{"id":28388,"date":"2026-03-01T12:31:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T12:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/28388\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T12:31:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T12:31:25","slug":"a-designers-guide-to-copenhagen-by-rebekka-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/28388\/","title":{"rendered":"A Designer\u2019s Guide to Copenhagen by Rebekka Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year\u2019s 3daysofdesign<\/a> brings designers, architects and artists to Copenhagen for creative exchange and exciting product launches.\u00a0One such collaboration features Marimekko<\/a> x Artek<\/a>\u2014two beloved Finnish brands\u2014working together to create a compelling piece of furniture that is as utilitarian as it is sculpturally beautiful.\u00a0Marimekko\u2019s creative director Rebekka Bay, a co-designer of the piece, sat down with Galerie to share her insider tips on the Danish capital\u2019s best bakeries, must-see design events, and what else to look for this summer.<\/p>\n

What makes Copenhagen such a magnet for design? It\u2019s less about the city and more about the culture of Denmark as a country.\u00a0 We are deeply rooted in democratic design tradition.\u00a0Functionalism is just so fundamental here, especially across architecture and everyday objects such as furniture and tableware. These things are relatable to everyone on an almost daily basis.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Person\"Person<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRebekka Bay.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Rasmus Weng Karlsen<\/p>\n

The theme of this year\u2019s 3daysofdesign<\/a> is \u201cKeep it Real\u201d\u2014what does it mean? I\u2019m\u00a0not entirely certain, but maybe it\u2019s a commentary on the frenetic times we\u2019re living in. Just keep things simple, practical, natural, and sustainable where possible.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Collage\"Collage<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarimekko x Artek.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: \u00a9 Copyright exploitation rights with Artek<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Modern\"Modern<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarimekko x Artek benches.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: \u00a9 Copyright exploitation rights with Artek<\/p>\n

Tell me about the Marimekko x Artek collaboration. How did it come about? We are both Finnish brands, so there has long been a mutual awareness and respect for each other. This collaboration allows us to highlight what is best\u2014and complimentary\u2014for the two brands. We worked on a bench inspired the classic 1960s Artek stools.\u00a0These are their most iconic pieces and I avidly collect them, so this project was particularly fun. In this case, the bent wood benches can be flat packed so you can buy, transport, and easily assemble them at home.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Installation\"Installation<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA.A.Murakami, Beyond the Horizon (2024) at Copenhagen Contemporary.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Adam Kov\u00e1\u0159 and PETR&Co.
\nModel by Ashley Lin. All images & videos courtesy of the artist<\/p>\n

Any installations, exhibits, talks, workshops, or parties that you\u2019re looking forward to? 3DaysofDesign lets artists and makers create spaces, installations, and products in dialogue. There are so many exciting offerings this year, but a few I\u2019m looking forward to include a panel with Ronan Bouroullec and Kvadrat CEO Anders Byriel, and Vaarnii\u2019s Antti Hirvonen about the Maasto range. I\u2019m also excited to learn more about Other Circle<\/a>, a platform for creative design.<\/p>\n

Any cultural gems that attendees should visit? Copenhagen is such a friendly, small city that you can easily explore it on foot or by bike. There is a vibrancy here and a real desire to be outside\u2014biking, walking, swimming. Now that there are more bicycle bridges, everything is easily connected.\u00a0I recommend visiting Copenhagen Contemporary<\/a>, where there are excellent shows including a James Turrell installation, and the Design Museum Denmark<\/a>, which offers more of a survey of Danish furniture and textile design. Color designers make this an immersive experience in general. There is also a wonderful garden there for tea and pastries. Of course the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art<\/a> is a treasure just outside of the city.\u00a0It is always a must! And while it might not be \u201ccultural\u201d in the artistic sense, there are people kayaking, surfing, and jumping into the water at every turn, so that is really the essence of Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

Which hotels are particularly good for those who appreciate Danish art and design? There is a new boutique hotel called Petra<\/a> near the historic Queen\u2019s Yard with its 1930s architecture. They have the most wonderful caf\u00e9. There is also the Swedish hotel Nobis<\/a> next to Tivoli Gardens and the music conservatory. For more of an apartment feel, Noura Residency offers spacious, design-led flats with kitchens.<\/p>\n

If you were directing a friend to the city\u2019s best bakeries and restaurants, where would you send them? So many! Anderson & Maillard<\/a> is a favorite.\u00a0They make entirely square croissants filled with delicious pistachio cream. Another great option is Hart<\/a>, which was started by a Noma disciple. They make an insanely good sausage roll. I often travel for their kimchi toast.<\/p>\n

There are also incredible Italian restaurants here, but with a Danish twist. I love the pastas at Locale 21<\/a> and Osteria 16, which is a collaboration between a chef and an artist. The setting is wonderfully simple. To feel like you\u2019re in a typical trattoria, I recommend Circolo<\/a> where the ingredients are really celebrated.\u00a0The Danes also do a great job with Japanese food\u2014the aesthetic is very similar\u2014and I love Jatak<\/a> for the summer Solar Menu, which offers beautiful, seasonally driven dishes.<\/p>\n

3daysofdesign<\/a> runs June 18 through June 20.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This year\u2019s 3daysofdesign brings designers, architects and artists to Copenhagen for creative exchange and exciting product launches.\u00a0One such…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[6],"tags":[17946,17947,108,17948,26,17949,3245,17950],"class_list":["post-28388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-copenhagen","tag-3daysofdesign","tag-artek","tag-copenhagen","tag-copenhagen-contemporary","tag-denmark","tag-designers","tag-louisiana-museum-of-modern-art","tag-marimekko"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}