Increasing along Copenhagen’s ever-changing harbor waterside at this year’s 3daysofdesign festival was a 22-foot-tall monolith undulating with variegated aluminum extrusions. Unbeknownst to those on the ground, this semi-enclosed, temporary structure reproduced the exact shape of the iconic vase influential designer Alvar Aalto established for Finnish glassware brand name Iittala 90 years ago. Conceived by local multivalent studio TABLEAU and built by Norwegian sustainable metal purveyor Hydro, the monumental endeavor was a clear celebration of the design principles that underlie Scandinavian design, carried throughout all three countries represented.
“To be provided the chance to create a structure for Iittala to commemorate the anniversary of such an iconic style as the Aalto vase is a dream come to life, and something we’re deeply grateful for,”says Julius Værnes Iversen, Founder and Creative Director of TABLEAU.”
We wished to produce an impactful structure that provides visitors an area to experience the appeal of design.” The pavilion is a video game of scale if there ever was one: an almost meta evocation amplifying the intrinsic links between things and architecture. Aalto trained as an architect and practiced across disciplines with little restriction, making the translation from
vessel to inhabitable structure feel especially fitting.< img src ="https://design-milk.com/images/2026/06/Aalto-90-Pavilion-Iittala-Hydro-8.jpg"alt ="A modern wall-mounted light with blue-tinted, curved glass panels on a metal base against a vertically striped silver wall."width ="1280"height=" 1707 "/ >“Bringing the Alvar Aalto vase to this step needed both the ideal material and engineering expertise, and the residential or commercial properties of aluminum extrusions made it the ideal option for this type of architecture,” states Asle Forsbak, Hydro Extrusions Marketing Director. “The project proved that it can be done on a large scale with a low carbon footprint.”
After the short run of the display screen, the modular slatted components were recycled and returned into the company’s production cycle. “We brought our complete ability to bear upon a single, renowned shape,” he adds.
Inside, variations of the former– the full range of the reissued Aalto City Vase collection– were strategically suspended on discrete, nearly unnoticeable bases. True to the original type, this refreshed offering comes in thoroughly calibrated colorways reflective of waterfront capitals: Berlin, Amsterdam, Tokyo, New York, Helsinki, and, of course, Copenhagen. On offer are deep cobalts, clear whites, and bubbly golds. Just like the structure itself, an iridescent quality helps articulate the dramatic yet undaunted curves.
< img src=" https://design-milk.com/images/2026/06/Aalto-90-Pavilion-Iittala-Hydro-16.jpg "alt= "Curved, white, ribbed metal building outside versus a blue sky with spread clouds, photographed from a low angle."width="
1280″height=”960″/ > To learn more about each celebration that contributed to the creative synergy, visit iittala.com, hydro.com, and tableau-cph.
com. Photography by Haavard Holmaas.< img src="https://design-milk.com/images/2024/07/Adrian-Madlener-Design-Milk-Headshot-100x100.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt =""/ > Adrian Madlener is a Brussels-born, New York-based author concentrating on collectible and sustainable design. With a particular concentrate on topics that exemplify the best in craft-led experimentation, he’s committed to supporting skills that forge ahead in different disciplines.