Vello Asi facts for kids
Vello Asi (born October 18, 1927, died November 20, 2016) was a talented Estonian designer. He created beautiful indoor spaces, designed graphics, and taught at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Along with Väino Tamm, he was one of the most important designers of modern interiors in Estonia starting from the late 1950s. His work helped shape the look of many famous buildings.
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Early Life and Learning
Vello Asi was born in a small village called Vana-Saaluse in Võrumaa, Estonia. His parents were from the same area; his mother was a farmer and his father was a craftsman.
He became interested in art while still in high school. He even started designing wallpapers and flyers for his school. His parents hoped he would study medicine at the University of Tartu. However, Vello decided to follow his passion and study interior architecture at the Estonian Art Academy (ERKI). He finished Võru Secondary School No. 1 in 1948 and started at ERKI that same year.
During his university studies, he spent a lot of time copying drawings of old furniture. He did this at places like the Tallinn Art Museum and the Peeter I House Museum. He also designed interiors and furniture for a small cabin, a clubhouse, and an apartment. His final project for graduation was designing the inside of a hall at the Tallinn Polytechnic Institute.
His Work
From 1954 to 1955, Vello Asi worked in Tallinn at a national design studio called "Estonproject". There, he mainly drew architectural details like sections and plans, and added color to them.
After that, he worked at the ARS institute from 1956 to 1964. During these years, he designed many museum exhibitions. He was also part of a team that redesigned the Estonian Pavilion for a big exhibition in Moscow. After leaving ARS, Vello Asi continued to design exhibitions in Estonia, Moscow, London, and Ulaanbaatar. Besides designing interiors, he also created graphic designs and book covers. He designed many books for the famous writer Jaan Kross, and several books about architecture.
His most famous works show smart and clear designs. These include the Kurtna poultry farm (1967) and the offices of the Writers' House in Tallinn (1963). He also designed the Tuljak (1967) and Tallinn cafes (1967-69), and the Karolina bar (1968). He worked on the Radio House studio (1965-77) and the Viru Hotel (1972). He also designed parts of the Pirita Marine Center Yacht Club and Press Center (1980).
One of his important early projects was the Tallinn Writers' House offices (1963). The hall with its black ceiling was especially notable. This design was simple and strong. It was a contrast to the fancy and theatrical style popular in the 1950s. Some people thought the black color had a deep meaning. But Asi said he chose it for practical reasons, like hiding ceiling imperfections. He even had to go to Moscow to explain his color choice. The bosses in Tallinn were afraid to approve it. Besides the hall, Asi also designed the cabinets and furniture in the Writers' House.
Working with Väino Tamm
A big part of Vello Asi's work was done with his friend and fellow designer, Väino Tamm. They had studied together at university. Together, they designed the interiors for amazing buildings by architect Valve Pormeister. These included the Tuljak Cafe and the Kurtna Poultry Farm Testing building.
A person named Edgar Tõnurist supported both of these projects. He wanted the Tuljak Cafe (1967) to be a self-service restaurant. It was to have a terrace for barbecues and another terrace with fireplaces. The cafe's interior featured a long table along the wall. The room was filled with wooden furniture.
Tõnurist also supported the main building of the Kurtna Poultry Farm Testing building. Its interior design by Tamm and Asi matched the building's architecture perfectly. Their modern design treated furniture not just as objects, but as parts of the architectural space.
In the 1960s, Tallinn's Old Town became very lively. Many new cafes and restaurants opened. Tamm and Asi designed several of these new places. These included the Varietee and Tallinn cafes, the Karoliina wine bar, and the Gloria restaurant. The Tallinn cafe (1967-1969) was on the first floor of Harju Street 6. The Varietee was on the second floor. The cafe had many famous No. 14 Thonet chairs. Tamm and Asi designed the tables and a long bench. There was also an outdoor terrace on Harju Street. The Karolina Bar was designed inside an old defensive fortress near Freedom Square.
Tamm and Asi also worked together on the interiors for Tallinn's new Radio House. They also designed parts of the new Pärnu theater and the Tartu Vanemuine theater. Their most important joint project was the Viru Hotel (1972). Other designers like Loomet Raudsepp, Taevo Gans, and Mait Summatavet also helped. The interior design perfectly matched the outside of the hotel. They used similar materials and simple surfaces both inside and out. Vello Asi designed the entrance hall. He covered its walls and floors with dark ceramic tiles. The furniture had simple, blocky shapes that fit perfectly with the room's design.
Väino Tamm led the design of the Tallinn Olümpia-Purjespordikeskus (Olympic Sailing Center) from 1975 to 1980. The design tasks were shared among a team of interior architects. Vello Asi designed the dining room (with Leo Leesaare), the yacht club, and the press section.
List of Creations
- 1960 Estonian Song Festival design at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
- 1961 F. R. Kreutzwaldi Museum interior
- 1963 Tallinn Writers' House hall and offices
- 1964 Composers` House interior
- 1965 Eduard Vilde Museum interior
- 1965-67 Radiohouse studios (with H. Oruvee)
- 1966 cafe Tuljak interior (with V. Tamm)
- 1967 Kurtna Poultry Farm Testing building interior (with V. Tamm)
- 1968 Karoliina bar interior (with V. Tamm)
- 1967-69 cafe Tallinn interior (with V. Tamm)
- 1969 Estonian Pavilion in London at the Soviet Union Economy Exhibition (with E. Reitel, K. Voogre)
- 1972 Viru Hotel interior (with V. Tamm, L. Raudsepp, T. Gans, M. Summatavet)
- 1973 Theater Estonia interior (with V. Tamm)
- 1980 Pirita Marine Center Yacht Club and Press Center interior (with V. Tamm, L. Leesaar, J.Lember and A.Padar)
Awards and Honors
- 1962 Joined the Estonian Artists` Association
- 1967 Estonian SSR prize for the Kurtna Poultry Farm Testing building
- 1972 Estonian SSR prize for the Viru Hotel (with V. Tamm and L. Raudsep)
- 1977 Honored Architect of the Estonian SSR
- 1990 Joined the Estonian Interior Architects` Association
- 2006 Received the White Star IV Class Order
