Introducing "Silhouette" by Space Copenhagen

“This is our first collection with Nude and we were impressed by the deep dedication to the craft of glass-making they have. Called Silhouette, the pieces reflect the name in many forms; they are glass, transparent and reflective. The name derives from a constant passion of ours to have a consistency of things to have a sculptural, aesthetic appeal.”

Danes Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou are graduates of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. The pair launched Space Copenhagen,their design firm in 2005 where they work across disciplines, producing furniture, lighting and objects for interiors for residential and hospitality projects. The couple often use natural materials, and a subdued color palette that highlights craft. Space Copenhagen’s clients range from international manufacturers including Georg Jensen, GUBI, Stellar Works, and Fredericia Furniture. Restaurant and hotel projects include 11 Howard, New York; the original Noma launched by René Redzepi in Copenhagen; Geranium, Copenhagen owned by Bócuse d’Or winner Rasmus Kofoed; and Geist, run by Michelin star chef Bo Bech.

"When we started sketching,
our inspiration was purely the material itself’’

Melissa Feldman: Have you worked with glass before?

Space Copenhagen: It is our first time working with glass, and the complexity of the craft techniques behind it is deeply fascinating to us.

M.F.: What was it like working with the Nude team?

S.C.: Our collaboration with the wonderfully skilled craftsmen at Nude has been truly inspiring. Whether fused, cast or blown, the sheer immediacy of the process, the intensity of coaxing molten glass into these exquisite precise forms is quite unique and unlike anything we have experience with.

M.F.: What’s your approach when combining form and function? What other types of foods are you imagining would work in these vessels?

S.C.: Every case is different. Here, we were interested in how to effortlessly convey a welcoming, generous gesture in the form. The small family of individual bowls can be used in different ways but are all connected by their open, inviting and generous shape. Our intention was to create a very flexible collection. Whether filled with nuts or with a couple of berries, in a group, or on their own, we wanted them to communicate an inviting gesture in an understated but clear way.

M.F.: How do you think about incorporating decorative objects like these on to your table setting?

S.C.: The sentiment of sharing bowls and trays for a table setting is appealing to us, and we like the simple sculptural ornamental character that glass pieces like these introduce to a space.

M.F.: What was your original inspiration for the Silhouette Collection and how did you begin your design process when creating the collection for Nude?

S.C.: When we started sketching, our inspiration was purely the material itself. In the process, its fluid and transparent nature quickly became almost a fourth dimension with a constant interplay between edge, volume and curve, and techniques that are unique to glass determining outcome in ways that were new to us, which was a great learning.

M.F.: What other types of accessories are you interested in designing that might relate to the collection you’ve just created?

S.C.: We see so many amazing possibilities, whether glass, vases or larger free form objects, which could be really interesting to explore.

M.F.: Do you like cooking? If so what in specific? Fish perhaps?

S.C.: For both of us cooking is a wonderfully relaxing, social and sometimes almost meditative endeavour, something that takes you out of a busy professional life and into a sphere where it’s about this ritual and experience. We love the Mediterranean and Asian way of sharing a meal, passing the bowl or plate along, a lot of choice, many dishes on the table, that whole interaction around the table.

M.F.: Do you have a favorite restaurant besides the ones you've designed? And why?

S.C.: We work with restaurants for a living, and seek out food experiences all the time, both in Copenhagen and when traveling. So, to us culinary experiences are so intrinsically tied to the place you’re at, the mood, you’re in, the people you’re with, so singling out a favorite wouldn’t be fair. It could be amazing dumplings in a side street on Lower East Side, fine dining in Copenhagen, or fresh fish in a modest family restaurant in Milan.