From a living ecosystem to large-scale furniture pieces made from clay, there’s much to see around the city of London this September.
Now in its 22nd year, the annual London Design Festival puts London on the map as the design capital of the world and a powerhouse for the creative industries. This year’s festival runs throughout the city from 14—22 September 2024. If you’re visiting, look out for these spectacular installations and landmark projects…
Design You Can Feel
The Design You Can Feel exhibition, curated by Dezeen and located in the Shoreditch Design Triangle, will take you on a journey through material, craftsmanship, and artificial intelligence. Each piece (which spans lighting, furniture and installation design) explores how form, colour, and texture can be combined to ignite the senses. At its core, the exhibition showcases the innovative material, Ceraluminum, used to make the new Asus laptop, Zenbook.
Vert
On the Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Arts, you won’t be able to miss Vert, designed by Diez Office, an industrial design practice. Vert is an eye-catching installation crafted in sustainable red-oak glulam. The structure offers a fresh architectural solution for cooling cities and boosting urban biodiversity while enhancing cityscapes. It features a biodegradable net brimming with 20 different plant species: a living ecosystem.
Pavilions of Wonder
Designed by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama and located on the Strand Aldwych, Pavilions of Wonder is an exciting installation celebrating Barbie, the world’s most famous doll and a global design icon. Visitors can explore three pretty-in-pink interactive pavilions inspired by California’s iconic midcentury modern architecture and the playful spirit of the Barbie DreamHouse. By day, the pavilions highlight cultural and architectural heritage, while at night, they light up, adding a magical element to one of London’s newest public spaces.
Point Two Five
Birmingham-based jewellery brand Point Two Five has invited six international designers (who haven’t created jewellery before) to develop reasonably priced jewellery pieces using modern manufacturing methods and recycled metals. The exhibition draws attention to the crucial role of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, which produces 40% of all UK-made jewellery. You’ll find the Point Two Five exhibition within the Shoreditch Design Triangle.
Well Made
Also located in the Shoreditch Design Triangle is the Well Made exhibition, curated by the founders of East London design studio Pearson Lloyd. It explores what the term ‘well-made’ means today and aims to shape our perception of sustainable quality. You’ll see various examples of well-made designs, including the Rex potato peeler, a dip beeswax paper vase, and, controversially, the plastic bag.
Formations in Clay Furniture
From County Hall Pottery comes a revelatory exhibition that elevates the art of ceramics and looks at the growing trend of clay-based furniture design. The show features diverse works from seven unique clay artists who are pushing the boundaries with different pottery techniques to create large-scale functional furniture pieces. See Formations in Clay Furniture at Bankside Design District.
The London Design Festival 2024 is bursting with innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions that showcase the city’s creative spirit. If you’re not visiting in person, you can check out all contributions to this year’s programme here.
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