Intro — Kuopio, Finland

Helsinki-based outfit Joanna Laajisto Creative Studio recently completed a top-to-toe refurbishment of Intro. Located in Kuopio – an eastern Finnish town dramatically framed by a tableau of lake, sea and forest – the restaurant has long been a neighbourhood standby, known as much for its cosy, if dated, interiors as for its reliable local classics. The new space is now smartly divided into a nightclub, and a 50-seater restaurant headlined by local chef Risto Mikkola. The latter is an airy cocoon that parses Nordic restraint with unexpected punches of colour. The monochromatic geometric floor pattern is enlivened by sofas covered in Kvadrat wool fabric designed by Paul Smith; wooden dining chairs by Ton; and white pendant lamps by Slovenian designers Vertigo Bird.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Kauppakatu 20
Kuopio
Finland
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Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
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