Pendant Light A330S “Golden Bell“
Elegance Updated
Artek’s classic “Golden Bell” gets a Savoy makeover
"Today the new top-class Restaurant Savoy was opened in a handsome new building at the corner of the South Esplanade and Kasarmikatu,” ran an article in the Helsingin Sanomat on 3 June, 1937.
“All indications are that it will form a popular dining and meeting place for city residents and tourists alike.”
Eighty years later, the elegant restaurant with a view over Helsinki’s rooftops is still home to Alvar Aalto’s iconic Pendant Light A330S, relaunched in an updated form to celebrate the anniversary.
Aalto created the original pendant light specifically for The Savoy, whose interior he and Aino were commissioned to design. Made from a single piece of brass, it cast golden reflections and a light both warm-toned and diffuse, quickly earning it the nickname the “Golden Bell”.
Like its predecessor, the new "Golden Bell Savoy" is also crafted from a single piece of brass, but its surface is uncoated. The result is a natural oxidation that starts right after production and eventually ages into a beautiful patina.
Restaurant Savoy, Helsinki
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A string of "Golden Bells" illuminate the intimate dining tables, also designed by Alvar Aalto
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A view of Restaurant Savoy's entrance, featuring its immediately recognisable wooded beam construction
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Warm tones remain an intrinsic part of Restaurant Savoy's unique character
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Upon close inspection, A330S "Golden Bell" reveals its beautiful brass patina
Both homage to the past and celebration of the present, the Golden Bell Savoy embodies the original Artek spirit. Simultaneously streamlined and warm, it’s certain to join its sibling as one of the company’s most long-lasting and beloved designs.