Copenhagen, Denmark

Designmuseum Danmark

The Nordics • See & do • Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen, Denmark

What’s the museum in a nutshell?

The former Frederiks Hospital, built between 1752 and 1757, was converted into a museum for Danish and international design and crafts in the 1920s by no other than Kaare Klint, an architect and designer that is known as the father of modern Danish furniture design. In 2022, Designmuseum Danmark was reinaugurated after a two-year-long remodel, which included a restoration of the façade and an installation of 2500 square metres of marble flooring.

What is the architecture like?

Since 1926, Designmuseum Danmark has been housed in one of Copenhagen’s finest rococo buildings. The original building, which was the premises for Royal Frederik’s Hospital, was designed by architects Nicolai Eigtved and Lauritz de Thurah. Danish design master lived and worked at the museum while he refurnished it in the late 1920s. The 2022 overhaul was completed by Cobe, who worked on a new plaza, museum entrance and café. The Grønnegården garden located in the middle of the museum is used for exhibitions, a serves as a green oasis in the middle of the city.

What is showcased?

For the 2022 revamp of the museum, the entire museum experience has been rethought. There is a greater focus on crucial current questions such as sustainability, health and identity, and how design can create a connection between historic achievements and contemporary national and global challenges. And how design can serve as a prism through which one can explore and understand mankind’s needs, dreams and behaviours. Aside from a large array of temporary exhibitions, Designmuseum Danmark features works by well-known Danish designers like Arne Jacobsen, Jacob Jensen and the aforementioned Kaare Klint.

What’s the neighbourhood like?

Copenhagen’s Indre By is the area bounded by the lakes circling the inner city and the harbour. This historic centre reflects the entire city’s extent during the reign of King Christian IV (1577-1648) when the town was fortified. It is home to most of Copenhagen’s museums and attractions. Strøget, the city’s famed pedestrian shopping street, runs right through it. If you’re new to the city, we recommend you start here, right at the heart of the bustling city, working your way outward to other neighbouring areas as you explore.