What once started as four brands exhibiting in a warehouse by the harbour has now become a city-wide staple of the design calendar. With over 400 brands from Denmark and around the world showing at this year’s iteration, 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen has become a must-see in the design calendar. What makes it stand out? Firstly, it’s open to everyone, free of charge, with exhibitions, installations and parties taking place across the city throughout the week. Expect to see work from small and emerging talents alongside some of the most established names in the industry.
This year’s theme, Make This Moment Matter, called for a shift away from looking to legends of the past or visions of the future for inspiration, instead encouraging a focus on the present. Here are some of the key moments from a jam-packed week.
Other Circle
Other Circle is almost a festival within a festival. With nearly 100 brands spread across three floors, it really does take on a life of its own. Launched during last year’s edition of 3 Days of Design, this year saw brands hailing four continents and 17 countries come together to showcase art, design, fashion, food and music. “Our ambition has never been to frame the conversation through a Scandinavian or European lens, but rather to highlight creative voices from across the globe,” says curatorial director Silas Adler. A personal highlight was Paa Joe, a coffin artist from Ghana. Another must-see was the installation by Pedestal, which showcased its bubblegum-pink TV stand atop a sculptural podium by Danish artist Jacob Egeberg. Alongside the brands on display, Other Circle presented a talks programme, live radio, an outdoor food court and a courtyard party that quickly became one of the week’s highlights.
Georg Jensen
Another standout was Georg Jensen’s presentation, At Play. Classic games and small everyday objects were reimagined in silver, bringing a joyful spin on the brand’s signature material. Some pieces took the shape of woodland creatures inspired by the landscapes surrounding Georg Jensen’s birthplace, Raadvad. My personal favourite was the sterling silver snail whistle. Games were set up in a garden space at Højbro Plads, where anyone could try their hand at ring toss or play The Toad’s Game, Georg Jensen’s interpretation of the Scandinavian lawn game Kubb. Not only were the pieces fun to play with, they were also beautiful to look at. “More than a collection, it’s an invitation to join us in celebrating our founding material: to enter our universe with curiosity, lightness and a generous dose of joyful competition,” says creative director Paula Gerbase.
Tekla
The Heart of Living saw Tekla celebrate and explore the tradition of patchwork quilting. Often used to tell stories, the quilts on display traced the history and inspiration behind the brand, using cotton bedding fabrics in colours drawn from its archive alongside antique Swedish quilting patterns reflecting both Tekla’s design history and identity as a Scandinavian brand. Throughout the exhibition were references to rural Scandinavian interiors and design traditions. The beds, for instance, were inspired by traditional box beds, commonly found in working-class Scandinavian homes during the 9th century. Made in Copenhagen from pine, the beds were adorned with Tekla’s latest heirloom-inspired broderie anglaise collection Collette, creating a thoughtful connection between past and present.
Project Materia
Nine different artists, one material. That was the premise behind Project Materia. Following last year’s inaugural edition, which challenged artists to work with historical materials such as bronze, marble and glass, this year’s participants were asked to create using a material defined by transformation. Developed by Mater, Matek™ is a new material made from discarded resources including coffee shells, sawdust and recycled plastic, forming a dense, tactile sheet material that can be moulded into a variety of forms. The exhibition highlighted the material’s versatility across disciplines, demonstrating that while every piece was created from the same source material, each artist brought a completely different perspective and expression to the challenge.
Littala
One of the most recognisable pieces in Littala’s collection is the Aalto vase. To celebrate 90 years of the beloved design, the Finnish brand partnered with Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro to bring its shape to life, both literally and figuratively. The result was a seven-metre-tall pavilion situated on Copenhagen’s waterfront, allowing visitors to step inside and experience the flowing contours of the classic vase. Designed by Tableau CPH, the silver structure was one of the week’s standout installations. Inside, visitors could explore the new limited-edition Aalto 90 City Vase collection. Inspired by six creative cities — Helsinki, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Berlin, New York and Amsterdam — the collection was produced in an edition of just 300 pieces, making it one of the most exclusive launches of the week.
Deoren
Independent curatorial platform Deoron brought together more than 30 designers to showcase work spanning furniture, lighting, homeware, technology and lifestyle within an industrial space on Paper Island. Exploring the intersection of design, sound and lifestyle, audio played a central role throughout the exhibition. A sculptural sound system sat at the heart of the space, hosting listening sessions, live performances and informal gatherings over the course of the days. It became a place where visitors came for design but stayed to unwind and connect. The standout piece for me, however, was the interactive pink sculpture by Berlin-based designers Stapelstein.
Wedgwood
One of the UK’s most historic craft houses, Wedgwood invited visitors to explore the creative process behind its signature Jasperware line. The installation offered an intimate look inside the brand’s Stoke-on-Trent factory. An ethereal photographic series by Lesley Lau tied the display together, capturing the stillness of the factory in the soft light of early morning. Completing the presentation was a carefully curated selection of rarely seen archival Jasperware pieces on display for all to see.
Photography by Itunu Oke.
