First look at London Design Festival 2024, a global showcase of creative talent

London Design Festival 2024 programme announced, with special commissions across the city's landmarks by emerging talent and forward-thinking brands (14 - 22 September 2024)

Melek Zeynep arched installation render, created for London Design Festival 2024 and shown here in the frescoed interiors of the Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall
Duo by Melek Zeynep at the Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall, part of London Design Festival 2024
(Image credit: Courtesy Melek Zeynep and London Design Festival)

The London Design Festival 2024 programme has been announced, with a focus on international talent and a renewed mission to celebrate ‘creativity, innovation and the power of design to shape our world’. Supported by the Mayor of London and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the London Design Festival’s next edition will take over the city with installations and exhibitions at key cultural institutions and design districts

London Design Festival 2024: what to expect

London Design Festival 2024 installation Vert, by Stefan Diez and AHEC, a structure made of triangular frames shown here as a render with a green tint

(Image credit: Courtesy London Design Festival)

Landmark projects across London include an installation by ‘a future facing designer’ in collaboration with London Design Festival partner Johnnie Walker, and Vert, an installation at the Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art by Diez Office and AHEC, in partnership with climate farming experts OMC°C. An innovative proposal for cooling cities, the installation will include a structure made from American red oak holding a biodegradable net with a curated selection of around 20 plant species. ‘The living ecosystem will support local biodiversity, serve as a habitat for essential insect populations, enrich the urban environment, and provide a sheltered space where visitors to the Festival can gather and relax.’

Melek Zeynep arched installation render, created for London Design Festival 2024 and shown here in the frescoed interiors of the Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall

(Image credit: Courtesy London Design Festival)

Meanwhile, Duo by Turkish designer Melek Zeynep at the Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall is a symbolic installation comprising a series of prisms, ‘encapsulating the essence of 'two': a dialogue, a duality, an agreement, and the dynamic interplay between the centre and periphery.’

Poor collective's colourful installation shown in Regents' park

(Image credit: Courtesy London Design Festival)

Other festival commissions include a partnership between London Design Festival Emerging Design Medal winners, Power Out of Restriction (POoR Collective) and Battersea Power Station, which will result in a community-led riverside installation by the London-based collective, and Craft x Tech Tohoku Project, launched in Japan this past May and on view at the V&A’s Prince Consort Gallery.

Class of '24 exhibition at Triennale Milano

(Image credit: Paola Dossi)

Also at the V&A will be Giles Tettey Nartey’s ‘Communion’, originally created in partnership with AHEC for Wallpaper’s Class of ‘24 exhibition at Triennale Milano, and further commissions by emerging designers Arjun Singh Assa, Liang-Jung Chen, and Angela Ford, as well as Modular by Mensah with Bridge of Weir Leather and Muirhead.

The return of Material Matters

Material Matters fair display

(Image credit: Courtesy Material Matters)

A regular highlight of London Design Festival is the Material Matters fair, established in 2022 by Grant Gibson off the back of the design podcast of the same name. Set at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, from 18-21 September, the fair showcases brands and designers united by 'an innate sense of material intelligence and the desire to make the world a slightly better place.'

‘London Design Festival 2024 promises to be another strong year,’ says Ben Evans, London Design Festival Director. ‘The lineup is set to offer fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that will captivate and inspire our audiences. Equally important, the Festival continues to champion inclusivity and provides crucial opportunities for emerging talent to shine. We take great pride in the Festival's role in expanding the reach of designers and creative businesses, reaffirming design's profound impact on our society.’

London Design Festival 2024 runs from 14 - 22 September

londondesignfestival.com

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.