Hospitality

Benji — Bakery, Craftsmanship and Warm Light

Location: Nørrebro, København
Year: 2025

Benji — Copenhagen, Denmark

Benji is one of Copenhagen's most distinctive bakeries, known for freshly baked sourdough bread, croissants, Danish pastries and an uncompromising approach to the craft of great baking.

Behind Benji are Anders Lorenz and Rasmus Sjødahl, both of whom have a background at Noma. That experience is evident in their approach to quality, ingredients and technique — but at Benji the ambition is translated into a more informal, everyday place. A bakery where you can pick up morning bread on your way to work, meet over a coffee, or stay a little longer with a croissant and a newspaper.

Benji quickly became a regular stop for many Copenhageners and is today part of a small network of ambitious bakery projects. Together Anders Lorenz and Rasmus Sjødahl are also behind Alice on Amager and Københavns Bageri in Carlsberg Byen. What these places share is the desire to create modern Copenhagen bakeries with products that draw on classic Danish baking tradition while reflecting a more contemporary understanding of flavor, ingredients and craftsmanship.

At Københavns Bageri the two bakers have described the ambition as creating a place that is neither Alice nor Benji, but that takes its starting point in Danish baking history, art and traditions — with room to develop and refine the craft further. The same thoroughness and respect for the process is evident at Benji.

In Benji's interior, lighting plays a central role in the overall experience of the space. A series of mouth-blown VETRO Murano lamps have been installed as a recurring element, adding warmth, color and a more sensory dimension to the simple, functional bakery environment.

In daylight the lamps appear as sculptural glass objects in the room. The hand-blown glass catches the light differently from lamp to lamp, and the small variations in color, surface and pattern mean the installation is constantly changing character.

When daylight fades, the lamps' function becomes more apparent. The warm light gathers the space around tables, the counter and seating, creating a calm, inviting atmosphere that suits Benji's particular mix of high quality and relaxed everyday life.

The project shows how decorative lighting can help define a hospitality space. The lamps function not only as a light source but as part of the venue's identity — an element that ties the interior together and supports the experience Benji aims to create: a local bakery with a deep love for craft, good ingredients and the small pauses of everyday life.