Salo Kai

Before his design studies, Kai Salo (1938-2017) studied precision mechanics at Turku Vocational School and worked as a drafter in an architectural office in Turku. He graduated with a degree in industrial design from the School of Art and Design in 1968 and founded his own product design studio, Studio Kai Salo.

Salo is known for his Oculus 104 boat, which he designed as diploma project at the School of Art and Design. The futuristic Oculus attracted a lot of international interest and became the hottest news in the boating world in the early 1970s.

Salo was a versatile designer, who during his career designed lamps, bicycles, furniture, children’s products, precious metal products and various plastic products. In 1973 – 1996, he was chief designer of Solifer coaches. Salo’s products have been exhibited in numerous international exhibitions. He has also won prizes in Sweden and Denmark. In addition to his work as a designer, Salo worked as a lecturer in product development and industrial design at Turku UAS.

Salo’s archive contains a wide range of materials from various design projects throughout his career. See here Salo’s archive catalogue and digitised materials.

Read more about Kai Salo’s design work in Design Stories.