Family-driven and owned Danish industrial design firm, Vipp, presents Vipp Pencil Case—the only available hotel room inside a former pencil factory in Islands Brygge, Copenhagen. The exclusive opening in the Bauhaus-inspired building from the 1930s marks Vipp’s fifth one-room-hotel. Founded in 1939 by Holger Nielsen, and beginning with the pedal-controlled waste bin, Vipp has grown into a large portfolio developed from the functional philosophy of that first creation. In 2009, the bin was accepted into the permanent design collection at MoMA in New York.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
The sunny courtyard of the former factory welcomes guests into an elegant apartment on the ground floor. Throughout a one-year renovation by interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard, the open space kitchen and dining area, the double bedroom and the bathroom, have been utterly transformed into an artful, warm space for design-conscious visitors. “Vipp Pencil Case is not your average hotel room. More like a studio or atelier it elicits an artistic ambience and holds a rare quietude in the midst of the Danish capital,” said Mølsgaard.
Unique art pieces intermesh with Vipp’s own furniture collection, inviting serene moments of peaceful reflection. A wall sculpture in plaster by Cecilie Vår Norsahl greets guests at the entrance. The fully modernized V1 kitchen from Vipp tempts a home-cooked meal to be enjoyed around the Vipp Cabin table in solid oak and Jura stone. In a palette of thoughtfully curated natural shades that range from beige to warm gray, the space nourishes a pleasantness reflected in the floor-to ceiling curtains by Kvadrat that dress the factory-style vitrines, as well as the Vipp kitchen.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
In homage to the building’s history, yellow Viking pencils return to their former home and allow for moments of correspondence and creativity. If dissatisfied with one’s musings, the Vipp bin stands ready to dispose of it. “Both the Viking pencil and the Vipp pedal bin represent two time-tested icons of Danish design. Two tools that have existed in almost a century without altering their original design,” said Jette Egelund, 2nd generation Vipp-owner. Next door to Vipp Pencil Case, Vipp opens its doors to a cozy supper club. Here, an impressive array of world renowned chefs create one-of-a-kind dining experiences, from intimate meals to celebratory gatherings.
Opening this summer on Islands Brygge, Vipp has commissioned architects Frank Maali and Gemma Lalanda, runners up for the 2022 Mies van Der Rohe Award, to design a project titled Vipp Garage—a venue to celebrate art, design, music, and culinary feasts. The special venture extends Vipp’s long-time commitment to designing immersive cultural experiences and showcasing the collaboration of talents from Denmark and the world. Vipp Garage is a former auto garage from 1949 that sits in a courtyard attached to Vipp’s headquarters, a former printing house from the 1920s, and Mogens Dahl concert hall, former horse stable buildings from the 1920s.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
“Vipp was founded in my grandfather’s metal workshop in 1939. I can’t wait to open a garage where we park our wildest dreams of design, food, architecture and art,” said Kasper Egelund Vipp’s Chief Executive Officer. “Frank and Gemma have beautifully weaved the courtyard and Garage into buildings from different times and with different functions, creating a beautiful collage and a central stage…from the undulating, vaulted-brick ceiling to the expert use of natural light, [the architects] gave the space an undeniable feeling of grandeur, evoking an almost sacral sense of awe and piety.”
Vipp Garage will be launched in June with a special exhibition during the 3daysofdesign festival from June 15-17.
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj, courtesy of Vipp.
