Lee Broom’s Mesmeric 3daysofdesign Debut

With the exhibition “From Here Now,” British designer Lee Broom transformed a historic Danish location into a survey of reimagined pieces. Here—among the Vesper, Carousel, Orion Light, and Crescent Light, all in new finishes—Broom introduced his first-ever portable table lamp, named Chant. However, as one might expect, this was not only a product showcase; it was a mesmerizing immersion into space, light, texture, and form.

The concept began to take shape last year, when Broom attended his first 3daysofdesign. “I decided that I wanted to present my work in Copenhagen instead of Milan, where you always have to show something new,” he tells Surface. “I wanted to present pieces that I am fond of, released over the last ten years but reinterpreted in new ways. I asked, ‘how would they look if I were going to design them now?'”

Broom found the ideal venue, Asia House, which dates back to the 1800s. “I wanted to pay homage to the building,” he says, “with this idea that when you walked in, you stumbled into the abandoned home of an explorer and unearthed all of these beautiful artifacts, which we put in Lee Broom shipping crates. Some of them are objects that I’ve collected from all over the world.” They were all illuminated by Broom’s lighting.

With “From Here Now,” Broom forged a sense of discovery—one that managed to look back at his esteemed repertoire while telescoping into the possibilities of his future. He also layered together an enveloping, emotive experience. It was something that no photo or video could convey. “It’s to do with all of these physical, sensory elements,” he adds. “The music, the visuals, the objects, the scents—everything comes together as one.”