At Copenhagen Design Week, there was strength in numbers. Across three standout group shows — Deoron, Other Circle and Ukurant — we discovered a compelling mix of statement-making furniture, cross-disciplinary creativity and experimental approaches to traditional craft.

1

DEORON

Started in: 2021 as a digital storefront by entrepreneur and industrial designer Alberto Pallaoro before branching out into physical exhibitions with its debut group show during Milan Design Week 2025.

Known for: Tomorrow’s statement pieces.

This year’s venue: An industrial space with a raw concrete shell on the inner harbour’s The Paper Island.

The mood: Sensorial. Small-batch scents from local purveyor Frank filled the air while an ambient soundtrack pumped through minimal speakers by Alephalef. It turned out that was just the start of the music fest: A low-slung cobalt blue sofa (courtesy of Folke Furniture) also served as a listening lounge for ongoing DJ sets.

The biggest surprise: Undesirable materials repurposed in unconventional ways. Take Studio Daae’s clever room divider made of horizontal blinds, or p(erson)al’s task chair made of industrial polyurethane tubes that could easily pass for glass.

2

OTHER CIRCLE

Started in: 2024 by a team that includes Svend Jacob Pedersen, co-founder of local design and architecture studio Spacon.

Known for: A cross-disciplinary blend of art, design, fashion, food and music.

This year’s venue: The LAB, a creative hub with photo studios in the Østerbro neighbourhood.

The mood: Witty, with many objects that showcased a true sense of humour. Porcelain manufacturer KPM Berlin displayed a cheeky kettlebell shaped like an actual teakettle, Parisian gallery Sausset Leou showed Chris Fusaro’s step stool made of blue-painted cast-bronze tortiglioni, and Ghanaian artist Paa Joe presented a fantasy coffin shaped like a KitKat bar and kitted out with a giant USB port — a commentary on how we remain plugged in even in death.

The biggest surprise: A series of rough holes punched into the gallery wall was revealed to be a full-service coffee and cocktail bar operated by plant-based beverage brand Oatly, turning a simple refreshment stop into a bit of design theatre.

3

UKURANT

Started in: 2019 by a collective of Copenhagen designers: Kamma Rosa Schytte, Josefine Krabbe Munck, Kasper Kyster and Lærke Ryom.

Known for: Experimental approaches to craft, material and tradition.

This year’s venue: A former laundry facility.

The mood: Experimental, with sketches, material tests and process notes displayed alongside the finished works. Montreal studio Atelier Fomenta stretched rubber tablecloths over cylindrical supports to create a series of tables; a biomorphic 3D-printed lounger by Lasse Sylvest Lilleør used additive manufacturing to mimic an oversized spinal column; and Italian duo Controforma tested the laws of gravity in its Zenit floor lamp, using sliding weights to bend a slender stem.

The biggest surprise: Brazilian and Danish duo Russo Betak’s ethereal light fixtures looked other-worldly but were 3D-printed from discarded shells sourced from Normandy’s seafood industry.