International Friend of Habitare in 2023:
Anders Byriel
Anders Byriel, CEO of Kvadrat A/S and a professor at IE School of Architecture and Design in Madrid will be the International Friend of Habitare in 2023. In this role, he will give a keynote speech and choose the most interesting phenomena and products from the Habitare fair offering.
Anders Byriel is CEO of Kvadrat A/S and a professor at IE School of Architecture and Design in Madrid. He has worked for more than 30 years at Kvadrat, a company founded by his father, and has overseen it since 1998.
Next autumn’s Habitare will emphasise being and doing things together. The theme, Together, speaks about our need to feel togetherness in today’s world, but also about our duty to take care of the global concerns and security challenges, like climate crisis and inequality, acting in collaboration with each other and with nature. This resonates strongly with Anders Byriel.
“We are leaving predictable and quiet times; the pandemic and the unexpected war have changed our world. We need to stay together; there is a need for dialogue and interaction. Togetherness is our possibility to recalibrate our lives”, he says.
7 Questions for Anders Byriel
Anders Byriel: What matters is not where you come from but the values that drive you forward.
Anders Byriel’s choices as the International Friend of Habitare – the most fascinating products and phenomena
THE BEST STAND:
Luksia (Western Uusimaa Municipal Training and Education Consortium), 6p90
“The stand designed by students in interior design has been made to look spectacular using minimal elements. It’s great to see such an impressive stand from a school. It’s a little crazy, but beautifully put together.”
THE BEST PRODUCT 1:
Disco table, Basta; designer: Antrei Hartikainen, 6e20
“Antrei Hartikainen’s entire product portfolio is amazing, and the Disco table is a fine representative example. The artistic vision works superbly from the point of view of both consumers and spatial design.”
THE BEST PRODUCT 2:
Combines | bench; designer: Antti Tuomi/Talentshop, 6n68
“The customer can assemble the bench without any screws. Everything needed is attached to the product, and the rest of the assembly is done using straps and other fastening mechanisms. The core concept is strong, with a rich use of different materials by Tuomi. The product combines the old and the new worlds.”
THE BEST MATERIAL:
Surplus wood from which Nikari’s Centenniale table is made; designer: Joanna Laajisto, 6d41
“The table is made of surplus wood, which would normally go to waste or be burned. The legs of the Centenniale table are made from waste wood left over from making another table. It’s beautiful that something that could be waste gets another use.”
THE BEST CONCEPT:
Villa & Peite, 6m2
“The concept forms a clear and complete whole: the natural materials, products, production, the whole business. The fair stand is also part of the whole – it’s a high-quality design and has a nice atmosphere.”
THE BEST PHENOMENON:
Eveliina Tahvanainen, Volcanic home, an artwork at the HAMK stand, 6p86
“A beautiful artistic angle, a piece of contemporary art, thermoformed foam glass and recycled glass – this is something I would like to see more of. I may be a nerd, but I love this.”
THE NEXT:
Mattila & Merz, 6n96
“The Peti beds are made with great craftsmanship. The quality of the work is fantastic. Mattila & Merz are simultaneously developing their craft and business at a high level of quality. This will make them the next thing to look out for.”
Bio – Anders Byriel
Anders Byriel is CEO of Kvadrat A/S and a professor at IE School of Architecture and Design in Madrid. He has worked for more than 30 years at Kvadrat, a company founded by his father, and has overseen it since 1998. During Anders Byriel’s leadership Kvadrat has grown from USD 16 mill. to USD 258 mill. in revenue.
Kvadrat produces high-quality textiles and textile-related products for both private and public spaces around the world and has won several significant international design awards. Those collaborating with the company include highly esteemed designers such as Peter Saville, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, architect David Adjaye, fashion designer Raf Simons, artists Thomas Demand and Olafur Eliasson, and many more.
The company was established in Ebeltoft, Denmark in 1968, and has deep roots in Scandinavia’s world-famous design tradition. The word “kvadrat” simply means “square”, the primary design unit of all textiles.
Anders Byriel was ranked in the Top 20 influencers by Wallpaper magazine in October 2015, and in November 2015, he received the Owner/CEO of the Year Award from PricewaterhouseCoopers in Denmark. In 2018, he received the ‘Årets Ildsjæl’ award (the most passionate entrepreneur of the year) from Design Awards and in 2019 he received the EY- Entrepreneur of the Year, Denmark award.
He has a Master’s degree in Law from Aarhus University and an Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) degree from Copenhagen Business School (CBS). From 2011 to 2020, he attended the YPO Presidents’ Program at Harvard Business School, Boston, and he graduated in 2020.
See previous Habitare's International Friends here!