When the world table tennis championships kicked off in Halmstad, we at Götessons (NB this was before Götessons Design Group was formed) wanted to give the event an extra dimension. At previous world championships, the facilities where players, coaches, and officials spent time between matches typically catered only for basic needs. In other words, there weren’t any spaces that anyone really noticed or remembered.
We thought a change was in order, and we developed lounges that served as trendy, sporty, and relaxing environments. We created social environments that encouraged users to relax and recharge between matches.
Jörgen Persson, a multiple world championship medallist and Sweden’s ambassador for the event, talks about the praise he received from his international colleagues: “I met players from China, the UK, and Germany over the course of the week and they were incredibly pleased with the organisation. The warm-up arena has received special attention thanks to its modern interior design.”
At Götessons, our slogan for the event was “Beautiful interior design that unites countries”. The power of this slogan far surpassed our expectations when North Korea and South Korea submitted a request to the competition management for permission to play as a joint team! Regardless of the role played by our beautiful furniture, to this day we’re proud to have been part of an event that united players and countries.
