An Insider’s Guide to Copenhagen by Architect David Thulstrup
The award-winning talent shares what’s to come at this year’s 3 Days of Design and beyond in his beloved hometown
For award-winning architect David Thulstrup, his hometown of Copenhagen is at its very best during 3 Days of Design—a three-day design festival that is free and open to all. With immersive art and sound experiences, exhibitions, and talks spread throughout eight design districts, the city is sure to highlight the best of furniture, lighting, and design. With Nordic summer as a backdrop—and 17.5 hours of daylight and endless gardens in bloom—Thulstrup’s city is a design-lover’s dream.
What is special about Copenhagen during 3daysofdesign?
The city is transformed by this major international art fair now. It’s not Milan, but it’s pretty close. It’s in June, so people are outdoors, swimming, and you’re close to nature—all while walking and biking to galleries and events. It’s great that it’s condensed and is for three days only; it’s limited, and that makes it feel special and intimate. It is also nice that it hasn’t been overtaken by fashion companies—it’s a pure design industry show, very curated, and Copenhagen, as a design-centric city, is the best place to showcase talent on a manageable scale.
Are there shows and installations that you are particularly interested in?
There are more and more curated shows every year, and this year promises some exciting new venues and collaborations. Different talent, agencies, and brands coming together. I look forward to seeing what Tadaima does—they opened up a new beautiful showroom exhibiting everything from furniture to small Japanese handcrafted ceramics, it feels like walking into a beautiful home with unique craft and objects.
How does the city influence your work?
I love Copenhagen! I start my days with morning walks either in the nearby park or down towards the water. It’s a very green, safe city, and we use the water. Then there is the food scene; this city has some of the best anywhere in the world. I am always inspired here—we have it so good as Danes, and I try to take my social conscience with me for projects from San Francisco to Shanghai. Danes are humble people, and I try to take an appreciation of this paradise to my work.
Are there places that you recommend visitors stay?
We have a mix of everything—from five-star luxury hotels to small apartments or boutique hotels, but what we are missing are more design-led, material-driven hotels. In the meantime, I recommend Hotel Sanders and The Darling Art & Design Guest House, which both offer an excellent location with all the comforts.
Do you have favorite spaces—public parks, bike paths, places on the water—that you can share?
For color and classical architecture, both Nyhavn and Christianshavn are quintessential Copenhagen, with very walkable, scenic streets and harbor fronts in the city center. One of the newer, more interesting areas is Nordhavn—pronounced Nor-how in English—which was an old industrial port and is now full of Scandinavian architecture. It gives a glimpse into real waterfront living, and there are a lot of design showrooms as well. I live in Østerbro, which is very green and residential, with many cafes and bakeries. This area is also very close to the iconic Little Mermaid statue and the Kastellet fortress. These are places where people really live. Wherever you are, you are close to the water. Copenhagen harbor has platforms for swimming, but I prefer to swim and go to the sauna year-round in Nordhavn.
In terms of parks, one of the most romantic is Ørstedparken, very near the busy Nørreport Station. The King’s Garden is also very central and has so much history, with the Rosenborg Castle and Nordic Renaissance gardens. The Opera Park, designed by architecture design studio Cobe, is an entire harbor-front park scheme with six gardens, a central greenhouse, a reflecting pool, and much more. And because it is so centrally located. right next to the Danish Royal Opera, this is a fantastic place to explore during 3 Days of Design.
What are the best restaurants, cafes and bars now?
My absolute favorite is Restaurant Alf in Frederiksberg. It’s a French-Nordic restaurant where the food is just so beautiful, and while it’s a small, intimate place, they serve some of the best food in Copenhagen. Another favorite is akmē, which just won a Michelin star. They serve wonderful fusion cuisine—Asian, Nordic, with a lot of raw fish, but it’s not sushi.
I was just in Paris last week, and I mean it when I say you will not find a better croissant than you will here. We have the best bread makers in the world! My two favorite bakeries are Anderson & Maillard and Hart—the latter was founded by former Noma and Tartine bakers Richard Hart and Søren Westh. They are famous for their cinnamon buns and cardamom buns. Here, it is all about the baking element versus sweet pastry-making. La Cabra is another outstanding coffee option.
Are there cultural spots that are not to be missed?
I recommend Copenhagen Contemporary, which is a modern exhibition space, and also Cisternerne, which is an underground art space that’s set in an old water reservoir. Thorvaldsens Museum is a tribute to the artist Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Neoclassical sculptures and an interesting collection. I also love going to galleries: we’ve got Nicolai Wallner, which is excellent, and then you’ll find galleries throughout different parts of the city. For midcentury Danish design, there are many galleries and shops along Bredgade Street including, Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery and KLASSIK Moderne Møbelkunst.
Are there shops that are worth a detour?
One of the best shops is Dansk Furniture Art for pieces by Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Kaare Klint and many others. There is also Room 58, which is a great resource for furniture, ceramics, and lighting, and Secher Fine Art & Design are specialists in 20th-century Scandinavian mid-century furniture and European fine art.
Are there any day trips outside of the city that you recommend?
Just outside of the city, near the airport, you’ll find Dragør, which is a perfectly preserved 12th-century fishing village that looks like something from a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. Further north, just 20 minutes from Copenhagen, you have Bellevue, a beautiful beach at Klampenborg, that also has some Modernist design elements. There is Finn Juhl’s house, Ordrupgaard, and further away, the iconic Louisiana Art Museum. Lastly, there’s the Rudolph Tegners Museum—a unique, self-funded museum devoted to the plaster sculptures of the artist of the same name.