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162 PRESTIGE J U LY 2019
“There is a red thread among all these projects,”
he says with a laugh. “It’s always fi rst about telling a
story, especially in all the products we do, and creating
immersive experiences.”
He points out that he does not design to sell. “I design
to excite and by exciting somebody, he or she will buy it.”
Be it a futuristic nightclub or a sensory retail solution,
his Johannes Torpe Studios is on a mission to inspire people
to dream, creating spatial designs that transport users to a
diff erent universe while bringing people together.
“I believe design should connect people. I think some
designers nowadays are thinking too much in terms of how
the space is going to photograph and not enough about how
it is going to be used. They think in terms of Instagram, not
for you and me. Of course, you want the wow factor, but you
still have to design for people, otherwise you’re creating whatAbove: The NASA
nightclub in Copenhagen,
which was Torpe’s fi rst
interior design project
Left: The Mormor sofa in
leather and wool, which
won the Danish Design
Award in 2007I call a cheating environment: It looks good in the picture,
but it’s a terrible space to be in,” Torpe says. “That’s why it’s
so important to base your design on the human factor. You
have to imagine how it will feel.”
Refl ecting this belief, his recent futuristic design for the
United Cycling LAB & Store, a pro-tour bicycle store in Lynge,
Denmark, has plenty of wow factor while still remaining
focused on delivering an immersive consumer experience.
The store for passionate riders has bicycles suspended
from the ceiling that move up and down, with the action
accompanied by a light show across the ceiling. “We were
really inspired by churches and wanted to create something
almost like a religious room for bicycles,” Torpe says. “This
transformable space encourages you to nerd out, but it’s
really about off ering a unique experience, and providing a
sense of community and belonging.”