It was a real party at the 3 Days of Design, celebrating the theme DARE TO DREAM. From June 12 to 14, 2024, the event brought the streets of Copenhagen to life, materializing with a concrete reflection on contemporary living between theme, concept, mission, and plenty of beauty to boot. For the occasion, the Danish capital proudly opened its gates to the most interesting designers on the scene, all without closing itself off to a passionate audience that traveled from one corner of Europe to another for a taste of Scandinavian design. And we're not just talking about aesthetics. Behind the maxi-manifestation drawing in the entire design sector, there were a slew of projects orchestrated by the organization. And so the community took to the streets with a single, simple focus: to come together to learn and explore, where showrooms, between new additions, exhibitions, and installations, have a story to tell and a Northern European savoir-faire to display. Between certified woods and recycled metals, the latter is centered around a minimalist, multi-material, pastel-colored nature that continues to respect the environment. Bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, then, are arranged behind the Capital's display windows, showcasing just how important design is for the country’s DNA, prioritizing values like care, elegance and wellbeing. In this orderly and joyous setting, among the must-see events were Louis Poulsen's 150th anniversary, Muuto's Design Competition and Hem's house party. Vitra also presented its new sofa created through a collaboration with Stefano Panterotta and Alexis Tourron, while raawii unveiled ARBA, the new — and first — lounge chair created together with Erwan Bouroullec. Artek, on the other hand, teamed with Tekla to reveal a selection of fabrics bringing Aino Alto's cherry blossom print to the market. Gubi then presented three new limited editions of the Pacha Chair for UNICEF, and Fredericia launched its new chairs by accompanying the product to a meet and greet event with Barber Osgerby and Jasper Morrison. Of course there was IKEA, who helped 3 Days of Design to shape a series of audio content to be heard throughout the day. After all, design is an experience that goes beyond touch. Among the many products on display, then, these are a few of our favorites, speaking volumes in silence.
The exhibition from Tableau
Since 2018, the creative and multidisciplinary studio Tableau, founded by floral designer Julius Værnes Iversen, is a place paying homage to art and design. Engaged in a constant dialogue between fantasy and geometry, the project is on double duty in the Danish capital with a gallery and concept store, collaborating with the likes of Hermes, Tom Dixon and many others. This year, at the 3 Days of Design event, Tableau hosted an exhibition of talented artists and designers, offering insight into the concept of functional art. The exhibition underscored the company’s dedication to fostering an interconnected community of creatives, as well as creators, driven by the project that forges collaborations and fosters individual and collective progress.
The Ordinary x Home in Heven
It’s a green light for new collaborations. Here, beauty brand The Ordinary, which was present in the heart of Copenhagen during the 3 Days of Design, inaugurated a face-to-face experience with New York-based design studio Home in Heven, recently back from a successful project with Coperni, securing them a tour around the world and web. For the Danish event, however, the brand dedicated to simple skincare and the creatives known for their skill in shaping glass created an interactive installation instigating a reflection on the theme of reuse. How can we turn skincare bottles into useful, designer pieces? This is the answer, exploring pressing issues while crossing the threshold of the contemporary salle de bain with a creative idea.
Center Center by Form Us With Love for String Furniture
The keyword here is recycling. After all, since its inception, the Swedish brand String has grounded its production in themes of reuse and recycling, giving life to each piece in the local territory with a focus on quality raw materials. Celebrating its 75th anniversary at the Danish event, they’ve presented the collections Relief by TAF Studio and Center Center by Form Us With Love. While the former line courts the understated, minimalist lines that distinguish Scandinavian design, the latter reveals metal bodies that present modular systems in response to the demand for order both inside and outside the home. In fulfilling the desire for storage, Center Center brings plenty of color to the living room and office.
Collage by Faye Toogood for FRAMA
Art. Design. Food. There are many fields in which the Danish brand FRAMA has devoted its attention, creating quality projects that cross into the contemporary home. This year, for 3 Days of Design, they’ve kickstarted a collaboration with British creative Faye Toogood, giving life to the Collage collection: from the name to the work itself, the multifaceted line fuses a number of disciplines to shape an installation that can be enjoyed at the Apotek 57 restaurant. Here, visitors were invited to dine in a space of voids and volumes, and planes and shapes in contact with a series of layered tables, surfaces and screens. Meanwhile, in FRAMA's central showroom, Faye Toogood brought color and proportion, offering a new perspective on contemporary design.
Asics x HAY
Presented exclusively at HAY's flagship store — the HAY House, in the heart of Copenhagen — the collaboration with Asics was an instant hit. After just a few days, in fact, the project has been shared far and wide online, confirming the strong link between design and fashion. Together, the two brands worked on the most iconic Asics shoes: the Skyhand OG, which the world has worn since 1994. Here, the Danish brand got creative, reviving the color palette and relaunching the streetstyle accessory that for many completes the everyday outfit. From the archives to the contemporary, the collaboration has also given life to a matching bag and sock.
Circular Landscapes - The Venti by Marcus Götschl for Folk
With Circular Landscapes, Icelandic brand FOLK returns to the 3 Days of Design by reflecting on the Earthly availability of materials. Exploring new creative ways of making and fleshing out objects ready to cross into the contemporary home, the brand has lent its savoir faire around recycling to the Danish capital. Here, visitors saw three new collections on display: The Lava Glass Collection by NAVET, The Venti by Marcus Götschl, and The Platform by Tinna Gunnarsdóttir. In particular, The Venti line materializes in a metal coffee table made from the waste material of ventilation systems. In doing so, the word recycling is given a dimension, a shape and a transparency that enters the domestic sphere.
Magical Garden by PoppyKalas for Layered
At this year's 3 Days of Design, Layered — a Swedish brand — presented its new collections, created in collaboration with PoppyKalas, Teklan and Evelina Kroon. In particular, PoppyKalas' Magical Garden line captures a exploration on the brink of fantasy. The craftsmanship of these contemporary-style rugs binds with the creativity of design, resulting in an elegant project that speaks of wonder and, somehow, of spring. Inspired by the beauty of a garden in full bloom, each piece in the collection is built on the leitmotif of the flower on the verge of blooming, recalling the pleasurable feeling of walking through a blooming and colorful garden.
