Dreaming of shaping the future through design? That’s precisely what happens within the walls of Kunstakademiets Designskole. This design school is part of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It is officially known as Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Skoler for Arkitektur Design og Konservering Designskolen.
Kunstakademiets Designskole started in 1875. Back then, it was Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen for Kvinder. The Danish Women’s Society founded it. In 1930, it became Kunsthåndværkerskolen after a merger. More schools joined later. In 1990, it was renamed Danmarks Designskole.
For many years, the school was under the Ministry of Culture. But things changed in 2011. Danmarks Designskole merged with other schools. These were the School of Architecture and the School of Conservation. Together, they formed a department under the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. This made it part of the Ministry of Science Innovation and Higher Education. Since then, it has been known as Kunstakademiets Designskole.
Kunstakademiets Designskole plays a vital role for design in Denmark. Its mission is to keep Danish design strong internationally. It aims to boost the competitiveness of Danish businesses. The school also strives to set global standards for design education and research.
The education here spans five years. It includes a three-year bachelor program. After that, students can do a two-year master program. Students can choose from many specializations. These include fashion design and digital interaction. Other options are industrial design ceramics glass design furniture and spatial design. Students can also study production design textile design game design and visual communication.
The school has three main institutes. There is the Institut for Produktdesign. Also, there is the Institut for Visuel Design. And finally, the Institut for Bygningskunst og Design. Interestingly the Institut for Bygningskunst og Design combines design and architecture programs. It even allows design students to get a degree in architecture and vice versa.
Kunstakademiets Designskole is also involved in research. It conducts basic applied and practice-based design research. Artistic work is a key part of the school’s identity.
Several people have led Kunstakademiets Designskole over the years. Kjeld Ammundsen was the rector from 1990 to 1999. Gösta Knudsen followed from 1999 to 2007. Peter Bysted held the position from 2007 to 2009. Anne-Louise Sommer was acting rector in 2009 to 2011. Lene Dammand Lund has been in charge since 2012.
So next time you see innovative Danish design remember that Kunstakademiets Designskole likely had a hand in shaping it.