Is There Any Capital More Obsessed with Design Than Copenhagen?
After wandering around Copenhagen for four days, I asked myself: Is there any capital more obsessed with design than Copenhagen?
This city's passion for art and application of design can be seen everywhere—restaurants, hotels, boutiques, and even their official website are awe-inspiring!!!
Contemporary Danish design flourished in the 1950s, with roots tracing back to the 1920s and the work of Kaare Klint. He was a pioneering modernist architect who spent much of his career studying a large number of chairs to make them more functional and ergonomic.
Let me share a few design stores/museums I visited in Copenhagen:
1. Designmuseum Danmark
📍 Address: Bredgade 68, 1260 København
🚗 Transport: Metro Kongens Nytorv
🕙 Opening hours: Tuesday & Thursday–Sunday 11am–5pm, Wednesday 11am–9pm
💰 Ticket price: 115 DKK/adult (approximately 123 RMB), free for under 26
🌟 Highlights:
- Exhibition of Danish design history and some iconic works
- The chair display in the furniture section is a must-see!
📌 Tips:
- The museum has temporary exhibitions; when we went, the theme was Disco, with many installations and experiences that were truly surprising.
- There's also a café inside; after visiting, having a cup of coffee or a Danish open-faced sandwich there is very Hygge (Danish for cozy).
2. Hay House
📍 Address: Østergade 61, 2, 1100 København
🚗 Transport: Metro M3 Gammel Strand (3-minute walk from the Round Tower)
🕙 Opening hours: Monday–Friday 10am–6pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–5pm
🌟 Highlights:
- Described by foreign travel magazines as a fabulous interior decor boutique, with many furniture and textiles.
- From the boutique's window, you can capture amazing Danish street scenes.
- Hay House's entrance is also super design-oriented; I love their use of color!
📌 Tips: Hay House is on the 3rd and 4th floors; below is a café (Café Norden). Sitting by the bay window on the 2nd floor with a cup of coffee is another great spot to enjoy Hygge.
3. Illums Bolighus
📍 Address: Amagertorv 10, 1160 København K
🚗 Transport: Metro M3 Gammel Strand (3-minute walk from Hay House)
🕙 Opening hours: Monday–Friday 10am–7pm, Saturday 10am–6pm, Sunday 11am–4pm
🌟 Highlights: A paradise for design enthusiasts, with four floors featuring ceramics, jewelry, clothing, tableware, lighting, furniture, and many Nordic-style creative products!
4. Copenhagen has a 3-day design festival called 3 Days of Design—a treat for Nordic design fans. Unfortunately, we didn't go during the festival. According to locals, during the event, design stores, cafés, and museums organize design-themed activities open to the public. If interested, check out their official website.
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