YOUNG TALENTS
Inventive double

Julia Hauch: You have just designed the Palmes Centre Court in Copenhagen – a flagship store for the clothing brand Palmes Tennis Society. To what extent does the project reflect your philosophy?

Frederik Gustav: We generally take a very playful approach to design and usually work with flexible, dynamic mechanisms that allow an object, product or space to adapt to different needs and functions. To do justice to the versatile use of the Palmes Centre Court, we have fitted the walls with large sliding doors that open or close the rooms as required. The same playful flexibility is also reflected in the furniture, which can be moved or rearranged in different ways. The solution was a simple construction principle based on a threaded rod and small steel brackets, combined with a clear material palette of polycarbonate, okoumé plywood and hot-dip galvanised steel.

The project is one of many exciting collaborations in your portfolio. How did it come about?

Frederik Gustav: It all started with ‘Trophy’, a tennis ball basket we designed. One day, the founder of the Palmes Tennis Society approached us and asked if we could design a ball basket for the brand. Our idea was an abstract reinterpretation in the form of a trophy. With its strict form and composition, ‘Trophy’ refers to the aesthetics of the game, while at the same time the basket retains a practical and unpretentious character thanks to its simple construction.

Your objects make your own joy of experimentation tangible – what inspires you?

Frederik Gustav: We love to add a special touch to simple or everyday things. Many of our projects start with a mechanism, technique or method that catches our interest for some reason. However, the further idea only emerges during the creative process. Craftsmanship and construction play a central role. We concentrate on passing on the joy and quality that we ourselves experience during the work. That is why we also try to clarify the construction and reveal its structure in order to give users an insight into the manufacturing process.

You both studied Furniture Design and Spatial Design at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. How did you come together?

Frederik Gustav: When we met at design school, we realised pretty quickly that we had the same approach. The first project we realised together was a design competition. We worked on a chair and were both enthusiastic about our joint idea. The only thing we had completely different opinions on was the backrest. It was a long, hard battle, to say the least, but in the end we ended up with a chair that was much more refined than either of us had originally thought, thanks to the challenge we posed to each other. Since then, we have grown closer together with each new project – just like our names.

What do you value about the Royal Danish Academy and to what extent does your training characterise your work?

Frederik Gustav: For us, the academy was the ultimate playground where we could immerse ourselves in a world of ideas every day. Thanks to the excellent equipment in the workshops, we spent almost our entire time studying there. Our ideas come from our intensive exploration of tools and craftsmanship – an approach that we definitely took with us from our time at the academy.

The ‘Bracket’ collection is your second collaboration with the multidisciplinary lifestyle label Frama – how did this come about?

Frederik Gustav: Our collaboration with Frama started with the chair I mentioned earlier. One evening over a beer, we decided to send a small presentation to the boss of Frama. A rather hopeless endeavour, but to our surprise he replied the same evening. The ‘Bracket’ chair is a further development of the first idea, which still had problems with stability. The concept was to incorporate a diagonal brace that not only stabilises the entire piece, but also gives it its unmistakable character.

You not only create usable objects, but also tangible installations that focus on the topic of light. What fascinates you about the material?

Frederik Gustav: ‘Paperwork’, which we exhibited at The Mindcraft Project in 2022, was our first project with light. As the discipline is associated with numerous technical aspects, we lacked the courage for a long time. In the meantime, light has become a focal point of our work. ‘High Wire’ was our first solo exhibition, which was presented at Til:værks in Østerbro in Copenhagen. Normally, the electrical components in lighting design are hidden. We wanted to challenge that. Instead, we were inspired by the electrical structures of the city, such as antennas, power lines, streetlights or railway systems, where the mass of cables itself forms an enormous sculpture. Following this exhibition, we then developed the ‘Pylon’ lamp series. Another current exhibition project is ‘Reflector’, a luminaire that combines bent steel rods and aluminium shades and can be scaled from a single light source to an extensive architectural installation.