Design and architecture at Pakhus48

Forårsevent - Designzone Pakhus48
Invited speakers Ole Gustavsen and Alfredo Häberli

Pakhus48 is situated in Frihavnen, in the north harbour of Copenhagen. It lies in a rough industrial-looking context with immediate views on the waters of Øresundet. Pakhus48 shelters design firms such as Montana, Luce Plan, Fritz Hansen, Kvadrat, Jørgensen, Vola. They stand for some of the finest interior designs and solutions and have been collaborating with great names from the designer world in order to produce and promote esthetic lines and functional products.The Spring Event I attended yesterday was as fine and glamourous as the products exposed there. But most of all, I had the chance to assist presentations by Ole Gustavsen, architect from Snöhetta and Alfredo Häberli, Swiss designer. They represent different scales of the design world but with the same attention for use, clear logic and high quality.

Ole showed us some of the architecture projects Snöhetta did/is doing in the Muslim world. It was amazingly interesting : the excitment but also the challenge it must be to produce a shelter for a community, citizens of a culture where heat and shade, climate, religion, topography, traditions and habits are so different from what we are used to in Europe. By the way, it seems that Scandinavian architects are quite often acting in the southern architectural world and are quite good at it - often those buildings are landmarks to the country and references to the architectural world. Take for instance, Jørn Utzon's National assembly in Kowait city, Henning Larsen's work in Saudi Arabia, Snöhetta's library of Alexandria.

Huge projects. Huge work. Impressive presentation skills. I would give anything to get into that team...

Alfredo started by expressing that he felt as a student to present his work after those projects of several hundred thousands square meters. He showed us his work and inspirations in a very humble and humoristic way. Humor, th key to great design? Well, as long as the final product shows line cleverness, material sensibility, quality awareness and good understanding of the use we make of our environment. That is at least what Alfredo reveals. Fascinating and great.

The rest of the evening was just agreable: beautiful lines, forms, colours, simple and clean solutions...A joy to the eye and the hand. The whole thing in wonderful warehouse settings. In some way it had the same atmosphere as NDS in Amsterdam - the difference is that here we are exhibiting the production of artistic and creative disciplines.