11 April 2018

The international design and furnishing event Salone de Mobile is considered to be the most important of its type in the world. This year’s event takes place 17-22 April, and Malmstens Linköping University will be there. In the 16th century monastery Chiostro Della Umiliate, the students will exhibit innovative furniture for modern times.

For six days starting on 17 April, the Milan Fairgrounds at Rho will be a meeting place where thousands of exhibitors present the latest within design, furniture, interior design and architecture.

Malmstens Linköping University will be there this year, exhibiting together with Konstfack (Sweden's largest fine arts university college) in a 16th century monastery. Against the background of these historical surroundings, visitors will see and experience student innovation and creativity.

Ten innovative items

Twelve students represent programmes given at Malmstens in furniture design, cabinetmaking and furniture upholstery. Ten innovative items will be exhibited, and in most cases the design and professional execution are the result of collaboration between students from different programmes.

“The furniture created by the students shows how traditional handcrafts can be developed to something new and contemporary,” says Ulf Brunne, head of division at Malmstens Linköping University, which is based on the university campus at Lidingö in Stockholm.

The three-year programmes focus on quality, sustainability and contemporary requirements, while imparting knowledge about the history of handcrafts and furniture.

14 different shades of blue

Björn Sundelin, studying furniture design, and Ottar Gjendahl Sörensen, studying cabinetmaking, are responsible for one of the pieces in the exhibition, Vattenfall (“Waterfall”). They have combined Swedish pine, oak, 14 different shades of blue veneer and golden maple.

“It symbolises the quest for the unknown,” is how the students explain their intentions.

A waterfall invites you to explore what lies behind it. The thin blue veneer panels of the piece can be adjusted individually, and thus the expressions that Vattenfall can be given are limitless.

Malmstens has its roots in the school for cabinetmaking set up by Swedish furniture designer Carl Malmsten. After being incorporated with Linköping University, the division now offers three bachelor programmes: furniture design, cabinetmaking and furniture upholstery.

Translation: George Farrants

Byggmästare John Mattson Library

Byggmästare John Mattson Library

The Library at Malmstens Linköping University, Campus Lidingö in Stockholm, provides books and periodicals on furniture, wood, textiles, art, design and cultural heritage.

Royal hunting chair

Not a throne, but a royal hunting stool

This is the story of the struggle between aesthetics and function and how Linköping University created a royal hunting stool, handed over as a gift to his Majesty The King in connection with LiU’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

LiU receives SEK 232 million from the Swedish Research Council

The Swedish Research Council has now decided on the allocation of research grants in four areas. At Linköping University, the area of natural and engineering sciences is to receive the most funding.

Latest news from LiU

Woman looking up from working at her computer.

New research centre meets challenge of longer working lives

More and more people are working later into their lives – but what happens when health fails and this leads to sick leave? A new research centre at LiU is to find solutions for returning to work later in life and for a sustainable working life.

Inside Wadströms Exploranation Laboratory

LiU takes a big leap in global sustainability ranking

Linköping University climbs almost 200 places to reach position 156 in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability2026. The ranking measures how higher education institutions around the world contribute to sustainability.

The shape of the cell nucleus influences cancer treatment

Cancer cells with a cell nucleus that is easily deformed are more sensitive to drugs that damage DNA, shows a new study. The results may also explain why combining certain cancer drugs can produce the opposite of the intended effect.