Creative city: Clerkenwell Design Week 2015 takes over London
For the sixth time, Clerkenwell Design Week takes over London with its eclectic selection of design and furniture, merging commercial drive with design festival flair.
More than 80 showrooms across the area have opened up their doors to showcase new and recent launches, while the festival’s own venues continue to combine impressive settings with contemporary brands’ work. The Design Factory returns to the historical Farmiloe Building, with a few new launches - most notably, David Rockwell’s perfectly formed collection for Stellar Works, previewed here in advance of a bigger launch later in the year - and many brands presenting their recent Salone del Mobile news to the London crowd. The other spaces in the area, like the Crypt of St James’ Church and the cavernous house of Detention, present small selections of works that range from young designers’ first creative experiments to more established British brands.
Icon’s House of Culture, located in the stunning Old Sessions house (rumoured to imminently be transformed into a private members’ club) provided a welcome addition to the district, offering a new format to the usual fair-like setups of Clerkenwell. Inside its imposing halls, Moroso and PP Møbler shared a space enriched with a botanical touch, while upstairs, Danish brand Gubi turned a whole room into an elegant Danish lounge. Fritz Hansen has a sneak peek of their ‘7 Cool Architects’ project here too, a literally-titled initiative which is giving new life to Arne Jacobsen’s 'Series 7 Chair', now in its 60th year of life. Snøhetta, Jean Nouvel and Neri & Hu feature amongst the ‘cool architects,’ each of whom was invited to re-invent the chair’s function while leaving its iconic seat intact.
As is now tradition, the city’s creatives take over Clerkenwell through site-specific installations too, aiming to link the area together whilst doubling up as open-air hubs of activity. Designer/maker Sebastian Cox and sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon were commissioned by AHEC to play with hardwood and explore its versatility. Their ‘Invisible Store of Happiness’ features American Cherry and Maple woods, steam-bent into twisted and curled strips which create a dramatic installation placed under the impressive St John's Arch. In nearby St John’s Square, Architects Cousins & Cousins present a multi-coloured pavilion in collaboration with Gx Glass. The jewel-like structure is an alternation of opaque and see-through panels of glass in a combination of pink and yellow tones.
Off-site highlights include British tiles company Bert & May’s new ‘Spaces’ venture which offers contemporary compact living solutions, inaugurated with a Barge designed in collaboration with stylist Laura Fulmine and RaT Architecture. Down the street, Vitra hosted a small retrospective of Jean Prouvé’s furniture as part of the Swiss company’s partnership with G-Star. The collaboration’s second installment is focused on office furniture, reviving ten pieces from the 1940s, ranging from seating to lighting and presented alongside the Prouvé Bistro, by far the area’s most covetable food pit-stop.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
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.
-
Restoring São Paulo: Planta’s mesmerising Brazilian brand of midcentury ‘urban recycling’
Brazilian developer Planta Inc set out to restore São Paulo’s historic centre and return it to the heyday of tropical modernism
By Rainbow Nelson Published
-
10 books culture editor Hannah Silver recommends this winter
Lacking inspiration over what to read next? Wallpaper* culture editor, Hannah Silver, shares her favourite books
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Midtown Manhattan restaurant Ánimo! takes its cues from Mexican morning rituals
Designer Jordana Maisie creates a minimalistic yet referential setting for Ánimo!
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Fritz Hansen’s new collections celebrate the past while looking to the future
Ahead of its 150th anniversary, Fritz Hansen launches a new light by Kasper Kjeldgaard and a tempting assortment of updated classics
By TF Chan Last updated
-
Fritz Hansen marks its 150th anniversary with new collection
Fritz Hansen’s ‘Anniversary Collection’ features reissues of iconic pieces by Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm, presented during 3 Days of Design 2022 (15 – 17 June)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Glasgow School of Art students give new life to CitizenM lobby furniture
Coinciding with COP26, CitizenM partners with The Glasgow School of Art to showcase iconic Vitra furniture pieces repurposed by interior design students in collaboration with Bute Fabrics
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
The architecture of Swedish forests inspires Front Design’s evolving collection for Moroso
After years of research into the wilderness of Swedish forests, the design duo developed a collection with Moroso that replicates natural textures with furniture. Some of their designs have now been translated into practical seating for the home
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Iconic Arne Jacobsen dining chairs get a new colour palette
Fritz Hansen enlists Italian curator Carla Sozzani to devise a new chromatic palette for Arne Jacobsen's iconic dining chairs
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
New lifestyle label Departo offers essentials for global nomads
Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu, founders of Yabu Pushelberg and Yuichiro Hori, the founder of the furniture label Stellar Works join forces for the new brand
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Nendo and Fritz Hansen design fully recycled plastic chair
Take an exclusive look at N02 Recycle, a moulded, stackable chair system made from upcycled household plastic, Polypropylene
By Laura May Todd Last updated
-
Carl Hansen & Søn opens new minimalist Stockholm flagship
By Jonna Dagliden Hunt Last updated