The Kaj Franck Design Prize 1993
Professor Pirkko Stenros
Interior architect Pirkko Stenros (born 1928) has designed streamlined furniture of a distinctly Finnish appearance for over 40 years and is known for her work with furniture marketed under the Muurame brand. Stenros has gained distinction in developing the visual environment of the home, and she has carried out restorations of churches in addition to designing jewellery and interiors for public spaces.
Having begun in the 1950s with a furniture collection for children, Stenros's determined approach has expanded to furniture for adults, storage furniture for homes and public spaces and collections of tables and chairs. Pirkko Stenros has designed whole families of furniture, maintaining a minimized and timeless spirit independent of fashion trends.
Furniture by Stenros has undergone renewal in a contemporary spirit and in accordance with present-day requirements, for example with the growing need of furniture for personal computers. At the same, however, all the items can be seamlessly combined with the older models.
Pirkko Stenros received the State Design Prize in 1969, the Export Prize of the President of Finland in 1987 and the IKEA Prize in 1995. She has participated in the Classic Makers exhibition at Design Forum in 1995 and the Finnish Design 125 Years exhibition in 2000.
