Following three hugely successful editions of its Material Matters fair in London, Delizia Media is launching a new event in Denmark. Material Matters Copenhagen runs 18-20 June at Gammel Dok, Christianshavn and is part of 3daysofdesign 2025.

It features an array of brilliant exhibitors. On the ground floor, for example, AHEC Europe (American Hardwood Export Council) will be showing, No.1 Common, an exhibition designed by Kia Utzon-Frank of KUF Studio.

The organisation, which champions the performance, sustainability and aesthetic potential of US hardwoods to timber markets, has commissioned a trio of designers – UK born and Copenhagen-based Daniel Schofield, Norwegian product designer and sculptor Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng and Andu Masebo, a London-based designer – to create products that underscore one all-important message: ‘use what nature provides’.

The project takes its name from a hardwood timber grade that is currently overlooked in Europe and sends out a message to designers, industry leaders, and consumers to embrace its beauty – knots, grain variation, colour streaks and all. The pieces have all been made by high end British manufacturer, Benchmark.

According to AHEC Europe: ‘American hardwood forests contain more than twice the volume of standing timber today as 50 years ago. To maximise the potential of this natural resource, we need to rethink how we use timber – learning to appreciate and utilise not just the most ‘pristine’ cuts, which make up only up to 10 and 15 percent of the tree, but as much of the tree as possible.’

Ultimately, No.1 Common questions what quality means and highlights how sustainable and thoughtful material selection can shape the future of our forests.

Hydro R100 project - Image: Einar Aslaksen

Meanwhile on the first floor, Hydro will be exhibiting the latest collection from its R100 project, most recently seen during Milan Design Week. Following the launch of the world’s first 100 per cent post-consumer aluminium in 2024, Hydro has shifted its attention to transportation attempting to reduce its total carbon footprint even further as Hydro CIRCAL 100R aluminium goes from material to final product. By containing the entire project within a 100-kilometre radius, Hydro cut transportation emissions by 90 per cent compared to its 2024 edition.

The installation, curated by designer Lars Beller Fjetland, brings five pieces – from leading international designers including Sabine Marcelis, Keiji Takeuchi, Cecilie Manz, Daniel Rybakken and Stefan Diez – to life from locally sourced, post-consumer scrap to finished design objects all within this self-imposed limit of a 100 kilometres radius.

The five designers were selected for their distinct design expressions and complementary methodologies, resulting in a unique collection of mono-material aluminium products varying from home decor objects to chairs and furniture components. The project officially began in November 2024, with the harvesting of 52 tonnes of locally sourced aluminium scrap from demolished greenhouses and decommissioned light poles in the Netherlands, and involved a range of Hydro plants in the Benelux region.

Other exhibitors to look out for include:

Aifunghi, a new Dutch brand, founded by Marije & Bart Schilder, Michiel Geluk and Mo Aouraghé and showing for the first time internationally, works with Mycelium Based Composite (MBC) – which consists of hemp fibres that are grown together by mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms – to create beautifully-made furniture pieces.

Abalon creates lights with Corallo Porcelain and Bio Corallo Porcelain, a 3D-printable, porcelain-based biomaterial developed in-house. Bio Corallo uses approximately 45 per cent less mined material than traditional porcelain, offering a more sustainable approach to interior design.

Patch Design uses materials such as discarded fish nets and diverse techniques like traditional weaving and 3D printing to design pieces of furniture, lighting and sculpture.

The New Raw crafts sustainable furniture for indoor and outdoor spaces using robotic 3D printing and plastic waste. By blending digital precision with traditional craftsmanship, the studio designs tactile pieces with layered textures and organic forms.

Spark & Bell is showing Seraphín, a new modular chandelier that uses recycled plastic made in-house from CD cases saved from landfill. In total, the piece contains over 120 CD cases and is designed to be fully repairable through the studio’s lifetime repair service.

Kjaer + Loege manufactures switches, dimmers and sockets from unexpected, and very beautiful, materials. It is presenting KLOSS, a range of products inspired by childhood toys and made in Nature Oak, Warm Oak and White Fiber Concrete.

Finally, we are delighted to be working with our host, Ukraine House in Denmark, on Material Resistance: Ukrainian Design in Action, which will explore how materials are sourced and contemporary design objects manufactured in a war zone.

‘We are so excited to be launching this new event in one of our favourite design cities,’ confirm Material Matters co-founders Grant Gibson and William Knight. ‘The London fair has been running successfully since 2022 and it feels like the right time to take the brand to a new audience. We are incredibly happy to be showcasing a string of thoughtful installations and products from the likes of AHEC Europe, Hydro, and our hosts Ukraine House in Denmark. We believe it will be a wonderful show.’

Dates 18–20 June 2025
Press Preview 17th June 17:00 to 19:00
Location Ukraine House in Denmark, Gammel Dok, Strandgade 27B, 1401 København
Opening times 10:00 to 18:00

materialmatters.design | @materialmatters.design

Top Image: Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng, Andu Masebo and Daniel Schofield at an AHEC workshop
Image: Dan Medhurst