Experiential chronicling: STIR reflects on impactful visits that widened perspectives
by Jincy IypeDec 31, 2024
•make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend
by NOWNESSPublished on : Apr 09, 2020
On an expansive plot down a leafy cul-de-sac 25 minutes north of Copenhagen sits a spectacular boxy brick house. Situated in the sleepy suburb of Holte, it is at once unpretentious, poetic and understated—much like the man who built it. The home of Knud Holscher, one of Denmark's most acclaimed architects and industrial designers, has been considered one of this small Nordic nation’s most beautiful residences since it was built in the early 1970s. Its clean lines and simple interiors are as elegant and relevant today, as they were then.
Holscher began his career at the studio of Arne Jacobsen—where he oversaw the design and construction of St. Catherine’s College at Oxford University, among other projects—before embarking on various partnerships and heading his own award-winning design studio, Knud Holscher Design. Though trained as an architect, and with major projects like parts of Copenhagen airport and Odense University under his belt, Holscher is perhaps best known for his industrial and product design, from lighting for Flos and Erco to door handles, toilet seats, writing instruments and baby strollers.
Holscher’s home is filled with personal evidence of his utmost taste: the large canvases on the walls are by his daughter, the painter Tine Holscher; the majority of the furniture is by the late Poul Kjærholm, a star of Danish mid-century modernism, and a dear friend of Holscher’s. Now, after some 40 years in the house, Holscher and his wife are contemplating a move to more modest surroundings. When asked if he’ll miss the house, Holscher admits that indeed, it won’t be easy, but perhaps the time is right:
“The upside and the downside of reaching the relatively old age that I’ve gotten to, is that there are those unavoidable changes in ones existence,” says Holscher. “Of course, I’ll be sad to leave this house, but on the other hand, there are days when I need to go up to the roof and clean out the gutters, sometimes even in a snowstorm, and then I start to think, little Knud, now you’re 84 years old and you’re on your way up to the roof again—how many times are you going to get away with that?”
Next up, In Residence: Muller Van Severen
To see more episodes from the series 'In Residence', click here.
For more details, visit Nowness
by Bansari Paghdar Sep 25, 2025
Middle East Archive’s photobook Not Here Not There by Charbel AlKhoury features uncanny but surreal visuals of Lebanon amidst instability and political unrest between 2019 and 2021.
by Aarthi Mohan Sep 24, 2025
An exhibition by Ab Rogers at Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, retraced five decades of the celebrated architect’s design tenets that treated buildings as campaigns for change.
by Bansari Paghdar Sep 23, 2025
The hauntingly beautiful Bunker B-S 10 features austere utilitarian interventions that complement its militarily redundant concrete shell.
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Sep 22, 2025
Designed by Serbia and Switzerland-based studio TEN, the residential project prioritises openness of process to allow the building to transform with its residents.
make your fridays matter
SUBSCRIBEEnter your details to sign in
Don’t have an account?
Sign upOr you can sign in with
a single account for all
STIR platforms
All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices.
Stay STIRred
Already have an account?
Sign inOr you can sign up with
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Enter the 6-digit code sent at
Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process
by NOWNESS | Published on : Apr 09, 2020
What do you think?