New Exhibition at Danish Architecture Center:  
Nanna Ditzel – Breaking Free

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Johanne Troelsgaard Toft 
Senior Press Officer 
Tlf.: +45 6142 1927 
E-mail: jott@dac.dk
+45 6142 1927

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Danish design pioneer Nanna Ditzel (1923-2005) pushed boundaries and made the human body the focal point of her innovative designs and spaces. From original furniture to experimental furniture landscapes, she redefined how we use and experience spaces. Now, Danish Architecture Center (DAC) is paying tribute to her visionary work with an exhibition opening on January 23, 2025. 

A Pioneer Who Shaped the Future
As one of the most influential designers of the post-war era, Ditzel rethought how spaces could support play, creativity and movement. Her work went beyond aesthetics and challenged contemporary designs by creating spatial solutions that connected people and surroundings in new ways.  

DAC’s exhibition Breaking Free on display at the Gallery Staircase, explores Ditzel’s visionary philosophy and shows how she rethought the relationship between furniture, space and people. The exhibition invites the audience to physically engage with Ditzel’s modular and flexible designs.  

Discover Ditzel’s iconic designs, like the Hanging Egg Chair, which revolutionized the idea of furniture as static objects and allowed the body – protected by rattan – to float in space. Or the Trisse chair, which Ditzel originally developed to encourage children’s playfulness and creativity, but which can also be used multifunctionally by adults.  

The exhibition presents Ditzel’s work on freeing the body and developing furniture and spaces that were better suited to the new forms of socializing that emerged in the 1960s and onwards. It shows how she not only designed furniture for adults, but also introduced furniture for children that supported and developed their imagination and creativity.  

The exhibition showcases Ditzel’s innovative Villette furniture landscape as it was created at her London studio Interspace. In the landscape, furniture and spaces merge with surfaces and colors to create a holistic experience. The exhibition also includes part of her “Fairy Tale Room”, a space that encourages play and immersion and which was originally developed for the children’s library in Lyngby north of Copenhagen. And lastly, the exhibition also plays a film in which Ditzel talks about her vision for creating designs that make everyday life better. 

Relevant for Today’s Design Challenges
Nanna Ditzel’s designs are both timeless and relevant because they can adapt to different needs and changes over time. Her furniture could easily be rearranged and adapted to new purposes or styles, making it durable and relevant for many years. Her focus on freedom of movement also emphasizes an inclusive approach that takes into account different body types and needs – something that is currently more relevant than ever. 

Senior Curator of the Exhibition, Pernille Stockmarr, on Nanna Ditzel:
“Nanna Ditzel revolutionized Danish design by focusing on space and its users. She challenged norms and created solutions that transformed the way we experience and move in spaces. At DAC, we consider Ditzel’s work as an important reminder of how design can shape our everyday lives. Today, as we face the challenges brought on by climate change, urbanization and the need for more sustainable solutions, it has become increasingly important to rethink the future of spaces and cities. Ditzel’s flexible and innovative solutions can still inspire today’s architects and designers to think innovatively and sustainably – with flexibility, adaptability and long-term solutions as key elements.”  

Ditzel’s ability to create furniture that adapts to human needs and interactions shows how design can transform our everyday lives while remaining relevant across generations. 

The exhibition was developed by Danish Architecture Center. Parts of the exhibition have previously been shown at Trapholt – Museum of Modern Art and Design in the “Nanna Ditzel – Taking Design to New Heights” exhibition in 2023.  

Thanks to Nanna Ditzel Design, Trapholt, Kvadrat, Sika and Snedkergaarden. 

The exhibition has received funding from the philanthropic association Realdania.   

Practical Information
Date: January 24, 2025 – May 11, 2025
Exhibition opening: January 23, from 17:00 to 19:00 – Exhibition opening: Nanna Ditzel – Breaking Free – Danish Architecture Center (DAC)
Location: Danish Architecture Center, Gallery Staircase
Press photos: Available from January 23, 2025 at dac.dk/presse 

See more information at https://dac.dk/udstillinger/nanna-ditzel/