Øivind Slaatto | ScandinavianDesign.com

Øivind Slaatto is a Danish designer based in Copenhagen, working across lighting, furniture and products. With a background in both music and design, he is known for designs that turn the patterns of nature into precise structures. The best-known example is the Patera pendant for Louis Poulsen, built on the Fibonacci spiral.

Background

Slaatto, who also uses his full name Øivind Alexander Slaatto, was born in 1978 and trained at the Danish Design School. Before turning to design he worked as a musician, and he has described his work as a meeting of technical solutions and aesthetic beauty. He also designed the BeoPlay A9 speaker for Bang & Olufsen. In 2016 he took part in the craft exhibition MINDCRAFT16 in Milan, alongside Akiko Kuwahata and Cecilie Manz.

Design approach

Nature is his constant reference, but as a system rather than a motif. “I never try to copy nature, but to learn from it,” he says. The spirals in sunflowers and pine cones, the growth of a begonia and the repetition of natural forms become rules for how a lamp is put together. Light, sun and fire recur as themes in his lighting.

Key designs

Patera (2015), whose name means seed capsule, is a modern chandelier, assembled by hand, whose pattern follows the Fibonacci spiral. The flatter Patera Oval followed in 2021 for rooms with lower ceilings. For Le Klint he designed Swirl, a transparent lamp with spiral lamellae that spread the light without glare.

The Ø Chair for Magnus Olesen is designed for the circular economy: seat, back and frame are joined with a single screw and can be returned and upgraded. In 2026 Carl Hansen & Søn launched his Begonya pendant, an elliptical lamp based on the growth principles of the begonia flower. It was presented at the Balanced Principles exhibition during 3daysofdesign.