Wallpaper* has launched its 2016 Hygge Christmas Market to bring the best in Danish interiors, craft, fashion and food to London. Running through December 18 in King's Cross, the market is a celebration of Danish creativity, craftsmanship and cosiness and is presented in collaboration with Danish architects 3XN, King's Cross developers Argent and the Danish Embassy.
Product stalls include the likes of Nordic design names Georg Jensen, Nuori skincare, Skandium and Hay, as well as Danish-inspired wares from Skagen, all curated by Wallpaper* editors and Denmark's finest designers. Scandi-inspired food will be provided by The Lighterman bar and restaurant, curated by The Danish Embassy; The Bread Station; and Kuf Studios.
The 400-square-metre market is set within an impressive pavilion designed by 3XN, which is inspired by both the Wallpaper* asterisk and the complex structure of snowflakes. "Taking inspiration from snowflakes and how they form, we created a flexible structure where modules, which can be assembled without any adhesive, can 'crystallize' in different directions using very few components," explained 3XN Founder and Creative Director Kim Herforth Nielsen.
3XN designed an interlocking modular system out of 5mm thick corrugated white polypropylene sheets. It satisfies the brief for a pavilion that was affordable, simple and quick to assemble while simultaneously evoking the poetry and magic of snowflakes and the magazine's iconic asterisk. The modules, stacked three high, create an undulating pattern that defines the 500m2 retail area, in which freestanding modules serve as tables and display areas. Individual modules feature internal illumination and shelves to hold retail product from leading Danish brands.
"We crowned Copenhagen the World's Best City this January in the 2016 Wallpaper* Design Awards so this is a perfect way to close the year," commented Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Tony Chambers. "Thanks to our partners 3XN, Argent and the Danish Embassy, we are staging our first Danish Christmas market, presenting a very special winter wonderland and a celebration of Scandinavian design and lifestyle."
Photography: Ben Blossom