All the fun of the fair

The event of the year for the Scandinavian design scene takes place from February 9-13 and in tune with the times, sustainability is the theme throughout this year’s edition of the Stockholm Furniture Fair and its rather substantial appendix, Northern Light Fair. Together, they are the largest meeting-place for Scandinavian furniture and lighting design.

For the third consecutive year, the trade fair is enhanced by Stockholm Design Talks, a forum for knowledge and interesting discussions lead by high-profile speakers from around the world. The template for the design talks is ‘Scandinavia Now’, which sheds light on what is going on right here, right now in the Scandinavian world of architecture, interior design projects and what drives designer’s success stories.

This year’s exhibition also features the anticipated ‘Established’ section. It is a completely new zone for design studios and designers to exhibit their collections to the general public, producers and the media, and represents a new opportunity to showcase products in a larger commercial context.

Fortunately, this year’s furniture fair will again provide hungry visitors with fancy food in an aesthetically pleasing setting. The recurring ‘Design Bar’ was conceived by architect Andreas Martin-Löf and under the concept “all the fun of the fair” he aims to create an ”evocative, cozy atmosphere that is miles away from hard wooden chairs and Scandinavian simplicity.” It is also a world-class restaurant venue, created in collaboration with award-winning chef Fredrik Eriksson, who is likely to plate tasty and tasteful culinary creations in complete contrast to the usual trade fair fast food grub.

Last but not least, we would like to introduce the guests of honor for 2016, British Design studio Barber & Osgerby who, over the years, have been recognized internationally for their innovative style. Their work spans industrial design, furniture, lighting and site-specific installations, as well as limited edition pieces and public commissions such as the London 2012 Olympic Torch and projects for the Royal Mint. They are currently working with leading global manufacturers including Knoll, Vitra, B&B Italia, Cappellini, Venini and Flos. Their work is held in permanent collections around the world including the V&A Museum of London, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, London’s Design Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.