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PAAVO TYNELL
Paavo Tynell (1890 – 1973) was born in Helsinki 12 years after the invention of
the domestic lightbulb – a time when Finland, like most of the northern Europe,
was yet to be electrified. One of the great industrial designers and metal craftsmen
of the 20th century, Tynell came into the world at precisely the right time to become
one of the pioneers of modern lighting; as the electric light spread across the world,
so too did Tynell’s design visions.
Tynell left behind a legacy as one of the biggest influences on early lamp design both
in Finland and beyond. By the time he died in 1973, Tynell was known, fondly, as
‘the man who illuminated Finland’.
