Danes the highlight of Business of Design Week
Annual Hong Kong event to host some of the leading lights of Denmark, a front runner in humanist designs based on the needs of people
When Copenhagen-based architect Rosan Bosch was commissioned to design the interiors of a school in Stockholm, she introduced a giant iceberg with a cinema, a room for relaxation and recreation, and colourful custom-designed furnishings designed to inspire creativity and learning.
"The school library is so cool. The teenagers hang out there even when they are finished their school day," Bosch says. "Design ... is not a mere practice of doing something aesthetic. It is a tool for making a physical environment better."
Bosch will present this and other examples of her imaginative designs at the Hong Kong Business of Design Week (BODW) next week. This year's partnership with Denmark brings to Hong Kong some of the country's best-known designers.
"Bringing together some of the best minds on design and business has been key to BODW's success over the past 10 years," says William To, the Hong Kong Design Centre's project director, who is responsible for the event.
"This year's theme, Design for Society, reflects a growing awareness that design is key to every decision - business or social. Denmark has a very rich design culture and is at the forefront of social design so we hope to learn a lot from them."
Kigge Hvid, chief executive of non-profit organisation INDEX: Design to Improve Life, says the large Danish delegation at BODW offers the perfect opportunity to present the country's full scale of design traditions and styles, and commitment to creativity.
