The Dezeen team report from the 10th edition of 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen (7-9 June). Read on for all the coverage from the last day (Friday 9 June).
6:00pm As 3 Days of Design comes to an end in Copenhagen, the event’s founder and director Signe Brydal Terenziani reflects on this year’s theme “Where Would We Be Without You?”.
We need to work together to move forward
She told Dezeen “you don’t get anywhere by driving solo but on the other hand, you can achieve the most incredible things when you are willing to collaborate. Without all of those who have been involved over the last decade, there would be no festival at all – I am very aware of that.”
“We need to work together to move forward and create a world that our great-grandchildren can enjoy 100 years from now,” she added.
You can catch up on what happened across day one and day two at 3 Days of Design, which has been reported live by the Dezeen team on the ground, who were: Dezeen’s editorial director Max Fraser, editor-at-large Amy Frearson, deputy editor Cajsa Carlson, events guide editor Sophie Chapman, reporter James Parkes and, from Dezeen’s London HQ, digital editor Rupert Bickersteth and social media editor Kate McCusker.
5:30pm At Copenhagen book store New Mags, Japanese furniture brand Karimoku has taken over the space for an immersive exhibition during 3 Days of Design.
Japanese designer Keiji Ashizawa, who has designed a number of the furniture pieces in the store, told Dezeen that he has also recently designed a new Conran store in Tokyo.
“The design centres around Asia,” Ashizawa told Dezeen.
“Nowadays, when we can buy everything on the internet, people really want to go to a store to find special things. This store showcases craftsmanship from Asia and also has a tea shop that serves Japanese tea, as well as a section with designs by local ceramicists.”
Other designers whose work feature at New Mags include Norm Architects, which also designed the store, and Norman Foster – Cajsa Carlson
5:00pm Michael Anastassiades is presenting the latest designs from his eponymous lighting brand at 3 Days of Design, in a scenography that combines them with pieces from Dansk Møbelkunst, a gallery that specialises in rare Nordic furniture.
The exhibition, titled Stilleben 2, celebrates Anastassiades admiration for Nordic modernist design.
Anastassiades said that Stilleben 2 is intended as “a silent narrative of imaginative scenarios, proposing a situation where owners may have just left the scene” – Amy Frearson
4:30pm Following his talk with architect Anupama Kundoo at the Carlsberg Byen hub venue (see the 12:00pm update), Max Fraser was given a tour of the ongoing redevelopment of the old Carlsberg brewery.
Buildings, per se, are irrelevant: it’s the use of them that gives meaning to a place
Briq creative director Peter Bur Andersen is leading the curation of tenants and placemaking in the area.
“We are on a quest to co-create poetic places in the city and we can only do that with the right people and operators involved,” he said.
“Buildings, per se, are irrelevant: it’s the use of the buildings and the way that we interact with the architecture and landscape that gives meaning to a place,” Bur Andersen continued.
Kundoo also joined the tour, commenting “it’s a rich country and at least they’re having fun with their money!” – Max Fraser
4:00pm Following our exclusive preview on day one (see 10:00am update), you can now read the full story about Helle Mardahl’s Copenhagen apartment filled candy-coloured glass.
“It’s a candy world of flavours and colours, a universe that simulates your senses and feelings,” said Mardahl about the installation.
3:30pm Line Øhlenschlæger, one of the three founders of Yoonede, spoke to Dezeen about their exhibition at Gammel Mønt 21 featuring collaborative products, objects and interiors.
The idea is to lift everyone together
Yoonede is a newly formed exhibition concept from Øhlenschlæger, founded with product designer Sofie Østerby and interior architect Maaria Repo with the guiding principle of “togetherness through diversity”.
Several of the designs on display in the exhibition at this year’s 3 Days of Design are collaborations between two designers, like the Then Nothing Else project between ceramicist Signe Fensholt and furniture designer Anne Brandhøj.
Line told Dezeen said “The only stipulation we made to the artists, designers and brands involved was that they should be willing to combine with others who may or may not be on the same level.”
“Normally when you do a group exhibition, you have one designer in one corner and one designer in another corner, but the idea was here was to lift everyone together,” she continued – Amy Frearson
3:00pm Dezeen was given a tour of Danish brand Hay’s news for autumn, including colourful scalloped drinking trolleys by Belgian design duo Muller van Severen.
Hay also moved into clothes for the first time with a pyjama collection and in a colourful installation it showcased its storage crates, which are now made completely out of recycled plastic.
Also on display in the large store in central Copenhagen were the brand’s candles in new colour ways – Cajsa Carlson
2:00pm In addition to the show in its concept store (see 10:30am update from day one), Copenhagen-based design platform Tableau has an exhibition at Grønnegade 41 to showcase Light Sculpture, a recreation of a lighting design by the late Danish artist Poul Gernes.
Tableau founder Julius Værnes Iversen explored Gernes’ archives, where he found this rarely seen design for a pendant lamp that is made by cutting and shaping aluminium.
Tableau has created a faithful reproduction, in the same candy pink colour, as well as a new version that is scaled up by 50 per cent.
“He’s the most influential artist we have in Denmark, so I thought it was important to stay true to that,” Værnes Iversen said – Amy Frearson
1:00pm Taking place at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, furniture brand Fritz Hansen is presenting an exhibition titled Expressions of Character in the very rooms where famed Danish designers received their formative education.
In one of the rooms, iconic chairs by designer Poul Kjærholm for Fritz Hansen were deconstructed, tied and suspended from wooden frames – James Parkes
12:00pm Dezeen’s Max Fraser took part in a talk with Indian architect Anupama Kundoo about the power of human resources being infinite, urban design and the dangers of believing in a utopia.
What is the point of doing efficiently things that need not be done at all?
Titled Human Resources impacting Natural Resources: Time as a Resource, Kundoo ultimately asked “what is the point of doing efficiently things that need not be done at all?”
The backdrop to the talk are the exhibitions and installations in the Carlsberg Byen hub – Sophie Chapman
11:30am Nomad founder and architect Jutta Werner has launched a series of rugs named Candy Wrapper Rugs, which are made from waste candy wrappers and wool.
I see beauty in waste
According to Werner, the rugs were inspired by a trip to India. Candy wrappers are used through the weave of the textile rug and create a glittery effect in its surface.
The wrappers are also left exposed at the edges, becoming the fringe of the rug.
“I see beauty in waste,” she said – James Parkes
10:30am Founders of Stockholm-based furniture company Massproductions, Magnus Elebäck and Chris Martin spoke to Dezeen about a new shelving system Gridlock they are launching during 3 Days of Design.
Martin explained “a friend asked me to recommend a wall-mounted wooden shelving system, and I couldn’t really find a nice one. It made me think that there’s a need for a wooden shelving system, so I set about solving that problem.”
“I came up with the idea of having quite deep side panels and using that as the structure to make cantilevered shelves. You lock the shelf in with a special fixing that I designed, then you can make really neat grids,” he continued.
Gridlock is available in three different finishes: natural, white and black-stained ash. An online configurator will provide solutions to tailor shelves to fit individual walls – Amy Frearson
10:00am Before the 3 days of Design party last night, designer Tom Dixon played a gig at auctioneer Bruun Rasmussen’s gallery space in Bredgade, Copenhagen.
9:30am Last night the Dezeen team attended the 10th anniversary party of 3 Days of Design.
9:00am God morgen! And welcome to the third and final day at 3 Days of Design in the Danish capital Copenhagen.
Check out what the Dezeen team saw and who they spoke to yesterday in our day two coverage (8 June).
Kicking off day three, we report on this year’s edition of the Ukurant exhibition, which has taken over a carpentry workshop and features lamps made from egg yolks and a table “decorated with fire” (also see our preview in the 5.30pm update from day one’s coverage).
Located at the festival’s Refshaleøen Hub, the Ukurant showcase – held by young designers, for young designers – has turned Copenhagen’s Barlby Carlsson woodwork factory into a temporary exhibition space.
Project on display were chosen from 200 applications by designers who have graduated within the past six years, from countries ranging from Denmark to Argentina and Canada.
Read more about Ukurant’s woodwork factory exhibition hall featuring emerging designers ›
3 Days of Design took place in Copenhagen from 7 to 9 June 2023. Check out what happened on day one and day two.
Dezeen Events Guide has created a 3 Days of Design guide, highlighting the key events at the festival. See Dezeen Events Guide for all the latest information you need to know to attend the event, as well as a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.
All times are Copenhagen time.
The lead image is by Sophie Chapman.
