Fritz Hansen, global brand director Mark Hammerich explains, introduced the Women at Work campaign to explore women’s perspectives on their working environments and what exactly it is that makes an ”inviting workspace”.
— The two women we invited to share their perspectives, Høstbo and Manz, are successful creatives who play critical roles in the success of the brand and it was important to us that we understand how they would define an inviting workspace, he says, continuing,
— We learned that for Marie-Louise (pictured above), being able to curate her own workspace to reflect her particular needs and tastes is very important to her sense of belonging. For example, she chose some heritage pieces from our brand’s archives, iconic designs, to inspire and give her a sense of history in the legacy she is continuing. For Cecilie Manz, her workspace is something that feels both personal and professional and the details in the art, quality, and craftsmanship — right down to the pens she draws with — matter.
How’s the feedback been?
— Very positive. We heard that people found it inspiring and a very current topic to explore. People look up to these two women, particularly in the architecture and design world. It was good to hear professionals share a sense of validation about the importance of personal touches in the office space and how that can make a space more inviting for both colleagues and external work associates who come in for meetings.
According to Hammerich, there seemed to be a positive and surprising reaction that an office setting could be so personal.
— People, architects, and design professionals in particular, suddenly saw certain office furniture in a different setting — for example, Marie-Louise’s Pluralis desk was shown with many personal elements, like photos from home. It was a fresh way of looking at a desk normally shown in a clean, showroom style, and it showed that the piece can work equally well in a personalised setting.
— We will continue with the Women at Work initiative, and next, we are planning to go outside Denmark to find inspiring women to add to the series in the autumn.
During 3daysofdesign on Wednesday-Friday this week, Fritz Hansen celebrates its 150th anniversary with an exclusive exhibition.
— We’ve joined forces with renowned architecture firm Henning Larsen to build the Fritz Hansen Pavilion, celebrating the best of Danish design. It will be located in the yard of Designmuseum Denmark’s historic building during the event and throughout the summer. The pavilion is born in line with the principles of circular design thinking. After 3daysofdesign, Designmuseum Denmark will use the space as a platform for workshops, school lectures and talks throughout the summer. Post-summer, all materials used in building the pavilion will be re-used later in the reconstruction of the Fritz Hansen HQ. At 3daysofdesign, we’ll introduce our Anniversary Collection and the PK0 A chair and PK60 coffee table by Poul Kjærholm for the very first time. Released in specially curated and never-before-seen editions, the designs combine the absolute best from our history using exclusive new materials. The curved PK0 A is a functional sculpture and a seminal piece of modern design history, while the previously unreleased PK60 takes its design cues from modern art and combines talented craftsmanship with innovation, says Hammerich. He adds:
— We are also getting ready to launch a series of short films exploring design, collaborations, and craftsmanship through time. We expect to release these in the upcoming months.
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