The Hay invasion

The La Pelota space has become the Italian outpost of a Danish company that completes its design offer with a mini-market and café. #MDW2016

Just inside the courtyard of what was known as the Pelota Jaialai in the 1980s, you are sucked into a rowdy and cheerful human slipstream, ready to become engrossed in the Danish company’s comprehensive offer.

Not satisfied with just showing its new collections, all set out on a row of platforms close to the entrance, and a number of multi-rooms displaying the catalogue pieces in settings – viewed also from above on a “high level” stroll, it has also installed a mini-design market, complete with handy baskets for easier shopping, selling a selection of objects.

L'invasione di Hay — Hay, view of the exhibition

A fun way to approach the Hay brand’s world for both aficionados and the simply curious. They have recreated a city neighbourhood ambience, greatly boosted by a café set up beside the exhibition, open every day during Design Week and in which to enjoy Copenhagen cuisine prepared by Danish chef Frederik Bille Brahe.

The new products have been designed by some of the most fascinating names on today’s scene, such as Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Stefan Diez, Scholten & Baijings and Doshi Levien. The French duo are responsible for one of the most interesting pieces, the Can sofa, an extremely versatile design based on the desire to revamp the image of the sofa, always seen as cumbersome and intrinsically complicated, whereas it can be a simple object that is easily managed in the home environment.

Indeed, it comes flat-packed, ready to be “unwrapped” and assembled in the home because it has a lightweight tubular-steel structure onto which goes a weave of highly resistant bands to form the seat base whereas a number of fabric panels become the back. Cushions then complete this assembly kit. The project possesses the design language of tents or at least mobile structures ready in an instant for travel or to easily come with us when we move house.