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KLAUS AALTO
klaus[at]fiaskodesign.com
www.fiaskodesign.com
The concept and the design are by Klaus Aalto and product development by Jukka Merta. The grill is manufactured and marketed in Finland by Selki-Asema. |
The portable picnic grill City Boy (also know as Alain Delon) created by Klaus Aalto is a great product for any urban dweller who does not have the space to store a large grill. It is also perfect for hitting the beach, tailgate parties, going camping, or hanging out on the porch or the balcony in the summer months, or when going fishing on the ice or track skating in the winter. Klaus Aalto himself also uses the grill to make stovetop espresso. He keeps one stored in the back of his car. That way he is always ready for a spontaneous barbeque party. The grill could also be taken along on the back of a bike. The compact size of City Boy Picnic makes it ideal for light travel. It measures 7 inches wide, 7 inches long and 8.5 inches tall. The 1960s inspired design is simple and clean. The structural solution is practical and different from any other portable grill on the market. City Boy is made of powder-coated steel and has a stainless grill rack and a heat resistant stainless steel and oak handle. It is operated with canned fuel. The flame can be adjusted with a dial. When it is time for cleaning the grill, the interior can be wiped clean and the grate tossed in the dishwasher or wiped down in the sink.
Before the SAUMA exhibition, the grill has been on display in the US in a group exhibition at the Future Perfect gallery in Brooklyn, New York where IMU and Friends presented recent projects by young Finnish designers during the summer of 2006. The smart design of the product has been acclaimed for its excellent usabilty qualities and its reasonable production costs. City Boy was awarded in the design category of the Finnish Plootu Fennica sheet metal competition in 2006.
Klaus Aalto is a designer working with furniture, small objects and spatial design. He graduated from the MA program in Furniture Design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2007 and was awarded for Best Diploma Work in Furniture Design by both the Asko Foundation and the Finnish Furniture Foundation for his “Stereo” design for a table with a removable top that can be hung on a wall like a picture. Klaus belongs to a group of three designers known as Fiasko Design. Common to all of his projects is a simple and pragmatic
approach. His designs offer imaginative and whimsical solutions to the most basic needs of the everyday.
Sustainability and the responsible use of materials are important principles to Klaus Aalto, and that is why he has
often used ready-made elements in his works, such as the suitcases by Plasticase in the Take Out cabinets also on
show in the SAUMA exhibition. Klaus Aalto wants design to be both fun and useful. Nothing must be done merely for visual effect.
Summary in Finnish
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