London Design Festival 2010 Preview
100% Design
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, 100% Design is, quite simply, a celebration of the best in contemporary interior design. A LDF cornerstone and loved by industry insiders, this year’s event will show over 4,000 designs. Fresh new talent will be given their own platform in the 100% Futures section and, charting technological and textural developments, cutting edge materials will be explored in 100% Materials.
100% Design, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA23 - 26 September, www.100percentdesign.co.uk
The onset of autumn heralds the return of the London Design Festival, which this year, has the whole of the capital in its grips. Souped-up venues - including shops, galleries, museums - across the city are preparing to emerge as transcendent repositories for new work by an exciting roster of the world's leading designers. As always though, its not possible to see it all, so to spare you your sanity, here's our edit of the festival highlights.
Like last year, the V&A constitutes the hub of activity. Over the festival, the Sackler Centre will host special events, talks and workshops; prepare to see installations and exhibits as eclectic as graphic designer Michael Johnson's special V&A maps and Paul Cocksedge's 'A Gust of Wind' installation of floating corian.
But for aesthetes-at-large, the festival this year stretches its reach across six creative quarters. Already established as LDF stalwarts are the Brompton Design District, the Shoreditch Design Triangle, and Portobello's The Dock, where Tom Dixon is expanding his output alongside a new showroom from Moooi. New to this year's line up, however, are the Covent Garden Design District, the Fitzrovia Collective and the Clerkenwell Design District.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. Check Wallpaper.com soon for more news live from the festival.
100% Norway
Curated by Wallpaper’s very own Henrietta Thompson, this exhibition (a subsection of 100% Design) serves up a dose of Norwegian cool. Look out for new offerings in ceramics, glassware, furniture and lighting from new and established names, such as Anderssen & Voll and Røros Tweed.
100% Norway, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA
23 - 26 September, www.norway.org.uk/100percent
Ineke Hands retrospective at Aram Gallery
’Mind-Sets’, which looks back at the work of Ineke Hans, is the Dutch designer’s first solo exhibition in the UK. Spanning a decade of her career, the Aram Gallery exhibition takes an intimate look at the evolution of her designs, presenting her well-known work along with the objects and influences that have informed each piece.
The Aram Gallery, 110 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5SG
17 September - 30 October, www.thearamgallery.org
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Nigel Coates’ ’Baroccabilly’ at Poltronova
Not content with a normal exhibition showcasing his new limited edition pieces for Poltronova (including upholstered furniture, mirrors and chandeliers), Nigel Coates has chosen to tell a story about an imaginary figure and the lifestyle he leads with his ’Baroccabilly’ collection.
Poltronova, 25 Thurloe Street, London SW7 2LQ
20 - 26 September, www.nigelcoates.com
Bench10 at Lollipop Shoppe
Thanks to the Lollipop Shoppe, the public bench gets a much-needed design overhaul courtesy of 10 international designers. Felix de Pass, Cecilie Manz, Decode London, Michael Marriott and Anthony Burrill are among the names who will display their one-off designs in and around London’s Old Spitalfields Market.
The Lollipop Shoppe, 105a Commercial Street, Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6GB
20 - 30 September, www.thelollipopshoppe.co.uk
Bernhardt Design at Brands Limited
Together with Brands Limited, Bernhardt Design will debut Monica Förster’s ’Vika’ and Jaime Hayon’s ’Bardot’. The exhibition will also showcase new work from an interesting roster of international names including: Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, Fredrikson Stallard, Jephson Robb and our very own editor-at-large, Suzanne Trocmé.
Brands Limited, 99 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4AS
18-26 September, www.bernhardtdesign.com
Fumi and Fendi at Gallery Fumi
The worlds of fashion and furniture collide as four designers present new Fendi-inspired works for Gallery Fumi’s ’In Every Dream Home’ exhibition. Paul Kelley will be introducing seven new pieces, his Fendi leather and mahogany armoire included.
Gallery Fumi, 87-89 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4BA
18 - 26 September, www.galleryfumi.com
Lou Dorfsman at Kemistry Gallery
Titled ’The Designs of Lou Dorfsman’, Kemistry gallery’s flagship exhibition this year features over sixty original examples of the artist’s work for the CBS network. The centerpiece is his 11-metre wide, handmade wooden typographic wall, known as ’Gastrotypographicalassemblage’, which is the largest modern typographic artefact in existence.
Kemistry Gallery, 43 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3PD
17 September-30 October, www.kemistrygallery.co.uk
Moooi at the White Building
Joining Tom Dixon down at the waterside, Moooi will not only be taking part in the ’Global Industry at the Dock’ programme but is setting up shop permanently at the imposing White Building. Joining the full complement of Marcel Wanders’ designs in the space is Dutch flooring specialist Senso, which will be debuting its new range of flooring also created by the designer.
Moooi, 555 Harrow Road White Building, London W10 4RH
18-26 September, www.moooi.com
Harri Koskinen at Skandium
Nordic brand, Skandium, is launching its own furniture range, named ’Bello’, by Finnish designer Harri Koskinen at the festival, alongside a selling retrospective of his hit pieces for the likes of Venini, Iittala, Alessi and more.
Skandium, 247 Brompton Road, Brompton Design District, London SW3 2EP
18 September - 8 October, www.harrikoskinen.com
Design Becomes Home at Skitsch
Not just a set of shelves but a ’habitat’ for your belongings, ’Design Becomes Home’ at Skitsch includes a collaboration between the shop and the New York based designer Harry Allen who has created a modular storage system aptly called ’Home’. Borrowing its shape from that of a house, Home’s rooms, attic and yard become places to store and display objects.
Skitsch, 270 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AW
18-26 September, www.skitsch.com
Timorous Beasties at Bute Fabrics
Scottish purveyors of pattern, Timorous Beasties, have teamed up with British carpet designers Brintons Carpets and Bute Fabrics to launch a unique collection of hand-tufted rugs and a broadloom carpet at LDF. The designs have all been inspired by the natural and spiritual worlds.
Bute Fabrics, 146 – 148 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5DG
23 – 26 September, www.brintons.net
Tomoko Azumi at Rocket Gallery
The first gallery exhibition of furniture by Japanese designer Tomoko Azumi will take the form of a series of models, drawings and watercolour sketches. The result? A behind-the-brief look at her international furniture collaborations, the latest of which is this new ’Azumi’ dining table.
Rocket Gallery, Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch Highstreet, London E1 6JJ
18 September - 20 November, www.rocketgallery.com
Paola Petrobelli at Wilmotte Gallery
Known for her colourful works in glass, Paola Petrobelli has created a series of lighting installations for her first major UK show. A joint venture between Paris-based gallery, Perimeter Art & Design, and the Wilmotte Gallery, ’Inside Out’ will showcase everything from elaborate chandeliers to glowing ceiling orbs.
Wilmotte Gallery at the Lichfield Studios, 133 Oxford Gardens, London W10 6NE
18 September - 6 October, www.tristanhoare.co.uk
Tom Dixon at Portobello Dock
What isn’t Tom Dixon up to this festival? As well as launching his new designs - the brass light ’Etch’ and his ’Scoop’ chair - he’ll be opening The Tom Dixon Shop at Portobello Dock, his first ever store. As well as his full collection, it will also stock pieces from a range of international designers, including Piet Hein Eek and New Caribbean Design. Spreading outwards from this new venture meanwhile, Tom is also hosting ’Global Industry at the Dock’ - a temporary take-over of the dockside by international design names - as well as launching this limited edition Brompton bike.
Portobello Dock, 344 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5BU
20 - 26 September, www.tomdixon.net
Arne Jacobsen and Republic of Fritz Hansen at EDC
Styled like an open-plan city apartment, EDC’s new showroom is opening in Fitzrovia as part of LDF. Stocking a constantly changing selection of European names, its big festival launch will be ’Ørgreen Playground: Skyline Edition’ - the new series of Arne Jacobsen ’Swan™’ chairs by eyewear design firm Ørgreen Optic and furniture brand Republic of Fritz Hansen™. The store will be another feather in Fitrovia’s cap as it carves out a niche for itself as one of the capital’s new design quarters.
EDC Showroom, 20 Margaret Street, London W1W 8RS
18 - 26 September, www.edclondon.com
’Hel Yes’ at Londonewcastle Depot
Led by restauranteur Antto Melasniemi and designed by Linda Begroth, ’Hel Yes’ is a temporary tented restaurant taking up residence in the East End for two weeks, brought to us by the Finnish Institute. It will showcase some of the things Finland is famous for (namely design from Artek, Iitalla, Heikki Salonen, Klaus Happaniemi and Mia Wallenius), and something that it’s not but should be: its native cuisine.
Londonewcastle Depot, 1-3 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL
15 September - 3 October, www.helyes.fI
Jasper Morrison at Camper, Punkt and Rado
Camper, Punkt and Rado have all just received the Jasper Morrison treatment. The resulting products are, respectively, a trainer, a telephone and a platinum chronograph wristwatch, all of which will be unveiled during LDF. Opening on 18th September, ’Trays from around the World’ meanwhile, is a collection of trays that the Brit designer has purchased over the years.
Jasper Morrison, 24b Kingsland Road, London E2 8DA
18 - 26 September, www.jaspermorrison.com
Nendo at Saatchi Gallery
For their first UK solo exhibition, Japanese design studio, Nendo, will be presenting a show in two parts and in two places this year. At the Saatchi Gallery, ’Part 1: Thin Black Lines’ features a new series of tubular steel works. Meanwhile, at Phillips de Pury & Company, ’Part 2: Blurry White Surfaces’ will take the form of installations featuring recent pieces including ’Fade-out’ chair.
Thin Black Lines: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3 4SQ
20 September - 31 October, www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
Blurry White Surfaces: Phillips de Pury & Company, Howick Place, SW1P 1BB
22 September - 28 September, www.phillipsdepury.com
Patricia Urquiola at B&B Italia
Film director Johnny Hardstaff and Wallpaper* present an installation in celebration of the London launch of Patricia Urquiola’s Bend-Sofa. The new sectional sofa is, says Hardstaff, manipulated to perfection - pinching and bulging in all the right places - and this creative venture has, in turn, been inspired by its flexibility and innovative nature.
B&B Italia, 250 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AS
23 - 26 September, www.bebitalia.com
Mathieu Lehanneur, Cole & Son, Simon Heijdens and Richard Sorger at Andaz Hotel
Liverpool’s Andaz Hotel is the official partner hotel of London Design Week. As such, it is hosting a myriad of installations, from ’Once Upon a Dream’ by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, a sleep capsule (comissioned by Veuve Clicquot) which explores the future of the land of nod, to ’Frontier’ by Cole & Son which takes over the Andaz Lounge with its homage to the Far East. There will also be work from Simon Heijdens and Richard Sorger.
Andaz Liverpool Street, 40 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 7QN
18 - 26 September, http://london.liverpoolstreet.andaz.hyatt.com
The Anti-Design Festival
Conceived by Wallpaper* contributor and graphic designer Neville Brody, this art and design event is ’a response to 25 years of cultural deep freeze in the UK’. Here to unlock it, the festival (curated by Brody along with other like-minds including Daniel Charny, Terry Jones and James Payne) is held in multiple out-of-bounds locations around Shoreditch and incorporates exhibitions, installations, workshops, performances and talks.
Anti Design Festival, 28 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, London E2 7DP
18 - 26 September, www.antidesignfestival.com
Arabeschi di Latte at Bramble Café and V&A
This group of Italian women designers are spreading their passion for all things foodie and convivial at LDF. Launched in collaboration with La Fromagerie, their pop-up Bramble Café, promises a host of home-grown English treats, while their ’It Takes Two to Tango’ dinner at the V&A meanwhile will be served up in one big pot using giant spoons.
Bramble Café, The Garage, North Terrace, London SW3 2BA
17 - 28 September, www.lafromagerie.co.uk/bramblecafe
It Takes Two to Tango, V&A, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
24 September, www.vam.ac.uk
The Tramshed
Initiated by De La Espada, The Tramshed is a large new addition to this year’s London Design Week line up, featuring stands and installations from the likes of Kvadrat, BMW and Michael Sodeau. De La Espada itself will be hosting ‘Human Made,’ an exhibition of work designed specifically to elicit an emotional response from the viewer. Taking place in the main hall, this show, which focuses on the human side of design, will feature pieces by Matthew Hilton – who presents a modular sliding door cabinet and his lounge chair ‘Hide’ - Dick van Hoff, Autoban and Leif.designpark among others.
The Tramshed, 32 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3LX
22 – 26 September, www.thetramshedevent.co.uk
Established & Sons at The Wenlock Arms
Established & Sons are all set for a busy week which will see them spreading themselves across three different venues. Sensible then, that one of them should be a pub - The Wenlock Arms - where they will take up residence as the East End establishment’s landlords, and for one week only it will be known as ’The Established & Sons’. Head down for happy hour drinks to see a selection of their furniture and take part in their special pub quiz. Once you’ve sated your thirst, wend your way across the road to Established & Sons HQ to view the designers’ most recent work, which launched in Milan earlier this year, or if you’re heading into town, make room in your schedule for Established & Sons LIMITED’s ’Design Against The Clock’, a series of live design performances where you can catch Gavin Turk, Richard Woods, design duo Committee, Sebastian Wrong and Lars Frideen working onsite.
The Established & Sons, 26 Wenlock Road, London N1 7TA, 20-26 September
Established & Sons Studio Showroom, 5-7 Wenlock Road N1 7SL
Established & Sons LIMITED, 2-3 Duke Street St James, London SW1 6BJ
20 - 26 September, www.establishedandsons.com
Jaime Hayon at Sé showroom
Commissioned by the Sé Collection, this is Jaime Hayón’s first complete furniture collection. A personality-laden line-up of tables, sofas and armchairs, the new range is a lesson in skillfully- proportioned presence and luxury finishes.
Sé Showroom, 221 Brompton Road, London SW3 2EJ
18 - 26 September, www.se-london.com
Objects With A Void at Brompton Design District
’Objects With A Void’ is, as the title suggests, a design exploration of the idea of voids in objects - an aspect of a design that is often overlooked but always present. The likes of Max Lamb, Peter Marigold and Gemma Holt have all participated and the results range from a wooden bowl to an arched bridge construction.
2nd floor, 3 Yeomans Row, Brompton Design District, London SW3 2AL
18-26 September, www.objectswithavoid.com
Oiva Toikka at Vessel Gallery
The master glassman celebrates 50 years as an Iittala designer by getting creative. With free reign over these designs, Toikka, as always, has let the glass dictate with this specially commissioned ’Art Works’ collection that will be unveiled at Vessel Gallery.
Vessel Gallery, 114 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 2PW
16 September - 16 October, www.vesselgallery.com
Outrace at Trafalgar Square
One of the big LDF draw cards, this year the Trafalgar Square installation is being created by designers Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram, supported by Audi AG. Allowing you to create your own holographic message, ’Outrace’ borrows eight industrial robots from Audi’s production line equipped with LED technology. Users are able to trace light messages into the air with the robots. Each light trace is then recorded and uploaded to the web via HD cameras. Online visitors will also be able to interact with the installation via the website. Wallpaper* have curated the first five messages, chosing some of their favourite creatives to make their mark on the London skyline.
Outrace, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N
16 - 24 September, www.outrace.org
All Lovely Stuff at SCP
The furniture manufacturers are launching All Lovely Stüff, the homeware brand founded by designers Carl Clerkin and Ed Ward. With an emphasis on personality, product characters such as ’Cheesy Pete’ cheese board and ’Bear Face’ mirror have been designed to make an emotional connection with the user.
SCP, 135 - 139 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3BX
18 - 26 September, www.scp.co.uk
Northern Lights at Viaduct
Fluorescent lighting? Check. Luminous furniture? Check. A rubberised room? Check again. These intriguing elements make up ’Northern Lights’, the Gitta Gschwendtner-curated show housed in one of Viaduct’s two dedicated LDF showrooms. The exhibition, we’re told, is an homage to the genius of Dan Flavin, and features designs by Stefan Diez, Tom Dixon and Piergiorgio and Michele Cazzaniga.
Viaduct, 1-10 Summers Street, London EC1R 5BD
16 September - 2 October, www.viaduct.co.uk
Paul Cocksedge’s Size + Matter at Southbank Centre
Conceived as coins dropped by a giant right into the Southbank Centre, ’Drop’ is Paul Cocksedge’s installation for the annual Size & Matter project. Impressively oversized, the installation has magnetic properties allowing passers-by to affix their spare change by way of a charity donation.
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
18 September - 8 October, www.southbankcentre.co.uk
John Pawson at the Design Museum
John Pawson’s new exhibition at London Design Museum is being marked with both blog and monograph. Plain Space offers visitors the chance to experience a 1:1 recreation of a Pawson-designed space. The exhibition is serene, contemplative and a must-see for aficionados of Pawson’s classically reductivist approach. We’ll have more images from the show in the weeks to come. Design Museum, Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD
22 September - 30 January, www.designmuseum.org
Jean-Marie Massaud at Poliform
’A quest for synthesis toward reduction and lightness’ is the driving vision behind architect Jean-Marie Massaud’s new range of furniture designed for Poliform. This is the first time the collection, with its pure, minimalist aesthetic, has been outside Italy since they were launched at the Salone del Mobile.
Poliform 276-8 Kings Road, London SW3 5AW
18 - 26 September, www.poliformuk.com
Studio Toogood’s ‘Super Natural’ at The Garage
Studio Toogood goes rural this London Design Festival to bring you ‘Super Natural’, a project extolling the virtues of the English countryside. According to the designers, it’s all about foraging, gathering and observing; the show will include an installation from the intrepid New Forest mushroom forager Mrs Tee which will encourage visitors to get involved, as they simultaneously experience a bespoke scent from Francis Kurkdjian inspired by and dedicated to woodland. To tie in, Studio Toogood will also launch Assemblage 1, a collection of furniture using wood, brass and stone, heavily sourced from England, and using English craftsmen. All this, while you feast on a seasonal menu from La Fromagerie working in collaboration with Aabeschi di Latte. What’s not to love?
The Garage, North Terrace, London SW3 2BA
17-28 September, www. studiotoogood.com
Tent London at Old Truman Brewery
A festival must-see, this event at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane presents cutting edge contemporary interiors products and digital installations from over 200 names. Keeping things more interesting still are their Micro-Shows which includes Tent Digital. A concentrated Science Museum-style dose of the future, this exhibition is supported by UKTI and displays the work of interaction design and augmented reality experts who have created a series of immersive digital environments.
Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
23-26 September, www.tentlondon.co.uk
Composite Café at the V&A
Suzanne Trocmé, Wallpaper’s editor-at-large, is behind the gateway to the London Design Festival in the form of the V&A’s Exhibition Road entrance - for one week suped-up as a take on a hotel lobby, complete with concierge service. As the place to garner information on the festival, inventive salvage and design firm Retrouvius has devised the layout of the space, which demonstrates just how to do reclamation in exemplary modern style. As part of this, the Composite Café – a Trocmé inspiration – has claimed elements from The Natural History Museum, including fusty wooden cabinets, and transformed them into Lego bricks. It’s just the place for a festival pit stop. While you’re there, don’t miss Stewart Haygarth’s staircase of frames, on which the artist worked with framing company John Jones to create a 20-metre cascade made entirely from contemporary bespoke frame mouldings over which visitors can walk.
V&A, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
www.vam.ac.uk
www.retrouvius.co.uk
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