Raak Suomi Pendant Lamps

Raak Suomi pendant lamps design: Tapio Wirkkala white opal & yellow translucent iittala glass lampshades 1950s 1960s

Raak Suomi Pendant Lamps – 1962 Catalogue Picture

Raak Suomi pendant lamps (B-1137, B-1138). Designed by Tapio Wirkkala in the late fifties. Suomi is the Finnish word for the Republic of Finland (Wikipedia – link opens in a new window). Finland is the country Wirkkala originated.

Materials: Hand-blown crystal glass. Two glass parts. One part in white opal glass and one part in yellow-amber coloured clear glass. Some metal parts. White Bakelite canopy. Bakelite E27 sockets.

Cord Length: 80 cm / 31.49’’

Height: 28 cm / 11.02”

Width: ∅ 17 cm / 6.69”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, but preferably a white, opaque or frosted one. Clear bulbs create stripes on the glass and therefor also on the walls.

Period: 1950s, 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985).

Manufacturer: Raak Lichtarchitectuur, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Other versions: These Raak Suomi pendant lamps were made in amber, blue-green and smoked grey glass. Other models in the same series were also produced.

The glass parts for these lamps were made by the renowned Finnish glass company Iittala. The model was also sold by Stockmann Orno, where it appears in a catalogue from 1964. It can be found here.

Tapio Wirkkala

Born in Hanko, Finland, on 2 June 1915, died in Helsinki, Finland, on 19 May 1985.

Tapio Wirkkala was one of the leading figures of post-war Finnish design and is widely regarded as one of the great masters of 20th-century Scandinavian design. He was an exceptionally versatile designer and artist who worked in glass, wood, porcelain, metal and plastics, but also in sculpture, exhibition design and graphic design.

Among his most widely known works are the long-running series of Finnish markka banknotes, introduced in 1955, as well as the original Finlandia vodka bottle, which was produced from 1970 until 1999.

For Iittala, Wirkkala designed some of the most iconic objects in Finnish glass. His best-known work is undoubtedly the Ultima Thule series from 1968, inspired by melting ice in Lapland and developed through an exceptionally demanding mould technique. He also designed the famous Tapio glasses, introduced in the 1950s and notable for their use of the so-called “stick blowing” method, the celebrated Kantarelli vase of 1947, the Gaissa barware from 1973, and several other important designs such as Kanto, Pallas and Ice Floe.

Wirkkala also worked for Venini on Murano, where from the 1960s onward he created a remarkable group of glass objects that combined his Nordic sense of form with Venetian glassmaking techniques and colour. His work for Venini includes the well-known Bolle series, now considered one of the classics of post-war Murano glass, as well as other refined vases and bottles using technically demanding methods such as incalmo.

His career brought him many international awards and distinctions. He won several Grand Prix prizes at the Milan Triennale, as well as many other honours in Europe and beyond. Today, his works can be found in important museum collections around the world, and his name remains inseparable from the international success of Finnish design.

Raak

The Dutch lighting company Raak was founded in 1954 by Carel O. Lockhorn (18 June 1923 – 6 October 2004), who had previously worked for Philips Lighting in Eindhoven. The Dutch word raak can be understood as “on target” or “to hit the mark”, a fitting name for a company that became known for its progressive and carefully considered lighting designs.

Raak is best known for its distinctive Dutch modern lighting of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of their best designs combine glass and metal in a way that feels both elegant and futuristic. Their lighting often has a strong architectural presence, while still retaining a warm and decorative quality. Because of this, Raak became one of the most recognizable names in post-war European lighting.

Over the years, Raak collaborated with a remarkable range of Dutch and international designers and architects, among them Bertrand Balas, Evert Jelle Jelles, Frank Ligtelijn, Ger Vos, Jan Jasper Fayer, Li Helo, Maija-Liisa Komulainen, Nan Platvoet, Nanny Still-McKinney, Nico Kooi, Sergio Asti, Tapio Wirkkala, Willem van Oyen, Rico Baltussen, Kees Terlouw, Yki Nummi, Tobia Scarpa, Berend Bodenkamp, Arihiro Miyake and others.

Collaborations

Raak also worked together with several other lighting and glass companies. For the well-known Globe series, the glass was produced by the German company Peill+Putzler. Raak also sold lamps made by Peill+Putzler, including models designed by Aloys Ferdinand Gangkofner. For the Discus flush mount, the glass was made by the German company Bega. In the late 1950s, Raak also cooperated with the Belgian glass manufacturer Val Saint Lambert for the Stalactites flush mounts. In addition, Raak marketed several lamps produced by Staff Leuchten in Germany, as well as models connected to other European manufacturers.

Carel Lockhorn sold the company in 1974 to ITT, although he remained director until 1977. In 1980, Raak merged with BIS Lighting from Aalsmeer in The Netherlands and continued under the name BisRaak. In 1986, the company became independent again. By then, the collection had changed considerably: the more expressive and decorative character of the 1960s and 1970s gradually gave way to a more restrained, architectural look, often in black, white and grey.

In 1999, Raak merged with Artilite B.V. and Indoor B.V. and became CLA: Centrum voor Lichtarchitectuur B.V. in Drachten. The term Lichtarchitectuur had already been used by Raak as a slogan from the early years onward. CLA was founded by Egbert Keen. The company was declared bankrupt on 19 May 2011.

Raak received 26 iF Design Awards. As the company only began entering the competition in 1980, that number might otherwise have been even higher.