The Design Bar 2016 - All the fun of the fair

At the next Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, which will be held February 9-13, 2016, the area where the Design Bar and the Design Talks are located will be designed by architect Andreas Martin-Löf. Under the concept “All the fun of the fair”, he would like to create an evocative, cozy atmosphere that is miles away from hard wooden chairs and Scandinavian simplicity. The Design Bar, which is a cross between an exhibition and a world-class restaurant and highlights the interplay between food and its surroundings, will be created this year in cooperation with the award-winning chef, Fredrik Eriksson.

“All the fun of the fair” expresses the sense of excitement that a traveling fun fair generates. An opportunity to let your hair down. A readiness to enjoy the moment. And a willingness to embrace new experiences. This phrase has set the framework for and given the name to Design Bar 2016.

In a time when parallel trends are increasing in number and speed, we have become consumers of not only of actual objects and physical rooms, but also of digital venders and photographs. Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter, a firm which designs conceptual housing projects for new production, is located in the middle of this new picture-world and reality.

“Our design for the Design Bar and the Design Talks area is a conscious mix of current trends. With a humorous approach we have selected the theme from blogs and accounts that we follow on Instagram. It is our hope and belief that this combination will create an evocative, cozy atmosphere that is miles away from hard wooden chairs and Scandinavian simplicity. At the same time our installation will question the architect’s and the designer’s relationship with context and authenticity.Central to the project is the collection of 200 capting clamps. Tools that were left over from the construction of a summer house, which in itself was a hit on social media. In the stand they are given new meaning in the form of simple light fittings,” says Andreas.

“How fun that food is given such a large role at the fair! It is a great challenge as well as a creative assignment to work together with Andreas to create a menu that is integrated into the concept and will appeal to the educated guests at the fair. The cuisine will be elegant,” says Fredrik.

Andreas Martin-Löf graduated with a degree in architecture in 2007 from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and since 2008 has run the firm Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter. Having studied at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design’s Institution for Interior Architecture, he combines architecture with expert knowledge of interior architecture and product design. The architecture firm currently spans a wide range of projects,from the design of lamps (including in-house production) via advanced conversions and penthouse projects to Sweden’s currently most talked-about system for quick, prefabricated construction of homes. Many of the firm’s projects have garnered considerable attention, and its clients include Absolut, Continental Apartments, Genova Property Group, IKEA/BoKlok,Junior Living, Monocle, Oscar Properties and Svenska Bostäder.

Fredrik Eriksson runs Långbro värdshus and Restaurang Asplund. He has chaired the jury for the Chef of the Year competition since 2005. Fredrik was named Chef of the Year himself in 1987 and since then has won several awards, including being named the European Champion of Bordeaux/Challenge de Européen Championship in 1996 and Kockarnas Kock (Chef of All Chefs) in 1994 and 1996. He has written a number of cookbooks and is a creative leader at Restaurangsakademien. Fredrik Eriksson was appointed the head of the team behind the menu for Prince Carl Philip’s wedding last summer.

Previous Design Bars have been the work of the architecture firm Marge, the Front design group, design duo BrobergRidderstråle, the Save our Souls duo, the Camp Site design collective, Jonas Wagell, Katrin Greiling, Lina Nordqvist, Daniel Rybakken Jens Fager/Tommy Myllymäki and, last year, Mattias Stenberg.

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair will be held on February 9-13, 2016 at Stockholmsmässan.

For more information, please visit www.stockholmfurniturefair.com or contact:
Cecilia Nyberg, Event Manager, tel +46 8 749 43 86,cecilia.nyberg@stockholmsmassan.se
Lotta Signeul, Press Officer, tel +46 749 43 36 19, lotta.signeul@stockholmsmassan.se

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair is the world’s largest meeting place for Scandinavian furniture and lighting design. Domestic and international visitors will find the most comprehensive selection of Scandinavian furniture, office furnishings, design, textiles, lighting and other interior furnishings for both homes and public spaces. Stockholm Design Week is also running parallel to Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.