Danish Modern: Then and Now
August 31-September 5, 2008
Copenhagen
 
The Historic Resources Committee is going to Denmark for five days of action-packed touring and networking with the AIA Committee on Design and our counterparts at the Danish Architectural Centre. This is a trip not to be missed, and as of the end of May the conference was at greater than 50% capacity, so if you are thinking of coming, please do not delay, as the group is strictly limited to 120. The HRC is partnering with the Committee on Design on this event, and the conference will highlight the impact of Danish design from the mid-20th century up to the dramatic architecture of today. Tours will visit buildings by mid-century luminaries such as Arne Jacobsen, as well as by more contemporary architecture of Henning Larsen and Lene Tranberg.

Copenhagen continues to be the center of strong design with regard to integrated architecture, interiors and urban planning. From door hardware to wind turbines, the city is a laboratory for innovative design that has grown out of a strong national culture, which in the modern era has been most evident from the mid-century. The juxtaposition of clean international design with the expressive energy of computer-generated forms makes this city one of the most exciting in today’s design world. The world’s concern about climate change, combined with Denmark’s leadership role in alternative energy, has resulted in Copenhagen being selected as the host city for the United Nations meeting on the topic in 2009. So come to Copenhagen with your architectural colleagues to learn more about creativity and globalization, sustainability, preserving modernism, innovation and user-driven design, furniture and product design, and urban new town growth.

The planning committee consists of Chair T. Gunny Harboe, AIA, of Harboe Architects, Chicago, and Co-Chairs Carol Bentel, FAIA, of Bentel & Bentel Architects and Planners, Locust Valley, NY, and Sharon C. Park, FAIA, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Carol and Sharon are the current Chairs of the COD and HRC, respectively, and Gunny is a past board member of the AIA, half Danish by birth, and a regular traveler to Denmark.

The conference hotel is the Copenhagen Admiral Hotel, an 18th century converted warehouse, located in the historic city center, dramatically situated across the harbor from the new Opera House and adjacent to the new Performing Arts Theater. The hotel is very popular, so it is advisable to book early, using the Hotel Form found on the AIA website.

The agenda is very full and will include tours, coach transportation, most lunches, and several sponsored dinners with the final dinner at the famous Tivoli Garden. A lot of walking is anticipated, but there will be coach or metro/train transport to sites, and two boat tours on the river. On the last day, there will be in-depth seminars in the morning, followed by tours to furniture showrooms or to the Viking Museum. The conference registration fee is $1200 for AIA members; travel and hotel are not included. Be sure to see our website for details!