One theme I happily noticed throughout this year’s 3daysofdesign festival was how no matter which brand’s showroom of flagship store you entered, visitors where actively encouraged to not only look at the products on display, but to feel and experience them too.
Nowhere was this approach more evident than at the four-storey townhouse of &Tradition. Located on Kronprinsessegade, this century-old space is always a must-visit and always super busy, but on this occasion it really struck me as I stepped inside that instead of being met by the usual throng of people trying to get the perfect sharable shot, everyone seemed to be leisurely sitting on sofas, taking a moment to pick up and examine the objects on display, and enjoying the coolness of the marble and brushed steel against their skin on these hottest of days.
Centred around the theme of stepping back and slowing down, ‘The Living Archive: A moment of reflection, learning and quiet rediscovery,’ was a celebration of what &Tradition does best, connecting heritage design with the sensibilities of contemporary living.
From the 1970s style conversation pit wrapped in Anderssen & Voll’s beautiful new modular sofa ‘Hi Lo’, the tactile ‘Topan’ exhibition which showcased the reissued Verner Panton floor and table lamps originally designed in 1959, through to a serene space dedicated to the extended ‘Mist’ lighting series from All the Way to Paris, just the ground floor alone was a sensory overload.
Up a level, and at the heart of the house, &Tradition had transformed this incredible central set of rooms into an inspirational library, lounge and lab, with wall after wall lined with London-based studio, Industrial Facility’s new ‘Rhombe’ shelving system. Conceived to grow with and around its environment thanks to its eleven configurations, each one displayed a delightful array of books carefully curated by &Tradition’s collective of international designers and wider community. I for one certainly went away with several new titles added to my summer reading list that’s for sure.
If that wasn’t enough, on the second floor meanwhile &Tradition’s dedication to preserving classic designs from the 1920s to the 1980s was also explored, not just highlighting the significance of these extraordinary chairs, lamps and tables today, but providing the social and cultural influences that helped to shape each and every one of them.
And finally, for those who made it up to the top floor, there’s the &Tradition apartment. Always my favourite part of the building, this perfectly proportioned pied-à-terre with its picture-perfect views across the city, is styled as a home away from home. Creating a cross-over between the conceptual, the cultural and the current, the combination of &Tradition’s products and a ‘real-life’ setting is certainly an experience to savour.
To find out more about &Tradition and the new products featured in this post, visit their website.
Images 1, 5, 19, and 20 by Nicola Capper, all remaining images courtesy of &Tradition.
Enjoyed this post? Then read about what Royal Copenhagen got up to during 3daysofdesign, their 250th anniversary and the new Kontur collection.
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