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5 new highlights from the world of Danish design
We catch up with the key launches from major design event 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen this September.
By JOHAN MAGNUSSON
14 Sep 2020

Depping & Jørgensen incorporates TAKT’s eco-design approach for new Arc Chair

The Danish design company’s sustainable approach includes environmental considerations during manufacturing, transport, use, re-use, and recycling by fundamentally being component-based. The user can replace broken or worn parts and thereby infinitely extend the lifetime of the product. Ultimately, if the product is discarded, it can easily be separated into the individual materials for proper recycling or upcycling. 

TAKT is also the only Danish design company where all products are consistently eco-certified with the European Ecolabel, now also including the Arc Chair. 

Danish design duo Depping & Jørgensen showcased the first prototype of what is now the T12 Arc Chair at Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, the highly regarded Danish Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, in 2016. Since then, the design, bringing the classic armrest chair into a contemporary context, has been through several iterations to ensure that it meets TAKT’s mentioned eco-design principles.

— Arc Chair is a hallmark example of how many multifaceted requirements can merge into a natural design — something that feels effortless but incorporates considerations of environmental impact, comfort, manufacturability and of course a daily delight for the user, says Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, CEO and Founder of TAKT.

HAY’s Scandinavian sustainability

Speaking of certifications, HAY launches Denmark’s first sofa carrying the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Beyond looking at the raw materials used for a given product, the label requirements also include usage, disposal and recycling. Before a product receives it, it must provide documentation that it meets all environmental as well as quality requirements, to ensure that it will have a long life, which further limits waste. 

The Arbour sofa (also in the top picture), designed by prominent Norwegian duo Andreas Engesvik and Daniel Rybakken, is relatively large, yet both physically and aesthetically light. And, thanks to the design simplicity, it works well in many environments. It is built to last, with parts that can be repaired individually — without replacing the whole sofa.

Kvadrat debuts Knit! series

For the new launch, 28 different designers chosen from across the world, of which many operate on the border between industrial design and craft, explore the potential of knitted textiles by the world-leading manufacturer. The textiles are three-dimensional constructions with form-shaping abilities that open up a world of material possibilities, providing the perfect canvas for the designers to push the boundaries of what can be achieved within their respective disciplines.

The digital exhibition features all 28 works displayed around Kvadrat’s headquarters in Ebeltoft, Denmark, transforming the space into an online gallery. On a dedicated website, viewers are able to virtually explore the exhibition and see each design in detail, accompanied by the designer who takes the viewer through their inspirations and design process.

&Tradition presents contemporary chair crafted from 100% recycled plastic

Designer Hee Welling dedicated nearly a year to researching the right materials for his latest piece, the Rely chair. The inventive recycling process sees the chair’s black shells crafted from the black plastic panels found in a car’s interior. As the coloured shells require clear materials that will act as blank canvas, Welling has pioneered a different approach for them, sourcing post-industrial waste. After being crushed into small pieces they are mixed with colour and readied for injection moulding.

The ethos to prioritize sustainability has extended to all aspects of the chair’s design, including its construction; should it require a repair, Welling has deliberately made it simple to dismantle so that its lifespan is extended.

Welling is well-known for his minimalistic aesthetics, and Rely is no exception.

— When creating a design with a simple visual expression, the details become extremely important because there’s so much focus on them, he tells. Yet the amazing thing is that when everything — comfort, construction, function, choice of materials, production method, environment, and ergonomics — is balanced together, such details slot seamlessly into place, he says.

Muuto strips down to the essentials

The updated Floor and Wall Lamp are new members in Jens Fager’s Tip lamp series for Muuto. The Floor Lamp is designed in a height that allows for the user to turn both the head and arm according to their desired direction while having its dimmer button positioned on the middle of its stem, allowing for one to simply reach out the arm from a seated position to alter the volume of light emitted.

The Wall Lamp is seamlessly mounted onto the wall with no visible brackets, making for a clean expression, emphasizing the simple and elegant appearance of the design.

— They’re both simple and friendly designs, characterized by unique architectural silhouette. Throughout the design process, I spent a lot of time polishing every single detail and combining them with the lamps’ inherent functionality. I wanted to reduce their design to the very essence of their purpose; creating something that was intuitively understandable and functional in daily life. With their bodies in molded aluminum with a matte touch, they feature a clean and precise look, highlighting their structural form, says Jens Fager.