A week of celebrations, sudden rain showers, and plenty of seasonal asparagus: 3daysofdesign returned for 2024. “Dreams are the fuel for your fire," says Signe Byrdal Terenziani, managing director of 3daysofdesign who also set up the festival back in 2003, on the driving force for this year’s theme, ‘Dare to Dream'. The theme is about ushering in optimism in our current global climate. Over the last two editions, the design festival has transformed and grown exponentially. With fairs like Salone del Mobile in its 62nd year, and London Design Festival in its 22nd, 3daysofdesign is just 11 years old, and now has over 250 exhibitors, 400 events, 11 districts, and an expanded thought leadership programme.

What sets Copenhagen’s landmark festival apart? There’s the consumable city size and multiple modes of transport—including two wheels and on the water—allowing design tourists to try and conquer as much as they possibly can. Design offerings in Copenhagen span experiments inside former industrial sites to the more manicured showrooms telling stories of heritage and family-run furniture businesses in the city. “We can all enjoy the architecture, atmosphere, culture, cuisine, and other elements that contribute to Denmark’s reputation as a design nation,” adds Byrdal Terenziani on this Scandinavian show’s unique quality.

An awareness of the world around us was at the forefront of minds for 3daysofdesign as Byrdal Terenziani hoped the fair could “champion a collective consciousness about protecting the planet and the people who inhabit it, where design can be a catalyst for positive change.” Much of this was recognised at the new hub for the festival in harbourside Refshaleøen, which was complete with chickens trotting around urban farm Øens Have and plenty of exhibitions testing the boundaries of biomaterials. For the first time, the renowned Noma Projects opened up the doors to its production space which included the work of Finnish-born painter Jaakko Mattila and a talks programme that explored Noma’s ecosystem of food and flavour.

Meanwhile, Transcendence in Refshaleøen was a group show featuring material innovation with a low-impact exhibition design inside a hall that formerly produced ship engines. Included in the showcase were the likes of 100 per cent recyclable and 100 per cent recycled plastic Smile Plastics forming children's dining accessories to Bill Amberg Studio’s sustainable furniture collaboration with Knepp Estate in the UK. The work of Lisbon-based Thayra Correia stood out – the Djuntu collection of locally-produced sculptural metal works explored origins and cultural experiences of the Guinean designer. Fitting for the theme, “It’s a dream coming true” read her Instagram caption announcing her launching for the first time at a commercial fair.

Refshaleøen was also the location for Common Ground, the 3daysofdesign symposium. A series of four talks spotlighted responsibility in the design world, from a focus on building communities to designing for impact with speakers that included Larry Botchway, architect & co-founder of POor Collective, architect Anupama Kundoo, designer and cabinetmaker Anker Bak, and Maria Vinka and Akanksha Deo Sharma, designers for IKEA. Taking a similar approach to bringing people together in conversation was Universal Design Studio and English furniture makers Benchmark, who decided not to exhibit works, but hosted a dinner surrounded by artist studios at Skabelonlofte. The goal was to create an experience for guests while fostering local talents, including florals by Garden on the Roof’s Haven På Taget who is on a mission to make planting easier for all. Her wildflowers peppered the tables, and her work was also found on the roof garden at the Danish brand Hay’s flagship townhouse in the city.

“I hope that our festival continues to be a pivotal design destination for visionaries, thought-leaders, disruptors and changemakers who question the status quo,” comments Byrdal Terenziani. While many discussions sparked the importance of raising diverse voices in design, there was still a noticeable lack of different perspectives across the shows. That being said, a handful of installations were on a mission to change this.

A new design contest has been established by Muuto – a 20-year-old brand that is using its success to platform the next generation. The contest includes an open call for a small furniture design that elevates the everyday. “Part of Muuto’s DNA is searching for new perspectives,” says Line Brockmann Juhl, chief marketing officer at Muuto. “We want to challenge ourselves and collaborate with creative minds from around the globe.” With that in mind, the three-strong panel of judges needed to reflect that too—there is Ivy Ross, vice president of design for hardware products at Google, Akvama Hoffmeyer, founder of surface studio File Under Pop and Jamie Wolfond, founder of Jamie Wolfond Studio. The first, second and third prize winners will have the opportunity to showcase in front of audiences at 3daysofdesign 2025 while gaining monetary prizes too. Here is a tangible offering that looks to break down the accessibility barriers to joining the industry, by exposing works at growing festivals like 3daysofdesign.

Similarly, the ‘Ukurant’ platform has been doing this for four years. The initiative and installation aim to focus on "the transparency and conversation about the economic aspects of establishing a professional practice within the design industry" by bringing a community of young designers together and encouraging support for new talents. Ukurant has an open call for designers, and this year’s Ukurant Unwrapped in the Bibliotekshaven district represented talents from Francea to the UK to Italy. Established by young designers, Ukurant is urging bigger brands to be part of the dialogue of how designers can succeed in post-graduate life. The display had that transparency: noting where each piece was from, who designed it, what it was made from, and perhaps most pivotally, how much it costs to purchase. More moves towards 3daysofdesign being, as Byrdal Terenziani puts it, “a creative conduit for promoting knowledge-sharing, networking, dialogue, debate, and fresh ideas from trailblazers who are defining the design landscape of tomorrow.”

This year’s 3daysofdesign also ushered many international collaborations. Danish studio Frama teamed up with British design studio Toogood for a playful and artistic installation, Collage inside Frama’s former pharmacy space. Elsewhere two collaborations saw the rebirth of classic designs. Copenhagen-based Tekla and Finnish furniture company Artek joined forces to celebrate the subtle flower patterns of modernist designer Aino Aalto in a limited bedding collection, and a fashion partnership between Japanese brand Asics and Danish stalwarts Hay revived the 1994 Skyhand OG trainer in bright hues. As more attention focuses on 3daysofdesign as an important fair on the calendar, it is clear that this is no longer just a Danish festival, but one that is global and excitingly garnering brands far and wide join. Along with this, there’s hope that the diversity of the show grows too, bringing different styles and names to have a moment to share the platform in years to come.

STIR navigates through key design districts, highlights and events of 3daysofdesign 2024. Tap here to know more.