SPACE 10: Exploring Places of Tomorrow

SPACE 10, founded in November 2015 as an external think-tank for IKEA, is a future-focused research and design hub exploring the future of humankind, without the sci-fi clichés.

Conceived with the explicit intention of breaking the traditional trend forecasting mould, which too often conceptualises the future as an unrealistic utopian mirage, SPACE 10's compact team delves into realistic possible futures and presents its findings as a range of art and design projects intended to spark global conversations and inspire design professionals to be forward thinking in their practise.

Based in Copenhagen, SPACE 10's current focus revolves around researching three specific themes, selected for their suspected importance to tomorrow's communities: Circular Societies, Co-existence, and Digital Empowerment.

“We like to think we see patterns where others see chaos,” says Kaave Pour, creative director at SPACE10. “We start with playful research, explorations into big themes and trends, and work with people and communities in that field – experts, universities, start-ups, designers to unpack them. Then our job is to find the interesting patterns in that and move them forward into things we can actually design, build and test, to validate ideas and see if they’re ones we should bring to the masses. Instead of trying to solve everything in one big, complex solution, we break it down into smaller projects.”

A pivotal factor in the collective's current activity is the forecast that 70% of the world's population will reside in urban centres by 2050, compared to just 30% in 1950. This rapid urbanisation has real-time consequences on city planning, deeming it necessary to develop the infrastructure for super-cities in the here and now.

With that challenge in mind, SPACE10 will host a pop-up in Shoreditch this September to explore the consequences of urbanisation and the spaces we inhabit. Over the course of six days, during London Design Festival, SPACE10 and a myriad of thought-leaders will examine the concept of space from different perspectives.

You can discover more of Space 10's research and design, and register interest in the Shoreditch pop up on their website.