Thin plywood enables the use of wood in Tom Rossau’s lamps

“I’m driven by development and design. I would say that’s truly why I go to work and has been so for the past 27 years,” Rossau says. “For my first shop, I needed chairs, tables, and lighting. I designed everything instead of just buying off the shelf. That’s my overall approach.”

Danish design has always managed to surprise and remain a pioneer to this day. Whether in furniture, lighting, or architecture, both the classic pieces and new designers have excelled, with a bright future ahead. Rossau deeply respects both Finnish and Danish design expertise and acknowledges a debt to previous generations. “In a sense, I’m standing on the shoulders of giants,” Rossau reflects. 

Rossau’s first lamp design was unique, created for his first shop and quickly sold to an eager customer. “They came up to me and said, ‘Tom, that’s a very nice lamp. Can I buy it?’ My immediate answer was yes, even though I hadn’t set a price. After the first sale, I was wise enough to make two more lamps. We displayed one in the window and sold the other. Now, we produce 4000 units a year, and we’re doing well,” Rossau recalls.

Driven by development and pushing materials to their limits

 In 2002, Rossau made an innovative lamp design out of plastic strips. The lamp shapes could be changed when twisted and turned, meaning that one lamp could be longer, shorter, wider, and smaller. However, Rossau recalls that the chosen material didn’t feel quite right. Rossau discovered thin plywood, leading to exciting experiments and a new product.

“I bought 10 sheets of thin plywood, cut them into strips, and assembled them to form the lamp. Initially, it held together for a few seconds before exploding due to the immense strength and tension in the veneer. Despite the setback, the first attempt was inspiring and fascinating. I thought, ‘That’s fantastic!'”

“Both teams are pushing boundaries with the materials. This collaboration has resulted in a new thin plywood product tailored for us. As mentioned, there can be quite a lot of tension in the veneer sheets, so we decided to have a two-layer unidirectional thinplywood sheet made by Koskisen. This created the stiffness together with the strength that was needed for some designs. For other designs, we needed a higher degree of flexibility, and for those we had made 0.7 cross-glued layers.”

The Koskisen’s vibe: How can we help you?

Rossau praises Koskisen’s commitment to quality sourcing. “You really can’t produce what we produce of second-grade veneer. The Koskisen team is fantastic in providing top-quality materials. What we receive here is already the best of the best.”

Rossau also commends Koskisen’s customer-centric approach. ” They are all about ’how can we help you?’ If there is something wrong, it gets addressed very quickly. As we know, wood is a natural material processed by large machines. We take this material and use it in unconventional ways. And yet, we have succeeded in doing so.”

Rossau notes that both teams, Rossau and Koskisen, are pushing the materials to their limits, leading to the creation of a new thin plywood product.

“Both teams are pushing boundaries with the materials. This collaboration has resulted in a new thin plywood product tailored for us. As mentioned, there can be quite a lot of tension in the veneer sheets, so we decided to have a two-layer unidirectional thinplywood sheet made by Koskisen. This created the stiffness together with the strength that was needed for some designs. For other designs, we needed a higher degree of flexibility, and for those we had made 0.7 cross-glued layers.”

Environmental considerations are also significant in the Koskisen partnership. Sustainability requirements stem from both customers and the company’s philosophy. This includes responsible production practices, from product structures to packaging. Rossau’s products are built to last, prioritizing durability as a key element in sustainability.

Here to visit Tom Rossau’s web page: https://www.tomrossau.com