Four months ago, Danish dynamo’s Normann Copenhagen unveiled its newly conceptualised flagship store in Copenhagen, featuring a protruding mirrored corridor in the centre of the first floor, kitted out with rich pink velvet stairs which lead visitors down into a floor-to-ceiling-to-product basement.

Wanting to manifest the theme “raw and industrial”, the store has been designed to clash materials and texture in a kind of ‘you’d never put that with this’ way – but somehow, the stark opposition between the design elements are a match made in interiors heaven. This very strange blend of materials includes epoxy resin, steel, coloured acrylic and shimmering terrazzo.

What’s also interesting about the layout of the space is that the Normann Copenhagen design team seem to have borrowed some design strategy principles from the hardcore workplace sector. For instance, not unlike an agile office, the showroom is divided into four different areas: hall, stage, ballroom and gallery. Each is decorated completely differently so customers can easily identify and engage with the zones and their particular purpose.

“We want to give visitors the feeling they’re moving around in an art installation,” said Normann Copenhagen designer, Hans Hornemann. “We’ve played with the contrast between warm and cold in a contemporary interior environment that pays homage to premises that we feel are very worthy of preservation.”

Originally launched in 1999 by Jan Andersen and Poul Madsen, Normann Copenhagen has become increasingly responsive to new trends in the design industry, and their newest blend of workplace and showroom is strong indication that they’re not done experimenting just yet.

Want more? Grab a copy of Indesign magazine, issue #69 – on sale now!