COPENHAGEN – The Kunsthal Charlottenborg exhibition centre was transformed last month for the (known as CPH:DOX), one of the largest film festivals of its kind in the world.
The old palace building was filled with custom-made Normann Copenhagen furniture for the festival, arranged in thematic clusters to create designated spaces – including viewing rooms, a padded VR screening room, and Denmark’s first social cinema. From the foyer to the banquet hall, the installation-like décor – curated by CPH:DOX’s creative collective and Normann Copenhagen designers Hans Hornemann and Britt Bonnesen – covers more than 1,300 sq-m.


Outfitted exclusively with Normann Copenhagen furniture, the scenography reflects the visual identity of CPH:DOX with a bright, natural palette juxtaposed against an industrial and artificial atmosphere through the use of neon signs and synthetic materials like latex and silvery aluminium fabric.

'We took CPH:DOX's colour universe and used repetitions and colour accents to compose a visual theme,' says Britt Bonneson. 'For example, landings on the staircases between the foyer and the first floor are decorated with rows of poufs in blush velvet, creating a link between the different environments on the two floors.'

Oversized sofa installations with portable poufs punctuate the exhibition centre, providing comfortable moving islands for relaxation and discussion. The contemporary shades of the velvet sofas, and the postmodern chandeliers reinterpret the grandeur of the former palace for filmgoers.
‘We have attempted to create changeable spaces that the visitors can occupy and transform according to their needs,’ says Normann Copenhagen designer Hans Hornemann. ‘Spaces that invite you to get closer to each other.’
The concept of spaces with designated social functions in this large-scale interior project begins with the electric-blue Everyday Room. The enveloping monochrome lounge area was the hub for various events during the festival, and is furnished as a "conversation kitchen" with bar stools around a high table for casual chats as well as listening to inspirational talks and panel debates.