Why Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design leaves such a lasting impression
Designers from Tokyo to Porto headed to Copenhagen to rethink what a design fair can be, with thoughtful collaborations and intimate, idea-led showcases.
It’s all about context and working together at 3 Days of Design. That’s the message that was hammered home at this year’s event, which functions as Copenhagen’s de facto design week. Designers and brands presented work in galleries and studios across the city and the fair was billed by many as the biggest competitor to industry behemoth Salone del Mobile – and for good reason. It has grown year-on-year since its establishment in 2013 and is now drawing an international cohort, with Spain’s Santa & Cole and Italian firms such as Flos and Alpi all taking part.
In truth, the two events are quite different: Salone del Mobile is focused on trade and the industry’s commercial side. Copenhagen, meanwhile, seems intent on putting the practice into context. “It’s rooted in the Danish way of thinking about design,” says Marie-Louise Høstbo (pictured above left), a Copenhagen-based creative director and curator. “Design is presented not as an event but as a lived, integrated part of daily life.” For proof, one only has to look at the showcase that Høstbo curated with Mycoworks, the company responsible for developing Reishi, a leather-like material created from mycelium (the root structure of fungi). Under Høstbo’s eye, the Californian brand worked with five Danish firms, including OEO Studio and Atelier Axo, to develop products that show Reishi’s practical applications. “We wanted to explore the potential of a new material – Reishi – while drawing inspiration from the historic principles of making functional, durable and beautiful designs,” says Høstbo. “OEO Studio’s glowing floor light, for example, invites us to see our interiors in a new way.”
OEO Studio’s Thomas Lykke (see Words With… below) agrees that the success of 3 Days of Design – and the Mycoworks showcase – lies in its ability to contextualise the industry. “Design is not only about aesthetics and chairs,” says Lykke. “It has its own vernacular and is a bridge to other cultures, understanding, sharing and questioning.”
So, is this what’s drawing people from across the world to 3 Days of Design? Gabriel Tan certainly thinks so. The Porto-based, Singaporean designer presented wares by his brand, Origin Made, in an apartment curated by Japanese furniture specialists Ariake and Spanish lighting manufacturer Parachilna (pictured above). In addition are rugs by Sera Helsinki and sculptures by Gen Taniguchi, master craftsman of the 300-year-old Nao Washi mill. “What is particularly striking is the open and collaborative spirit that is evident at 3 Days of Design, with brands regularly joining forces for showings because they understand that great interiors require lighting, furniture, textiles and objects working in harmony,” says Tan. “Why compete when you can create something more compelling together?” It’s a question those presenting – and attending – 3 Days of Design seem intent on answering.
Monisse is Monocle’s design editor.
To enjoy Monocle’s full city guide to Copenhagen, click here.
