Iiris 2024 award from the Finnish Colour Association
The prize was awarded on International Colour Day.
The AIC International Colour Association has chosen the Spring Equinox (21 March) as International Colour Day. The day’s purpose is to celebrate and draw attention to colour as a phenomenon that unites humanity and to highlight colour-related events and achievements.
The Iris Prize is awarded in recognition of a work or event where the skilful use of colour has significantly contributed to environmental amenities, positive experiences, quality of life or safety, or where the study of colour has contributed substantially to the knowledge of colour. By awarding this recognition, the Association wishes to draw attention to the potential of colour as a key element of visual experience and the environment.
The Iiris 2024 award goes to Rune & Berg Design
Finnish Colour Association has granted the Iiris 2024 award to Rune & Berg Design for their merits in experience-based colour design for spaces.
Their design work is based on creating holistic, multi-sensory, meaningful experiences in the built environment. Experiential colour design is reflected in the way each space has its own distinctive colour scheme, sense of place and mood. Airport lounges, corporate offices, hotels and libraries are all very different places to design for different users. Colour has been used to support both calm and stimulating work environments and intuitive and experiential public spaces, using service design methodology. Where appropriate, the need for adequate contrasts for older people, a non-sensory environment and a calm colour scheme for people with autism spectrum disorders have been taken into account.
The Colour Association mentions the new library in Kalasatama from the extensive production. Although the use of colour is bold and surprising in places, it is approachable. Colour, shapes, furniture, lighting and spaces of different sizes have been used to create places for play, reading and relaxation.
With its determined vision, Rune & Berg Design has shown how different ways of using colour can add quality, comfort, safety and joy to our built environment.
The Finnish Colour Association gave the Iiris 2024 award
on 21.3.2024 to the employees of Rune & Berg Design.
Recognition builds courage and trust in your intuition
Sara Tuohikumpu, Head of Design at Rune & Berg Design, is delighted with the award.
“This recognition is meaningful to us, and it feels great to be rewarded for a long time of work. Throughout our 13-year history, we have worked on a wide range of projects that we always design for clients, not for ourselves. The outcome and the desired experience in a space is created through the colours, materials and shapes that the lighting brings to life,” says Sara.
“We’ve talked a lot about boldness in recent years, which means different things: bold colours in some projects, while in others, for example, encouraging the client to find their voice and identity. This recognition gives us more courage for all future projects when choosing materials and colours and allows us to trust our voices and intuition more than ever. The award is important to each of us as designers and encourages us to continue to create unique designs in the future. We will continue to grow and elevate ourselves to something new and unique.”
Sini Ala-Nikula, Sara Tuohikumpu and
Jenni Herkama, partners of Rune & Berg Design,
and Saara Pyykkö, chairman of the board
of the Finnish Colour Association.
Finnish Colour Association
The Finnish Colour Association is a network of professionals who use and study colour in their work. The Association aims to promote colour research and good use of colour, maintain international contacts, and make Finnish colour knowledge and skills known worldwide.
Previous winners of the Iiris Prize:
2023 photonics and spectral imaging researcher and professor Markku Hauta-Kasari, 2021 conservator Malla Tallgren, 2020 researcher and translator Pirkko Holmberg, 2019 filmmaker and colour analyst Pentti Keskimäki, 2018 sales manager Leif Wikgren, 2017 textile artist Inka Kivalo, 2016 painter Carolus Enckell, 2015 set and lighting designer Markku Uimonen, 2014 City of Helsinki Building Control Office, Tikkurila Oyj and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, paper conservation programme, 2006 webdesigner Päivi Hintsanen, 2005 working group World of Colours in the Children’s Infection Ward (Marina Hietala, Margit Pasola, Annika von Schantz and Arja Wessman), Department of Children and Youth Hospital, HYKS.
The Association’s website www.svy.fi has more information on the past recipients of the Iiris Award.
