Bronda, a restaurant on Eteläesplanadi, a promenade in the center of Helsinki, is both urban and spacious in feel. A high, elongated room with lots of space and a large window front sets a suitable stage for a city-dwelling public in the Finnish capital since this spring. Helsinki architects Futudesign styled the restaurant with timelessly elegant and generous fittings with furniture by Pedrali. A ceiling-high wine-rack separates the entrance zone with its intimate cocktail bar from the large restaurant, where a colorful mix of international delicacies such as “cotoletta parmigiano” or “sashimi” are served according to the changing daily menu.

At first glance the interior seems traditionally Nordic, boasting light furniture made from pale wood. But chairs are produced by Italian manufacturer Pedrali – for the “Malmö” family, designers Michele Cazzaniga, Simone Mandelli and Antonio Pagliarulo have drawn their inspiration from the Scandinavian landscape. Pedrali produce the furniture themselves, the chairs are characterized by seat shells made of plywood and a supporting structure made of ash wood. They are produced in Manzano, near Udine, in a brand new factory specialized in the development and production of Pedrali furniture made of wood and which was awarded by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) in 2013 for using sustainable raw materials from responsibly managed woods.

The extremely light chair “Frida”, with a plywood seat shell and a shape you would tend to associate with synthetic materials, also hails from this production. With its three-dimensionally curved plywood the chair appears exceptionally delicate, but is extremely durable. The “Tivoli” chairs are also robust, with their softly curved plywood backrests and their simple design they reference traditional craftsmanship. And with the “Babila”, Pedrali further moves between tradition and innovation.The legs and the back eyelets are a reminiscence of the craft wooden chairs, while for the plywood shell the new technique of variable thickness working process is applied. The result is an airy and comfortable sitting with a careful and accurate use of wood.