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    Bentley curates Scandinavian architecture and design travel experience

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    Promotion: in 2023 Bentley Motors launched an architecture and design-centred travel experience around Scandinavia, with highlights that included a stay at Wingårdhs’ forest hotel in Sweden and a tour of BIG’s studio in Copenhagen.

    The Extraordinary Journey Scandinavia tour was one of a series of curated travel experiences presented by Bentley in 2023, offering the opportunity to explore attractive destinations from behind the wheel of its luxury cars.
    The five-day, four-night tour started in Stockholm, where guests were collected from the airport in a chauffeured Bentley and taken to their first night’s stay in the world-renowned Ett Hem hotel.
    The first night’s stay was at Stockholm’s Ett Hem hotelWith interiors created by designer Ilse Crawford, the hotel is known for merging luxury with a feeling of home, with spaces that encourage guests to relax and mingle as if at a manor house.
    The hotel hosted a welcome reception, dinner in the library and a nightcap for the small party of guests on day one to get to know each other.

    On day two, attendees took the wheel of one of several Bentley models on offer and began the journey south through Sweden’s forests, with Scandinavia’s finest architecture and design destinations guiding the way forward.
    For lunch on day two, attendees stopped at NaturehouseFor lunch, the tour stopped at Naturehouse, a sustainability-focused lakeside spa by Tailor Made Arkitekter that merges the forms of a barn and a greenhouse, before continuing to reach the Trakt Forest Hotel in Småland in the afternoon.
    Designed by Wingårdh architecture studio, the hotel features just five suites that are raised high into the treetops on stilts, giving guests the chance to feel immersed in nature.
    The suites are “a true representation of Bentley’s design values of sustainability, materiality, and innovation” said the brand, and guests had the opportunity to relax in the sauna or hot tub before joining the hotel owners Sandra and Mattias Sälleteg at a drinks reception.
    The evening also included dinner in a forest near the hotel, which was made by Michelin star chef Niklas Ekstedt and celebrated natural ingredients coming together “to create something greater than the sum of its parts”.
    Lunch on day three took place at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture ParkDay three saw the group continue the drive south through Sweden’s forests and stop for lunch at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park, built around two converted stone barns with interiors by Kristina Wachtmeister.
    They then drove on through Malmö and across the Öresund Bridge, the longest bridge in Europe, connecting Sweden and Denmark, before switching to chauffeured transport once again for the final stretch of the journey to Copenhagen.
    With accommodation at the Nimb Hotel in Tivoli Gardens, guests had ample opportunity to explore Copenhagen, including dinner at a world-renowned Nordic restaurant and then a city tour hosted by the Danish Architecture Centre.
    Day four included a tour and lunch at Bjarke Ingels Group’s studioThere was also a tour of Bjarke Ingels Group’s studio, hosted by a member of the team who gave insights into their creative practice. Lunch was also held within “the beating heart” of the office.
    Bentley’s Extraordinary Journey continues in the UK in 2024 with a programme where attendees will experience a scenic route starting at Crewe, the home of Bentley Motors, to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. The UK programme runs from 19 to 22 August and 2 to 5 September.
    For more information and to register interest, visit the Bentley website.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Bentley as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Spacon & X adds kombucha brewery to 1930s functionalist building in Copenhagen

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      Danish studio Spacon & X preserved “different layers of unique history” when designing the Folk Kombucha brewery, which is set within a listed building in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District.

      The factory belongs to fermented-tea brand Folk Kombucha and features a production area for kombucha brewing overlooked by a mezzanine level used for workshops and other social events.
      Spacon & X designed a brewery for Folk Kombucha in CopenhagenLocal firm Spacon & X aimed to balance the history of the 1930s functionalist building with its contemporary needs when designing the interior, which is led by cobalt blue, orange and pink accents.
      “The buildings in the Meatpacking District are from the 1930s and have a strong character,” said architect Malene Hvidt.
      “Our design team aimed to preserve different layers of unique history,” she told Dezeen.

      Mustard-hued floor tiles were preserved in the renovationSpacon & X maintained the building’s “archetypal Meatpacking white-tile walls” as well as mustard-yellow and green marble floor tiles.
      Translucent iridescent panels were placed behind the various stainless steel fermentation tanks to delineate spaces within the brewery.
      The studio also maintained the building’s green marble flooringStainless steel was also used to form the extensive network of pipes connected to the tanks as well as custom tables and benches topped with bright blue rubber.
      This tangle of tubes was echoed with the addition of spaghetti-shaped wire lighting.
      “The buildings in the area are all known for their white facades with windows and panels painted in a strong cobalt blue colour,” explained Hvidt. “Cobalt blue was chosen to pay tribute to the area itself.”
      A mezzanine overlooks the main production areaSpacon & X created lounge tables by recycling plastic packaging salvaged from fish and other food waste, which was industrially produced at the site before it became the Folk Kombucha brewery.
      “Instead of throwing out this long-lasting hygienic material, we transformed it into unique custom-made tables,” Hvidt said.
      Hand-hammered steel lamps also feature on the interiorArtwork made of scoby — a culture of yeast and bacteria that kickstarts the kombucha fermentation process — was used to decorate the interior alongside bespoke hand-hammered steel lamps.
      Other spaces within the multipurpose building include offices, a separate lounge, a laboratory and various storage areas.

      Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

      “The brewery’s spatial design was created in a way that resembled and preserved the listed building’s long history and strong character,” said Hvidt.
      “The design also incorporates subtle, organic and innovative spatial solutions with functionality and uses the building’s industrial nature as a guiding principle.”
      Cobalt blue, orange and pink accents define the breweryElsewhere in Copenhagen, Spacon & X previously created the interior for a burger restaurant filled with natural materials and plants.
      The studio has also completed an Ace & Tate glasses store in the city, taking cues from colourful artists’ studios.
      The photography is by Hedda Rysstad.

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      Blobby sculpture functions as cash desk inside Rains’ Aarhus boutique

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      Rainwear brand Rains has juxtaposed minimalist restraint with free-form contemporary artworks inside its revamped flagship store in Aarhus, Denmark.

      The brand’s first-ever store, originally opened in 2016, was updated with the introduction of industrial touches such as graffiti and stainless steel hardware alongside custom works by local artists.
      “We want to tickle the customers’ curiosity,” Rains’ in-house design team told Dezeen.
      A blobby sculpture envelops the cash desk of this Rains storeAt the centre of the store, Danish artist Jacob Egebjerg played with the convention of the cash desk by creating a vast sculptural element to envelop this functional area.
      Carved from polystyrene foam, the sculpture resembles a cascade of liquid caught mid-splash, which tumbles from the recessed, illuminated ceiling down to the concrete floor in a nod to the brand’s waterproof rainwear.

      The sculpture was created by Danish artist Jacob Egebjerg”The store was the first Rains store ever and we really wanted to manifest that with an extraordinary installation,” the design team explained. “Egeberg was tasked with creating a work of art with an integrated desk that would attract the attention of passers-by.”
      “It brings a contrast to the clean shapes and surfaces of our point of sale,” the team added. “Our products are very clean, so to add contrasts to our stores, we use shapes and surfaces to create this duality.”
      It was carved from polystyrene foamAllowing Egebjerg’s sculpture to take centre stage, the rest of the store is an exercise in cool, restrained minimalism.
      Display cases are formed from industrial materials such as stainless steel and glass, chosen for its transparent qualities.
      “Your eye can see the full room and isn’t blocked by a non-see-through material,” the team explained. “The products are just floating in the room.”

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      Echoing the qualities of the glass and steel, the Rains team used large-format concrete tiles for the floor, creating a “modern, refined but still simple base for the sculpture”.
      Downstairs, in a rare concession to softness, the design team opted for a custom black carpet with a distressed patina effect – another nod to the industrial.
      “The carpet was chosen to give the white room a contrast and some more depth, while also providing some great acoustic benefits,” the design team explained. “The raw ‘scratchy’ print has been chosen to match the raw expression in the walls and ceiling.”
      Graffiti by Peter Birk covers the staircaseOn this level, a futuristic black display plinth was carved from the same polystyrene foam as the sculpture on the ground floor.
      Against a palette of greys and whites, colour leaps out in the form of another site-specific artwork: a graffiti-inspired piece that decorates the staircase, designed by Rains and realised by local artist Peter Birk.
      “When we work with external artists, we also let them express themselves so their personal style shines through,” the brand explained.
      Another styrofoam sculpture forms a display stand in the basementOther sculptural shop interiors featured on Dezeen include a swimwear pop-up by SKIMS with a three-tiered diving board at its heart and an “otherworldly” moss-covered installation at a luxury bag store in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
      The photography is by Rains.

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      &Tradition designs entire apartment in takeover of Copenhagen townhouse

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      Danish furniture brand &Tradition has opened the doors to a four-storey showroom in Copenhagen, featuring a complete apartment and rooms designed by Jaime Hayon and Space Copenhagen.

      Unveiled during 3 Days of Design in an exhibition titled Under One Roof, &Tradition’s design team has transformed the interior of a century-old townhouse on the historic Kronprinsessegade.
      The Apartment takes over the top floor of the townhouseThe top floor has become The Apartment, an entire home interior that is described by Els Van Hoorebeeck, creative and brand director for &Tradition, as “the cherry on the cake”.
      Despite being completely kitted out in the brand’s products, it was designed to have the feel of a lived-in space rather than a showroom.
      Designed by &Tradition’s in-house team, the spaces combine classic and contemporary”When you enter, you feel this balance between colours and neutrals, between wood tones and glass or metal, and between classic and contemporary designs,” Van Hoorebeeck told Dezeen.

      “There’s a lot of product in there, but you don’t notice it,” she said.
      The bedroom showcases a quilted bedspread by Swedish-Danish duo All the Way to ParisSpanish designer Hayon has created two rooms on the first floor, which give an insight into the creative process behind products he has developed for &Tradition.
      The first, called Cabinet of Curiosities, features a glass display case filled with objects and drawings, revealing the forms and images that inspire Hayon’s designs.
      Jaime Hayon has created a room called Cabinet of CuriositiesThe second presents new works by Hayon – including the Momento vessels and a limited edition of his Formakami pendant lamp – in a scenography framed by large silhouette characters. This room is called Teatro Surreal.
      “We felt it was important to show the world that his products come out of,” said Van Hoorebeeck.
      Jaime Hayon’s Teatro Surreal creates a scenography for his new productsThe two rooms by Danish interiors studio Space Copenhagen can be found on the second floor.
      These spaces include a studio and, building on the studio’s experience in hotel and restaurant design, a dining room. Here, shades of green and brown combine with fresh herbs and plants to bring a sense of nature.

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      New products are peppered throughout these two rooms.
      They include the Trace storage cabinets, which are filled with kitchen utensils and tableware, and the Collect rugs.
      Space Copenhagen has created a dining room in shades of green and brownFounded in 2010 by Martin Kornbek Hansen, &Tradition combines contemporary and classic design in its collections.
      The brand has been based at 4 Kronprinsessegade since 2018, but the building primarily served as a headquarters, with offices located on the upper levels.
      Verner Panton’s Flowerpot lamps feature in several roomsThe company has now moved its offices to another nearby location, which made it possible to open the entire townhouse up to the public for the first time during 3 Days of Design.
      Other spaces revealed in Under One Roof include the Verner Panton Lounge, which is dedicated to mid-century pieces by the late Danish designer such as the 1968 Flowerpot lamps.
      An archive room is filled with original drawings and vintage samplesThere are also rooms designed to appeal to the senses. These include the Listening Lounge, a relaxed space filled with music, and Mnemonic, which centres around a range of scents.
      Other key spaces include a “workshop” showcasing the possibilities of the modular workspace furniture, an archive filled with original drawings and vintage samples, a cafe and a shop.
      A cafe and shop are located on the ground floorVan Hoorebeeck hopes the spaces will help tell the stories behind the products.
      “What we wanted to do here is to create a whole universe,” she said. “Every room is based on showing a different atmosphere between contemporary and classic designs.”
      “Now the layout of the house is set and every year we’ll just adapt it,” she added.
      The photography is courtesy of &Tradition.
      3 Days of Design took place in venues around Copenhagen from 7 to 9 June 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for information, plus a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Norm Architects devises understated HQ for children's lifestyle brand Liewood

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      A refined palette of oak, plaster and steel defines the interior of the Liewood headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by local practice Norm Architects.

      The pared-back 2,200-square-metre office was conceived to give prominence to Liewood’s colourful, Scandi-style children’s clothes, toys and homeware.
      Norm Architects has completed Liewood’s Copenhagen headquarters”With the ambition to create a comfortable space with a somewhat understated character, we worked to let the space obtain its significance through the thoughtful use of tactile elements such as textured plaster walls and contrasting elements like oakwood and steel,” explained Sofie Bak, an architect at the practice.
      Staff enter the five-floor office via an airy light-filled lobby that is anchored by a rounded counter, roughly washed with sandy-beige plaster.
      Plaster podiums provide display space on the first floorCone-shaped pendant lights are strung along the ceiling while oversized stone tiles are laid across the floor, helping to “emphasise the grandeur” of the space.

      A pre-existing staircase curves up to the first floor, which accommodates a showroom. This part of the building formerly served as a production hall, with a vast scale that could easily feel empty and unwelcoming, according to Norm Architects.
      At mealtimes, staff can gather in The ParlourTo counter this, the practice constructed what it describes as a “warm wooden core” – a house-shaped oakwood volume with built-in shelves for showcasing Liewood’s products.
      Large, plaster-coated display plinths are dotted across the rest of the room. At the back is a short flight of wide, wooden stairs where staff can sit and chat throughout the day.

      Norm Architects creates warm yet minimalist interior for Y9 sailing yacht

      More products can also be presented here on bespoke podiums that, thanks to cut-outs at their base, are able to slot onto the steps.
      The building’s first floor also contains The Parlour – a kitchen and dining area where Liewood employees can enjoy meals together. It features a large travertine table, a series of plump grey sofas and graphic art pieces by the Danish designer Sara Martinsen.
      Traditional work areas can be found across the rest of the HQWork areas throughout the rest of the HQ are furnished with practical desks and storage units that match the off-white walls, while meeting rooms are fronted with panes of glass to foster a sense of openness.
      As the building’s original staircase didn’t extend all the way to the fifth floor, Norm Architects installed a spiralling set of white-steel steps.
      These grant access to a space the practice refers to as The Apartment: a secondary showroom designed to have a more intimate, homely feel.
      The top floor accommodates The Apartment, a more intimate showroomElsewhere, Norm Architects recently took its minimalist aesthetic off-shore when designing the interiors of the Y9 sailing yacht, decked out with supple suede furnishings and wood-panelled surfaces.
      The photography is by Jonas Bjerre Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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      Johannes Torpe Studio creates “hedonistic” restaurant in Copenhagen

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      Danish design studio Johannes Torpe Studio added natural materials and metallic accents to the interior of Copenhagen restaurant Levi, which was informed by Italian and Japanese cuisine.

      Designed by Johannes Torpe Studio in collaboration with restauranteur Copenhagen Consepts, The Levi restaurant was created as a tribute to Italian grappa distillery Romano Levi.
      Organically-shaped chrome wall lights create an accent wall”Romano Levi was the inspiration behind the concept of creating the hedonistic atmosphere, which the restaurant invites to enjoy,” studio founder Johannes Torpe told Dezeen.
      “We also used his drawings as a foundation and inspiration to create the logo, brand colours, menu and livery paper textures, as well as when choosing the tableware and cutlery.”
      The bar has a green marble countertopDescribed by the studio as “daring and lively”, the interior design aims to create an indulgent setting that reflects the restaurant’s fusion menu.

      Johannes Torpe Studio added a U-shaped bar at the entrance of the restaurant, which features a green marble counter topped with a polished stainless steel glass rack and conical uplights.
      “We are very much in love with the classic Milanese restaurants, where the whole atmosphere is hedonistic, and everything starts in the bar with an aperitif,” Torpe said.

      Elements inside Copenhagen restaurant Hverdagen are made from a single Douglas fir tree

      Custom-made chrome wall lights with organic shapes create an accent wall, designed to add a playful juxtaposition to the natural finish of the larch wood used for built-in furniture and to cover beams and columns.
      Terrazzo flooring in shades of cream, green and deep green was arranged in geometric patterns to help define seating areas.
      Larch wood clads the beams and columns”There is no doubt that the use of chrome elements on the bar, walls, tables, and chairs with wool fabrics is a sharp contrast to the plasterwork around the kitchen area, as well as the consecutively used deep brushed larch wood that is going through the whole restaurant,” said Torpe.
      “The combination of these materials adds a warm and soft element that has Japanese as well as Danish design roots,” he added.
      “We aspire to guests getting the feeling of being in a third space, a feeling of travelling, a break from everyday life and giving that immersive experience a great restaurant should do.”
      The bathroom was finished in peach coloursAlongside the restaurant, the bathrooms were finished in monochrome peach tones with strip lighting around the ceiling perimeter highlighting the ribbed surface of the walls.
      Other restaurants completed in Copenhagen include a cosy Michelin-starred restaurant finished in dark earthy tones and an eatery with furnishings and fixtures made from Douglas fir wood.
      The photography is by Alastair Philip Wiper.

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      Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

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      Bulbous steel tanks hang from where carcasses used to be suspended at the ÅBEN brewery in Copenhagen, which local studio Pihlmann Architects transformed from a slaughterhouse into a restaurant and bar.

      Located in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, the brewery is housed in a 1932 butchery that has been used for various commercial activities since the early 1990s.
      Visitors enter ÅBEN through the building’s original blue-rimmed doorsPihlmann Architects maintained and restored many of the slaughterhouse’s original features as part of the renovation for Danish beer company ÅBEN.
      “Turning the space back into a food production facility, with all the pragmatic measures we had to keep in mind, generated our ideas from the very beginning,” studio founder Søren Pihlmann told Dezeen. “Bringing back the authentic character of the space was key.”
      Conical steel fermentation vessels were suspended where carcasses used to hangArranged across one open-plan level, the brewery features the original gridded rail system from which 980 carcasses used to hang when the space was a slaughterhouse.

      Pihlmann Architects replaced the carcasses with conical fermentation tanks that are reached via a low-hanging galvanised steel walkway – also suspended from the listed building’s original sawtooth roof.
      Pihlmann Architects was led by the building’s industrial historyGeometric clusters of white wall tiles that have been preserved since the 1930s were also kept in place, echoing the brewery’s original purpose.
      “Bringing the key elements back to a worthy condition was more of a task than deciding on which [elements] to keep,” noted Pihlmann.
      Semitransparent curtains divide spaces and control acousticsSpaces are delineated by slaughterhouse-style semitransparent curtains, which cloak various dining areas that are positioned around the restaurant’s central open kitchen where visitors can experience the brewing process up close.
      Furniture was kept simple and “unfussy” in order to emphasise the restaurant’s industrial elements, including angular chairs and bar stools finished in aluminium and wood.
      “The [material and colour] palettes are true to function on the one hand and [true to] history on the other,” said Pihlmann.

      Crimson red flooring runs throughout the brewery, which was in place when the building was purchased. It was maintained to add warmth to the otherwise clinical interiors.
      At night, the restaurant’s electric light absorbs this colour and reflects from the fermentation tanks, creating a more intimate environment.
      A central open kitchen is flanked by bar stoolsMaking the food production processes visible was at the core of the design concept, according to the architecture studio.
      “It’s not only about the preparation of the food, it’s more about the brewing taking place,” continued Pihlmann.
      “The space which produces thousands of litres every day is open for everyone to step into, and actually see how and where the product they consume is produced.”

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      “Today, we are so detached from what we consume, we just go to the supermarket and pick it up from the cold counter having no clue where it’s coming from,” he added.
      “I’m not that naive to think that ÅBEN alone will change anything, but I’m convinced that it’s important to change this detachment.”
      The slaughterhouse’s original white tiles were preservedPihlmann described his favourite aspect of the project as “how the elements we’ve added both submit to and utilise the existing space, not just visually but also through their structural function”.
      “The building is built to carry a huge load,” he reflected. “Back then, it was tonnes of dead meat. Today, it’s enormous serving tanks from the ceiling.”
      Founded in 2021, Pihlmann Architects was included in our list of 15 up-and-coming Copenhagen architecture studios compiled to mark the city being named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023.
      Previous slaughterhouse conversions include a training school for chefs in Spain that was once used to butcher meat and a cultural centre in Portugal that is currently being developed by Kengo Kuma and OODA.
      The photography is by Hampus Berndtson.

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      MEE Studio creates wood-and-copper interior for cafe in former church in Copenhagen

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      Architecture firm MEE Studio has designed the interiors and bespoke wooden furniture for a cafe and boutique in the Nikolaj Kunsthal art gallery within an old church.

      The municipality-run gallery, which is set in a deconsecrated church in central Copenhagen, asked MEE Studio to design a “lively and functional” space.
      Before designing the interior spaces, which feature warm and tactile materials such as copper and wood, the rooms in Nikolaj Kunsthal first had to be restored.
      The gallery is located in a former church”The spaces had been used for various purposes since the 1980s including art installations and other changing uses,” MEE Studio founder Morten Emil Engel told Dezeen.
      “This has left the spaces with remnants of ad-hoc electrical wiring, bricked-up arches, blocked-off windows and arbitrary lighting. Additionally, there was no water supply or plumbing in the spaces that now have the cafe.”

      The studio reestablished the grand door and window openings in the space and replaced the old acrylic paint with breathable lime-based paint, while also adding acoustic plaster to improve the acoustics of the spaces.
      Untreated copper was used as a backsplash for the barAt the centre of the cafe, Engel created a long bar that also functions as a ticket counter and is made from solid oak wood.
      Wood was also used for all the other furniture, including benches, tables and sculptural shelves, which Engel designed specifically for the project using European oak from sustainable forestry.
      “I wanted the benches to reference church benches – a bit chunky and heavy,” he said. “The church architecture is very robust with the church tower having two-metre thick walls. So the furniture had to have some substance to them.”
      The furniture complements the “robust” church architectureEngel also aimed to give the pieces a contemporary feel by fusing their “heavy look” with more contemporary elements.
      “All the furniture has visible joinery and tectonics in fumed oak, which allows the user to see how they are made and assembled,” he said.
      “I added some decorative inlays in the bar counter and boutique shelves. Inlays were traditionally used as a way of repairing wood and I wanted to symbolise that repair can be beautiful and sustainable,” he added.
      “In this way, it is sending the message that the furniture should have a long life and be repaired if it ages.”
      Artworks decorate the walls, here Pull by Martha HviidBehind the central bar, a copper backsplash adds an eyecatching material detail together with the matching sink and worktops, which were designed in reference to the roof of the old church.
      “As many traditional buildings in Copenhagen, the roof of St Nikolaj Church is made with traditional copper roofing, which has aged to a rich green patina over time,” Engel said.
      “I wanted to reference the existing material palate of the church but use it in a new way. So the kitchen features worktops, sinks and backsplash in raw untreated copper, which will evolve beautifully with time.”
      Lime-based paint was used for the wallsThe white walls of the cafe and store were contrasted with not just the copper and wood but also a burgundy red fabric designed by fashion designer Raf Simons for Kvadrat, which was used for the cushions and backs of the sofas and chairs.
      The colour was a nod to some of the space’s original colour but could also help disguise red wine spills in the cafe.
      “Oakwood was already used throughout the church so it seemed natural to use oak as a material,” Engel explained.

      OEO Studio uses materials in a “playful way” for Designmuseum Denmark cafe and shop

      “There was also the burgundy red paint which had been used originally for some woodwork, for instance, the stairs in the tower and the ceiling in what is now the cafe,” he added.
      “So it seems natural to work with an interpretation of the burgundy red for the color of the cushions. I matched the burgundy red to a fantastic Kvadrat textile designed by Raf Simons and it worked in providing vibrancy, but also as a practical colour in a cafe where red wine is served.”
      Red fabric was used for the seating, with the artwork Mercury (socks) hanging aboveAs well as the bespoke furniture pieces, the space was also decorated with carefully chosen artworks that have ties to the city of Copenhagen.
      “Mercury (socks) is a photograph by the famous Danish/Norwegian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset from a series of classical sculptures by the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen,” Engel explained.
      “The Thorvaldsen Museum is located only a few minutes away from Nikolaj Kunsthal, so the work relates both to art from the 19th century and contemporary art from the 21st century which is what you find in Nikolaj Kunsthal.”
      Other recent interior projects in Copenhagen include Space10’s headquarters, which has a kiosk-like design library, and the cafe and shop design for Designmuseum Denmark by OEO Studio.
      The photography is by Paolo Galgani.

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      Designmuseum Denmark exhibition asks visitors to “think about what kind of future we want”

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      Designmuseum Denmark has looked at how design can shape the future through its The Future is Present exhibition, which features projects including a tubular chandelier made from cow intestines.

      Presented at Copenhagen’s recently renovated Designmuseum, the exhibition showcases a range of “speculative and suggestive” works that examine four themes titled Human, Society, Planet+ and Imagining the Future.
      The MYX Chair is a mycelium and hemp chair that has “grown” itself”Design is very much a forward-looking profession,” said exhibition curator Pernille Stockmarr. “It’s about changing the existing into something better – and what we do in the present creates the future.”
      “Living in a time with major global challenges, this exhibition wants to invite people to see and reflect on the different potentials of design in this transformation and encourage them to think about what kind of future we want,” she told Dezeen.
      100 metres of cow intestines were used to make the Inside Out chandelierAmong the pieces on show is Inside Out, a chandelier-style lamp made from 100 metres of knotted cow intestines extracted from eight cows. Designer Kathrine Barbro Bendixen aimed to explore how byproducts can be used to rethink patterns of material consumption.

      Faroe Islands-based fashion brand Guðrun & Guðrun created Vindur, a ruffled dress with exaggerated bell sleeves made of woven silk and machine-knitted milk yarn sourced from dairy production waste.
      The brand worked with textile designers Amalie Ege and Charlotte Christensen and Lifestyle & Design Clusters to create the garment, which was made using a “traditional technique used during the inter-war period when resources were in short supply and waste was transformed into value,” according to the Designmuseum.
      A group of designers created a dress made from dairy wasteMore conceptual works include Beyond Life, a collection of biodegradable paper foam urns by designer Pia Galschiødt Bentzen with detachable pendants containing seeds that can be grown.
      “Beyond Life unites death, loss, and remembrance with the awareness that we humans are part of nature’s endless circle of life,” said Stockmarr.
      Also on show is Library of Change, a “map” of dangling acrylic foil cards charting current trends and technologies, inscribed with questions for visitors such as “would you leave the city for better connection?”
      Beyond Life is a collection of biodegradable paper foam urnsStockmarr explained that the exhibition aims to communicate “the breadth of design” by including works that vary in scale, purpose and medium.
      “Their ability to inspire, start conversations and make visitors reflect was a priority,” she said.
      “I didn’t want the works to be too-defined solutions for the future, extreme sci-fi visions, utopias or dystopias, but exploratory works. Some are collaborative research projects and others provide foresight into design methods, handicrafts and creative experiments.”
      Library of Change is a project that encourages visitors to question the future of designAlongside the various projects in the exhibition, artefacts from the Designmuseum’s own archive that highlight past ideas for the future are also on display.
      One of these designs is the three-wheeled vehicle Ellert, Denmark’s first electric car developed in the 1980s by engineer Steen Volmer Jensen.
      Ellert was Denmark’s first electric carLocal studio Spacon & X created the exhibition design for The Future is Present with the aim of reflecting its themes.
      The studio delineated the show’s various zones using modular bioplastic dividers that snake through the exhibition space and worked with natural materials including eelgrass, which was used to create acoustic mats to manage noise in the museum.
      Objects are arranged on custom tables and plinths made in collaboration with sustainable material manufacturer Søuld, while Natural Material Studio created a mycelium daybed for the show.

      OEO Studio uses materials in a “playful way” for Designmuseum Denmark cafe and shop

      Stockmarr explained that the show is meant to be a call to action and empower people to reflect on their individual roles in determining the future of design.
      “By asking more questions than giving answers the exhibition wants to inspire visitors,” reflected the curator.
      “The show acknowledges that it is not only designers, architects, craftspeople and experts, but all of us who are participating in shaping and designing the future by the questions we ask and the choices and actions we take today.”
      The Future is Present was designed by Spacon & X to be an immersive experienceSimilar recent exhibitions that explored the climate impact of materials include a show at Stockholm Furniture Fair that visualised the carbon emissions of common materials such as concrete and The Waste Age – a London exhibition that addressed how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture.
      The Future is Present is on display at Designmuseum Denmark from 19 June 2022 to 1 June 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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