El Fant Café & Bar is located in Torikorttelit, a historic area in the center of Helsinki’s old town that can be traced back to the 18th century. The area is a hub of iconic architecture and cultural destinations, with a variety of boutiques, cafes and Michelin restaurants scattered amongst famous monuments such as the Helsinki Cathedral, Presidential Palace, City Museum, and Cruise Terminal.
Inspired by the abundant history and vibrant community energy of El Fant’s surroundings, Yatofu proposed to recreate El Fant Café & Bar as a destination which would not only inject more creative energy into Helsinki’s old town, but also investigate the unique potential of contemporary Finnish design. The design perspective would explore the balance between the novelty of a unique interior concept and the heritage of local values and traditional materials.
Yatofu reflects on the values of “local production” in its cavernous concept for El Fant. The interior design celebrates the use of local solid pine from Northern Finland, used as a raw material for the custom furniture created for the space. Enlisting the talents of a younger generation of local craftsmen, Yatofu further embraces the core spirit of the concept, embodied through the authentic and unique interpretation of a widely shared value: “from locals, with love”. An ode to the young creative spirits that permeate the city, El Fant provides a relaxed and contemporary atmosphere for people and ideas to gather around food, coffee and wine.
The use of pine as a long-lasting building material has been a long-revered practice in Finnish craftsmanship. It elicits ideals that surround the topics of nature, purity, sincerity, and practicality. Collaborating closely with Puutamo —a carpentry workshop spearheaded by young female carpenter, Eveliina Ylönen— Yatofu opted to use 4 centimeter-thick pine boards to fashion all custom furniture pieces in the space. Then, enlisting the help of Paja&Bureau —a custom production studio led by two talented designer/craftsmen who specialize in working with all things metal— Yatofu designed custom built-in fixtures out of galvanized steel, including all shelving units and the entire bar counter. The pairing of the two bold yet simple materials allow the sleekness of the galvanized steel to shine, and the warmness of the natural pine to invite.
The spatial arrangement of the café & bar is simple yet effective, designed to enhance the sequential experience of the main design interventions in the space. As guests enter through the front door and into the central bar area, the harmonious clash of juxtaposing materials and textures is evident between the cold galvanized steel and hand-applied cave/like textured walls. The custom bar table and chairs set, made out of solid Finnish pine and treated with a saturated tomato-red dye, expresses a bold contemporary attitude through its color and form, while preserving its natural characteristics by leaving the wood grain apparent. Solid pine dining chairs were selected from the Finnish brand Vaarnii for its shared commitment to the iconic raw material, and are accented by a series of red pine benches and natural pine stools which were custom designed for the space.
Through close collaboration with young Finnish craftsmen and a minimalistic hand in the manipulation of raw materials, Yatofu discusses and explores new possibilities of local sourcing and local production. By blending contemporary design with traditional materials and methods, a new form of connection can be made between the old and the new, resulting in a bold yet effortless interpretation of “inspired by context”.
Team:
Interior Design and Furniture Design: Yatofu Creatives
Design Team: Angela Lindahl, Yihan Xiang, Sheen Tao
Photography: Aleksi Tikkala
Stylist: Piia Emilia
Materials Used:
4 centimeter-thick pine board
galvanized steel plate
hand-applied textured paint
cement floor
stainless-steel mirrored surface
Vaarnii: 001 Dining Chair
Gubi: Howard Wall Lamp
