It’s looking set to be a packed three days across the Danish capital this year, with a wealth of landmark installations, launches, reissues and must-see exhibitions. Planning starts now, so here’s a taster of the best things to see.
The ‘Aalto 90 Pavilion’, Iittala
For 3 Days of Design, Iittala will be reimagining the ‘Aalto’ vase as a seven-metre-high structure at Ofelia Plads on Copenhagen’s harbourfront. The pavilion will be ‘a chapel for creativity – a space that embodies the harmony of nature, technology, craftsmanship and human innovation,’ says creative director Janni Vepsäläinen. Visitors will have the opportunity to step inside and ‘encounter its movement, softness and emotional power in a totally new way’. The aluminium construction is made in collaboration with the creative studio Tableau CPH and Hydro, which produced the precise and infinitely recyclable, low-carbon sections of the pavilion using 100 per cent renewable energy. It will also be the first chance to see the new ‘City’ collection of ‘Aalto’ vases, including ‘Tokyo’ (pictured top). iittala.com
‘Trisse’ collection by Nanna Ditzel, Fredericia
The latest Nanna Ditzel design to be reissued, created in 1962 and first known as the ‘Toad Stool’ in English, was first conceived as an item for children. Now, the ‘Trisse’ will also be available as a coffee, dining and bar table. They’re new interpretations of the design, but in another sense they are a continuation of Ditzel’s thinking – a way of allowing the object to do what it has always done, only more so. Those interested in Ditzel’s approach can delve into her work, and that of the rest of Fredericia’s designers, with a browse of the ‘Fredericia: A Chronicle of Danish Design’ exhibition at the brand’s showroom. Make sure you stop by the top floor too to experience the pop-up Trisse Bar. fredericia.com
‘Museum’ trolley and pedestal, String Furniture
Gabriella Lenke and Mattias Ståhlbom, founders of TAF Studio, will launch two new extensions to their popular ‘Museum’ collection (originally created for the reopening of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm) during 3 Days of Design. ‘Refined, purposeful and durable’, the new trolley and pedestal will bring a sense of archival style to your home. Raise your favourite piece of art on the pedestal or arrange your books on the trolley – it’s cool to be curated. stringfurniture.com
‘Sound Club’, Fritz Hansen
Listening rooms have become one of the biggest trends in decorating and, for this year’s 3 Days of Design, Fritz Hansen will be turning a space on Løvestræde into an exploration of sound’s role in how we experience interiors. Created in collaboration with Japanese audio brand Technics, one room will be a lounge where the new Fritz Hansen podcast plays, while in the second, you’ll find limited-edition ‘Kaiser Idell’ lamps (released to mark the 90th anniversary of the original design by Christian Dell) and Technics turntables in matching burgundy (pictured). Take a seat and enjoy the special musical compositions by Kim C (Oviduct) and William de Waal (Willone), or head to the courtyard, where you’ll find live DJ sessions. fritzhansen.com
Romo’s new Copenhagen showroom
Founded in 1902, Romo is a British textile brand through and through, but it would surprise some that, until now, it has not had a showroom in the Danish design capital. That changes this year. Opening on 10 June, the new space at Pakhus 47, in the city’s waterfront Nordhavn district, has been designed by Tonen Agency. Not only will it show the best of the firm’s six brands, which include Kirkby Design, but ELLE Decoration’s Editor-in-Chief Ben Spriggs will be holding a talk there during 3 Days of Design – Wednesday 10 June, 2pm. romo.com
‘Made to Return’ exhibition, Garde Hvalsøe
At the centre of this brand’s showroom at Esplanaden 8D, you will not find a new launch. Instead, CEO Søren Lundh Aagaard will be presenting an 11-year-old kitchen. Used in a real home for more than a decade, it has been brought back to make a point about longevity. It’ll be displayed alongside new cabinetry, the idea being that the difference won’t be immediately apparent, with age simply enhancing the design. Garde Hvalsøe has long been a brand that eschews trends, so this looks likely to be a point elegantly made. gardehvalsoe.dk
‘Daylight Instruments’ installation, Velux
Pas Normal Studios, a cultural hub for Copenhagen’s cyclists, will be the venue for window, blind and shutter brand Velux’s exhibition, featuring the work of Danish visual artist Christina Augustesen. Her sculptures, called Daylight Instruments (from which the show takes its name), play with light and the changing colours of the sky. In her hands, natural illumination becomes an active collaborator in the art. velux.co.uk
‘At Play’ installation, Georg Jensen
‘We’re building a garden on the street,’ creative director Paula Gerbase tells us of the pop-up on Højbro Plads that will invite visitors to play the King’s Game, reimagined by Gerbase and her team in wood and sterling silver for 3 Days of Design. On top of the wooden blocks that must be knocked down to win are characters inspired by the folkloric stories of Georg Jensen as a young boy, playing in the woodland area outside of his Copenhagen home. There will also be tables set out for people to play on the brand’s new silver mikado sets, a kiosk and a ring-toss game, where the ring will be a loop of Danish sailor’s rope tied with a silver neck. georgjensen.com
‘Japan’ sofa, Sea New York x House of Finn Juhl
‘The deviation is in the detail,’ Finn Juhl once remarked. He would therefore approve of the ornamentation at the heart of this collaboration with Sea New York, which sees the fashion brand’s hand-embroidered textiles, developed with Kjellerup Væveri, applied to his classic sofa, designed back in 1957. This piece and an accompanying chair will be unveiled at the brand’s showroom on Gothersgade as part of a spatial intervention by local design firm Mentze Ottenstein, which frames the pieces with brick plinths and cherry-wood screens. finnjuhl.com
Limited-edition ‘Panton Wire’, Montana Furniture
This year marks a century since the birth of legendary Danish designer Verner Panton – a friend of Montana Furniture’s founder Peter J Lassen, he helped to shape the daring use of colour and form that the brand has become known for. To be presented alongside other new pieces (including a ‘Block Colour’ edition of its ‘Paradigm’ sofa and a relaunch of the Montana Bathroom collection) at its flagship store at Bredgade 24, the limited-edition ‘Tangerine’ version of the ‘Panton Wire’ shelving system will be on sale for just one year. ‘With this limited release, we celebrate Verner Panton’s bold vision and his pioneering approach to colour,’ says CEO Joakim Lassen. montanafurniture.com
‘Thought/Ful’ installation, Stellar Works
Once again occupying space within the ‘Framing’ show at Copenhagen’s Odd Fellow Palace, Stellar Work’s meditation on the future of hospitality design is divided between two rooms: ‘Thought’, which highlights work by frequent collaborators Space Copenhagen, and ‘Ful’. The latter is where you will discover pieces by new associates, including Layan Studio, Yabu Pushelberg (which created the ‘Timothy’ collection, pictured) and Keiji Ashizawa Design. stellarworks.com
‘Triton’ collection, Royal Copenhagen
50 years since it first made waves in the Danish design world, Royal Copenhagen’s most sensational collection is being revived with an immersive installation at the flagship store in the city centre. First produced in 1976 in collaboration with the visionary Danish artist and goldsmith Arje Griegst, the technically complex service, with its whirling seashell forms and iridescent glazes, was discontinued in the 1990s and is highly sought-after among collectors. royalcopenhagen.com
‘Wood for the Trees’, Material Matters
Taking place within Material Matters at the historic waterfront Gammel Dok building in Christianshavn, this installation will take visitors on a spatial journey into the world of hardwood forestry. In collaboration with craft experts Benchmark and Mitre & Monday’s, this year’s presentation by AHEC (American Hardwood Export Council) will be more than a presentation of pieces; it’s an abstract arboreal setting examining every stage in the journey of hardwood timber from tree to finished product. americanhardwood.org
‘Into The Shades’ installation, Louis Poulsen
The lighting brand is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Poul Henningsen’s ‘System PH’ lighting with a large-scale installation at it’s HQ and showroom at Kuglegården. Designed by Copenhagen-based company Penny, it scales up the dimensions of the famous system using wood and fabric – allowing you to step inside the shades and experience the effect of the light. It will also be a first chance to see new products from the ‘Centenary’ collection and to pick up a sweet treat at the pop-up by La Glace patisserie in Louis Poulsen’s hut, in the centre of the courtyard. louispoulsen.com
¿Jaime, What Are You Doing? exhibition, St Leo
Paint brand St Leo is turning its showroom in Nordhavn into a gallery space, with the artwork of designer Jaime Hayon sitting comfortably against the backdrop of its wall finishes. Conceived as a tribute to Hayon’s mother, Raquel Benchimol, following her death, the exhibition reflects on the enduring presence of a mother’s love and its lasting influence: a way of seeing the world with optimism, and a constant drive to pursue your imagination. stleointeriors.com
‘The Grid’ exhibition, Normann Copenhagen
The brand’s showroom on Niels Hemmingsens Gade, will be the place to spot a wealth of new launches. Our attention will be directed towards the reissue of Niels Bendtsen’s ‘Limit’ lounge chair (pictured), though. First conceived in 1974, during the oil crisis in Copenhagen, the chair was designed for efficiency and with a conscious, no excess and no waste approach to materials. It’s an ethos that feels very right for today. Look out for the new outdoor version created using Sunbrella fabrics. normann-copenhagen.com
‘From Guesthouse to Playhouse’, Vipp
Vipp is now almost as fabous for its guesthouses, dotted in enviable locations around the world, as it is for its iconic bin, kitchens and furniture. This 3 Days of Design, the brand has worked with Barcelona-based studio Mesura to create a new pop-up guesthouse inside the Vipp Garage at its Copenhagen headquarters. A vinrant plaid fabric will be draped across the playful space, at the centre of which will be a special version of the Vipp ‘Swivel’ chair reimagined as a seesaw (pictured). vipp.com
‘The Carpark’, Tom Dixon
The British designer will be taking over Egmont carpark in central Copenhagen to showcase some of his latest and upcoming launches for indoor/outdoor living. A highlight will be a glossy new black version of his al fresco ‘Groove’ collection and a new compact outdoor version of the iconic ‘Melt’ lamp. tomdixon.net
‘I, Belong’ exhibition, Eldvarm
Founder Louise Varré will be exploring how our brains and wellbeing are linked to our relationship with fire. The exhibition, which will take place at The Conary includes new and exisiting works by Emma Olbers, Daniel Rybakken (his candleholders are pictured above) and Guillaume Delvigne, each of which tells the story of something we once did by the fire, and the science of why it still calms our nervous system today. eldvarm.com
‘Traces’ exhibition, &Tradition
The Apartment, &Tradition’s central Copenhagen showroom will be home to this exhibition that focuses on materiality and how heritage design and originality can, and should, coexist. To honour the centenary year of Verner Panton there will be a special anniversary version of the ‘Flowerpot’ lamp launched, as well as an addition to Hee Welling’s ‘Rely’ series that demonstrates the principles of circular design and a new lighting collection by Teruhiro Yanagihara inspired by the beauty of a straight line.
‘20 Years of New Perspectives’, Muuto
This 3 Days of Design Muuto is celebrating its 20th anniversary. There is a book to mark the occasion – Next Chapters in Scandinavian Design: Muuto on Creating Intentional Spaces, which will be available to buy at the brand’s showroom – but it’s the limited-edition launches that we are most looking forward to seeing. There’s the ‘Close to Heart’ aluminium chair by Spacon and the ‘Inner View Object’ by Lise Vester (both pictured above). Only 150 numbered versions of each will be made. muuto.com
