For the second time, Copenhagen Design Week is ready to welcome international architects, designers, heads of companies, researchers and students for six days of conferences,seminars, talks, exhibitions and events. From Thursday 1st September to Tuesday 6th September, much of Copenhagen will be buzzing with design events and debates that will focus on Danish design and design solutions under the theme, “Think Human”.
The theme “Think Human” makes Copenhagen Design Week different from the other international design weeks. Denmark has a unique approach to design and design
solutions, which other countries can learn from for both local and global challenges.
This is why Copenhagen Design Week 2011 has chosen a theme reflecting the humanist traditionthat invites politicians, planners, designers and architects to put the user, the individual, and the human being at the centre of their thinking.
The week’s conferences and specialist arrangements go deeper by focusing on “Think Human” inrelation to architecture, sustainability, design process, choice of materials, production methods, and not least the sensory experience of the consumer or citizen. So Copenhagen Design Week is about much more than just seeing new design in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen Design Week brings together activities from the world’s biggest design award, INDEX, to specialist arrangements from the Danish Design Centre (DDC), the Danish Design Association (DDA), the Danish Architecture Centre (DAC), the Danish Design Museum, Copenhagen Business School, design and architecture schools, etc.
At the heart of the week will be a special “Think Human” design zone on the pier where Ophelia Beach is open every summer next to the Royal Danish Playhouse. The zone will have exhibitions, a press centre, an information point, and recreation areas. You will be able to see exhibitions and architectural installations, get export advice from the Foreign Ministry’s local representatives, and
hear international speakers on how the humanist way of thinking can make a difference in a world that needs change.
INDEX will also have an exhibit on the pier – with the winning projects from this year’s INDEX Award, which will be presented in the presence of HRH Crown Prince Frederik and HRH Crown Princess Mary at a big gala show at the Opera house on 1st September. And there will be many other activities all over the city in the form of open showrooms. You can already register on the website, which shows the provisional programme. You can also follow the design week on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Copenhagen Design Week was created on the initiative of the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs and is run by the Danish Design Centre in collaboration with a number of partners. It is a biannual event, held for the first time in 2009.
INDEX: Award Exhibition features the finalists for INDEX: Award, representing less than 10 percent of the total number (966) of nominations for the world’s biggest design award and will be displayed on Kvæsthusmolen at the Royal Danish Playhouse in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Highlights from the programme:
• The Design Zone (Kvæsthusmolen) – with Think Human exhibitions, installations, talks and an information point for all activities
• INDEX: Award – gala show with the selection of winning projects as well as exhibitions and conferences
• CODE11, Copenhagen Design Fair – trade fair with furniture, lighting, design, textiles and home fittings
• Exhibitions – e.g. Challenge Society (DDC) and How to make a livable city? (DAC)
• Conferences – e.g. What keeps you up at night – how can design help? (DDC), Co-creating future markets (DDA/CBS) and How Public Design? (MindLab)
• Open showrooms – in all the Copenhagen’s design shops and showrooms
