Discover how Aspekt Office reimagined Copenhagen’s Ø12 café with tactile materials, custom details, and Nordic-inspired design for a flexible, modern space. In Copenhagen’s café-saturated landscape, standing out takes more than just good coffee. Ø12, already a beloved spot for locals, wanted something lasting, a concept that could both serve daily rituals and make its mark on the city’s design scene. For this next chapter, they partnered with Aspekt Office, the Copenhagen-based multidisciplinary studio known for balancing experimentation with function. We’ve featured Aspekt’s beautiful work on Abduzeedo before, and this project continues to highlight their ability to blend conceptual rigor with everyday usability.

A Space That Works Around You

From morning coffee runs to late-day work sessions, the new Ø12 is designed with flexibility at its core. Aspekt Office rethought the space from the ground up, creating zones that support different behaviors without ever feeling segmented. Benches, tables, elevated platforms, and a bar area offer multiple ways to interact with the café, while newly installed floors and a soft ambient ceiling layer in a sense of calm. Almost every detail is custom made, with textures, finishes, and lighting working together to create depth and flow.

Atmosphere as Function

For Ø12’s founder and CEO, Kasper Cordes, the redesign was about optimization without compromise:

It was important for us to find a collaborator who could deliver not only beautiful designs but also solutions that are truly functional. Aspekt Office helped us create an unforced atmosphere that truly supports how people work and interact in the space.

The bar becomes the focal point, energizing the space with contrast while maintaining harmony with quieter corners. Lighting was carefully considered not just for ambience but for how dishes and drinks are captured on camera. In the digital age, every detail frames an image, ensuring Ø12’s experience extends beyond the café walls.

Nordic Roots, Contemporary Rhythm

Rooted in Nordic design tradition, the interior feels understated yet rich in detail. It is calm but never dull, precise yet warm. Efficiency and comfort sit side by side, embodying Ø12’s ethos of “adding a spark to the ordinary.” The café is not about chasing trends, it is about creating an environment that feels as relevant five years from now as it does today.

About the Collaborators

Aspekt Office: Founded in 2018 by Hans Toft Hornemann and Terkel Skou Steffensen, the studio works across furniture, product, interior design, and creative direction. Their approach revolves around experimentation, conceptual thinking, and original ideas that people can connect with. We’ve loved spotlighting their past projects, and Ø12 shows yet another layer of their creative range. aspektoffice.com
 

Ø12: With three central Copenhagen locations, Ø12 has become a go-to for high-quality coffee, carefully plated dishes, and interiors that invite people to stay awhile. Each café balances culinary craft with thoughtful design, shaping a distinctive urban café culture. 12cph.dk
 

This redesign proves what happens when design is not just about surfaces, but about shaping how people use and feel in a space. Ø12 and Aspekt Office have crafted a café that is not only photogenic, but also purposeful, a true reinvention of the everyday.