Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Danish Design
Is there a more design-conscious nation than Denmark, or a more design-ob-
sessed capital than Copenhagen? Sure, the Italians like a nice sofa and the
French have their frocks, but in Denmark the passion for excellent design
runs deeper than that.
One of the country's most inspirational qualities is its love and mastery of the
applied arts. Along with its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark has had a
massive influence on the way the world builds its public and private spaces,
and on the way it designs interiors, furniture and homewares.
While modern Danish design bloomed in the 1950s, its roots are firmly
planted in the 1920s and the work of pioneering Danish Modernist Kaare Klint
(1888-1954). The architect spent much of his career studying the human form
and modified a number of chair designs for added functionality. Klint's ob-
session with functionality, accessibility and attention to detail would ulti-
mately drive and define Denmark's mid-20th-century design scene and its
broader design legacy.
The Danish Architecture Centre (
www.dac.dk
)
is a brilliant source of information about new
architecture, innovation and urban development in the capital. Its website offers download-
able podwalks for archi-buffs, as well as information about its architecture walking tours in
Copenhagen.
Architecture
Denmark's architectural portfolio is rich and eclectic, graced with the millennia-old military
precision of Trelleborg, the medieval curves of Bornholm's round churches, the Renaissance
whimsy of Copenhagen's Kronborg Slot, and the rococo elegance of the city's Marble
Bridge.
