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All the creative stewing over lockdown has culminated with 3daysofdesign 2021 being Denmark’s annual design event’s best year yet.
September 27th, 2021
There was a certain buzz in the city as Denmark is officially “restriction free”. During the day, the showrooms buzzed with the mingling architecture and design community, along with local design enthusiasts who set out to immerse themselves in great design. But as is the case with Salone del Mobile in Milan, 3daysofdesign 2021 captured the attention of the entire city.
The evenings events were packed out, reminiscent of a pre-Covid existence. Seeing friends and meeting contacts face to face is, after all, half the excitement now in events like this.
Most brands use this event as an opportunity to showcase the new products they have been working on and the prototypes that aren’t yet in manufacture. Other brands use the opportunity to present their existing pieces in various new styles and finishes. All in all, the styling and curation of the exhibitions are a proud exhibition of the style and elegance of the Danes. It seemed the code this year was “simple yet striking”. The most successful designs and styles felt experimental and bold with a strong use of colour and a simple approach to materiality. There were many highlights to mention but a few stood out above the rest.
It was David Thulstrup’s time to shine this year on his home turf. He not only debuted his fabulous new range for Danish lighting brand Astep he also introduced the world to eco-brand, Søuld.
The exhibition began by showing you how David and his team have creatively re-imagined the use of eelgrass, a flowering underwater plant, into a dining table, a plinth, a coffee table as well as an acoustic screen. They have combined the grass-like material with glass and polished steel to give it a contemporary edge. There was a dedicated room in which you were able to appreciate the quality and properties of eelgrass and understand it in its naturally occurring form.
Another striking aspect of the exhibition was the way the seagrass enveloped the space in the distinctive smell of the sea. It’s a calming and speculative space that leaves one pondering the future of materiality in the design world.
As they do year after year, Danish founded brand HAY has produced a space you could only dream of living in. The brand has recently acquired two additional floors of their existing building and used the event to showcase the ‘HAY house 2.0’. Each floor of the HAY house has a different theme, from living to working, with a selection of curated accessories to compliment the furniture. HAY have also debuted the ‘Rey’ chair by Bruno Rey, with the classic design now undergoing a refresh with the brand.
Another highlight was the collaboration of Mette Hay with the artist Loji Höskuldsson, who have created a piece called ‘the Aftermath of a Garden Party’ in which they have taken the much loved Mags sofa and embroidered the fabric with the playful symbolism of a party taking place in a garden.
The Danish design shop ‘Studio X’ is dedicated to showcasing the smaller more experimental brands found across Scandinavia. This is where you can discover a different aesthetic to the one found typically amongst Danish design brands. Featuring brands and designers such as Muller Van Severen, newcomer Vaarni Finland, Magniberg and Studio Macon for E15.
Vaarni Finland was a particular highlight, whose pieces have been much talked about after having a roster of super-talents, including Philippe Malouin, Cecilie Manz and Mac Collins contribute to their collection. The brand seeks to ‘bring back’ the use of traditional pinewood and uses an exceptional list of designers to do this.
This Danish ‘design house’ is a mix of some of the more established Danish brands with new and upcoming designers moving up through the building. Brands like Mobel Copenhagen, and New works can be found in this incredible building. Each company has their own designated space within the building, which gives the opportunity for visitors to find their favourite designers as well as stumble upon new brands.
Danish brand Mobel Copenhagen’s has recently taken space in the building with design and styling by David Thulstrup. Mobel is a promising brand in the design scene, one to keep an eye on.
Outside the city in the design district of Nordhavn, some of the larger and more established brands have made their home. Brands like Menu, Gubi, Vitra and Kvadrat can all be found in this part of the city.
Kvadrat flagship showroom designed by the Bourellec brothers featured a subtle yet striking exhibition by Peter Saville to celebrate his new range with the brand. The new collection consists of upholstery, curtains and a rug range. The exhibition displays the new curtain designed by Saville with a cleverly curated design to illustrate how the range was imagined. A combination of the iridescent curtain with the reflection of the water on the pier behind makes this space truly memorable.
Available at cultdesign.com.au
Available at cultdesign.com.au
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