Pitchfork   The Dissolve   Festivals: Chicago | Paris
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There are only a few days left of Helsinki Design Week, and whether or not you'll find yourself in the Finnish capital, here are five picks from the massive showing of design objects, furniture, textiles, and tableware. 


Hot Cube Minimal Sauna
It wouldn't be a true Finnish design festival without an awesome sauna on view. Sculptor Harri Markkula's Hot Cube sauna sits suspended above the River Aura, with a latticed floor so visitors can observe the aquatic life below the deck. Accessible only by a small bridge, Markkula's sauna is designed to be a sensory experience, with prominent scents of fire, water, wood, and tar.


(photo via Softcity)

Hay's DLM Table
We've only written about the Danish design firm Hay in passing, but if Instagram posts are any indicator, its DLM side table caught a lot of eyes at this year's festival. The minimal table features an unexpected handle in the center, and was shown as part of the Finnish Design Shop's pop-up shop held in an old customs warehouse. Also unexpected was the display of about one dozen tables stacked on top of each other in a corner. 


Marimekko Weather Diary Tableware

Tableware, textiles, and light fixtures, especially by Finnish designers, had a strong showing at the festival. While it was possible to experience a Finnish table setting by more than a handful of designers, Marimekko's single place setting and printed textile display of their Weather Diary series stood out. 


Open Studio Bike Tours

Out-of-towners would be hard pressed to find a better use of a few hours than taking one of the guided bike tours of local open studios. It's an especially nice option if you've spent your budget at the pop-up store, and maxed out your time in the Hot Cube. The tours cover both architecture and design studios

Events/Lectures/Workshops
The workshops and lectures at the festival were refreshingly productive. An IKEA presented demonstration had children commission kitchen designs, a laser-cutting workshop offered a chance to customize almost any item, and a graphic design class tasked students with creating a new logo for the Finnish city of Kerava. A more site-specific lecture chronicled the history of Helsinki's parks.

Helsinki Design Week runs until September 22 in various locations around the capital.