After reviewing submissions from emerging designers, architects, scenographers and artists across the Nordics, the jury invited 4 finalist teams to present their ideas, before selecting 1 winner.
Winning Proposal for CHART Public:
Re-Route by Samuel Charles Barratt
Reimagining the courtyards at Charlottenborg as a total installation, the team behind Re-Route has proposed an inspiring scenography that will set the stage for CHART 2025.
Over the coming months, they will develop their proposal in close collaboration with CHART before commencing the build-up in August. The finished installation will establish the tone for guests arriving at the art fair and for the performances and live music that take place throughout the weekend.
This year's competition jury have also decided to highlight 3 honourable mentions, among the different submissions received.
Honourable Mentions for CHART Public:
Re-Route by Samuel Charles Barratt
Selected as winner for CHART Public
Re-Route — [Winning Proposal]
Re-Route transforms familiar urban elements into a luminous social landscape. The installation reimagines standard Danish traffic cones — symbols of caution and construction — as floating beacons of community and celebration.
Hundreds of cones, internally lit with warm tube lights, are suspended from a delicate steel scaffolding structure, creating a dynamic overhead canopy. During Copenhagen’s summer evenings, the cones emit a soft, welcoming glow, and will activate the CHART courtyard with warmth and life.
Beneath the undulating waves of color and light, pop-up bars and restaurants will foster casual gathering, conversation, and festivity. The industrial scaffolding and construction fencing contrast elegantly with the historic courtyard architecture, emphasising a dialogue between permanence and temporality, order and improvisation.
Re-Route invites visitors to inhabit a familiar space differently — reinterpreting everyday objects into an atmospheric field of communal memory, creativity, and play.
The team behind Re-Route is made up of Samuel Charles Barratt.
Quote from the Jury:
"When designing the courtyard at Charlottenborg it’s important to understand and respect the space’s size: the two adjacent courtyards are very generous, so chances are that one will design something that would easily vanish. In other words, this design would need a certain volume. Another factor at play is that the design concept in question would have to imagine the space filled with several thousand people, giving space to them, too. In my opinion, Re-Route successfully calibrates these parameters: It fills the space while allowing for it to be packed with visitors, remaining visible yet unobtrusive." — Rolf Hay
Growth Circuit by Karen Pederstad / Bukett!. Visualisation by Peter Gustafson
Honourable Mention for CHART Public
Growth Circuit — [Honourable Mention]
Growth Circuit proposes a site-specific installation that contrasts the classical Charlottenborg architecture with contemporary building materials and organic growth processes. Central to the project is the column motif—a classical symbol of balance, wisdom, and social structure.
By combining materials such as reused scaffolding elements, mesh, castings and botanical materials, a temporary installation is created where growth, transformation, and transience are central themes. Through the reconstruction, deconstruction, and reorganisation of these elements in interaction with organic material, a new space emerges—an abstract interpretation of classical motifs.
The public are invited to move through the structure, pause, and experience the tactile qualities of the materials along the way. The material use emphasises sustainability and circularity: reused construction materials, biodegradable growth media, and solar-powered systems. The installation is designed for easy disassembly and reuse, allowing all components to find new life after CHART.
The team behind Growth Circuit is made up of Karen Pederstad / Bukett!.
"It's been truly inspiring to see such a strong response from different creatives eager to share their ideas for this first edition of CHART Public. We’re especially excited to give an honourable mention to the teams behind Growth Circuit, Let The Show Begin, and Behind The Blinds—each brought something unique to this year’s competition. We can't wait to see what their visionary approaches to spatial design holds for the future."
Head of Architecture at Surface Club & Project manager – CHART Public
Let The Show Begin by Sophie Nielsen
Honourable Mention for CHART Public
Let The Show Begin — [Honourable Mention]
Let The Show Begin draws conceptual inspiration from the visual and performative traditions of the Baroque era, particularly its immersive qualities found in theatre, performance, and circus. Inspired by vintage theatre signage, Baroque scenography, and the formal language of the circus, the installation transforms the courtyard into a richly layered, stage-like environment.
Using accessible, everyday materials — ventilation ducting, scaffolding, netting, and tarpaulin — retained in their raw silver-gray tones, the project creates a unified aesthetic across sculptural seating, signage, and lush curtain-like skins draped over scaffolding structures. The seating itself is constructed from ventilation ducting, forming a breakout area that invites pause and engagement.
The installation embodies the Baroque ideal of total experience, where architecture, performance, and audience converge within an active, theatrical space of observation and reflection.
The team behind Let The Show Begin is made up of Sophie Nielsen.
Behind The Blinds by Amanda Jørgensen & Aaron Wessels
Honourable Mention for CHART Public
Behind The Blinds — [Honourable Mention]
Behind The Blinds is designed with flexibility in mind. The blinds function as dynamic wall elements, providing delicate light interplays and a backdrop for performances, while using permeability to create curiosity and emphasise layering of space.
By using standard materials such aluminum blinds, off-the shelf scaffolding and gravel, Behind The Blinds highlights the beauty of familiar motifs by placing them in a new context. LED light tubes are integrated into ceiling structures, and this helps to create a graphic and atmospheric light experience, as artificial light diffuses through the blinds.
The colour and material choices are inspired by Charlottenborg and HAY furniture. Gravel made from recycled, broken down concrete and bricks will lead the way to the various venues. Throughout the days of CHART, the gravel will bleed out into the courtyard, leaving a trace of peoples’ whereabouts behind.
Behind The Blinds is created by the team of Amanda Jørgensen and Aaron Wessels.
"I’m excited to see this year’s winner of CHART Public bring the project Re-Route to life – a work that draws a city in transformation into the courtyard of Charlottenborg. It has been a fascinating process to follow the many inspiring proposals we received. A heartfelt thank you to our jury for their dedication, and to the partners whose support makes it possible for us to realise Re-Route. We look forward to unveiling the project when CHART opens on 28 August."
Director of CHART
CHART Public Partners
We would like to express our gratitude towards each of the organisations who have partnered with us for CHART Public.
CHART Public is made possible by the generous support of Københavns Kommune, Beckett-Fonden, Statens Kunstfond, HAY and Nørrebro Bryghus who all generously contributed to the production of CHART Public.
CHART would also like to thank Dezeen, lead international media partner for CHART 2025.
CHART Architecture Jury
We would like to extend our warmest thanks go out to this year's competition jury:
Christine Buhl Andersen
Christine Buhl Andersen is the director of Frederiksbergmuseerne and has a background in leadership, including positions as director of Glyptoteket and chair of the Ny Carlsberg Foundation. In the latter position, and as director of MAPS, she has worked extensively with art in public spaces, commissioning both permanent and temporary site-specific artworks and organising exhibitions and other art events in the public realm.
Christine Buhl Andersen originally studied literature and art history but has also completed board training at Copenhagen Business School, a museum leadership program at The Getty, and holds a master’s degree in museology.
Rolf Hay
Rolf Hay is the co-founder of HAY, the Danish design brand known for its contemporary, functional, and accessible furniture, lighting, and accessories. He founded the company in 2002 alongside his wife, Mette Hay, and Troels Holch Povlsen (founder of Bestseller).
Born in Denmark, Rolf Hay developed a strong passion for design early in his career, working in the furniture industry before launching HAY. His and Mette’s vision was to create high-quality, well-designed products at an affordable price, drawing inspiration from mid-century Danish design while embracing modern innovation. Rolf Hay continues to play a central role in shaping HAY’s design philosophy, blending aesthetics with functionality in a relevant way.
Rikke Hedeager
Rikke Hedeager is MA in Literary Studies and Modern Culture. Having worked both at Danish Broadcasting Company, The Royal Danish Theatre and currently holding up the position as Artistic Director at Republique/Revolver.
Constantly focusing on the gaps in between contemporary art, literature and music, the aim is always to expand what is possible and to tear down the boundaries of the different art forms in a gesture of interdisciplinary focus. Striving to be a part of the public realm through interventions, happenings and perfomances taking place in the least expected places.
Photo by Sara Galbiati.
Katrine Morel
Katrine Morel is the Head of Architecture & Spatial Design at Surface Club, an interdisciplinary design practice based in Stockholm and Malmö. She oversees projects from ideation to execution, blending creativity with cutting-edge material innovations across architecture, spatial design, and furniture.
Katrine holds a degree in architecture from The Royal Danish Academy of Architecture. Before joining Surface Club, she worked at TABLEAU, a multidisciplinary design studio and concept store in Copenhagen. Over the past two years, she has served as the project manager for CHART Architecture, and this year she will oversee CHART Public—a concept she helped develop.
Photo by Kevin Josias
Finn Nørkjær
Finn Nørkjær is a Partner at BIG and has collaborated with Bjarke Ingels since he won the competition on his very first project for the Copenhagen Harbour Bath in 2001. At the moment, Finn is also Partner-in-Charge of BIG’s new Headquarter in Copenhagen.
Finn has been instrumental in translating Bjarke’s visionary architecture into buildable projects; his thorough attention to detail and ability to work within a given budget has ensured the success of BIG’s built work: the award-winning LEGO House, Tirpitz Museum, and Gammel Hellerup School multi-purpose hall, amongst other projects.
Photo by Flemming Leitorp
