Finland-born Ilmari Tapiovaara, 1914 - 1999, studied industrial and interior design at the Helsinki Central School of Industrial Arts. After graduating in 1937, he worked with Alvar Aalto in his London studio and Le Corbusier in Paris.

In the early 1950s, he founded a design studio with his wife, architect Annikki Tapiovaara, and from 1950 to 1953, he taught at the Academy for Arts and Design and served as a visiting professor at the renowned Illinois Institute of Technology. During this time, he maintained close contact with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Eero Aarnio and Yjrö Kukkapuro are among his notable students.

Tapiovaara was a prolific furniture designer who earned several gold medals at the Milan Triennial. He also received the Finnish State Prize for Design in 1971 and created numerous works in graphic art, photography, interior design, and architecture.

Today, Tapiovaara's sole lighting design, Maija, is part of Santa & Cole's Design Classics collection. This recognition underscores the timeless appeal of Maija's design, elevating it from an elusive historical artifact to a contemporary classic for all.

ABOUT SANTA & COLE

Santa & Cole was established in 1985 as a small, independent firm dedicated to editing and publishing design objects for use in both private and public spaces. Located in Barcelona, Spain, they produce designs in collaboration with their extensive network of local suppliers and global partners, including those in Japan, where the washi paper for the Tekiò lighting collection is produced.

Following a decade of upheaval caused by a dictatorship, founders Nina Masó, Javier Nieto Santa, and Gabriel Ordeig began creating exceptional lighting for some of Barcelona's most famous bars. They advocated for the use of natural materials such as wood, stitched cardboard, and ribbons. The classic Básica lamp was developed during this time, shifting the aesthetic from the technical and cold materials of the era to a warmer, more human aesthetic.

Today, Santa & Cole continues its quest to enhance and enrich people's lives through designs that have become iconic while remaining accessible to all. Committed to this mission, the company looks to history to inform its future, approaching its design practice with a modern sensibility and a desire for human connection.