Designer Spotlight: SPACE Copenhagen
The duo behind GUBI’s Gravity Collection.
by Zsófia Frei
Introducing the Gravity Collection of Gubi, designed by Space Copenhagen. It consists of a table lamp and a floor lamp that is aesthetically contrasting strength and fragility. The lamp collection got its name from the distinctive balance between the anchoring of the heavy, cylindrical base and the lightweight, airy shade, as they beautifully merge into a sculptural whole.
The designers behind Gravity Collection
Space Copenhagen design studio, which was established in 2005 by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, works across multiple disciplines: from furniture, lighting, and refined objects to interior design for private homes, hotels, and restaurants all over the world. They also do art installations and art direction.
The studio’s intuitive approach shows designs that are distinctively shaped by functional needs, given circumstances, and a fundamental interest in human behaviour. It is a sense of and belief in a slow aesthetic that centers quality and longevity.
Space Copenhagen had created numerous high-end interiors and they continue doing so in the future. Some of their furniture pieces among others; GUBI, Stellar Works, Fredericia Furniture, &Tradition, and Mater. Other works include the award-winning 11 Howard hotel in New York, The Stratford hotel in London, along with acclaimed destination restaurants Geranium and the first Noma restaurant in Copenhagen.
Credit: spacecph.dk
11 Howard hotel in New York
The 11 Howard hotel is located in Manhattan's SoHo district of New York City. The hotel has won the AHEAD Award in 2019 (AHEAD is the new global celebration of hospitality experience and design). In order to design the most exceptional spaces and furniture for 11 Howard, Space Copenhagen worked with creative director Anda Andrei. They have selected natural materials for the interior and furniture to complement each other.
"We're really interested in materials – stone, woods, and leathers. We love things that age well. It's part of our responsibility that a project lives on in a beautiful manner long after we've left." - said the co-founder of Space Copenhagen Signe Bindslev Henriksen in an interview with Dezeen.
The studio created a range of custom furniture and lighting handmade in Denmark, for the hotel.
In contrast with the bedrooms, The Blond bar is decorated with golden metals and dark woods. It is designed to accommodate guests during the day, visitors in the evening, and transform into a nightclub later on.
A steel staircase built as a sculpture of its own that spirals around a thick column in an atrium space, connecting the public areas on the lower floors.
In the interview with Dezeen, the other co-founder of Space Copenhagen Peter Bundgaard Rutzou said; "Most importantly, everything we create revolves around the human factor. We're always thinking about the impact space has on people."
Credit: Various sources
The Stratford hotel in London
The hotel is located at east London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It opened in 2019, designed by Space Copenhagen focusing on textures and surfaces for its interiors.
In the public areas of the hotel, the designers focused on creating an interior that contrasts softly with the strong, modern structure of the building itself.
They used natural oak in earthy tones, gently textured plastered walls, warm metals, and natural stones, that are framed by a polished and dark-pigmented concrete floor.
In an interview with Design Curial, the founders of Space Copenhagen Peter Bundgaard Rutzou and Signe Bindslev Henriksen said; “The reception is discreet and subtly hidden behind the staircase ascension to the mezzanine club space. The mezzanine floor evokes a feel of lush comfort, and projects a feel of past club exclusivity updated to … fuel creative and leisure thinking.”.
“We have imagined a place where guest rooms are modern, intimate, comfortable, and well-balanced.” - said the founders of Space Copenhagen to Design Curial in the same interview.
Credit: Various sources
Noma Restaurant in Copenhagen
Noma has been named the "World's Best Restaurant" an incredible four times - in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. Space Copenhagen got the chance to redesign its first restaurant’s complete interior.
Tables and chairs have been designed by the studio themselves in collaboration with a furniture brand Stellar Works. Muted black and grey tones of the space created a redefined interior. The bar area featured dark wood and brass, and a new oak floor that runs through the entire restaurant.
"We felt a great importance in protecting the honest, earthy feel of the restaurant and balancing it with the refinement of detail and elegance. It was very much about using organic materials such as wood, stone, leather, brass, and linen in a new way; materials that age beautifully over time." - explained by the designers’ Peter Bundgaard Rützou and Signe Bindslev Henriksen of Space Copenhagen in an interview with Dezeen.
Credit: Various sources
Gubi has recognised the talent and creativity of this design studio. Thus invited Space Copenhagen to design new products showcasing their talent and vision. The result is the stunning Gravity Collection of minimalistic, and elegant lamps. They are functional and effortless in its own succinct and simple way that gives an ambient and subtle light display and creates different moods and expressions depending on the choice of size and combination of materiality.
Gubi is well known for bringing back to life archival designs of some of the most celebrated designers of all time to explore the way historic design relates to contemporary outlook. This way Gubi can create the perfect balance between old and new combining different design traditions from mainly France, Italy, and Scandinavia, creating a long-lasting look for their products. Space Copenhagen represents the new breed of designers that Gubi collaborates with, creating products to be enjoyed and celebrated for years to come.
If you wish to fill your own space with this iconic design, you can find a selection of Gravity Collection Lamps in our Web Store.
