Design festival 3 Days of Design brings together over 250 exhibitors across the city of Copenhagen with a whole host of exhibitions, installations and showroom openings in June every year. It’s like the city comes to life, even more so when the sun is shining and everyone is in a good mood. I think it’s the feel good festival of the design circuit; where Milan is intense and overwhelming in its scale, 3 Days of Design has a more manageable, human scale, which is as much about connecting with the design world as seeking out inspiration.
So what did I notice this year? There was a heavy focus on Japanese-inspired design – everything from paper partitions and room dividers to chunky wooden stools and tactile ceramics. There was a lot of metal about, especially shiny metals like stainless steel and chrome jugs, lamps, sculptures and vases. Yellow was very strong this year, from pale buttery yellow to brighter pops of colour. The same can be said of blue. And I also noticed plenty of sheer or very fine net curtains, adding softness to spaces.
Here I’ve rounded up my favourite finds and new launches seen at the 2023 edition of 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen.
Carl Hansen & Søn – House of Craft
For 3 Days of Design, Carl Hansen & Søn turned their flagship store in Copenhagen into a ‘House of Craft’ to showcase the craftsmanship of their designs, both old and new. A focal piece was Poul Kjærholm’s PK1 chair, designed in 1955 and newly reissued this Spring. The chair has been scaled up slightly to suit today’s bigger bums, with a paper cord seat instead of the wicker it was originally designed with. The shots below were taken at the Barcelona pavilion by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich and really help to show off the form. Fun fact: it takes a skilled craftsperson 15 hours and 180 metres of cord to hand weave one of these curved beauties. Available from June 2023.
Carl Hansen & Søn have also relaunched two wooden coffee tables by Kaare Klint, both from the early 1930s. They look as fresh today as they did then, now available in sustainably sourced oak or walnut. The square version was originally intended for placing a radio on it, while the circular one was generous enough to be used when entertaining. Of course today they could take on multiple uses. Available from August 2023.
Also new for 2023 and on display in their courtyard was the new outdoor collection by Danish architect Alfred Homann. Designed with simplicity and clarity in mind, the collection features seven rigorously designed pieces of furniture. There’s dining tables and chairs, a bench and lounge tables, as well as a lounger. I love the curved detail of the slats in the table and the fact that the table and chairs are stackable so you can easily put them away in the winter months. The teak is left untreated so it can slowly patinate over time, and there’s the option of adding weatherproof cushions too. Available from March 2023.
All images courtesy Carl Hansen & Søn
MAZO
This chair – the ARCH lounge chair by MAZO – was one of my absolute favourite finds of the festival. It’s just so beautiful. It was originally designed in 1932 by Magnus Læssøe Stephensen, fusing the principles of the Bauhaus movement with the signature style of Scandinavian design. The chair is formed of two steam bent oak beams that form the armrests for the oak frame and the generous paper cord seat. The best detail is that the back of the chair can be adjusted to lean back or forth using a small leather strap.
‘My grandfather didn’t make it easy for the cabinet maker when he chose to make the legs steam bent like this; the angles of the corners tested the limitations of solid wood. However, the result is a unique design element where form and function are perfectly balanced,’ says Magnus Stephensen, partner at Mazo and grandson of Magnus Læssøe Stephensen.
The chair has been reissued in natural oiled oak, Ruby Red and Auberge Brown.
MAZO’s Yuki lamp by Danish designer Signe Hytte also caught my eye, named after the Japanese word for snow, as did the KYO ceramic collection by Snorre Lœssøe Stephensen, also inspired by Japanese design.
All images courtesy of MAZO
Fredericia
Danish brand Fredericia, which has recently become a certified B Corp, opened up its Copenhagen showroom to preview its new collections. My favourite from the new collection was Maria Bruun’s Pioneer stool. Available in three heights, the sculptural design pairs a soft, round cushion with a solid wood frame. I love that longevity has been kept in mind – the upholstery can be removed and replaced if need be.
‘I often see my works as sculptural and then take them into a functional world and try to transform the artistic ideas into functional
furniture. Pioneer was created from the desire for a beautiful and simple piece of furniture with presence and relevance,’ says Maria Bruun (whose outfit I’m incidentally loving!).
I’m also a big fan of the new colours for Børge Mogensen’s classic J39 chair, particularly the gorgeous Khaki green that feels very ‘me’. To celebrate being in production for 75 years, Fredericia has released the J39 in three fresh colours, each taking inspiration from Mogensen’s country house and design studio overlooking the fjord in Lynderup in Northern Jutland, Denmark. The Khaki green comes from the walls and doors, as well as the artworks on display, while the Pebble grey echoes the built-in fireplace. There’s also a vintage lacquered beech with a brownish tone. Fredericia plans to add more colours to the collection in September so watch this space!
All images courtesy Fredericia
Takt
For 3 Days of Design, Danish brand Takt introduced the Turn Chair and Turn Table collection designed by Lysemose & de Gier. The plywood designs have been specifically designed for small urban spaces and compact living environments, with rounded edges to aid comfort and create a sense of cosiness.
The key thing for Takt was elevating the small ergonomic details to create an honest design that was really functional and useable in a home tight on space. The chair is stackable, allowing you to stack three at a time in a compact rotating column. ‘The informal and unpretentious look of Turn Chair and Turn Table mask many technical details. We designed a goose-tail joint to connect the back to the legs to ensure a simple but supportive structure,’ Michael Lysemose.
The designs are also optimised to be really efficient in production. Each flat pack component has been shaped to minimise wastage from the sheet material. Takt has a transparency that is refreshing for the furniture industry; as well as issuing trademark climate reports, they also hold an EU Ecolabel and use FSC certified wood.
The Turn collection is made from EU-grown beech ply and comes in five vibrant colours, including natural beech, Japan red, Black blue, Copper green, and Sun yellow.
All images courtesy Takt
&tradition – Under ONE ROOF
For this year’s 3 Days of Design, &tradition opened the doors of its Copenhagen townhouse to the public with an exhibition titled Under ONE ROOF. The Danish brand have moved offices, releasing more space for its multi-storey showroom.
Now you’ll find their newly expanded Lille Petra Café and lounge on the ground floor, alongside (for 3 Days at least) a new shop selling a curated selection of products and accessories. On the upper floors there is a dining room by Space Copenhagen for events and an archive with original sketches and drawings. The journey through the home culminates with The Apartment on the top floor, bringing together the complete &tradition collection into an eclectic, lived-in domestic space. This is where they have tried to hone in on the signature &tradition style, showing how more classic designs can be paired with the new to create a complete sensory experience.
Some new launches are worth noting, including a new home accessories collection by Jaime Hayon called Momento (I particularly liked the cream candleholder), and a new hand soap and wash collection with branding designed by All the Way to Paris.
All images courtesy &tradition
New Works – A Poetic Disclosure
New Works collaborated with stylist Lotta Agaton Interiors to bring an element of Japanese calm and serenity to their Copenhagen showroom. The Danish brand encouraged visitors to slow down and dwell for a moment on the little details and tactile touches – there was even a Japanese tea ceremony to enjoy, hosted by 10, a small Copenhagen tea house owned by Yukiko and Simon. This all tied in with New Works’ quest to ‘elevate everyday practices’.
The exhibition, titled A Poetic Disclosure, was divided into two parts spread across two buildings; one being light and one dark. It was the bright, airy, gentle feel of the lighter space that captured my attention. Here you could find the Atlas series by John Astbury, which comprises a coffee table, dining table and stool in natural solid oak. The Bukowski chair, pictured around the Atlas dining table, has had an upgrade and now comes with a French cane seat. Although there were lots of people milling about, the show really did offer a dose of calm and tranquility.
Images courtesy New Works
Karimoku Case Study x New Mags
Japan-based brand Karimoku Case Study took over the New Mags store for 3 Days of Design this year, showcasing a range of products by Norm Architects, Keiji Ashizawa and Norman Foster. The brand was ‘born out of admiration and love for serene beauty, material richness and timeless appeal’. Karimoku Case Study is unique in that each of their collections is designed for a real architectural project or ‘case study’ before being put into production, connecting the designs to a particular place and context. The ENO Bowl and EMI Tray, for example, were designed by Norm Architects for Restaurant Äng and are now available from BonniBonne.
I particularly liked the paper pendants, which for the moment are just prototypes. I like how they have a translucent base so that you don’t get any glare from the bulb. Let’s wait and see if they put them in production.
Images Sandie Lykke Nolsøe
Koyori
Koyori was another Japanese brand showcasing at 3 Days of Design. They’re a relatively new brand, having debuted during Milan Design Week last year with five wooden chairs designed by Paris-based design studio Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec and Copenhagen-based GamFratesi. Their elegant designs embody a distinct Japanese aesthetic that is timeless and designed to be enjoyed for generations.
For 3 Days of Design, Koyori created a Japanese inspired pebble garden to exhibit their chairs. Amongst the display was a new series by GamFratesi and a new table by the Bouroullec brothers. GamFratesi’s Miau series now includes a table expertly crafted in oak or walnut using high precision joining technology so the top can seamlessly curve into the tapered legs. They also showed the new Edaha chair, which is comprised entirely of curved surfaces. Koyori had to create over 20 test prototypes to get it to work properly.
The Bouroullec brothers, meanwhile, presented the Nei and Usurai tables, both available in oak. The Nei table features a beautiful detail where the circular leg slots into the rectangular top, while the Usurai table is made using an ultramodern cross-cut lamination technique to reveal the layers of the white beech and oak veneer. Truly beautiful.
Images courtesy Koyori
