Normann Copenhagen was founded in Denmark in 1999 by Jan Andersen and Poul Madsen and has since then evolved into an international design brand rooted in Danish design traditions. This year, the company turns 25, a milestone that was celebrated with a big exhibition during 3 Days of Design, which Bolon was proud to sponsor with flooring. We spoke to Poul Madsen about great design, the power of collaboration, and love for colour.
This year Normann Copenhagen is turning 25. How has the brand vision evolved during these years?
- What started as a passion project with a very small product portfolio is now still very much a passion project, but with a slightly larger assortment of furniture, lighting and accessories. Since 1999, our vision has been to challenge conventional thinking through great design, and that vision remains the same. The design landscape has, of course, changed, and while we change along with it, our vision remains the same, taking on additional meanings along the way.
The landscape is changing but great design is constant! What would you say are the most significant milestones over the past 25 years?
- I would say launching our Norm69 Lamp, which was the first product under the Normann Copenhagen brand. Then expanding into furniture. The Bit Stool was also a game changer, and something that has become a global favorite in a very short period of time. Another thing would be moving into our six-story headquarters in the heart of Copenhagen a few years back in 2021. The most recent one is launching our Mat Chair collection, a chair designed to challenge the conventional materials used for 3D shell chairs by using an innovative mix of hemp and seaweed fibers.
In what way is innovation key to Normann Copenhagen?
- The Mat Chair collection launched in February of 2024, and the interest in the design has been overwhelming from the beginning. What started as an idea in the late 1990’s has now become a series of chairs crafted with material innovation at their core and designed for circularity. We truly believe this is a small step into the future of the furniture design industry.
So, how is sustainability reflected in your product development and overall business practices?
- It has become a standard consideration in our operations. We have made a commitment to strive towards more sustainable business model by exploring innovative, circular ways of operating. We constantly meet challenges that prompt us to reassess decisions and explore alternative, more responsible approaches, from initial design ideas to final products. And we actively seek out innovative materials, production methods, and more and engage in collaborations with specialized partners and technical institutions to live up to our commitment.
Your brand is known for its collaborations with designers. What makes a collaboration successful?
- The Norm69 Lamp I mentioned previously was designed by Simon Karkov in 1969 and is as modern and relevant today as it was back then. I think that’s a prime example of one of our successful collaborations and one of my personal favorites, too.
Looking forward, what directions or trends do you see taking precedence in your future collections?
- It’s not a trend, but rather a direction, but I strongly believe that it’s our duty to reassess our business operations and strive to conform to more sustainable practices across the entire organization, including the design studio. Besides creating long-lasting designs that can be passed down from generation to generation, which has been a mission from the beginning, this also means looking at new, innovative materials and ways of production and considering a product’s end-of-life management to ensure a lower environmental impact in the future.
In design, how do you approach the use of color? Is there a specific philosophy or inspiration that guides your color choices?
- Our love of color has become something we are known for all over the world. Another of our core values is courage, and we’re proud of the fact that we’re never afraid of trying something new or choosing a bold color. Sometimes, we choose colors based on trend research, sometimes, it’s a gut feeling. The colors are mainly chosen and guided by our brand team.
As a founder, what are your favorite colors to work with and why?
- I would say bold, strong colors such as bright red and bright blue. Those colors have been and continue to be a very big part of the Normann Copenhagen brand DNA. We have worked with them from the very beginning and they are represented on everything from our Shorebirds and Washing-Up Bowl to our best-selling Form Chair.
How do you believe good design impacts the daily lives of people?
- Good design is not only beautiful to look at, it’s comfortable and convenient, too. It makes you happy when you look at it, but also while using it, which we strongly believe enriches people’s daily lives. We aspire to contribute to creating beautiful spaces that connect people all around the world.
Bolon provided flooring for your anniversary exhibition, could you walk us through the overall idea of this exhibition and the choice of flooring?
- Well, the creative decisions are entrusted to our talented brand team, particularly our Spatial Designer, who has designed the exhibition for 3daysofdesign. I know that we used BOLON flooring for our Stockholm showroom, which we were very happy with and which inspired us to explore further opportunities for collaboration. For this year’s 3daysofdesign, we paid homage to the 25-year legacy of Normann Copenhagen through an exhibition called ELEMENTS OF NORMANN, which dived into the core elements that have shaped our brand for the past quarter century, as well as where we see the brand moving towards in the future. BOLON’s dedication to sustainability matches our commitment to teaming up with more responsible-minded partners. In terms of the visual identity of the exhibition and the choice of BOLON flooring, we wanted this specific area of the exhibition to have more eye-catching flooring than the rest of the building, which is plain concrete. BOLON’s wide range of possibilities enabled us to choose different, interesting flooring solutions with an intriguing expression to elevate the exhibition. On top of that, BOLON’s end-of-life solution enables us to return the tiles afterward for them to be re-used or recycled, which aligns very well with our own mission of looking into better end-of-life management.