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Asian takeover: Michael Young designs Iittala’s new Taipei flagship

Finnish brand Iittala continues to develop its Nordic aesthetic in the Eastern world. Pushing an Asian takeover that includes 90 stores and a recent collaboration with Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, the brand’s latest move is yet another newly opened showroom, this time conceived in Taipei with the help of Hong Kong-based designer Michael Young.

Young utilised his skillful ways with aluminium and wood to build an immaculate emporium for Iittala’s broad range of tableware, textiles and cookware. Located in the city's new Miramar shopping centre, the floor-to-ceiling glass building allows for a gallery-style view of the store’s wares. ‘We see it as a place that offers an in depth experience to what makes Iittala relevant in any home and gives a sense of harmony to every visitor,’ explains Jeremiah Tesolin, head of the internal design team at Iittala.

This idyllic sensuality is evident across the space; from the dynamic anodised aluminium modular shelving that stands in the centre of its 85 square metres, to the contrasting moulded wooden display wall.

‘The depth of culture in the brand offered me a vast source of inspiration and a tool box to work from,’ Young muses. Working with iconic glassware by the likes of Alvar Aalto and Tapio Wirkkala to the contemporary graphic, yet minimal, Miyake range, the showroom is a museum for historical collections that have existed since 1818.

‘It was important to take into account how perceptions change between Eastern and Western markets,’ Young concludes. Of course, made an expert by immersing himself in the Eastern design scene for over 12 years, here Young has cleverly mastered an ideal platform for Nordic craft on Asian turf.