Discover 10 Standout Installations From 3 Days of Design 2025
From Studio KO’s copper guesthouse for Vipp to GamFratesi’s monumental wood veneer sculptures that took over the hallowed halls of Thorvaldsen’s Museum
Copenhagen was abuzz with fresh energy during this year’s 3 Days of Design, where global heavyweights and emerging voices alike transformed the Danish capital into a dynamic stage for bold material experimentation, layered storytelling, and design ingenuity. Inside heritage buildings and leafy courtyards, memorable moments included a journey through Lee Broom’s dreamlike archive, teatime at Stellar Works’ serene matcha lounge, and dinner at a sylvan restaurant outfitted with Fritz Hansen staples. Below, Galerie highlights 10 standouts.
1. Lee Broom: From Here Now
Ever the mastermind of compelling displays for his new collections, Lee Broom made a splash by transforming Copenhagen’s historic Asia House—once headquarters of the East Asiatic Company—into a theatrical adventure through his archive of sculptural luminaires while foreshadowing exciting directions to come. The evocative architecture compelled Broom to conjure a fictional explorer’s long-abandoned home, complete with curios of keepsakes collected from far-flung locales. Illuminating the journey were 70 of the British polymath’s most memorable pieces that culminated in Chant, a portable table lamp inspired by ‘70s-era glass blocks and Broom’s award-winning chandelier of the same name.
2. Alpi: Echoes of Form by GamFratesi
The hallowed halls of Thorvaldsen’s Museum normally play host to neoclassical namesake Bertel Thorvaldsen’s vast trove of marble and plaster statuaries inspired by his travels to Italy, but a different material held court during design week. GamFratesi drew on the 19th-century visionary’s immense legacy by creating voluminous sculptures clad in reconstituted wood veneers, each fabricated by Italian manufacturer Alpi. Fourteen pedestal-mounted totems, each a reinterpretation of ancient sculpture, captured engineered wood’s expressive potential by employing richly grained veneers in Peacock Brown and Sottsass Red. Each formed an electric dialogue with the museum—and offered a refreshing, modern-day take on ancient statuary.
3. Muuto: Grounded in Nature
Nestled atop the Danish furniture brand’s expansive multi-level showroom was an unlikely sylvan paradise envisioned with Kinda Studios founder Lise Vester that brought a breath of greenery to central Copenhagen. At the heart of “Grounded in Nature” is Vester’s ergonomic stainless steel Dream View Bench, whose gentle curves embrace body contours and gently guide gazes skyward. With layered audio by Swell Studio and a bespoke scent environment by Studio Pneuma, the oasis dialed into neuroaesthetics to provide welcome moments of repose during the frenetic fair.
4. Fritz Hansen: Shaping Lasting Design
Fritz Hansen zeroed in on a century and a half of its formidable handicraft legacy while forecasting a bright future under newly appointed creative director Els Van Hoorebeeck. A cross-generational dialogue unfolded at the heritage brand’s Valkendorfsgade flagship as its vast trove of archival staples joined recent introductions by Cecilie Manz, Piero Lissoni, and Jaime Hayon. But all eyes were on Michael Anastassiades. Best known for his gravity-defying lighting fixtures, the London-based Cypriot unveiled After, a solid wooden chair and table duo whose geometric clarity and subtle gestures evoke Poul Kjærholm and Kaare Klint. Craft was on vivid display, from detailed demos of meticulously hand-sewing an Egg chair to workshops on properly cleaning and repairing outdoor furniture. At Orangeriet around the corner, nestled in Copenhagen’s resplendent King’s Garden, attendees could take it all in at a sun-dappled pop-up restaurant fully furnished with the novelties.
5. Emerson Bailey: Residence
In a historic apartment near Rosenborg Castle Gardens, the Montana-based studio Emerson Bailey staged a sensorial exploration of how antique and contemporary design can coexist with intimacy and intention. Across five atmospheric rooms, an array of 18th-century Swedish secretaries, Gustavian center tables, and witch stones—once placed on castle rooftops in 19th-century France to ward off dark forces—commingle with sculptural luminaires by Andrea Claire Studio and an architectural console by Studio Khachatryan, all bound by material nuance and quiet grandeur. “I wanted to create a residence that feels timeless, layered, and deeply personal,” says Emerson Bailey founder Susan Weiss, “where every piece, whether an 18th-century secretary or a contemporary sculptural table, contributes to a story.”
6. Stellar Works: Omotenashi
Stellar Works distilled its East-meets-West ethos into a sensory-rich experience that reflected omotenashi—the Japanese concept of warm, thoughtful hospitality—complete with swooping sofas and sake tastings. At historic Odd Fellow Palace, the furniture brand debuted the Sakura Lounge, a welcoming setting dreamed up by Space Copenhagen and outfitted with the Danish firm’s most celebrated furnishings that evoke the spirit of both a showroom and a ceremonial gathering space. “Hospitality has always been at the heart of our professional journey,” says Peter Bungaard Rützou and Signe Bindslev Henriksen, the co-founders of Space Copenhagen, which also toasted its 20th anniversary this year. “Stellar Works has been an invaluable partner, helping us to craft furniture that combines exceptional durability that exudes sensitivity, tactility, and beautiful craftsmanship. All essential qualities for human wellbeing.”
7. Audo Copenhagen: Monuments
Audo marked a defining moment in its design evolution with “Monuments,” an exhibition that re-contextualized the Danish brand’s rich legacy through Neoclassical ideals and minimalist precision. Curated with frequent collaborator Norm Architects and art director Christian Møller Andersen, the installation transformed Audo House—a showroom for Audo Copenhagen’s clean-lined furniture with a restaurant-café, art gallery, event space, and boutique hotel—into a series of artful environments where its iconic furnishings and new releases were presented with the gravity of classical artifacts. Signature Audo Copenhagen furnishings were on display in the concept shop, where they were joined by site-specific artworks; the café and restaurant embraced darker tones and soft lighting that created an intimate setting mirroring the atmosphere of heritage hotels and old-world bistros. The exhibition, according to Norm Architects’ Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, “embraced a quiet monumentality—grand yet understated, dramatic yet subtle.”
8. Man of Parts
Man of Parts returned with artful vignettes of globally inspired pieces from the Canadian furniture brand’s international roster, which coalesced in a stylish showcase at the historic Harsdorffs Hus. “The introductions represent a post-national perspective told through a series of material and creative stories,” says founder Stephan Weishaupt, who also launched the furniture showroom Avenue Road. Highlights included Sebastian Herkner’s Frenchman Street chairs, imbued with the vibrant musical spirit of New Orleans, alongside the Berliner Promenade rug, based on a Gregor Hildebrandt artwork of a tactile waterscape. The showcase also highlighted a partnership with Kieffer textiles designed by Galerie Creative Mind Formafantasma and produced at the Rubelli factory near Lake Como, as well as new pieces by the likes of Yabu Pushelberg, Philippe Malouin, and Simone Coste.
9. Frama: Structures of Living
Frama transformed its Copenhagen showroom into a study of modular, compact living, exploring how everyday rituals—sleeping, working, dining—can coexist in a single adaptable environment. At the heart of “Structures of Living” was Apartment 57A, a live-work space outfitted with wall-mounted aluminum racks, stacked volumes, and multifunctional furnishings that challenged conventional interior layouts. Custom elements like a limited edition wall rack highlighted the Danish brand’s signature material simplicity while demonstrating spatial efficiency, reinforcing founder Niels Strøyer Christophersen’s focus on tactile and flexible design rooted in lived experience.
10. Vipp x Studio KO
Vipp teased a series of limited edition releases inside a striking guesthouse installation by Studio KO founders Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, who reimagined the Danish brand’s modular cabinets and storage systems through a materially rich, cross-cultural lens. Housed in a restored garage at Vipp’s headquarters, the setup embodied the contrast between clean-lined Scandinavian sensibilities and the organic textures of traditional artistry through a copper-clad V1 kitchen framed by charred wood that featured custom pieces like an endless modular Loft sofa, a Pierre Frey–upholstered Swivel Chair, and the first-ever copper edition of the classic 1939 pedal bin. A Parisian-style kiosk in the courtyard expanded the concept with printed matter, refreshments, and nods to Vipp’s growing global guesthouse portfolio, which now encompasses locations in Australia, Mexico, and Andorra.