3 Days of Design 2024: The Best Things We Saw

Kasper Kyster,
‘Crafting Plastics’

Danish designer Kasper Kyster Iversen unveiled his Crafting Plastic collection at Oficinet during 3 Days of Design, showcasing furniture made from hand-bent PETG plastic sheets. Using a heat gun and cloths, Kyster transforms two-millimeter thick sheets into various furniture pieces by repeatedly heating and folding them. The collection features stools, chairs, a shelf, a coat rack, and two lamps, each designed to highlight the material’s unique properties and the handcrafted process rather than intricate shapes.

Kyster aims to give the furniture an organic feel, contrasting with the industrial connotations of plastic. He ensures the strength of the pieces by creating rounded forms and welding joints through additional heating. This method results in sturdy yet sculptural designs, especially in the lighting pieces, which require different bending techniques to function as lamps. Kyster emphasizes that the focus is on materiality and craftsmanship, ensuring that each piece unmistakably represents its intended function, such as a chair or stool. Utilizing PETG sheets containing 30% recycled material, the maximum feasible amount without compromising structural integrity, Kyster argues that using plastic for furniture is a responsible application, as these pieces are durable and long-lasting.

The Conary,
‘Enter the Salon’

Enter the Salon was a curated joint exhibition of international brands held in The Conary, an old townhouse in central Copenhagen. The exhibition celebrated the famous salons of the past and featured an impressive lineup of designers, including LADIES & GENTLEMEN STUDIO from New York, Japanese KARIMOKU CASE, and local Ruby Atelier.

Curated by designer Signe Hytte, Enter the Salon showcased a selection of distinguished brands creating a space where design, art, and poetry converged, blending the past with the present. The historic townhouse setting provided a unique backdrop that enhanced the experience.

The exhibition offered a haven for quiet reflection, casual conversation, and exploration of new perspectives. Visitors were encouraged to open their hearts and minds to the seamless blend of creativity and history, making Enter the Salon a memorable and inspiring event in Copenhagen’s design scene.

Tableau,
‘Domestic Pleasures’

Copenhagen studio Tableau showcased its Domestic Pleasures exhibition across two new locations during this year’s 3 Days of Design – the Tableau Concept Store and Tableau Gallery.

Focusing on the theme “What makes a place a home?”, the exhibition presented bespoke work by 10 artists and designers, including Laurids Gallée, Jacob Egeberg, and Six Dots Design.

This exhibition highlighted Tableau’s dedication to exploring the concept of home through innovative and personalized design, bringing together a diverse array of creative talents to interpret and redefine domestic spaces.

Helle Mardal,
‘The Grand Suite’

Designer Helle Mardahl transformed her Copenhagen showroom into a chaotic home for a “shopaholic,” displaying her glass designs on an unmade bed and in a solitary dining room during the 3 Days of Design event. The installation, named The Grand Suite, was conceived to showcase her pieces in a completely novel manner, deviating from the brand’s previous presentations.

Mardahl created the character of a woman living alone in a grand suite, depicted hiding under sheets in a messy apartment. Described as an adventurous traveler enjoying privacy yet craving company, her belongings, including Mardahl’s products, were scattered throughout the space. The designer incorporated surprising details, like a dildo hidden in an underwear drawer beneath a vanity displaying her latest glassware designs.

The dining room featured a woman with a golden mask eating dinner beside a porcelain Dalmatian, with a recorded laugh playing on repeat. The recorded voices were Mardahl’s own, including that of the woman snoring in the bedroom. The installation also introduced new designs, such as smaller cups with round holders and elongated glass pendant lights. Additionally, Mardahl’s work was showcased at the nearby Designmuseum Denmark, featuring a souvenir stand and a small exhibition of her pieces.

Ukurant,
‘Unwrapped’

Ukurant’s fourth exhibition showcased emerging designers and explored “how young designers can establish economically sustainable practices.” The installation featured experimental work by 19 young designers, all selected through an open call, including hot emerging studios like Paul Coenen, Nostudio, Anna Zimmermann, and David Raymond.

The exhibition celebrated experimental approaches to craft, material, and tradition, offering a platform for young designers to present their work. Ukurant aimed to push the boundaries of the established design scene, whether through unconventional methods or tributes to past generations. This platform provided emerging talents with the opportunity to shine and challenge the norms of the design world.

At its core, Ukurant aimed to address the structures, challenges, and future of the design industry. The 2024 exhibition focused on the crucial theme of economics, raising awareness about how young designers can establish sustainable practices in pricing their work, time, and skills. Ukurant also emphasized the importance of industry support for new designers at the beginning of their careers, fostering conversations and connections to help them succeed.

Made by Choice,
‘Lycka Yacht’

The Finnish design brand Made by Choice took an untraditional yet Nordic-inspired approach by packing their boat with design pieces and sailing to Copenhagen to launch their latest creation, the Lieksi chair by the renowned design studio Snarkitecture. Starting from their Halikko factory, the team embarked on a journey to set up a showroom on the yacht and its surroundings in the Danish harbor at Refshaleøen.

The journey from Turku to Copenhagen took five days and nights, with the crew rotating in three-hour shifts. They encountered a significant challenge when a broken rudder required an unplanned stop at a castle on the Swedish coast, causing a nearly 24-hour delay. Despite this setback, they arrived in Copenhagen on time and enjoyed three remarkable days of design celebration.

Natural Material Studio,
‘White Utopia’

For the 2024 edition of 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, Bonnie Hvillum aka Natural Material Studio unveiled their ideological installation, ‘White Utopia.’ The exhibition explored the concept of domestic living designed for fluidity—a philosophy the studio advocates for in a world in flux. Located in the design district Refshaleøen, the installation featured a reimagined full-size house and its interior, created using the studio’s bio-based materials. Founder Bonnie Hvillum emphasized living with ‘fluidity,’ viewing the world and materials as constantly changing.

Natural Material Studio’s installation responded to the event’s theme, ‘Dare to Dream,’ by questioning the evolution of the design process and challenging beliefs in capitalistic systems. The exhibition probed why homes became commodities and why people are driven by idealistic views of home. By presenting a synergetic dream, the studio offered an abstract vision of a future embracing fluidity.

Salem Charabi,
‘A Thousand Moons’

At 3 Days of Design, Danish-Egyptian architect Salem Charabi presented ‘A Thousand Moons,’ a studio exhibition showcasing a body of work developed over the past two years for a private residence in California. Thirty-eight pieces of furniture stood proudly on their respective shipping crates, celebrating their final moments in the workshop before embarking on their journey across the Atlantic to their new home.

When Charabi was approached for the project, he was given a straightforward yet incredibly complex directive: the home would only feature his furniture. This series, a culmination of two years of research, exploration, and creation, reflects on the question, ‘How does one create a home in its entirety?’ Drawing on personal memories and historical references, each piece attempts to answer this query, embodying Charabi’s vision of a cohesive and complete home environment.

The works in ‘A Thousand Moons’ are uniquely distinct yet share common traits, much like the members of a family, united by unbreakable ties. The exhibition provided a glimpse into Charabi’s current aspirations as a designer and the intricate work produced at his workshop outside Copenhagen. Charabi reflected on the impermanence of life and the hope that the artifacts created will hold resonance through the decades, stating, “In an environment where nothing is permanent, we produce static artifacts. Mementos of spirit. We hope they’ll live forever, holding resonance through each passing decade. Some might, many won’t. It’s impossible to know. We can only keep building.”