Copenhagen – Home of Design

Copenhagen has been simultaneously voted the “Most Liveable City” and “Happiest City” time and time again. The Danish Capital is desirable in countless ways, with an equal focus on work-life balance, quality of life, sustainability, open green spaces, and its friendly citizens. The bike-friendly city is a hub for any design / interiors fan full of world-class architecture complimented with cutting edge designers – it is the leading nation in the design field, and a long weekend visit confirmed exactly why.

I visited Designmuseum Danmark, a central forum for industrial design. It serves as a source of inspiration particularly for those in the design industry, sitting in one of the city’s finest rococo buildings and houses a beautiful collection showcasing chairs by Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Aalto, and Mies van der Rohe.

A 40-minute train ride north to Humlebæk took us to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. The museum is on the coast with a stunning view overlooking Helsingborg, Sweden. We took part in the playful, interactive retrospective Yayoi Kusama exhibition ‘In Infinity’ with obsessively repetitive patterns throughout. We were handed a dot to add to the ‘Polka Dot Love Room’, were locked for 15 seconds in a tiny-mirrored room giving the perspective we were standing in an endless field of Kusama’s toys, and got lost through a maze of multiple gigantic balloons.

I learnt of the importance in Danish culture of “Hygge”. It has no direct translation, but is illustrated in the cafes and restaurants of the city. It represents cosiness. When we entered the famous Atelier September café, we instantly felt at home. The interior is designed with natural wooden furnishings, paintings, and traditional Scandinavian candlelight. The edgy Amass restaurant’s hygge is not only through its pleasant design (they make graffiti in a restaurant somehow elegant!), but the way they curate their guests’ experience. You arrive from the top floor, overlooking the welcoming ex-warehouse, and are greeted by your host as you walk down.

The city is inspiring and pleasant in so many ways from art to architecture to food to landscape. Copenhagen is definitely worth a visit for anyone with an interest in design!

Author: Kim Francis