Here are the Finalists for the Danish Design Award 2025

Press release, Copenhagen, June 17, 2025

A color pigment sourced from the depths of Jutland and a collaborative workspace radically transforming society are among the 17 design solutions nominated for the Danish Design Award 2025 – Denmark’s most prestigious design award

The Danish Design Award celebrates the positive difference design can make. Among last year’s winners are Visibuilt, which has developed a new type of asphalt made out of mushrooms, and Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital, who is reimagining the future of pediatric care. These projects are already making a tangible difference, underscoring that design’s relevance extends far beyond the design industry.

One solution challenging conventional notions of design is Løvskal Ochre, nominated for this year’s Young Ideas award. The solution came together during a master’s thesis at the Royal Danish Academy, introducing a new color scheme for industrial use based on natural raw materials – a sustainable alternative to synthetic pigments, far away from digital color codes and fleeting trends. The pigment is sourced from an old ochre mine in Løvskal, Jutland, which has been brought back into use after 60 years, revealing a treasure trove of natural colors in golden, orange, and brown hues.

“I hope that Løvskal Ochre can reestablish the connection between color and material – a connection where colors are experienced in an expanded perspective. Not just as a spectrum of light but as a natural material, a place, a culture, and a history. This holds the potential for a more responsible and conscious use of the Earth’s resources,” says Thomas Woltman, the designer behind Løvskal Ochre.

Alongside the other finalists, these projects demonstrate that design is about much more than aesthetics – it’s a tool for creating change and finding new solutions to today’s complex challenges.

Among the other finalists is Thoravej 29 – a community unlike any other. Here, a diverse range of professionals come together with a shared goal: to create radical societal change. Members work in fields such as art, politics, sustainability, and digital innovation. They’ve all committed to a manifesto that obliges them to challenge conventional thinking and hierarchies. The community hosts, among other initiatives, the future lab “Snart,” which is open to all. Its purpose is to train our imagination and capacity for action to create a better future. This is just one of several initiatives housed at Thoravej 29 – a space initiated by the Bikuben Foundation.

“Our ambition with Thoravej 29 is radical transformation. It’s a community for those who want and can change our society for the better. We aim to create a space where as many people as possible meet across disciplines and power positions, so they go out into the world with a new perspective and the ability to create change for the benefit of current and future generations,” says Søren Kaare-Andersen, CEO of the Bikuben Foundation.

The Danish Design Award helps highlight why Denmark is one of the world’s leading design nations. Our strong field of designers and design companies continues to push the boundaries of what design is and what it can contribute.

As Head of Jury Kaave Pour expresses it: “In a time shaped by crises and complexity, we see how design becomes more prominent and is applied in new ways. This year’s finalists show how design today not only shapes products but also the spaces we live in and the systems we’re part of. It’s a strong indication of how relevant design has become – both for everyday life in Denmark and our shared future.”