Take a Seat on a Work of Art at Copenhagen’s Connie-Connie Café
Copenhagen is a dynamic city known for its minimalist design aesthetics that capture a feeling of Danish hygge: comforting, welcoming, and oh-so trendy.
Without a doubt, a trip to the Danish capital reveals a veritable splendor of design dynamism, from more famous buildings like The Playhouse, Portland Towers, and the Royal Danish Opera House to even the most commonplace spots.The new Connie-Connie café is one such place. Hip, colorful, and fashionably austere, this up-and-coming spot in Copenhagen Contemporary exudes a stylish modernism that’s distinctly Danish.
An international art center and bastion for creatives both locally and worldwide, Copenhagen Contemporary’s HQ itself is a work of art. Occupying the former site of the B&W Welding Hall, the eclectic space is the perfect blend of industrial vibes and immersive, contemporary spaces for artists and creators to display their work.
It comes as no surprise that its latest addition, dubbed the Connie-Connie Café, is similarly pushing the envelope when it comes to its creative design. Conceived by the imaginative firm Tableau in collaboration with Australian designer Ari Prasetya, the space is painted a vivid seafoam green from top to bottom. This bright hue dominates the room’s palette and sets the stage for the café’s real centerpiece: its 25 unique and distinctly designed chairs.
Dotted throughout the café and exhibited like fully functional works of art, it’s hard not to notice these chairs. Curated by Studio Tableau from 25 different artists, the café’s chairs and benches were all made using Douglas fir off-cuts provided by Danish wood flooring company Dinesen — the same group that inspired the café’s distinctive green color palette. The bar, desk, tables, and three additional chairs were created by Prasetya and perfectly complement the eclectic parade of stylish seating.
The chairs’ creators, consisting of 25 artists hailing from Denmark and around the world, were each asked to design a wooden chair or bench to showcase furniture’s creative capabilities. And design they did, seeing as how no chair in the collection is alike. From blocky benches to shapely seats, chunky, industrial benches to delicate wooden wonders, each one is a work of art, highlighting the ability of furniture to go beyond its essential functionality and enter the sphere of artistic possibility.
All of these chairs and tables are available for purchase at Tableau’s online shop — the perfect opportunity for guests to adorn their own spaces with the café’s creatively curated furnishings.
So much more than just a spot to grab a cup of coffee, Copenhagen Contemporary’s Connie-Connie Café is also a stage for an exhibition of its own, featuring one-of-a-kind chairs that perfectly showcase the Danish capital’s penchant for dynamic, forward-thinking design.
