At the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, February 3–7, 2015, the Design Bar will be integrated into a new knowledge area that will also include a stage and an exhibition. The task of creating an overall concept for the area went to designer Mattias Stenberg, who offers visitors the pallette of Norrland’s colors, materials and flavors – with a clearly modern twist.

The idea behind the Design Bar, which is a combination exhibition area and bar, is to promote a Nordic designer or design team. Last year the Design Bar changed form and became a top class restaurant, where the food was just as important as the design.

-The Design Bar is still a place where food and environment interact. The concept will be further developed for the next fair, when we will integrate the stage of Stockholm Design Talks, our seminar program, and the Materials Library’s exhibit in the same area, at the end of Hall C, says Cecilia Nyberg, Event Manager at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.

The Design Bar’s design is based on boathouse typology: boathouse, jetty, beach, where visitors will find Nordic cool with a focus on materials. The Design Bar´s menu is developed in collaboration between Mattias Stenberg and the restaurant Mässrestauranger and has its base in the Northern taste the tradition. The idea is also that the Design Bar will be open during all of the Fair’s opening hours and that the restaurant’s menu will be adjusted according to the time of day.

-The inspiration for the setting comes from my paternal grandfather’s boathouse in Norrland. The boathouse was a creative environment that encouraged experimentation and creativity. I want to convey that same sense of creative energy to the Design Bar, which is taking the form of a folksy “Spoonery” this year. The ambiance is cozy and quiet, but at the same time it is a place where visitors can recharge their batteries on the prevailing energy from the stage as well as in our restaurant and afternoon bar, says Mattias Stenberg.

Mattias Stenberg was born in 1975 and lives in Stockholm. He was educated at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm. In 2010 he started Studio Vision A&D, which focuses on contemporary architecture and design. His clients include Olby Design, Offecct, Nola and Design House Stockholm. In 2013 he won the Formex Nova Design Award, given to the Nordic Designer of the Year. www.studiovision.se

Previous Design Bars have been the work of Marge Arkitekter, Front, the design duo BrobergRidderstråle, the Save our Souls duo, the Camp Site design collective, Jonas Wagell, Katrin Greiling, Lina Nordqvist, Daniel Rybakken and Jens Fager.