Copenhagen isn't only Nyhavn: design hunters should head north to the harbour
People who come to Copenhagen for design usually build their itinerary around the row of coloured houses at Nyhavn. It's worth seeing, but the real addresses of the design brands mostly aren't in that area. They're north, in the old industrial harbour of Nordhavn, and in a handful of streets in the city centre, Indre By.
This is organised as a two-day route: one day in the centre, one day at the north harbour. The metro between the two takes about 15 minutes.
Day one: converted old buildings in Indre By
What characterises the centre is that brands like to open inside buildings with some age to them, and they don't paper over what was already there. FRAMA's store occupies a nineteenth-century pharmacy on Fredericiagade: the wooden cabinets, the floor tiles and the apothecary jars were all there before, and the brand simply moved its furniture and skincare in. That approach isn't rare in Denmark, but FRAMA has taken it furthest — walk in and you can't quite tell where the display ends and the building begins.
Head north within the same district and you reach Bredgade, home to Designmuseum Danmark. If you're interested in how twentieth-century Danish furniture came about, this is worth more of your time than any shop: originals by Wegner, Juhl and Klint are all here, and it makes clear why that generation of chairs became shapes the whole world went on to copy.
Day two: Nordhavn, the north harbour
Ten years ago Nordhavn was a container port. Today it's Copenhagen's new residential and office district, and the place where design brand headquarters are most densely concentrated. Audo Copenhagen's Audo House is here, with a showroom, a café and a concept store in one building, plus ten guest rooms upstairs.
The reason Audo House is worth a special trip isn't that there's more to see, but that you can actually sit in the furniture for an entire afternoon. The café tables and chairs are their products; so are the lamps, beds and rugs in the rooms. Treating a showroom as a scene from real life is a completely different logic from a furniture store lining products up in a row, and you come away with a better sense of what these things feel like at home.
Walk out of Audo House and head south along the waterfront and you pass several conversions by Cobe and related architecture practices, where old grain stores and silos have been kept as structure. That stretch is a free architecture walk in its own right.
Go in June, or go on an ordinary week
3 Days of Design each June is the most concentrated three days in the Danish design world: brands open showrooms that are usually closed to the public, and launch new products in those days. The downside is crowds, expensive accommodation and busy stores. If your aim is to look at things properly rather than join the party, a weekday in May or September is more comfortable — long daylight, and staff with time to talk to you.
In winter, watch the daylight. Copenhagen goes dark just after three in the afternoon in December, and most concept stores close around five. That also explains why domestic lighting and candleholders grew into such a large category in Denmark: it isn't a stylistic choice, it's what the climate forced.
Names worth writing down
| Place | District | What to see |
|---|---|---|
| Audo House | Nordhavn | Showroom, café and hotel; the furniture can actually be used |
| FRAMA | Indre By | Store in a converted nineteenth-century pharmacy |
| Designmuseum Danmark | Bredgade | Original pieces from the history of Danish furniture |
| 3 Days of Design | Across the city | Every June; brand showrooms open to visitors |
Opening hours and booking requirements change from place to place, so it's safer to check the official links above once before you set off.
Once you're back in Taiwan
Buying large furniture in Denmark usually doesn't add up: freight, customs clearance and tax together generally come to more than the Taiwanese distributor price, and the manufacturer's warranty isn't necessarily honoured in Taiwan. Small things — candleholders, vases, tableware — are ideal to carry back: light, inexpensive and hard to break.
If it's the larger pieces you fall for, several are available in Taiwan: the Audo Copenhagen Kubus 1 candleholder, the Plinth wall shelf and the Androgyne dining table. To see a whole brand at once, the Audo Copenhagen collection page and the 101 Copenhagen collection page both carry the full range.
Frequently asked questions
How many days should I allow for a design trip to Copenhagen?
Two days covers Indre By and Nordhavn, one day each, with about 15 minutes on the metro between them. If you want to fit in museums and furniture stores as well, three days is more relaxed.
When is the best time to go?
3 Days of Design in June is the most concentrated moment, when brand showrooms open to general visitors. Outside that, May to September is the most comfortable; winter days are short and shops close early.
What sort of place is Audo House?
It's in Nordhavn, and it's the headquarters of Audo Copenhagen (formerly MENU), combining a showroom, café, concept store and hotel rooms, with furniture you can actually use.
Can I bring furniture bought in Denmark back to Taiwan?
Small objects can travel with you. Large furniture means arranging freight, customs clearance and tax, which together often exceed the Taiwanese distributor price, and the manufacturer's warranty isn't necessarily honoured in Taiwan.
Sources
- Audo Copenhagen official website
- FRAMA official website
- Designmuseum Danmark
- 3 Days of Design
- Prices and stock: NOSA Audo Copenhagen product pages, NOSA 101 Copenhagen product pages
Kai
NOSA is the official distributor in Taiwan for Danish brands including Audo Copenhagen and 101 Copenhagen. Our Taichung showroom can be visited by appointment, with nationwide delivery in Taiwan.