Charlottenborg: A Site of Cultural Gravity

Kunsthal Charlottenborg, a baroque palace from the late 17th century, has long been a home for contemporary art in Copenhagen and served as the headquarter for the festival. Its grand, classical proportions provided a striking contrast to CPH:DOX's experimental approach, creating a compelling dialogue between past and present. This year’s spatial intervention embraced that tension, offering an ephemeral yet impactful setting where documentary storytelling and design meet. With the world in flux, the question was: How can space encourage us to pause, reflect, and engage beyond the headlines? This question sits at the heart of the festival’s design.

A festival made of stories and layers

The festival hub was conceived as a collage—an assemblage of textures, tones, and emotions that mirrors our time. The design does not dictate a singular experience; rather, it carved out four distinct yet interconnected zones, each designed to foster different modes of presence:

• Gather: The main cinema and screening room, wrapped in black, red, pink, and earthy tones, was the gravitational center of the festival, a space for collective immersion.
• Socialize: The red room, a bold, inviting festival bar and lounge, bathed visitors in a rich spectrum, encouraging casual conversations and new connections.
• Meet: The blue room reinterprets the classic meeting space with theatrical flair. Floor-to-ceiling cobalt drapes, reflective ceilings, and sculptural furnishings create an unexpected workspace where ideas flow freely.
• Contemplate: The purple room was dim, soft, and still. Here, Noah coffee tables and single seater chairs provide grounding elements amid sculptural leaf-like forms that cast shifting shadows, offering a quiet space for introspection.

Though the festival hub was a temporary installation, it spoke to a larger vision for cultural spaces, one that values experimentation, inclusivity, and emotional intelligence. By embracing the depth and richness of experience, TERROIR x Sarah Fredelund x Noah created a dynamic narrative that offered a spatial counterpart to the documentary films showcased within.