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El Fant opened in 2016. Since then, the store has Puutamo, founded by Finnish female woodworker Eveliina,
undergone changes in design and ownership. Upon and Paja&Bureau, a local ironworks studio, from the very
acquiring the cafe, nestled between Helsinki’s iconic beginning of the sketches.
White Cathedral and bustling harbor, Sylvie and Joe Together they selected the right materials, experi-
were captivated by its prime location adjacent to the mented with different wood finishes and color textures, and
city’s museum quarter. Retaining the cafe’s esteemed finally decided to use natural pine, a local material, to de-
name, they envisioned El Fant as a nexus where locals sign and produce all the solid wood furniture in the space.
and tourists could converge, inspired by both its his- Yihan Xiang, co-founder of Yatofu, told us that pine
torical significance and contemporary charm. “Because wood, as an easily available local material, is often used in
the name already has a good reputation in the Helsinki relatively low-cost construction projects, such as holiday
coffee market, in the beginning, we positioned the cafe cabins and temporary furniture. However, in Yatofu’s per-
to use the location to attract tourists, but also to make spective, the warm touch of this sparse and ordinary wood
more locals interested in coming.” If possible, we also after grinding, along with the natural aroma of pine needles,
want to show the country what modern Asian cafe cul- vaguely reflects some characteristics of Finnish culture:
ture is all about, in terms of aesthetics, service and ex- purity, sincerity, and vitality. After consulting with Evelii-
perience.” The two founders said. na, the design team decided to use 4 centimeter-thick pine
Central to El Fant’s allure is its meticulously curat- boards to fashion all custom furniture pieces in the space.
ed design, a collaborative effort between Sylvie, Joe, and Additionally, galvanized steel was used to create the bar
the visionary minds at Yatofu, a design studio rooted in and shelves, forming a contrast of materials with the iron
Helsinki’s creative ethos. Embracing the district’s storied installations commissioned from Paja&Bureau, a custom
past and vibrant marketplace culture, the design ethos production studio led by two talented designer/craftsmen
sought to strike a harmonious balance between tradition who specialize in working with all things metal. According
and modernity, seamlessly integrating contemporary ele- to Yihan, the pairing of the two bold yet simple materials
ments with the district’s architectural heritage. allow the sleekness of the galvanized steel to shine, and the
warmness of the natural pine to invite.
A Connection with Craftsmanship “As designers, we are glad that through close cooper-
ation, their works and skills are understood and cherished
Exploring the unique perspective of contemporary by more people. We hope that in the future, more people
Finnish design and following the “Made in Place” philos- will realize the important role of handicrafts in today’s
ophy, Yatofu began communicating with local craftsmen: and tomorrow’s life.” Yihan added.

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