a day of treating your looks there isnothing more relaxing than enjoying thegreat outdoors. Kristiansand is known asone of Norway’s most charming cities,with beautiful coastal landscapes to be

Whether you are visiting the south of Norway on a business trip or indulging in somefamily fun, Quality Hotel & Resort Kristiansand presents you with something out ofthe ordinary. From spacious conference facilities to exciting events and shows for thewhole family – the choice is obvious. Welcome to a hotel of experiences!

By Julie Lindén | Photos: Quality Hotel & Resort Kristiansand

Stay at the heart of experiences inKristiansand




admired. Why not hike in the hotel’s strik-ing surroundings, enjoy some sand vol-leyball on the private course or take a tripto nearby Bjaavann golf course?

Conferences and circus thrills

While Quality Hotel & Resort Kristiansandhas earned an array of honourable labels,one of the most distinct characterisationsis that of versatility. Beyond the family-friendly areas and vast outdoor spaces,the hotel is also southern Norway’slargest conference hotel – serving up to550 people.

“The aim is always to meet and hopefullyexceed expectations, whether these comefrom a family of four or a business com-pany of 200,” says Nordahl. “It’s importantfor us that our guests know what they willfind when they come and stay with us.”

One of the hotel’s most treasured tradi-tions has long been the annual Christ-mas parties, marrying superb entertain-ment with an exceptional diningexperience for you and your business. Thisyear the hotel salons will welcome formerCirque du Soleil artists Jecko & Jessie,who have more than 18 years of experi-ence of circus and variety performances.Joining them are the mesmerising Star-

workers, dancing their way through anight that will surely be remembered byevery audience member as a remarkableexperience.

Pirates, princesses and the balloon city

Whether your child is a princess, pirate orcowboy, Quality Hotel & Resort Kris-tiansand makes every effort to welcomefamilies with open arms. The hotel’s clos-est neighbour is one of themost visited at-tractions in Norway – Kristiansand Zoo andAmusement Park –which naturally adds tothe reasons Quality Hotel & Resort Kris-

tiansand is called “The Children’s Hotel”.“We organise numerous happenings forchildren of all ages: dress-up days, showsand a chance to join us in the kitchen at‘Kokepunktet’ (the boiling point), wherechildren can learn about cooking in anengaging way. We are also very excited towelcome families to Europe’s largest bal-loon city – a maze constructed by 50,000balloons, where a real princess is to befound at the centre...” says Nordahl.

As summer time is undoubtedly the primetime for a family hangout, “The Children’sHotel” promises a fun day both indoorsand outside. The backyard play area is apopular spot, and its large pool maintainsa welcoming 26 degrees from May to Oc-tober. Should the weather gods misbe-have there is always the indoors playroomwith an activity leader brightening the day,and when energy levels run low the pop-ular family buffet boasts all the treats yourlittle one could want. Enough said – it’sthe children’s choice.

For more information, please visit:www.nordicchoicehotels.com/Quality-Resort/Quality-Hotel--Resort-Kristiansandand www.barnashotellkristiansand.no

Jecko. Photo: John Resborn

Starworkers.Photo: John Resborn




The Dark Season music festival is organ-ised by a team of passionate individualsinvolved with music. In order to attract asmany visitors as possible the music gen-res are diverse. They include rock, coun-try and western and also folk music. Whilemost of the artists are Norwegian, in-cluding World Pop Idol winner KurtNilsen, rock band CC Cowboys, folk singerOle Paus, country and western singerBjøro Håland and jazz vocalist Silje Ner-gaard, classic UK rock bands have alsoperformed at the festival in recent years.Typically the festival attracts between3,500 and 4,000 visitors per year. Most vis-itors are local but the aim is to attract au-diences from elsewhere in Norway andabroad.

“This year’s festival will take place be-tween Thursday 17 and Saturday 19 Octo-ber,” explains festival manager Liv Hå-land. Artists will include Nazareth as wellas Norwegian bands Ole Ivars, deLillos,Dum DumBoys and Plumbo. “The festivalwill open in Kristiansand Cathedral, andadditional concerts will take place onstages at the Caledonien Hotel, Kick andthe more intimate stage ‘Hos Naboen’(With The Neighbour) at the Clarion Hotel.Tickets are available for sale at www.bil-lettservice.no,” says Håland. “We areproud and excited to be organising theDark Season festival for the 16th year in arow, and we are grateful to all our spon-sors, volunteers and visitors for their sup-port in making the festival happen.”

Kristiansand is easily accessible by air,road and rail from most of Norway. Agrowing number of direct internationalflights to Kristiansand Airport make thecity increasingly accessible from majorEuropean cities too.For more information, please visit:

Dark Season is an annual music festival that is held in Norway’s fifth largest city,Kristiansand. It has been held during an autumnweekend in October every year since1998. The original idea behind the festival was to give a musical experience to the in-habitants of the city and surrounding areas, as well as visitors wanting to enjoy aweekend of live music.

By Stian Sangvig | Press Photos

An autumn weekend of musicin Kristiansand

For more information, please visit:www.darkseason.com

Find Dark Season on Facebookby searching forDark Season Musikkfestival

Above left: Plumbo. Top: Nazareth. Middle: deLillos. Right: Dum Dum Boys. Below: Ole Ivars




Situated on the beach and 500 metresfrom the shopping street of Kristiansand(Norway’s fifth largest city), its location iscertainly ideal. Another attraction nextdoor is the Aquarama waterpark, spa andgym. Guests can use the gym for free andcan get discounts on waterpark tickets.

The hotel also has a restaurant taking ad-vantage of being right next to the beach byoffering the finest local delicacies fromthe sea in tasteful dishes. While the hotelis looking to attract tourists and businesspeople from around Norway and abroad,the restaurant is already attracting local

customers on a regular basis. Spectacu-lar views of the sea can be enjoyed fromthe hotel terrace.

“During the summer most of our guestsare tourists,” explains Solum. “During therest of the year we are looking to attractbusiness clients visiting Kristiansand’s vi-brant oil industry. The hotel also offersfacilities for meetings and conferences.”Kristiansand is easily accessible by air,road and train from most of Norway.Thanks to a growing number of interna-tional direct flights from Kristiansand Air-port, the city and region are increasinglyaccessible from the rest of Europe too.

Hotel Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda (City Beach) is the newest hotel in Kristiansandand in southern Norway. “Since opening on 5 June it has been fully booked, and in Julywe had 16,000 guests enjoying the warmest summer in years,” explains generalmanager Håvard Solum.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Hotel Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda

New hotel on the beach in Kristiansand

For more information, please visit:www.scandichotels.com/hotels/norway/kristiansand/kristiansand-bystranda

Designed to take the participants fromlighthouse to lighthouse through the idyl-lic archipelago, the kayak trips are a newcultural experience launched this sum-mer, and Wannado are aiming to continuethe successful project.

“The route can be significantly variedas far as destinations are concerned, withtrips from Lindesnes in the west and asfar east as Tønsberg,” says Roar Laugerud,who is responsible for canoeing andkayaking at Wannado.

“The coastline of Southern Norway isfamous for its many lighthouses, and sev-eral of them are available as accommoda-tion. The possibility of kayaking along thecoastline and spending the night in one ofthe lighthouses is a spectacular culturaland nature-centric experience,” he adds.

Offering both single and double kayaks,Laugerud emphasises that the trips arenot designed to be exhausting, and thatWannado, which is based in Arendal, pres-ents several different trips based on ex-perience.

“The trips are in groups of three to tenpeople, lasting from three to ten days, andcan be arranged from different locations,albeit the main route is from Kristiansandto Arendal. It’s even possible to do a partof one journey one year and come backthe next year to continue it.

“It is a very special feeling to spend anight in one of the unique lighthouses andthen continue the journey along the spec-tacular and idyllic coastline the followingday,” Laugerud says.

Experience the beauty of Southern Norway’s coastline by joining Wannado on anexclusive and enjoyable kayaking adventure.

By Didrik Ottesen | Photos: Wannado

For more information, please visit:www.wannado.no

Kayaking from lighthouse to lighthouse throughidyllic Southern Norway



Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

Boasting a long and rich Sami history, themunicipality of Karasjok, in the northernreaches of Norway, sees tourists comefrom all over the world to learn about thetraditions and culture of Europe's north-ernmost indigenous people. Many chooseto stay at the Rica Hotel Karasjok, a mod-ern hotel known for its characteristic ar-chitecture and strong Sami influences.“Everything here is characterised by Samiculture, and Sami elements occurthroughout the hotel,” says manager JohnArne Mathiesen.

Built 30 years ago, in 1983, Rica HotelKarasjok has recently been renovated tomeet all today’s expected standards. Thehotel has 56 rooms, ranging from stan-dard rooms to junior suites, as well as arange of meeting rooms and conferencefacilities. Located a 60 minute drive fromLakselv airport the hotel is easily acces-sible.

The spectacular Finnmarksvidda

Despite the comfort of the rooms, fewpeople spend much time in them. And

why would you when Norway's largestand most spectacular plateau, Finn-marksvidda, awaits you right outside yourdoor, ready to be explored? “Finn-marksvidda is magical. To stand on theplateau, just gazing across the landscape,provides great moments of clarity, andtime for reflection – it is incredible,” saysMathiesen. Having difficulties finding theright words to describe the grandeur ofthe vast, open landscape, he continues:“There is no end to it. There is just theendless tundra; mile upon mile of beau-tiful, untouched nature. It is somethingthat needs to be experienced. It is simplybreathtaking.”

Because of the arctic climate, weatherconditions are incredibly stable in Karasjok,

Sit around the campfire, taste the local food and listen to some traditional Sami joikwhile the Northern Lights dance above your head. At Rica Hotel Karasjok you get toexperience everything the Sami way of life has to offer.

By Magnus Nygren Syversen | Photos: Rica Hotel Karasjok

Hotel of the Month, Norway

Deep in the heart of Sápmi



Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

with cold, refreshing air and few rainydays. “Even when the weather is badalong the coast, it does not affect us be-cause we are inland,” Mathiesen explains.At night, the clear weather provides greatopportunities to see the Northern Lightsdancing in the sky – whether you are en-joying a peaceful walk in the middle ofFinnmarksvidda or standing just outsidethe hotel. “One of the best things aboutKarasjok is that you do not have to drivefor hours to experience the NorthernLights. You can see them dancing just overthe hotel roof,” says Mathiesen.

Home of the Sami Parliament

For those looking to delve further intoSami culture and history, Karasjok, as thecapital of the Sami people, has a range ofoffers. The Sami Parliament of Norway islocated about 4-500 metres from the ho-tel and between the two lies the SápmiPark, a centre for Sami culture. “The im-portant thing to know about Karasjok isthat it is not a typical tourist spot. Theculture here is not constructed fortourism, and we are not trying to adapt fortourists. What you get is an authentic ex-perience of real Sami culture the way ithas been for centuries,” stresses Math-iesen.

Some of the things visitors can experi-ence are rides with the reindeer, the tra-ditional Sami style of song called joik, andof course, a traditional Sami meal next tothe camp fire.

A taste of Sápmi

If the night is too cold to eat outside, evenclose to the fire, you can, of course, opt fora nice dinner in the hotel restaurant,Storgammen. The restaurant is built inthe same manner as traditional Samihuts, providing an authentic and relaxedatmosphere.

The food is an important part of the Samiexperience when staying at Rica HotelKarasjok. A team of skilled chefs prepareexquisite traditional Sami dishes, madefrom local ingredients. In 2012, the hotelwon an award for best head chef withinthe Rica hotel chain. “We use the ingre-dients the Sami people use, and the cui-

sine centres around the reindeer,” saysMathiesen.

“The Sami people have always lived inharmony with nature, and they processthe reindeer in such a way that nothinggoes to waste. Everything on the reindeeris used for crafts, art or food.”

If you feel like learning more about theproud Sami people and experience their

harmony with nature, perhaps Karasjok isthe next place you should escape to for afew days?

For more information, please visit:www.rica-hotels.com/hotels/karasjok/rica-hotel-karasjok

www.visitsapmi.no

Above: Photo: Kjell Sæther. Below left: The Sami Parliament. Photo: Bård Løken.

Below right: Exploring the Finnmarksvidda plateau.



Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Denmark

Built in 1808 by Christian Paul Scheel, aprominent member of the Judiciary,Scheelsminde manor was turned into asmall motel by the current ownerAnemette Bühlmann’s grandparents in1960. Since then the hotel has been care-fully extended, modernised, and reno-vated, most recently with the refurbish-ment of 32 double rooms. Today the hotelhouses a total of 100 rooms as well asmeeting rooms, conference and banquet

facilities, swimming pool, spa and an in-ternational restaurant. Still, the manor’sspecial charm and atmosphere has beenpreserved.

“What we try to do is create a small oasisin Aalborg with a quality-orientated serv-ice; we have a lot of regulars who tell usthat they feel as if this is their secondhome and that’s exactly the feeling we tryto create. We want them to feel that they

are staying at a family owned hotel and notjust another corporate chain hotel,” says31-year-old hotel director AnemetteBühlmann.

A peaceful base for exploring Aalborg

Though Hotel Scheelsminde, thanks to itslarge green estate, has a secluded feel toit, it is no more than a ten minute bus orcar ride from the centre of Aalborg. “A lotof our weekend guests come here just torelax and enjoy Aalborg; what we offer isa green oasis within a short distance fromthe city and the shopping centre,” saysBühlmann.

For the guests who fancy a bit of unwind-ing after exploring Aalborg’s many offers,

Located in the outskirts of Aalborg, the four-starred Best Western Hotel Scheels-minde offers guests a historic stay in one of Denmark’s beautiful oldmanors. The his-toric building, which has been in the hands of the same family for three generations,is a favourite location for weddings, conferences as well as weekend breaks.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Best Western Hotel Scheelsminde

Hotel of the Month, Denmark

A historic retreat in the green outskirtsof Aalborg



Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Denmark

Hotel Scheelsminde, as the only hotel inAalborg, offers an indoor pool as well as asauna, steam room and spa treatmentarea.

Back in their rooms guests can enjoymodern bathroom facilities and free in-ternet. The suites, furthermore, offer anauthentic manor house experience withtraditional decor and bath tub. A big Scan-dinavian breakfast buffet is complimen-tary for all guests.

A magical wedding venue

The historic ambiance and beautiful loca-tion of the old manor has, not surpris-ingly, made it a popular wedding venue.During the summer season Scheels-minde’s big banquet hall, which is sepa-rate from the rest of the hotel, is bookedup every weekend. “A lot of people chooseto locate their celebrations here becauseof our beautiful, romantic surroundings,”explains Bühlmann adding: “Many newly-weds arrive by horse carriage, have thewelcome drinks in the park and then goon to have their wedding photos taken inthe beautiful park and dine in the largebanquet hall.”

Hotel Scheelsminde is also ideal formeetings, courses, and conferences. Theconference facilities cater for meetings of10 to 100 participants with a completerange of audio visual equipment.

Hotel Scheelsminde’s international restau-rant, which seats 80 guests and presentsoutstanding panoramic views of the largepark, is one of the reasons the hotel has be-come a popular venue for conferences andbusiness dinners. The kitchen, which is

managed by Chef Dennis Sonberg, serves amenu of classic French food, which is ad-justed to the different events and demands.

A big responsibility

Having recently celebrated its 50th anniver-sary, Hotel Scheelsminde continues tothrive in the devoted hands of theBühlmannfamily. Though Anemette Bühlmann andher husband Danni Bühlmann, took overthe management of the hotel just six yearsago, the hotel, which is also AnemetteBühlmann’s childhood home, has alwayshad an important role in her life.

“Taking over Scheelsminde I felt I had a lotto live up to. I’ve seen how much hardwork and responsibility it is to run a hoteland quite early on I decided that it was notfor me,” admits Bühlmann, then contin-ues, “but then after high school I ended upon a course in hospitality management inSwitzerland. Afterwards, on what Ithought would be just a short stopover atScheelsminde, I met my husband, whoalready worked there, so then things justsort of clicked and six years ago my par-ents called to tell me that they were readyto hand over the responsibility.”

Just like the two current owners ofScheelsminde, Anemette Bühlmann’sparents and grandmother still live at thehistoric hotel.

For more information, please visit:www.scheelsminde.dk

Anemette and husband Danni Bühlmann with their children Victor and Isabella.

Left: The restaurant, managed by Chef DennisSonberg, serves a menu of classic French food.



Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Finland

“It’s something we hear again and again,that there is a very special feel to our ho-tel,” Manager Petra Gästgivars Lundbergsays of this particular ambiance. “We area small-scale hotel doing things our ownway. I think that influences the relationswe have with our guests – and it’s defi-nitely a reason why they have voted usFinland’s third best hotel three years in arow.”

The hotel truly is special in its own right.Built in 1909, the house served as home toa local butter merchant for many years.With his house’s eight rooms he startedthe tradition of welcoming guests on theirtravels to Vaasa, a tradition that inspiredthe 1993 renovation of the guesthouse intothe present day hotel.

“The building has a long history that weare very proud to honour,” Lundberg says.“The façade is the same as it has alwaysbeen, while our décor represents manydifferent time periods – from Rococo toGustavian. Rooms are individually deco-rated and traditional, many with a privatesauna.”

Homemade simplicity and culturaldiscoveries

A distinctive and much-appreciated fea-ture of Hotel Astor is the delicious, home-made breakfasts and brunches. Every-thing is prepared from scratch – fromwafers to strawberry marmalade – allspreading a welcoming, fresh scentthroughout the house. Lundberg says thehotel makes an effort to use as much lo-

cal produce as possible, keeping good re-lations with local grocers. “Wemake sureto take in fresh and seasonal foods topresent our guests with good, rustictastes. No semi-fabricated meals to befound!”

With a sturdy breakfast to kick-start yourday, who wouldn’t want to do some sight-seeing? Vaasa is a cultural hotspot withplenty of museums, theatres and concertsto experience. Hotel Astor offers severalpackages to complement the interests ofany guest, all put together with one singlecall to the reception.

“Our services are chosen to be at hand toeach guest on their own terms – frompicking you up at the airport with ourshuttle service to helping you discoverVaasa’s hidden gems. Simple, laid-backand homey – that’s us,” says Lundberg.

A winning combination of personal service, an intriguing past, a laid-back feel andfamed homemade breakfasts has inspired what guests of Hotel Astor Vaasa call “theAstor atmosphere”. Central and homey accommodation complete with a scent offreshly baked bread every morning? Yes, please.

By Julie Lindén | Photos: Hotel Astor Vaasa

For more information, please visit:www.astorvaasa.fi

Hotel of the Month, Finland

Hotel Astor – an atmosphere of home



Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark

More than 10,000 years have passedsince the last glaciers withdrew fromDanish shores, but the tracks they leftare still evident and nowhere more sothan in the beautiful, hilly landscape ofOdsherred. This is one of the reasons thearea looks set to become Denmark’s firstGeopark. Tourist Director Hans-JørgenOlsen explains: “When kids at Danishschools learn about landscape forma-tion, they look at the maps of Odsherred– we have some of the most recognisablecoastline moraines seen anywhere. Butbecoming a Geopark is not just about ge-ology, it’s also about how the landscapehas influenced the development of theregion.”

Globally, the UNESCO-backed GlobalGeopark Network has recognised 90Geoparks based on the past and presentinfluence of the areas’ geological attrib-utes.

In Odsherred the special characteristics ofthe landscape have played a vital role inboth ancient and modern life. As thearea’s hills and accessible seasidewielded great attraction for prehistoricsettlers, it is today littered with burialmounds, barrows and historic finds. Later,at the beginning of the 20th century,Odsherred’s special light acted as a mag-net on some of Denmark’s greatest artistssowing the seeds for a flourishing cre-

ative community. Today, the region boastsapproximately 60 galleries.

With long stretches of family friendlybeaches Odsherred also became one ofDenmark’s first popular holiday destina-tions. The first visitors started arriving inthe late 19th century, and, today, the areahas approximately 26,000 holiday homes,more than any other region in Denmark.

Last, but not least, Odsherred has be-come the home of one of Denmark’s bestgourmet restaurants: Dragsholm Slot.The restaurant’s head chef Claus Henrik-sen (former sous chef at NOMA) has be-come famous not least for his exclusiveuse of vegetables grown in Lammefjorden,a reclaimed fjord with an exceptionallyfavourable mineral composition for agri-culture.

Odsherred’s status as Geopark will be de-cided upon next spring.

Thanks to its unique geological formations, rich cultural history and extraordinaryagricultural qualities Odsherred looks set to become Denmark’s first Geopark. Lo-cated 80 km north of Copenhagen, the region boasts kilometres of pristine sandbeaches and is one of Denmark’s most popular holiday destinations.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Visit Odsherred

For more information, please visit:www.visitodsherred.dk

Attraction of the Month, Denmark

Odsherred looks set to becomeDenmark’s first Geopark

Dragsholm Slot. Photo: Marianne Diers Vejrhøj. Photo: Marianne Diers



Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Iceland

More than 60 thousand tourists flock toHúsavík each year to go whale watching inSkjálfandi – or in English, Shaky Bay –one of the few places where you have achance of spotting the mighty blue whale."Whale watching in Húsavík is particu-larly special, because you can choosefrom a variety of boats: there are the ren-ovated traditional oak fishing boats, themighty schooners and, recently, rigid in-flatable boats, known as ‘rhibs'. Some ex-cursions also include a stop at Puffin Is-land, which is visisted by 250,000 puffinsevery summer," explains Einar Gislason,Manager at the Husavik tourism office.

Once you are back on land, head to thefascinating Húsavík Whale Museumwhere you can learn all about whales and

their habitat. The exhibition includes tenimpressive whale skeletons. Next door isthe University of Iceland's Research Cen-tre where people from all over the worldcome to carry out research on the diversewildlife in Skjálfandi Bay.

"Húsavík is in one of the most beautifulplaces in the country and has a lovely sce-nic harbour," says Gíslason. "You can seehow well the old and new times haveblended here, with tourists walking aboutalongside traditional shipping companies."

It is certainly also worth exploring theNortheast area beyond Húsavík. Embark-ing on the 200 km Diamond Circle willtake you to many weird and wonderfulsights in the Vatnajökull National Park.

Among them are the most powerful wa-terfall in Europe, Dettifoss, and the beau-tiful and unique lake Mývatn.

In Húsavík you can find two high-gradehotels and several guesthouses as well asa number of restaurants and cafes serv-ing a range of both traditional Icelandicand international dishes. Some are openespecially for the summer season.

Although the whale-watching season runsfrom the first of April until the end of Octo-ber, there is a certain charm about being inHúsavík over the winter months. Restau-rants andmuseums stay open and there isstill plenty to do. In recent years the northof Iceland has become an increasingly pop-ular winter holiday destination with touristssearching for the northern lights andHúsavík is the perfect spot for that.

Not only is Húsavík the place to come for whale watching, boasting the highest spot-ting rates in the country, it is also the ideal base for your holiday in the northeast ofIceland. You will not fail to be charmed by this delightful town in one of themost beau-tiful areas in the country.

By Stephanie Lovell

Attraction of the Month, Iceland

Húsavík – Europe’s whale-watching capital

Left: Whale watching at Shaky Bay (Skjálfandi) (Photo: Northsailing Whale Watching). Middle: Húsavík Whale Museum (Photos: Einar Gíslason). Right: The bay and

Húsavík harbour (Photos: Top: Einar Gíslason; Bottom: Hafþór Hreiðarsson).

For more information, please visit:www.visithusavik.com



Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Norway

The Ski Museum is located under Hol-menkollen Ski Jump, one of Norway’smost visited tourist attractions and a fa-mous sporting arena. After it was rebuiltin 2010 it became the world’s most mod-ern ski jump, attracting many visitors be-cause of its design and history. Most visi-tors climb to the top of the ski jump toexperience the incredible view of Oslo andthe Oslofjord, often described as “theblue, the green and the city in between.”

The Ski Museum first opened in 1923 atFrognerseteren, but wasmoved to its cur-rent location in 1952. As the world’s oldestskiing museum it has become a populardestination for tourists looking to gain a

deeper understanding of Norwegian’sfavourite pastime. Operation ManagerJeanette Hansen has worked at the mu-seum for almost six years and has alwaysbeen fascinated by Norway’s relationshipwith skiing. “I think it’s interesting to learnabout the history of skiing and how theuse of skis has developed through time,”she says.

The two floor museum is divided into sev-eral exhibitions covering 4,000 years ofskiing history. The polar exhibitions arethe most popular, featuring the expedi-tions of famous explorers Fridtjof Nansenand Roald Amundsen. Hansen says: “It’sfascinating to learn about Amundsen and

Nansen and their expeditions. They areinternational heroes and looking at theequipment they used I am even more im-pressed by their accomplishments.” An-other popular exhibition is Winter Joy,which looks into why the outdoor life hashad such a massive impact on Norwegianculture.

In the museum’s new building they havetemporary exhibitions, the current one be-ing “Is it Possible?” The exhibition isabout the physically disabled on snow andskis, and how there are many individualswho overcome their difficulties and makethe impossible possible. Hansen finishes:“Next year we are putting up a new inter-active exhibition about snowboarding andmodern winter activities in Norway, whichI think will be very exciting.”

Everyone knows that Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. Being good at ski-ing used to be a necessity as it was a major method of transportation in Scandinaviafor centuries. Today it is a sport and a hobby for most Norwegians. At the Ski Museumin Oslo visitors can learn more about why skiing has been, and always will be, sucha massive part of Norway’s culture and history.

By Kjersti Westeng | Photos: Ski Museum

For more information, please visit:www.holmenkollen.com/Skimuseet

Attraction of the Month, Norway

4,000 years of skiing

Left: Holmenkollen is the world's most modern ski jump. Bottom middle: The polar exhibitions follow the incredible adventures of Norwegian explorers Nansen and

Amundsen. Top middle and right: The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through 4,000 years of skiing history.



Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Finland

Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art opened tothe public in 2007, but the story behind itstarts long before that. Consul SimoKuntsi, born in 1913, had a passion for artand was driven by the ambition to providecontemporary art to the public. After do-nating his art collection to his hometownVaasa in the 1970s, with almost 40 years ofcollecting art behind him, he founded theKuntsi Foundation that would later evolveinto a museum. A museum that todayholds nearly a century of art history.

Apart from the base collection, the mu-seum organises events, workshops andseminars all year around and hostsaround six temporary exhibitions per year.This autumn two photography based ex-hibitions will open. “On the 12th of Octo-ber two new photography based exhibi-tions will open at the museum,” PamelaAndersson, curator at the museum says.

“Although they both involve photographythey are still very different.”

Thread and Paper is an international groupexhibition where photographic images arecombined with the element of thread. Withartists from all over Europe, some fromLondon, their work is not to be mistakenfor textile art. “The way the artists expressthemselves is very poetic, and the art-works form a balance between fiction andreal life experiences,” Andersson contin-ues. “For instance, Su Blackwell, from the

United Kingdom, creates fantasy- and fairytale-like miniature worlds by using paperand books as a starting point, and theFinnish artist Ulla Jokisalo, who is wellknown for her sewn photographs, createsthree dimensional scenery by using pho-tographs, paper cutting and thread.”

On the same date another photography ex-hibition opensat themuseum,MiaDamberg– Other Stories. “Mia Damberg is a localartist from Vaasa. Her work is very strongemotionally, and even though her picturesare collective portraits they can also be seenas self-portraits,” Andersson says.

Once you have enjoyed the art you can re-lax with a nice cup of coffee at the lowerlevel of the historical building, in the mu-seum’s Cafe Simo. And if you still have nothad enough of culture, there are more ex-citing artworks to be found just aroundthe corner, at the Tikanoja Art Museum.

Just by the waterfront, in the beautiful setting of the Inner Harbour of Vaasa, lies acultural treasure. In a former customs warehouse you will find one of Finland’s mostimportant collections of modern and contemporary art.

By Elin Berta

For more information, please visit:kuntsi.vaasa.fi/index_engand www.tikanojantaidekoti.fi

Attraction of the Month, Finland

Explore the art legacy of Finland

Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art

Left: Maija Närhinen, Rikkaruoho/ Weed, (detail) 2012, installation, mixed media, paper thread, pot. Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art , Swanljung Collection.Middle: Germán Gomez Gonzalez, Dibujado V/ Drawn 5, 2007, Mixed media: C-Print on paper, sewing and drawing, 193 x 100 cm, Unique piece. Photo: Kuntsi Museumof Modern Art, photo archive. Right: Flore Gardner, Chiasmus, 2013, 20 x 20cm, embroidered photograph.



Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Norway

Olivia opened its first restaurant at AkerBrygge in 2006, bringing a little piece ofItaly to Oslo. Three years later, anotherOlivia restaurant in Hegdehaugsveienopened, closely followed by a thirdrestaurant at Tjuvholmen in 2011. Eachrestaurant offers a different experience,but they all have one thing in common:authentic Italian food served in a lively,warm atmosphere.They all have largeoutdoor seating areas where guests canwrap up with blankets and heat lampsamong olive trees during those colderwinter months. CEO Tone Wicklund-Hansen says: "We like to think that Oliviais not a chain, despite all three restau-rants having the same name and similarmenus. We put a lot of attention and ef-fort into creating each restaurant, mak-ing it a little different with its own indi-vidual touch.”

Olivia is famous and much loved by localsfor its authentic Italian pizzas, pasta andantipasti, all made from fresh Italian in-

Summer is officially over and the start of autumn has left many of us longing for thewarm summer nights filled with wine and good food. But thanks to the Olivia Italianrestaurants you can now experience evenings just like these all year round – rightin the middle of Oslo.

By Kjersti Westeng | Photos: Olivia

For more information, please visit:oliviarestauranter.no

Restaurant of the Month, Norway

Visit Italy in Oslo

gredients. The pizza baker and his ovenare always placed in a prominent positionwithin the restaurants creating a lively at-mosphere. The newly renovated OliviaAker Brygge was inspired by Naples bothin decor and menu and is the largest ofthe three restaurants. Guests can bookprivate parties in the Sala Privata andthose interested in Italian cooking canlearn the fundamentals of the cuisinefrom the in-house chef.

Olivia Hegdehaugsveien is inspired byRome and has a large outside seatingarea full of olive trees and fairy lights. Therestaurant is famous for its wine bar serv-ing glasses of wonderful Italian wineswhich are difficult to find elsewhere. TheVenice-themed Olivia Tjuvholmen has ad-jacent to the restaurant a small deli whichsells Olivia's homemade focaccia, aioliand cheese as well as a number of otherItalian products. They also have the mostdelicious “al taglio” pizza, which is Italy’sanswer to takeaway pizza. Wicklund-Hansen finishes: "Olivia very quickly be-came a very popular place to be becauseof the warm and welcoming atmosphere.You never feel alone here and that makespeople want to come back again andagain.”

Olivia Tjuvholmen. Photo: Erik Burås/Studio B13

Below right: Olivia Aker Brygge



Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Denmark

When guests step into Copenhagen’s newdesign restaurant Kähler in Tivoli, theyenter an extraordinary universe. Theiconic Tivoli building today teems withArne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and PoulHenningsen design classics, the tablesare set with Kähler’s ceramics and theplates tempt with Chef ThorstenSchmidt’s interpretations of Danish clas-sics. “The idea behind our restaurants isto create an all-inclusive experience, andthat means that all the elements in the

restaurant are inspired by each other;nothing stands alone. This leaves it to theguests to decide what they want to focuson: the history, the design, the food or thefantastic location. Hopefully, for some itwill be it everything and they will leavewith an experience they couldn’t havefound anywhere else,” explains Longhi.

Apart from innovative open sandwichesand a set dinner menu, the new restau-rant, which is adjoined to Tivoli’s central

stage, also offers retail sale of the famousceramic designs by Kähler.

A new universe

Opened in July 2013, Kähler in Tivoli wasthe fourth restaurant to be establishedunder the Kähler brand, but the first onein the capital. Kähler’s three other restau-rants: Kähler Spisesalon, Kähler Villa Din-ing and Nordisk Spisehus are situated inAarhus, the location of Kähler’s new, largeflagship store as well as Kähler CoffeeStation.

While Kähler’s first restaurant, KählerSpisesalon, came about more or less bycoincidence, the concept soon became agreat success. Located in the same streetas Kähler’s flagship store, the restaurantspace was offered to Kähler by its previousowners and, though it had not occurred to

Take a 174-year-old ceramics brand, add an abundance of modern Danish design andspice with innovative Nordic cuisine, mix and serve. This recipe has proved so irre-sistible that when Kähler Design opened its fourth restaurant, Kähler in Tivoli, in July,it received a record-breaking 1,000 bookings on its opening day. Even more re-markable, this happened just five years after Kähler, one of Denmark’s oldest ce-ramic brands, was salvaged from bankruptcy by Danish architect Frantz Longhi.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Kähler Design

Restaurant of the Month, Denmark

Another successful recipe by Kähler Design

Kähler in Tivoli



Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Denmark

Longhi to combine Kähler design with adining experience before, he was soonbrimming with ideas. The result was a liv-ing design concept which provides visi-tors with an experience for all the sensesand allows them to experience and live inthe design. “What I wanted was to createan all-encompassing, new universe forthe Kähler brand’s buyers, and a part ofthat universe is the restaurant. You can sitdown, drink from our cups and experi-ence our vases and candleholders withina live environment; it’s a completely dif-ferent experience than when you just ob-serve the design on the shop shelves.”

Soon after the opening of Kähler Spisesa-lon, Longhi was offered the neighbouringrestaurant for taking over, then owned bythe well-known Danish chef ThorstenSchmidt. This led to Kähler opening notjust that restaurant but also Kähler VillaDining in cooperation with Schmidt andhis wife. Schmidt, who is among Den-mark’s most recognized chefs within thenew Nordic cuisine, now heads Kähler inTivoli’s kitchen. Both guests and food willthus be in safe hands as the restaurantwill be managed by the winner of the Dan-ish Championship for Waiters, 2013, TabitaMortensen from Nordisk Spisehus inAarhus.

Historic consequences

With two of Denmark’s largest and oldestdesign companies having recently shiftedinto foreign hands, the persistence of Käh-ler as a successful Danish company is re-markable. Founded in 1839, the pros-

pects, however, looked bleak as the com-pany that had just taken on the ownershipof Kähler went bankrupt in 2008.

When Longhi, upon hearing about thebankruptcy, made a bid for the company,it was mainly, he says, because of his ar-chitectural veneration for Danish designand, in particular, the long history of Käh-ler. That his bid was actually successfulcame as both an exhilarating and aslightly frightening surprise to him. “WhenI took over Kähler, there were only a smallnumber of Denmark’s historic designcompanies left in Danish hands, and tome that seemed a great loss. I wanted topreserve the design brand and history;Kähler’s ceramics are exhibited in muse-ums all over the world, from the US toParis, and over time they have been ac-quired by kings and emperors. I found theidea of continuing this very exciting, butI’m also very humble towards the fact thatthis is a part of history,” stresses Longhi.

Today, five years after Longhi took over thecompany, Kähler has multiplied its sales20-fold and has become known all overthe world for its successful combination oftwo of Denmark’s greatest strengths: foodand design.

For more information please see:

Kähler in Tivoli: www.kahler-i-tivoli.comor call: +45 53 73 84 84

Kähler Villa Dining: www.villadining.dkor call: +45 86 17 70 88

Kähler Spisesalon: www.spisesalon.dkor call: +45 86 12 20 53

Nordisk Spisehus: www.nordiskspisehus.dkor call: +45 86 17 70 99

Kähler Design is on Facebook and Instagram.

www.kahlerdesign.com

FACTS:

Kähler was founded by the Danish potter Her-man J. Kähler in Næstved in 1839.

Up until 1974 the company was owned by theKähler family but since then changed handsmany times before landing in the safe handsof architect Frantz Longhi.

Frantz Longhi is the director and owner ofDanish Management Group, which works withsustainable energy planning in developingcountries and employs 100 people.

Kähler Design is sold in 30 countries and 600stores.

Kähler Design has four restaurants, KählerSpisesalon, Kähler Villa Dining and NordiskSpisehus in Aarhus and Kähler in Tivoli inCopenhagen.

Frantz Longhi. Photo: Fals Simon

Kähler Villa Dining



Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Sweden

While it has not always been the case,today Stockholm is recognised interna-tionally for its restaurant scene. One ofthe main reasons for the increased num-ber of large restaurants in Stockholm isthat the Swedes have acquired a real ap-petite for eating at restaurants and havealso become more refined and mature intheir tastes.

Edlund had been Managing Director atEdsbacka Krog (the first restaurant inSweden to obtain two Michelin stars in2000) for nine years when he felt the urgeto open a new venture by himself. Theidea was clear: it would be a nice and cosyrestaurant with good food and attentionpaid to the environment and, of course, totaste and presentation.

Protect the local farmers

People start to appreciate the quality offood when they actually understand whatthey are eating. Very few Europeansmissed the repercussions of the recentmeat scandals. “For good food you needgood ingredients and we have plenty ofthem in Sweden,” Edlund tells us. This iswhy it is important to protect and supportlocal farmers, the ones who care aboutdoing a great job and put all their effort

into producing and providing their cus-tomers with a great product. You will no-tice a massive difference when somethingis grown and prepared with heart. Edlundalso says that it’s important that the foodwe eat has a story behind; it is not justsomething that we use to survive. Duringour chat, he was in the archipelago ofStockholm fishing for fresh fish to bringback and offer to his customers at therestaurant.

Restaurant and shop

Proviant is based in the district of Öster-malm in Stockholm. It is open for lunchMonday to Friday and for dinner 7 days aweek. In the same building as the restau-rant they have a shop from which they selltheir own products. The shop also worksas a pantry for the restaurant, so thatguests can also bring a bit of Provianthome with them.

Proviant is the local restaurant that everyone would love to have close to their home.Talking to the founder Mattias Edlund is an inspiring experience as his passion forfood is simply contagious. Even though Proviant is an internationally recognisedrestaurant, its concept is still to keep things simple and closer to the client.

By Cecilia Varricchio | Photos: Proviant

Restaurant of the Month, Sweden

Great ingredients, great philosophy

For more information, please visit:www.proviant.se



Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Finland

The Hartman building by the marketsquare in the centre of Vaasa houses theFondis Restaurant, Cristal bar & bistro, ElGringo Music Saloon and Fontanaclub setover three floors. Over its 50-year lifespan,Fondis Restaurant has changed owner-ship and style several times, and movedfrom its cellar premises to its currentground floor setting.

“Fondis Restaurant began its transfor-mation into its current form in ’91, whilethe upstairs night club Fontana was es-tablished in ’92 and cellar pub El Gringoopened in ’93,” explains general managerSusanna Ristiluoma, whose family hasowned the business since 1991.

Today, the Cristal bar operates in con-junction with the restaurant on the streetlevel. In addition to the restaurant andbars, the premises also include the 25-person Nicolai cabinet that can be hiredfor all types of corporate or private useand sauna facilities for 15-20 people.

Fondis Restaurant, which serves interna-tionally flavoured, seasonal cuisine suited tothe Scandinavian palate, is popular with lo-cal office workers at lunchtime as it servesa varied buffet and several different maincourses onweekdays at 11am-2pm,while inthe afternoons and evenings the à la cartemenu attracts a wider range of customers.The Saturday brunch has also found its veryown following over the last year.

After wining and dining in comfort at therestaurant, customers can retreat to theCristal bar for some traditional and in-ternational cocktails, as well as deliciousfruity concoctions, speciality beers and agood selection of wines. In the summer,you can also enjoy your food and drinksoutside on the terrace. For a more rock-flavoured vibe, many choose the pub-styleEl Gringo, and those looking for a realnight out will feel right at home atFontana, Vaasa’s largest night club, withseveral different rooms dedicated to dif-ferent types of music, frommodern tunesto old school and house.

“We believe we can offer something foreveryone. You could almost spend yourwhole day, from morning until the earlyhours, under the same roof eating,drinking and enjoying yourself,” addsRistiluoma.

In the heart of the lively university city of Vaasa, on the western coast of Finland, youwill find a popular hotspot that offers everything from Saturday brunch and à la cartedinner to late night drinks and entertainment. Fondis, the restaurant at the heart ofit all, has formed a part of the city’s restaurant scene since 1964 and continues to at-tract a diverse clientele.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Fondis

For more information, please visit:www.fondis.fi

Restaurant of the Month, Finland

Wine, dine and party under one roof



Scan Business | Key Note | Nordea

Scan BusinessKey Note 108 | Column 109 | Conference of the Month 110 | Feature 111 | Business Calendar 112

111 112110

Nordea private banking in Singapore

Nordic businesses are growing in Asia andare thereby attracting more Nordic pro-fessionals to live and work in the region.Nordic expatriates in Asia are also stayinglonger than they used to. Singapore is thecentre for private banking in Asia, andNordea offers private banking services tothe growing community of wealthy indi-viduals from its newly opened branch inSingapore.

Asian time zone

Asia-Pacific is an engine of growth for theworld and at the heart of Southeast Asia,Singapore is well placed to serve many ofthe fast-growing emerging markets in theregion. To present the growing number ofNordic individuals in the region with thesame high-quality private banking serviceas we do in Europe, we have opened abranch in Singapore, thereby making theiraccess to the financial markets easier,more efficient and more secure.

Private banking clients are demandingmore from their bank. They want valuefor money and real competence. The fi-nancial crisis has also increased clients’

awareness of risk, revealing a preferencefor banks that they can trust their invest-ments with.

Strong Nordic brand

For five consecutive years, Nordea wasnamed the best provider of private bank-ing services in the Nordic & Baltic regionby the international financial magazineEuromoney. Nordea is the leading Nordicprovider of international private bankingservices, and the Nordea Group is North-ern Europe’s leading universal bank, witharound 11 million customers, more than1,000 branch offices and EUR 219 billion inassets under management.

Nordea is one of the leading internationalbanks in shipping, providing a diversifiedrange of services for that sector. We havea dedicated team in Singapore with strongmarket knowledge and structuring capa-bilities to assist clients in several Asiancountries.

Besides our reputation for seeing thingsfrom the client’s point of view, Nordea’s fi-nancial strength and the retained AA-rat-

ing is clearly an added attraction forwealthy clients looking for a safe and re-liable private banking partner.

To serve the growing community of Nordic individuals in Asia, Nordea is now presentwith a private banking branch in Singapore.

By Eric Pedersen, General Manager, Nordea Bank S.A. Singapore Branch

Eric Pedersen, General Manager, Nordea Bank S.A.

Singapore Branch



Scan Business | Column | Helena Whitmore

The saying goes “the only things certain inlife are death and taxes”, and when some-one dies, a final inheritance tax bill maywell land on the estate itself. In the UK, in-heritance tax (“IHT”) may be payable if thedeceased’s estate was valued above thenil rate band (currently £325,000). Certaintransfers made within seven years beforethe date of death also need to be takeninto account, so an unexpected tax billmay also arise for those who received giftsseveral years before the death.

As with all taxes, IHT can be highly com-plex, and those who have wealth abovethe nil rate band should take professionaladvice, particularly if there are interna-tional aspects. In the UK, transfers be-tween spouses and civil partners are usu-ally exempt from IHT. Unfortunately, thisis not necessarily true if the donor spouseis UK domiciled or deemed domiciled, butthe donee spouse is non-domiciled. Peo-ple who are UK domiciled or deemeddomiciled are subject to UK IHT on theirworldwide assets, whereas those who arenon-domiciled are only liable to UK IHT onassets which are located in the UK. If as-sets could be transferred without limita-tion, many couples would want the non-domiciled spouse to hold all their non-UKassets (and would keep cash and invest-ments outside the UK IHT net). A gift to anon-domiciled spouse, either in lifetimeor on death, could therefore potentiallybring the assets outside the charge to IHT,so in those circumstances the spousal ex-emption is limited. The limitation does notapply if both spouses are non-domiciled,but if a couple who are both domiciledoutside the UK came to the UK in differenttax years, one of them may becomedeemed domiciled before the other, sothat there is a period when the limitationapplies. People who have been resident inthe UK for 17 or more out of the past 20tax years are treated as deemed domi-ciled for IHT purposes. This could be after

just over 15 years for those who arrivedlate in the first tax year. The deemeddomicile rules only apply to IHT and not toother taxes.

For many years, the spousal exemptionfrom a UK domiciled to a non-domiciledspouse was limited to just £55,000. Witheffect from 6 April 2013, this has been in-creased to the level of the nil rate band,meaning that if the only beneficiary of thedeceased is their non-domiciled spouseand no lifetime gifts have been made, noIHT would be due if the deceased’s estateis valued below £650,000 (the increased£325,000 spousal exemption plus the£325,000 nil rate band). This will be wel-come news for many couples. If IHT isstill a problem between the spouses,there is now also the possibility for thenon-domiciled spouse to elect to betreated as domiciled in the UK for IHT

purposes, so that they can obtain the fullspousal exemption. In return their ownworldwide assets will become liable toIHT. It is important to take advice beforedeciding if it would be beneficial to makethe election. Finally, remember to check ifinheritance or gift taxes could also bepayable on the same assets in anothercountry (typically where the assets are lo-cated and/or in the country where the in-dividual is a citizen or domiciled), becausethere is no guarantee that somethingwhich may be exempt in the UK wouldalso be exempt elsewhere.

New rules increasing the inheritance tax exemptionfor non-domiciled spouses and civil partnersBy Helena Whitmore, Senior Wealth Structuring Adviser, SEB Private Banking UK

For more information, [email protected] call 020 7246 4307



Scan Business | Conference of the Month | Iceland

Since making technical improvements in2002, Hotel Selfoss has been hosting awide variety of conferences in its first-class facilities. You will really get to knowfellow conference-goers during your stay,as you attend high-tech presentations to-gether in the well-equipped functionrooms and go on exciting excursions toadmire the natural splendours to be foundjust moments from the hotel.

Supporting all your individualrequirements

The spacious function rooms, equippedwith all the latest technology, can accom-modate up to 450 people. Last June thehotel was booked for the International

Panoramic Photography Conference,which included photography talks andworkshops, as well as scenic walksaround Iceland.

“People came from all over the world,”says hotel manager Ásbjörn Jónsson. “Itwas very technically demanding, but wemanaged to meet all their needs. We arevery flexible and treat each conference in-dividually. We provide world-class serv-ice, ensuring that participants get themost out of their experience here, meet-ing all demands 100%.”

The hotel provides catering services andhas even been known to put on Viking-

For more information, please visit:www.selfosshotel.is

Situated on the mighty Ölfusá river in the south of Iceland, Hotel Selfoss offers themost technically advanced conference facilities outside Reykjavik. Closer to all themust-see attractions than the capital, it is the perfect location fromwhich to exploreall the spectacular sights the country has to offer.

By Stephanie Lovell | Photos: Hotel Selfoss

Conference of the Month, Iceland

Synergy and sightseeing inthe south of Iceland

themed dinners. You can also indulge inartistic dishes made with the best avail-able ingredients at the hotel’s RiversideRestaurant. After a busy day of events,you can relax in the geothermally heatedsteam room, sauna and hot pools at theRiverside Spa.

Just a stone’s throw from all thenatural gems

“Selfoss is a fantastic place,” says Jóns-son. “It takes no time to get to Gullfosswaterfall, Geysir, Eyjafjallajökull glacieror the natural pearls along the southshore. Whatever you might want to do, beit skiing, snowmobiling or sightseeing,everything is nearer and more easily ac-cessible than from Reykjavik.”

You will be able get to know other mem-bers of the group even better on day tripsto these stunning sights nearby. The inti-mate setting at Hotel Selfoss will also en-courage team building during your con-ference. “The hotel is just outside of town,so the group is able to stick together andreally bond,” says Jónsson.


Scan Business | Feature | El Hotelito

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Having slept nearly 12 hours per night, Ileft El Hotelito feeling completelyrecharged. Luckily, getting up late is notfrowned upon at this laidback getawaywhere a freshly prepared breakfast isserved from 9 am till noon.

El Hotelito was founded two years agoby Danish Christina Aagesen and herSpanish husband Cándido Ruiz who untilthen had managed a stable in the area.The stable now adjoins the hotel offeringhorseback treks in the amazing landscapeof the Alberche River valley.

Though my partner was a novice onhorseback Cándido managed to find asuitable horse for each of us and tailoreda wonderful trek accommodating our dif-ferent levels. El Hotelito also offers op-

portunities for golfing, sailing, fishing, hik-ing, and swimming (in the nearby brook);all in such stunning scenery that even mynotoriously indoorsy travel partner wascharmed. The area also accommodates arich bird life and bird watching activitiesare arranged throughout the year.

Situated just outside the village ofNavaluenga, El Hotelito is within a shortdistance of a number of small eateries.But, as many locals do, we also tried outthe hotel’s simple dinner menu consistingof one daily main course and a selection oftapas and found it very tasty indeed.

After dinner nothing felt better thanretreating to our spacious room with afilm from the hotel’s free DVD library. Withour private balcony, floor to ceiling win-

dows, a relaxing hydro massage showerand amazingly soft beds we could nothave asked for more.

In the heart of Spain, 100 kilometres west of Madrid, El Hotelito welcomes guests withenchanting sceneries, home-cooked food and wonderful rooms. Scan Magazine vis-ited the small boutique hotel and was blown away by its authentic charm and the own-ers’ genuine warmth.

By Emma Fabritius Nørregaard /Signe Hansen | Photos: El Hotelito

For more information, please visit:www.el-hotelito.es

Authentic charm in the heart of Spain


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Extraordinary Productivity for the 21st CenturyThe Swedish Chamber of Commerce and FindCourses Global invite allMembers to an interactive workshop with Franklin Covey, who will pres-ent trends in the training industry and provide a unique take on timeman-agement that has proved to help organisations boost productivity.Sign up at www.scc.org.ukDate: 12 September

Link up drinks at Radisson Blu PortmanJoin the Chamber for relaxed after-work drinks andmeet with fellow SCCmembers. You will also have the opportunity to meet newly introducedcompanies within the network. Sign up at www.scc.org.ukDate: 19 September

Ways of financing your company and projects - London Stock ExchangeeventThis year we focus on ways of financing your company and projects forcompanies operating in an international environment. We will be lookingat ways of financing and what is realistically available and just as im-portant what is not, and who can access what kind of finance. It is reallya step back to reassess the opportunities, as much has happened overthe last couple of years.Venue: London Stock Exchange,10 Paternoster Square, London, EC4M 7LSDate: 23 September

Tax Seminar with SEB London and Speechly BirchamThis tax seminar will be hosted by the law firm Speechly Bircham LLPand SEB and, through practical case studies, will cover some develop-ments in the UK tax regime introduced this summer by the UK’s FinanceAct 2013. Sign up at www.scc.org.ukDate: 26 September

Nordic Thursday DrinksThe Thursday Drinks is a perfectoccasion to network with peoplefrom the Norwegian, Danish,Finnish and British businesscommunities in an informal at-mosphere. Canapés and welcomedrinks are generously sponsoredfor the "early birds" with theirnames on the guest list.Venue: Radisson BLU Portman Hotel,22 Portman Square, London, W1H 7BGDate: 26 September

Members Luncheon with Carl-Henric SvanbergJoin the SCC for this exclusive Members Luncheon with Carl-HenricSvanberg.Date: 2 October

Sustainability by SwedenAll Members are invited to join the Embassy of Sweden, Swedish Cham-ber of Commerce for the UK and Business Sweden on Friday 4 Octoberfor an exclusive executive conference at Mansion House in London.Date: 4 October

ScandinavianBusiness Calendar– Highlights of Scandinavian business events



Scan Magazine | Columns | Humour

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s leading femalecomedian. She invites you to laugh alongwith her monthly humour columns. Sinceher stand-up debut in 1992, Mette hashosted the Danish versions of “Have I GotNews For You” and “Room 101”.

If you’re visiting Britain and want to in-vestigate some of the quirkier aspects oflife on this great island, I would warmlyrecommend checking into a traditionalB&B. I don’t mean one of the modernones with WiFi and espresso machines inthe rooms. I mean the kind where timehas stood still since the landlady lastsplashed out on a new carpet in the down-

stairs loo to celebrate the safe landing ofApollo 11. These extraordinary establish-ments serve not only to put a roof overyour head and a large portion of heart-ar-resting, fried goods on your breakfastplate, they also act as a portal into a timewhen it was rude not to cover your toiletroll in a crocheted rag.

Expect to have your morals inspected.B&Bs are not hotels, they are the homesof landladies and landlords prone to ques-tioning your marital status, diet, reasonfor visiting and – most importantly – whattime you creep in at night after you’vetaken yourself off for a few glasses of wineto try to soften the effect of the severelysagging bed mattress. If you’re particu-larly late, don’t expect the hot water to beturned on as you crouch in the bathtub at-tempting to rinse your hair with alimescale-encrusted rubber hose the fol-lowing morning.

My other half doesn’t see it. To him, beingable to sink his toes into thick shag pile, ashe has a wee, really is the luxury it is sup-posed to be. Only once, when presentedwith a particularly unrelenting duck-theme did he briefly pause in wonder. Thiswas only to assess the breed of the stuffedspecimen mounted above the front door.Dust, moths and decades of sun-bleach-ing made it an impossible task and he leftnone-the-wiser.

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK fromSweden in 1994. She received a degree inIllustration in 2001, before settling in thecapital as a freelancecartoonist, creatingthe autobiographicalcartoon Em.Maria writes a col-umn on the trials andtribulations of life asa Swede in the UK.

There is the Danish Ironman CrownPrince Frederik. The baby-seat-installingPrince William. And the top ranking fash-ion icons Princess Mary and DuchessKate.

The press, from tabloids to CNN, are ut-terly flabbergasted by the achievements ofthe royals, and, don’t get fooled bymy ironictone, I am impressed as well… sort of.

I mean, I am smitten with the loveand admiration most glamour maga-zines and newspapers have for theseroyal “overachievers” - they are excellingat their jobs.

BUT (yes, you knew that “but” wascoming, didn’t you?) come on - not to be-little the princesses at all, but it doesseem that all you have to do as a royal fe-male to snatch the title “style icon” is to beyounger than 45 and wear clothes.

It struck me this week when the inter-national press unanimously proclaimed

that Danish Princess Isabella was a “styleicon”.

The princess earned the title for wear-ing a nice and very normal outfit for herfirst day at school.

She is six years old.Don’t get me wrong, Isabella really is

cute, like almost every other child is be-fore they turn into teenagers.

But “style icon” is a bit much for eventhe cutest six-year-old, isn’t it?

And isn’t our amazement over thebaby-seat-installing Prince William a tadover the top? Same goes for our DanishPrince Frederik’s merits in Ironman. (Notthe movie! The triathlon thingy.)

William, Frederik, Kate and Mary mas-ter these things because they don’t have ajob. Or rather because being presentable,cool and “with it” IS their job.

They don’t have to buy groceries, paymortgages, wash clothes, pick up dry

cleaning or write articles for magazines(not that I am complaining, dear editor).

I’m just saying that if I hadn’t had towrite this article I could’ve completed anIronman Triathlon!

It is in fact probably the only thing hold-ing me back from doing so.

To prove my point I have entered the2014 London Ironman and STILL plan towrite articles. Beat that Will & Freddie!

The B&B experience By Maria Smedstad

IS IT JUST ME... By Mette Lisby

Or are the royals breaking all kinds of records at the moment?



Scan Magazine | Culture | Pekka Hiltunen

Following a twenty-year career in jour-nalism, Helsinki-based Finnish authorPekka Hiltunen released his debut novelCold Courage in 2011. The psychologicalthriller immediately became one of themost acclaimed debut novels in Finnishliterature. It won three literary prizes inFinland, including the Clue Award for BestDetective Novel of the Year, and has beennominated for the Helsingin SanomatPrize for Best Debut of the Year as well asthe Scandinavian Glass Key Award 2013.With critics calling it “a well-paced, in-tense and suspenseful psychologicalthriller”, Hiltunen has been said to have

kick-started a new phase in Finnish crimeliterature.

A self-proclaimed London-lover, Hiltunensets his thriller – the first in a line of bookscalled the Studio-series – in the bustlingBritish capital. “I knew from day one thatLondon would be the setting for the nov-els,” Hiltunen says. “It is my favourite cityand one that felt natural for the story.”The novel follows two Finnish expats, Liaand Mari, and their mysterious operationswithin criminal and social milieus – com-bining terrifying crimes with peoples’ willto make a change in the world. “The pro-

tagonists are strong women, eager tomake society a better place,” explains theauthor.

Scandinavian crime fiction has beenbuzzing for some time now, but placinghis novel outside of the Nordic countriesand drilling into current issues, Hiltunenhas managed to add a new element to thescene. “Readers have found it refreshingto see the slightly dark and deep Nordiccharacteristics in a different setting,”Hiltunen says.

The sequel to Cold Courage has alreadybeen released in Finland to rave reviews,and Hiltunen will soon start work on thethird instalment. Right now though, he isbusy with the upcoming release of his lat-est book Big. Changing genre entirely, Bigis a current social novel dealing with theproblem of the global obesity epidemic.

Showered with awards and critical acclaim for his debut novel, Cold Courage, PekkaHiltunen has been hailed as the new trendsetter in Finnish crime fiction. Addingglobal political and societal topics to amodern, urban setting in a thriller framework,he brings a new dimension to the hugely popular Scandi crime literature scene. ColdCourage is now out in English.

By Inna Allen | Press photos

Pekka Hiltunen – creating intelligent andtopical crime fiction



Scan Magazine | Culture | Tommy Franzén

Now aged 32, Tommy landed on Britishsoil in 2000 when he was awarded a three-year scholarship to study at the UrdangAcademy in London. At 19 he was alreadyan experienced dancer and a recognizedname in Swedish show business.

Perhaps best known for his role asSimeon Sun in Zoo Nation´s Some Like itHip Hop at the Peacock Theatre in Hol-born, Tommy also contributed to the cho-reography arrangement. The show is nowclosed. His biggest breakthrough was in2010, when he became a finalist in theBBC production So You Think You CanDance. "It was great fun, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It gave a boost to my

career and elevated my image and reallyput me on the map,” Tommy reflects.

Tommy took hip hop lessons with therecognised Swedish dancer David John-son at the age of 11. "David is a dancerwho learned on the streets, he just pickedthings up and had no idea of the names ofthe steps, so therefore, I didn’t really havea clue technically what I was doing. It wasjust fun, and was how I developed myunique style,” he explains.

His sister Elena was Tommy’s true inspi-ration and was already active as amusicalartist. He would follow her to rehearsals,watching her perform in shows on stage.

In the last decade Tommy Franzén has created a stir within London’s dance scene.Blending hip hop, modern and classical dance with limitless energy, the future looksbright for this hard-working Swedish dancer.

By Emelie Krugly Hill | Photos: MindStudio

Creating a stir withinLondon’s dance scene

For more information, please visit:www.tommyfranzen.com

One day a member of the cast was miss-ing and Tommy was invited to fill in as hehad seen the show around 25 times. Thiswas his ticket into the industry with themusical Joseph in Malmö. He was then 14and moved on to star in West Side Storyand Fiddler on the Roof.

Despite his success in Sweden he decidedto undertake formal dance training andended up in the British capital. To date hehas toured with the renowned choreogra-pher Russell Maliphant and The RodinProject around the UK, Europe and NewYork and performed at the Beijing Olympicand Paralympic handover ceremonies in2008. Last year he was awarded the 2012Oliver Award for ‘Outstanding Achieve-ment in Dance’.

Tommy is now preparing for a new role asWang Tang in The Five and the Prophecy ofPrana produced by Boy Blue Entertain-ment at the Barbican, where he will per-form against a backdrop of visual art by theJapanese manga artist Akio Tanaka. Thestory sees five troublemakers sent to a re-habilitation camp for young offenders runby Wang Tang, a GrandMaster of themar-tial art Pih Poh Fu. Its visual identity andquirky characters stem from the mangacomic book genre fromwhich it is adapted.The premiere takes place on 22 Octoberand Tommy reveals: “I’m very excited to beworking with Boy Blue Entertainment forthe first time and the role of a martial artsGrand Master is something I have dreamtof since I was a boy”



Scan Magazine | Culture | Pernilla Iggström

Pernilla made London her home in 2007after having spent 16 years immersed inthe corporate world in Singapore. A suc-cessful career as personal assistant andexecutive secretary in telecommunica-tions meant she had travelled most of theworld. But she longed to express herselfartistically.

“In 2007 I left the high life in Singapore torealize my dream of becoming an artist.After 16 years in the business world Imoved to the other side of the globe, toundertake a Foundation and a BA in FineArt Painting at City & Guilds of London ArtSchool,” Pernilla explains.

Pernilla was adopted from Korea and ar-rived in Sweden when she was eightmonths old. During her time at art school

she began to explore her origins and cul-tural heritage through her art and discov-ered how strong her connections stillwere with Korea despite only having spenteight months there.

“I have always been interested in anthro-pology and the nature/nurture concept.I've always been curious about my originsand wondered about the circumstancesaround my adoption; it was therefore nat-ural to begin the creative process by look-ing through family albums frommy child-hood. Though I use photos of myself as astarting point I’m also seeking to create amore general platform for discussion oncultural identity.”

Today Pernilla is busy building a name asan artist and her work has appeared in

Pernilla Iggström is an emerging London-based Swedish artist who explores notionsof identity. Using her own multicultural background as a focus, Pernilla createsthoughtful and dreamlike portraits blending her Asian roots and Swedish upbring-ing with her interest in sociocultural elements, separation and integration.

By Emelie Krugly Hill | Photos: Courtesy of Pernilla Iggström

Exploring notions of identity

For more information, please visit:www.pernillaiggstrom.com

numerous shows and can be found inpublic and private collections in Englandand Sweden. Her work is also available atSaatchi online.

She is also working at Studio 73 in BrixtonVillage as a curator and arts project man-ager. “I am in the process of setting up andcurating a solo show with Ian Emes, thePink Floyd animator of Dark Side of theMoon, which will be open on 10-29 Sep-tember at Studio 73, with a preview on 13September with the special feature of pro-jected animation. Ian will do a Meet theArtist event and we will host one Artist’sTalk in conjunction with the solo show.This is all very exciting and I am thrilled tobe working with such a talent and vision-ary,” she remarks.

“At the moment I am also setting up anauction at Mary Ward House in Blooms-bury on 12 September in support of theTeam GB horse jumper Emily Baldwin tosecure her a good horse for a chance tobe a part of the Rio games in 2016. Theauction involves auctioneer James Brax-ton of Antiques Road show, Flog It! andBargain Hunt and will feature around 50artworks donated by over 37 artists. It is avery joyous project where communicatingwith artists and coordinating with peoplefrom other fields, is my main role.”

Top left: Nebula (Cavity Series) 2012 Oil on canvas145.5x122cm.

Top right: Gissa Vem (The Future Looking Into ThePresent From The Past) 2013 Oil on canvas 35x27cm

Below: Pernilla Iggström. Photo: Jay Shaw-Baker


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Scan Magazine | Music & Culture | Scandinavian Music

Junip on tour (Sept)Swedish folk/psychedelic rock trio Junipwas formed in 1998 and is fronted bysinger-songwriter José Gonzalez. This au-tumn the band is touring Europe and theUS with their 2013 self-titled second al-bum. For more info visit: www.junip.net

Johnossi on tour (Sept/Oct)Swedish rock duo Johnossi, consisting ofJohn Engelbert and Oskar “Ossi” Bonde,will be touring Europe with their 2013 al-bum Transitions this autumn. For moreinfo visit: www.johnossi.com

Apulanta on tour (Sept/Oct)Finnish punk rock band Apulanta is tour-

ing Europe this month and next. For moreinfo on tour dates visit: www.apulanta.fi

Mad about Helsinki (Until 31 Dec)The Mad about Helsinki exhibition pres-ents the places in Helsinki that are dear-est to its residents and by giving themhistorical depth shed light on the city’spast in a new way. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Thu9am-7pm, Sat-Sun 11am-5pm. HelsinkiCity Museum, Sofiankatu 4, Helsinki.www.hel.fi/hki/Museo/en/Etusivu

H.C. Andersen – a magical adventureshow (1 Sept – 27 Oct)The world famous fairytales of Danishwriter H.C. Andersen come to life in a

There is a new pop star for you all toget excited about, especially given howgood her debut single is: Marlene withBon Voyage from Stockholm. As well asthe tune itself being surprisingly catchy,despite appearing quite subtle, the intri-cacies in the production are a set of stun-ners themselves. The intro, the post-cho-rus thing after the first chorus, and then

the middle eight – all divine. And the final45-second climax is brilliant. The perfect“bon voyage” to Bon Voyage. And thisone’s already been picking up an extraor-dinary amount of international blog sup-port to boot.

Bjørnskov is a successful Danishsongwriter who has now started releasinghis own music. Vi Er Helte is his first bighit. One of those uplifting mid-tempotorch songs – which is appropriate giventhe title. Instantly feel-good and likable.Even if you don’t speak the language, youcan tell that this is all for the greater goodof man. That melody couldn’t be aboutanything downbeat. The radio stations inDenmark have been lapping this song upthis summer.

Beldina, of What Can I Say and HereWe Go fame and fabulosity, has offered upa free download of a new song of hers,which is also pretty spiffing. It must bequite frustrating when not once, but twice,you end up with one of the most cruellyunderrated pop gems of its given year –which is what happened with those afore-

mentioned two songs. But Pillow Fightsees her come out all guns blazing, onceagain, regardless. It’s a dark and down-beat dance track. Not so much peak timedance floor action on a Saturday night outthough, more a fuming and unsatisfiedtaxi ride home alone. She swears a lot.But she’s Swedish, and you can get awaywith that on the radio over there.

Mountains by Bjørn Olav Edvardsen isa song that has gone somewhat underthe radar, even in his native Norway –which is an almighty shame. This is epicand melodic dubstep balladry in its finestform. The tune is almost akin to an 80sstadium rock number. Or maybe that’sjust the heavy use of falsetto being putinto play. And naturally, it’s those falsettomoments that are the best bits. The wholething is brilliant though. Atmospheric tothemax, and oh-so-beautiful along with it.A chiller from the fjords.

[email protected]

Scandinavian Music By Karl Batterbee

Scandinavian Culture Calendar– Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here! By Sara Schedin

Junip. Photo: Kiara Andreasson


spectacular and modern stage show. Theshow consists of a selection of Andersen’smost beloved tales, including: The UglyDuckling, The Princess and the Pea andThe Emperor’s New Clothes.Tivoli, Vesterbrogade 3, Copenhagen. Formore info visit: www.tivoli.dk

Kronos Quartet, Kimmo Pohjonen andSamuli Kosminen - Uniko (18 Sept)Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen andsampling guru Samuli Kosminen joinforces with Kronos Quartet in Uniko, anemotionally charged show centred on theconcept of dreams. Uniko opens up amul-tidimensional field of experiences withlighting effects, surround sound and pro-jections.Barbican Centre, London, EC2Y.www.barbican.org.uk

Icona Pop on Germany tour (Oct)Swedish electro-poppers Icona Pop havetaken the world by storm with their break-through single I Love It. For tour datesand more info visit: www.iconapop.com

Children of Bodom on UK tour (Oct)Leading Finnish death metal band Chil-dren of Bodom are headed to the UK thisautumn. For more info visit:www.cobhc.com

Tomorrow – Elmgreen & Dragset at theV&A (1 Oct – 2 Jan)Danish/Norwegian artist duo MichaelElmgreen and Ingar Dragset will trans-form Victoria and Albert Museum’s formertextile galleries into an apartment be-longing to a fictional, elderly and disillu-sioned architect. The exhibition will ap-pear like a set for an unrealised film. Toaccompany it, the artists have written ascript, which will be available to visitors asa printed book. Visitors will act as unin-vited guests, able to curl up in the archi-tect’s bed, recline on his sofa, or riflethrough books placed by the artists to hintat the imagined events that could havetaken place here. Open daily 10am –5:45pm and until 10pm every Friday. V&A,London, SW7. www.vam.ac.uk

Dance Umbrella (3 – 20 Oct)Dance Umbrella, London’s annual dancefestival, celebrates 35 years of bringingnew dance forms to the capital fromaround the globe. Swedish choreographerGunilla Heilborn will present her duet ThisIs Not a Love Story about two reluctantheroes. For more info visit:www.danceumbrella.co.uk

Scan Magazine | Music & Culture | Culture Calendar

Discover Germany seeksFreelance JournalistsWe are currently looking for qualified journalists ona freelance basis for Discover Germany. We are lookingfor journalists with a German background who are alsoconfident in English.

To apply, please email your CV to Discover Germany [email protected]

High Expectations, 2010, Elmgreen & Dragset, Mixed MediaCourtesy of Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin.

Photo: Fidelis Fuchs, ONUK


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Scan Magazine | Issue 56 | September 2013

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