How to be Danish--From Lego to Lund ... a Short Introduction to the State of Denmark

November 4, 2013
Through a set of meandering and passionless notes that is part reportage and part travelogue, British journalist Kingsley inexplicably explores various aspects of Danish culture, hoping to reveal the âwider context to the bits of Denmark that over the past few years have intrigued us in Britain.â With the wide-eyed wonder of a stranger in a remotely familiar land, Kingsley roams listlessly through topics ranging from politics and economics to food, film noir, Legos, and architecture. For example, Kingsley describes Copenhagenâs small size as the secret to its creativity: itâs âwhere the worldâs foodies currently go to eatâ; its television studios are the home of Danish noir, and it heats and cools its homes from a central hub, a plan that has reduced carbon emissions 70%. The Danish capital is such a bicycle-friendly city that âCopenhageners cycle to live, but they donât live to cycle.â Using the Danish architect Arne Jacobsenâs design of the Egg chair as a starting point, Kingsley discusses the impact of Danish Modernist furniture designs on the world while revealing that most Danish Modernists simply âwanted their furniture to change the way people lived at home⦠and were concerned about the context in which it was placed and the problems it could help solve. âIn the end, Kingsleyâs digressive and unmoored ramblings offer a too-personal reflection on why Denmark interests the British.