To raise money for their relocation to Kensington, the Design Museum has partnered with Phillips to stage the 'Time for Design' auction in Berkeley Square.
In aid of the good cause, the Museum has been inundated with generous donations from globally renowned designers and collectors. For example, the Zaha Hadid Foundation has donated three 'Mercuric' collection tables; Ron Arad has contributed his striking 'D-Sofa' in stainless steel; and pop-philanthropist Bono has parted with his Gretsch 'Irish Falcon' guitar.fp
Keen to get in on the action, Apple's chief design officer Sir Jony Ive has created something new: a one-of-a-kind accessory collection for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Ive has a long history with the Design Museum, which is due to close its Shad Thames location in May, and reopen in Kensington at the end of November. He won their inaugural Designer of the Year award in 2003 for the iMac, and he also showed a prototype of a mobile phone at the museum way back in 1990.
- Read our exclusive behind-the-scenes feature on the Apple Park HQ
His new accessory collection includes an iPad Pro housing, which has been anodised with a custom dye; a blue, suede-lined 'Smart Cover', crafted from supple French leather; and an orange cover for the Apple Pencil, created from fine grain Italian calf leather.
Ive's new products are in single editions, designed exclusively for the Design Museum event. To prove it, 'Edition 1 of 1' has been laser etched on the back surface of the iPad and the interior surface of the 'Smart Cover'.
'We are extremely grateful to the friends of the museum who had donated such outstanding pieces to help us fulfill our ambition of creating one of London’s most important new cultural sites,’ says Design Museum curator (and auction co-curator) Deyan Sudjic.
The auction will also include a range of iconic design objects, often donated directly from the creator's private collections. Pictured left: Gretsch 'Irish Falcon' guitar. Donated by Bono. Estimate: £60,000 – 80,000. Right: 'Poltrona di Proust' armchair, by Alessandro Mendini, 2009. Donated by Alessandro Mendini. Estimate: £30,000 – £50,000
'Bon Bon gold' chair, from the 'Personal Edition' series, by Marcel Wanders, 2010. Donated by Marcel Wanders and Friedman Benda. Estimate: £12,000 – £18,000
'Primitive' table, by Piergiorgio Robino and Stefania Fersini, 2009. Donated by Studio Nucleo and Ammann Gallery. Estimate: £30,000 – £50,000
Set of three 'Bianco Covelano' low tables, from the 'Mercuric' collection, by Zaha Hadid, 2013. Donated by the Zaha Hadid Foundation. Estimate £80,000 – £120,000
Pictured left: 'D-Sofa', by Ron Arad, 1994. Donated by Johannes and Helene Huth. Estimate £100,000 – £150,000. Right: Unique vinyl-wrapped Fiat 500 1.4 16v Sport Dualogic, by Ron Arad, 2008. Donated by Ron Arad. Estimate £20,000 – £30,000
INFORMATION
The ’Time For Design’ live auction will take place on 28 April, with an online auction running from 7 April – 2 May. For more information, visit the Design Museum’s website
Photography courtesy Phillips / Phillips.com
ADDRESS
Phillips
30 Berkeley Square
London, W1J 6EX
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshopNew Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
‘Designers are far more than just producers of commercial goods’: Samuel Ross on the London Design BiennaleThe artistic director of the major event and founder of A-COLD-WALL* discusses the role of a designer and the future of the sector in an exclusive interview
-
London Craft Week 2025 highlights – what to see this weekendLondon Craft Week 2025 (until 18 May) brings together some 1,000 established and emerging makers. Here is everything we saw and loved so you don't miss a thing
-
Erasers become architectural illusions at Gallery FumiLondon duo Study O Portable unveil 'Rubber Rocks', trompe-l’œil furniture made from erasers, exploring themes of materiality, memory and architectural decay
-
Liberty at 150: a history of the brand in 10 objectsLiberty is marking its 150th anniversary; to celebrate, we remember products and prints that helped make the department store the cultural touchpoint it is today
-
A first look inside the new Oxford Street Ikea. Spoiler: blue bags and meatballs are includedThe new Oxford Street Ikea opens tomorrow (1 May), giving Londoners access to the Swedish furniture brand right in the heart of the city
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
-
Nature sets the pace for Alex Monroe’s first sculpture exhibitionThe British designer hops from jewellery to sculpture for his new exhibition at the Garden Museum, London. Here, he tells us why nature should be at the forefront of design
-
On the Isle of Man, the secret history of designer Archibald Knox is revealedThe mysterious life and works of local designer Archibald Knox is celebrated in a retrospective at Manx Museum, spanning silverware, furniture, clocks and more
