Elisa Honkanen

2023

3D-printed table

This project aims to build a connecting surface between the virtual and physical worlds. I believe virtuality helps us consume in a more conscious way; it is a playground that will help us rethink and modernise our physical environment.I’ve used 3D printing as a manufacturing technique as it produces almost zero waste, no stock is needed, and the shape and size of each piece can be altered. Inspiration comes from parametric design; the fluid, sculptural shape adds strength to the structure and allows the table to be printed in one piece. The only additional detail comes from the colour variations in recycled plastic.The virtual format is available on several platforms as a GLB file, as well as in special NFT versions.The Flow Table was one of the Finalists for the Ro Plastic Prize 2023, and it was exhibited as a 3D-printed version during Milan Design Week 2023 at Palazzo Bandello.

http://www.elisahonkanen.com/flow.html

2019

Handcrafted coffee table in metal

The name Shirudo comes from the Japanese word for a shield, a shape that was the source of inspiration for these tables. The aim was to reveal the soft side of metal, and the gentle curve of the legs releases the playfulness of the material as it starts to interact with its surroundings.

http://elisahonkanen.com/shirudo.html

2018

Theorem on the sphere and cylinder in glass

As the name says, this project is an homage to Archimedes, in specific to his theorem on the sphere and cylinder. Archimedes was the first to demonstrate that the volume of a sphere inside the cylinder containing it is two-thirds of the volume of the cylinder itself. He was so proud of this specific finding that had a sphere and its surrounding cylinder engraved on his tombstone. To be able to show this theorem through an object felt natural to use clear glass, as every other material would hide this play of two shapes. Blowing a cylinder with a perfect sphere inside the glass cylinder is impossible. Mould can’t be used either, as when blowing in the mould inside shape starts adapting to the shape of the mould, so I needed to find skilled blowers. I was lucky to find a glass studio in Finland willing to experiment; a perfect sphere is first created by blowing, after this the sphere is dipped in glass and cylinder formed around it. The problem with this technique is that forming the outer shape influences the inner shape, so great attention is needed to make sure the shape of the sphere is not deformed. Even if the final cylinder stays slightly curved this shows perfectly the original idea; sphere inside the cylinder. 

http://elisahonkanen.com/archimede.html

Modern interpretation of a Windsor chair

The whole construction of the chair is fixed using only two screws (lateral wooden bars to each-other on the heigth of the backrest), the plywood board that functions as a seat stays on its place thanks to the inclined holes on the board and the structure is tightened up with neoprene rope that forms the backrest. Formlanguage recalls old windsor chairs, being extremely reduced version of its “ancestors”, hence the name ‘Purist’. Project was presented during Milan Design Week, April 2012 and it won first prize in the ‘Object’ category at Interieur Design Awards, Biennale Interieur 2012, Kortrijk, Belgium. Dimensions: 49 x 45 x h 80,5cm Materials: plywood, birch (wooden bars), neoprene

http://www.elisahonkanen.com/purist.html

2011

Aina nesting tables were developed in collaboration with Foundry and Outofstock Design. Idea was to create a set of occasional tables using interlocking wooden bars to create an illusion of simplicity. Dimensions: 36 x 36 x h32cm (small) 72 x 53 x h38cm (big)

http://elisahonkanen.com/aina.html

https://www.foundry.com.sg/shop-furniture