Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design returns in 2026 as one of the most closely watched moments on the international design calendar, turning the city into a concentrated setting for contemporary design. While the official theme, Make This Moment Matter, points to the urgency of the present, the strongest exhibitions use that premise to examine how design is being made, displayed and experienced today.
A Guide to Material, Craft and Spatial Exhibitions in Copenhagen
Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design returns in 2026 as one of the most closely watched moments on the international design calendar, turning the city into a concentrated setting for contemporary design. While the official theme, Make This Moment Matter, points to the urgency of the present, the strongest exhibitions use that premise to examine how design is being made, displayed and experienced today.
Selected by Visual Atelier 8, this guide brings together eight exhibitions that give a precise view of the city during the festival. Each one opens a different perspective on contemporary design, from how objects are made to how they shape space, atmosphere and cultural meaning.
Aalto 90 Pavilion by Iittala and Hydro
To celebrate 90 years of the Aalto vase, Iittala and Hydro present the Aalto 90 Pavilion at Ofelia Plads. Inspired by Alvar Aalto’s iconic undulating glass form, the pavilion translates a domestic design object into an architectural structure that visitors can enter.
The pavilion is formed in aluminium, chosen for its versatility, strength and infinite recyclability, and made using 100% renewable energy. The collaboration draws on Iittala and Hydro’s Nordic legacies to explore a more circular approach to temporary architecture, combining design history with contemporary material engineering.
Location: Ofelia Plads, Kvæsthusbroen, 1250 Copenhagen
A–N–D
A–N–D debuts its first European flagship showroom in Copenhagen with North Quarters, a multi-floor exhibition dedicated to Canadian lighting design. The studio, whose name derives from “A New Detail,” develops decorative luminaires in-house, bringing together original collections, new production methods and contemporary lighting technologies.
The exhibition presents A–N–D’s Copenhagen presence as a natural extension of its Vancouver base. Through light, material and atmosphere, North Quarters looks at how luminaires can shape and animate interior space, moving between everyday detail and spatial experience.
Location: Sankt Peders Stræde 45B, 1453 Copenhagen
Deoron
Independent curatorial platform Deoron presents an exhibition at the intersection of design, sound and lifestyle. Founded in 2021, the platform began as a digital-first project focused on slower and more intentional ways of discovering objects, before expanding into physical presentations.
For 3 Days of Design, Deoron brings together more than 30 designers, brands and independent studios across furniture, lighting, homeware, technology and lifestyle. Sound plays a central role through a sculptural sound system hosting listening sessions, live performances and informal gatherings, turning the exhibition into a space for dialogue between design, music and people.
Location: Papirøen 21, 1436 Copenhagen
Objects of Desire
Curated by Birgitte Due Madsen, Objects of Desire brings together international designers and makers working beyond mass production. The exhibition is united by a focus on material awareness, production quality and design integrity, with objects developed through considered processes and skilled execution.
The presentation includes works by Birgitte Due Madsen, Boris Berlin, Bureau Parso, Corkinho, Corpus Studio, Edoardo Lietti, Germans Ermičs, Rasmus Fenhann, Sofie Østerby, VAVA Objects and others. In the historic museum setting, the exhibition frames contemporary design through longevity, material responsibility and the value of time-intensive development.
Location: Thorvaldsens Museum, Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, 1213 Copenhagen
our society
Aarhus-based design brand our society presents a curated exhibition at POOL cph, introducing a new chair alongside a selection of furniture, lighting and interior objects. Built around a collective mindset, the brand collaborates with next-generation creatives from around the world to create pieces that reflect contemporary values and changing ways of living.
Set inside a classic Copenhagen courtyard, the exhibition invites visitors to experience the collection through use rather than display alone. By placing the objects within a café and bar setting, our society frames design as something social and lived with, where furniture becomes part of a shared moment rather than a static showroom presentation.
Location: Gothersgade 8C, 1123 Copenhagen
prado
prado returns to Bredgade 27 with an installation built around its light + ventilation mini, presenting home technology as something integrated into architecture rather than added onto it. Founded in 2020, the company develops advanced solutions for lighting and ventilation that are designed to disappear into the spaces they serve.
The exhibition brings together prado’s four maisons, including Vervloet, Atelier Luxus and rond, to form a laboratory for invisible home technology and handcrafted architectural hardware. By reducing visual noise, prado frames the future of the home around quieter forms of integration, where function remains present but almost unseen.
Location: Bredgade 27, 1260 Copenhagen
Project Materia
Project Materia is an evolving platform dedicated to materiality, its histories, processes and artistic potential. Curated by TABLEAU in collaboration with Edition Solenne, the project brings together internationally renowned artists across disciplines to examine how materials can shape and challenge contemporary artistic expression.
For this edition, Project Materia presents nine newly commissioned works created using Matek™, Mater’s proprietary material innovation that transforms discarded resources into sculptural form. Through different artistic approaches, the exhibition considers how a single material can generate multiple interpretations, opening new perspectives on material value, collectibility and contemporary luxury.
Location: Købmagergade 3, 1150 Copenhagen
Ukurant
Ukurant returns with an exhibition dedicated to experimental approaches to craft, material and tradition. The platform gives young designers a space to present new perspectives and challenge the boundaries of the established design scene.
The 2026 edition takes place at Fabrikken for Art & Design, a Copenhagen site shaped by creative studios and cross-disciplinary practice. This year, Ukurant places particular emphasis on making, revealing the processes, experiments and considerations behind each piece. The exhibition foregrounds craft, care and the often unseen labour that brings design into being.
Location: Fabrikken for Art & Design, Sundholmsvej 46, 2150 Copenhagen
