CPH:DOX at Kunsthal Charlottenborg

In March 2017, Normann Copenhagen furnished Copenhagen's prestigious Kunsthal Charlottenborg with oversized sofas, velour poufs, a monochrome blue ‘conversation kitchen’, and VR cinema for the world's third largest documentary festival.

The centre’s interior has been curated by CPH:DOX’s creative collective, consisting of Maria Bruun, Anne Dorthe Vester and Mattia Maso, in collaboration with Normann Copenhagen's designers, Hans Hornemann and Britt Bonnesen. The thoughtfully considered scenography reflects the visual identity of CPH:DOX, which revolves around being different and standing out from the crowd. 

Therefore, a theme of human differences runs through the furnishings, visualised through interiors in a range of skin hues. Designer Hans Hornemann tells us:

“We have attempted to create changeable spaces that the visitors can occupy and transform according to their needs. The social function of the furnishings has been present in all aspects of our approach - and it unfolds completely in the Social Cinema concept, which is almost like a sort of social experiment.”

To contrast these organic shades, an industrial and artificial atmosphere permeates the area, brought about by the use of glowing neon signs, latex and bright colour splashes. 

Colours are used as a narrative tool throughout the scenography. Britt Bonnesen, who works with colours in Normann Copenhagen’s product development, says:

"We have taken CPH:DOX’s colour universe as our starting point and worked with repetitions and colour accents that compose a visual theme throughout the various rooms.”

The upholstered furniture is complemented by more flexible furnishings, such as portable poufs and stools. Elegant velvet sofas and chandeliers in modern interpretations emphasise the sublime atmosphere of the palace.

SOCIAL CINEMA

The center of the festival forms the Social Cinema, a movie theater made up of 110 meters of the Rope sofa, where festival visitors lean back on the sofa while watching documentary movies.

The Social Cinema concept aims to bring people together for a shared film experience in a laid-back and intimate environment. The long integrated rows of sofas, made up of Normann Copenhagen’s Rope modular sofa, create an informal atmosphere and blur the boundary between private and public, between friend and stranger.

The Rope sofas and curtains in the Social Cinema are made with recycled textiles by Gabriel, developed according to the cradle-to-cradle design philosophy, in which resources are retained in a sustainable cycle. This philosophy contributes positively to the world and seeks to benefit future generations, making it a great extension to the conceptual framework.

EVERYDAY ROOM

Visitors to the Everyday Room will find themselves in an enveloping universe of blue. The room is furnished as a "conversation kitchen" with bar stools around a high table, and served as the hub for a number of different events during the festival.

Form barstools are set up around a kitchen counter in the monochrome blue conversation kitchen. Visitors can also sit down on large, square poufs, that are spread out like ice floes on an open sea.

VR CINEMA

In the Virtual Reality Cinema an army of swivelling chairs are lined up in long rows. Here, festival visitors can disappear into alternative universes using the latest in Virtual Reality technology.

The room is screened by a latex curtain, and the walls are clad with a layer of thick, springy foam plastic. Just like the Social Cinema, all of the textiles and furnishings in the VR room are in a range of skin hues. 

The furnishings emphasise the ambiguous expression of the scenography. While the swivelling chairs permit freedom of movement, the set-up of the chairs has militaristic associations. 

The contrast-filled scenography reflects an overall goal of creating a framework that is not purely attractive, but in line with the festival's format - the reflective, boundary-pushing and conceptual approach to the film medium. 

CPH:DOX