Kvadrat has recently opened a new flagship showroom in Nordhavn, Copenhagen's dynamic waterfront district. Located in a former cargo building, the light-filled space has been designed by long time collaborators Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec to showcase the materiality of the Danish design brand's range of rugs and textiles on a large scale.
"The concept we developed is focused on materiality, which is at the heart of the Kvadrat brand," said Erwan Bouroullec. "For instance, the showroom aims to deliver total flexibility to create scenes with large pieces of textiles and rugs. Doing so provides a deep insight into the weave, weight, transparency and quality of each design."
Large windows flank three sides of the showroom, which provides panoramic views over an industrial harbour towards the centre of Copenhagen. Inside, two opposing rows of brick walls, topped by transparent glass screens, run parallel through the heart of the space. This layout creates a bright, airy gallery area, with the office desks on one side and shelving for textiles and rugs on the other. A conference room, kitchen, reception, bathrooms and IT room are also integrated into the space.
For the showroom, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have designed a heavy-duty shelving and hanging system, which fits into a specially designed gridded track-ceiling. Made from anodised aluminium, the system enables Kvadrat to display large pieces of textiles and rugs. The bespoke system offers the freedom to transform the experience of the showroom. Large areas of the space can be completely cleared or, alternatively, populated with textiles, rugs and installations.
Mirroring the Kvadrat collection, the materials in the showroom project a strong sense of materiality, volume and tactility. In addition to the glass and brick walls, there are natural oak floors and surfaces, a concrete floor, and desks made from 'Really Solid Textile Boards.'
To stay true to the idea of 'no colours, just materials,' white is the dominant color in the showroom -- used when the natural finish of the material is not shown: the track-ceiling, which comprises rows of Soft Cells acoustic textile panels, the desks and all the walls of the showroom are white. Black is also used throughout the new showroom, as the opposite to the white.
Much of the furniture inside the showroom is custom-made. A large proportion is designed by Bouroullec Studio for Vitra, such as the Alcove Plume sofas, Belleville armchairs, Tyde tables and Cyl high tables. Tiles designed by Bouroullec Studio for Mutina are utilized in the bathrooms.
Photography: Michel Giesbrecht