Magazine Brand

A new chapter: from Danish tradition to AUDO Copenhagen

28 September 2023

The “soft minimalism” of the brand that cultivates and brings the Danish design tradition into the future

Audo Copenhagen is the quintessence of Danish style, born, in fact, from the fusion of three brands: Muuto, Audo and By Lassen, each with its own specificities and all united by an aesthetic that expresses the recurring motifs of the Scandinavian school in a contemporary key. Each project is imagined with everyday life in mind, meticulously taking care of the choice of materials, craftmanship and formal and functional details. From small accessories to furnishings, Audo Copenhagen embraces every aspect of home living with an approach that could be defined as holistic expressed in the Audo House in Copenhagen, a building that houses not only the showroom but also the bar, restaurant and company headquarters . In a dialogue between the Danish capital and the world, the brand promotes its vision of “soft minimalism”, a soft, welcoming and informal minimalism in which the elements are reduced to the essence but do not neglect the visual and use comfort of each element. Warm materials, rounded shapes, rounded corners, neutral colours: here the elegance is enveloping and concrete, but there is no shortage of creative flashes, as demonstrated by the furnishings and accessories below.

Penguin chair by Kofod-Larsen

Audo’s devotion to the Danish school is manifested through the re-edition of some excellent icons of this tradition. A very nice example is the Penguin seat, designed in 1953 by Kofod-Larsen: with an ironic spirit, its name recalls the penguin as does its backrest which develops laterally, evoking the image of this animal’s wings. The structure has essential lines; yet, it is enveloping and generous and in this it perfectly expresses the idea of “soft minimalism” dear to the company which has decided to offer the seat in three versions: dining, lounge and rocking. The first supports the body in an upright and vertical way and its proportions are suitable for a dining table, the second has a lower and inclined profile to invite relaxation, the third, finally, rests on two curved wooden elements that swing softly and enrich its shapes.

Radiohus sofa by Vilhelm Lauritzen

The history of the Radiohus sofa is intertwined with the cultural history of Denmark. Vilhelm Lauritzen designed it in 1936 for the Royal Danish Academy of Music – at the time Denmark’s Radio House – anticipating the Danish modernist functionalism of the following decades. The stitching of the backrest is a last trace of the classic sofa and blends with the extremely modern profile of the backrest and seat. The overall style is still extraordinarily current without neglecting the comfort of a large and generous sofa.

Rail desk by Keiji Ashizawa

Danish tradition meets Japanese design in this desk defined by its designer as “neat, serene and practical”. The lines are essential, and the wooden top conveys a sense of warmth and invites concentration. Practicality is given precisely by the meeting of the steel bracket with the support surface which also makes it a shelf or console. In the tactile contrast between these two elements, one dilutes the other and the overall result is perfect and punctual.

Elizabeth lounge chair by Kofod-Larsen

A comfortable armchair with an unmistakable style: it was originally called Model U56 but was renamed after a state trip by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when the couple decided to purchase two of these armchairs for their home. The wooden structure is essential and sculptural, low to invite you to relax in the seat made up of an enveloping leather shell. The armchair is a feast for the eyes from all points of view, all interesting.

Androgyn lounge table by Danielle Siggerud

The Androgyn coffee table was designed by Danielle Siggerud for the café in the former Audo showroom. The project was so successful to induce the company to put it into production in the name of promoting Danish craftsmanship. The coffee table is in fact a skillful meeting of refined materials such as wood, stone and marble, expressed in a sophisticated and essential way at the same time.