MAGASIN DU NORD COPENHAGEN BRITISH FAIR Tourist Guide 1948 Illustration J. Oksen collections

The 1948 British Fair in Copenhagen was organised by the British Import Union of Copenhagen in association with the Federation of British Industries. It ran from 18 September to 3 October. The exhibition was housed in five venues within the city centre and was the most comprehensive exhibition of British goods in Scandinavia. The largest venue was the Forum and Spence's ICI stand was the central feature of this hall. The prefabricated stand was made in Britain and shipped to Denmark.

Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) first commissioned the Architect Sir Basil Spence to design an exhibition pavilion for the Empire Exhibition held in Glasgow in 1938. This marked the beginning of a partnership that would last for almost 20 years. It also proved to be a launching pad for Spence's career as an exhibition architect.

The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 meant a halt in Spence's exhibition work for seven years. After the war Britain was in severe debt and the promotion and sales of British goods was crucial for economic recovery. This resulted in manufacturers using exhibitions and trade fairs to promote sales of goods both at home and abroad. By 1946 Spence was again in demand as an exhibition architect and undertook a number of international commissions.