Henning Larsen has built a shell-like and translucent pavilion to celebrate Danish furniture design brand Fritz Hansen's 150th anniversary, which was created for the 3daysofdesign event in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Set in Designmuseum Danmark’s beautiful garden, Grønnegården, the pavilion is designed based on Nordic design principles centered around daylight and honest materials.

The pavilion is designed to be disassembled, and when the event is over, all materials of the pavilion will be reused elsewhere. The pavilion is made of using low-carbon materials and shaped by circular design principles. 

Made of glue-laminated timber, also known as glulam, the pavilion is wrapped by translucent polycarbonate walls to be able to create light structure, allowing daylight to enter in. 

"Celebrating the 150 years anniversary of Fritz Hansen, we wanted to create a spatial experience that makes a sustainable home for the furniture it exhibits. A facilitator for the design of Fritz Hansen," said Eva Ravnborg, Market Director Denmark, Partner at Henning Larsen. 

"Built in solid wood, the Pavilion is inspirated by the garden it is situated in, creating a hybrid space with fluid transitions between inside and out," Ravnborg added.

According to the studio, this ensures waste arising from construction to be minimized and that all materials can be reused elsewhere. 

The studio added that the materials can also be reused in the future reconstruction of Fritz Hansen’s own headquarters – a project initiated in 2021, transforming the firm’s office in to a modern and welcoming environment.

"We wanted to create a pavilion that reflects the Fritz Hansen design philosophy of design that stand the test of time while at the same time minimizing use of virgin materials," continued Eva Ravnborg.

"Therefore, the pavilion is crafted from standardized parts that are bolted together using standard tools, which helps to simplify and speed disassembly. All parts can be reused, and the pavilion can also be reassembled in a smaller size if needed," Eva Ravnborg added.

The pavilion has opened on 15 June and will be open to the public during 3daysofdesign until 17 June and thereafter it will be used by Designmuseum Danmark until mid-Autumn. 

During this period, the space will be serving as a meeting platform for several initiatives, such as summer schools, exhibitions, and workshops, where visitors and locals can participate and meet the creative community.

The use of timber is a common design material in construction of Nordic countries to deliver circular design. As the studio explained, the design follows a Nordic approach, where simplicity, natural elements, and high-quality materials are of utmost importance.

The pavilion's outer language is deliberately simple – a shell-like, transparent structure, allowing daylight and nature in, and forming an exclusive setting for the exhibition of Fritz Hansen’s furniture. 

Inside, the space showcases the brand's furniture design with built-in furniture pieces. 

"We wanted to celebrate Fritz Hansen’s past, while also looking ahead to the future. Henning Larsen has a strong track record as a leading sustainability-thinking studio," said Christian Andresen, Design & Brand Ambassador at Fritz Hansen.

"We both have a holistic approach to design, and a similar taste in materials and creative expression, so our collaboration felt natural," Andresen added.

Designmuseum Danmark has been housed in one of Copenhagen’s finest Rococo buildings since the 1920s. 

Originally built in 1752 as Royal Frederik’s Hospital, the space was repurposed in 1926 and designed as a museum by architects Ivar Bentsen and Kaare Klint. Now, almost a century later, the Fritz Hansen Pavilion introduces a modern take on its historical surroundings.

Henning Larsen is also designing an all-timber experience center for World Of Volvo in Swedish landscape and completed Norwegian University of Life Sciences – Veterinary Building in Norway.

All images © Laura Stamer.

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