Our proposal became a finalist and received honourable mention for the Danish Arts Foundation and Chicago Architecture Biennial Open Call for a Danish pavilion in Chicago Architecture Biennial 2021.

The proposal "The Communal Table" originates around the idea of the Danish concept “Folkekøkken” (Peoples Kitchen) were people share a table with neighbours, friends and strangers, all eating the same meal, and using the power of food to strengthen community ties.

Together with artist Alberte Tranberg arki_lab proposed a design where an organically shaped table moves fluidly through a grid system of poles - mirroring the grid system of Chicago.

Looking at Chicago from above, it is evident that the city is the result of a rational deployment of street grids, used in planning practices in the past. While the grid systems represent a long history of city building it simultaneously represents a top down approach to planning.

The purpose of the design was to challenge the rational perfection of the traditional street grid, reimagining urban spaces, with a focus on the people, through a bottom-up approach.