London Design Festival 2013 preview: the top 20 events

Design | 6 Sep 2013 | By Henrietta Thompson

A selection of products from Wrong for Hay. Photography: Leon Chew

Wrong for Hay
Branching out from its Scandinavian roots, furniture and accessories company Hay is launching a new sister brand, Wrong for Hay, in collaboration with Sebastian Wrong. Bringing a roster of brilliant designers on board, the ex-Established & Sons director will take over a Georgian townhouse in St James's Park (and, even more promisingly, a café down the road) for the event. Read more about the brand in our October issue.
16 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9AA
14-22 September, www.wrongforhay.com

*’8,5˚’ work table by Rasmus Baekkel Fex*

**19 Greek Street**
Not only will the year-old design gallery be wrapped entirely in Kvadrat fabrics for Werner Aisslinger’s Architecture Reimagined installation, the seven-storey Soho space will host an exhibition of new experimental works from up-and-coming and established talents. A selection of designs from the show, called Wonderland, will also be on display at the Conduit Street restaurant Sketch.
19 Greek Street, London, W1D 4DT
14-22 September, www.19greekstreet.com

*’Graft’ by Simon Hasan for Linley*

**Linley**
Under its new creative director Alexander Isaac, luxury British cabinetmaker Linley is embarking on a new direction, starting with a collection of contemporary furnishings by Simon Hasan. Called Graft, the collection puts a thoughtful new twist on marquetry, Linley’s celebrated forte.
Linley, 60 Pimlico Road, London, SW1W 8LP
14-22 September, www.davidlinley.com

*The Typographic Circle’s Circular Magazine - designed by Pentagram’s Domenic Lippa - will be celebrated in a graphic installation in gallery 55* at the Museum

**The V&A**
The Victoria & Albert Museum once again becomes a central hub for the London Design Festival, with a number of installations, events, talks and workshops. Highlights include the Swarosvki-sponsored God Is in the Details, for which top British creatives have selected objects in the museum to magnify with a special Swarovski lens; a dinner party installation by Scholten & Baijings in the Norfolk House Music Room; an Alessi showcase; an installation celebrating the Typographic Circle’s Circle Magazine; and a programme of talks from the ever-fascinating Global Design Forum.
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
14-22 September, www.vam.ac.uk

*Rocking chair by Simon Pengelly*

**Design Junction**
The third edition of this gargantuan show, located at the 1960s Sorting Office, promises a new section dedicated to lighting, along with launches from its 150-plus exhibitors. Among the most anticipated is Simon Pengelly’s first own range of furniture focusing on craft processes.
The Sorting Office, 21-23 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1AP
18-22 September, www.thedesignjunction.co.uk

*’Dunes’ collection by Philippe Malouin*

**1882 Ltd**
Sand & Clay is an exhibition from the Staffordshire ceramics company 1882, which this year introduces new ranges of fine bone china by Philippe Malouin, Fort Standard and Max Lamb. Malouin’s Dunes takes the texture and fluidity of sand dunes and translates them to the dining table.
Paper Tiger, 10-12 Exhibition Road, London,
14-22 September, www.1882ltd.com

*’Oslo Lounge’ by Christoffer Angell, Oyvind Wyller, and Simen Aarseth for Bernhardt*

**Bernhardt**
Norwegian design trio Christoffer Angell, Øyvind Wyller and Simen Aarseth first met the American producer Bernhardt when they were exhibiting graduate projects as part of 100% Norway. Now they’re launching their first piece with the furniture brand. The Oslo Lounge is a sculptural sling chair in a range of fabrics, including leather and suede.
99 St. John Street, London, EC1M 4AS
16-20 September, www.berndhart.com

*Patricia Urquiola’s ’Husk’ bed for B&B Italia*

**B&B Italia**
Need a rest but don’t want to miss a thing? Take some inspiration from B&B Italia’s Sleep By Design display of four new beds by Antonio Citterio, Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa and Gabriele and Oscar Buratti. B&B will also screen a schedule of films to illustrate the designers’ personal attitudes and sleep habits. No snoozing.
250 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2AS
16-22 September, www.bebitalia.com

*Remodelled slices of potato by food designers Arabeschi di Latte*

**Boffi**
If you missed it in Milan, Boffi celebrates the London launch of its K20 kitchen by Norbert Wangen with an experimental event by food designers Arabeschi di Latte. Food Remix will see the showroom transformed into a postproduction lab where food is remodelled in surprising new ways.
Boffi Chelsea, 254 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2AS
14-22 September, www.boffiuk.com

*’Shell’ stools by VW+BS for Decode London*

**Decode**
Contemporary design and cocktails mix together quite nicely, as if we didn’t know that already. Making a point of the fact, this year Decode is taking up residence at the Looking Glass Cocktail Club on Hackney Road to create the Decode Bar & Showroom. New work from VW+BS, Samuel Wilkinson and others will be exhibited as an added bonus.
49 Hackney Road, London, E2 7NX
18-22 September, www.decodelondon.com

*A rendering of the ’Grado˚’ installation by Ron Gilad at Molenti&C and Dada*

**Molteni&C**
Molteni&C and its kitchen cousin Dada is launching an exclusive version of the Grado° Collection by Israeli artist and Wallpaper* Designer of the Year Ron Gilad. The designer and Francesca Molteni will join Deyan Sudjic for a talk at 6pm on 18 September.
Molteni&C Dada Flagship Store, 119 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2 8JR
14-22 September, www.moltenidada.co.uk

*’Jack’ Stool by Lostine for SCP*

**SCP East**
This season will mark the third edition of SCP Design Department Store, which will see the Shoreditch shop stocked with a covetable collection of products by American brands Lostine, the American Design Club, Roll & Hill and Fort Standard. SCP will also launch new designs by Mark McGinnis, Reiko Kaneko, Lucy Kurrein, Donna Wilson and Terence Woodgate.
135 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3BX
14-22 September, www.scp.co.uk

*Vase by Alex Meitlis for Hazorfim*

**100% Design**
Officially the UK’s largest design trade event, 100% can sometimes be hit and miss. A sure draw, however, will be the new range of brass, silver and gold vessels designed by Ottolenghi architect Alex Meitlis for Israeli company Hazorfim.
Earl’s Court, London
18-21 September, www.100percentdesign.co.uk

*’Liquid Light’ by Kristine Five Melvaer*

**Tent London & Superbrands**
Taking over East London’s Truman Brewery, Tent London and its Superbrands sideshow return with a mix of new and established names. Two unmissable shows will take place in gallery spaces outside the main hall: 100% Norway celebrates its tenth anniversary this year with a huge solar installation while Vernacular displays a selection of Ireland’s best designer-makers.
Gallery 13, Old Truman Brewery, Elys Yard, London, E1 6QR
19-22 September, www.tentlondon.co.uk

*Chairs designed by Tord Boontje*

**Tord Boontje**
Having resigned from his post as head of design products at the RCA earlier this year, Tord Boontje is now revisiting his own graduation project from 1991 - an investigation into interference pigments - for this year’s festival. Using his findings as a guide, he has created new works including Magnetic Fields, for which he’s cast resin slabs in three-dimensional patterns of electromagnetic movement. We’re highly curious.
Studio Tord Boontje, 23 Charlotte Road, London, EC2A 3PB
13-22 September, www.tordboontje.com

*’Elementi’ copper cabinet by Andrea Felice*

**Decorex International**
This year high-end interior design fair Decorex will up sticks from its base in Chelsea’s Royal Hospital and move to the rather more prestigious Perks Field & The Orangery by Kensington Palace. Kit Kemp is designing the entrance and Martin Brudnizki the champagne bar, and there will be two new tents dedicated to an Outdoor & Lifestyle theme.
Aram, Stand C15, Decorex International, Perks Field & The Orangery, Kensington Palace, London
22-25 September 2013, www.decorex.com

*A sketch of FAT Architects*’ doll’s house design

**A Doll’s House**
inspired by the doll’s house that Edwin Lutyens designed for the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1922, socially minded property developer Cathedral Group has commissioned a collection of 20 doll’s houses from some of the world’s greatest architects and designers. On display at the new Domus West-One showroom on Eastcastle Street in Fitzrovia, the houses will be auctioned at Bonham’s in November for disabled children’s charity KIDS.
Domus Tiles, 23-25 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8DF
14-21 September, www.adollshouse.co.uk

*’Endless Stair’ by dRMM Architects*

**Endless Stair**
The ’Endless Stair’ installation, by London practice dRMM Architects, has scored an enviable home in front of the Tate Modern. The Escher-esque structure is made up of interlocking flights of stairs that - as the name suggests - can be endlessly reconfigured. Hailed as the landmark project of London Design Festival 2013, it is pioneering new uses for hardwood as the first architectural project of its kind in the world to use American tulipwood cross-laminated timber (CLT).
Riverside of Tate Modern, Bankside SE1 9TG
13 September - 10 October, www.drmm.co.uk

*’Father’ bracelet from Elke Kramer’s Concrete Jewellery collection*

**Darkroom**
A year-round haven of superbly curated accessories for men, women and home, Darkroom is transforming its Lamb’s Conduit Street boutique into a postmodern celebration of Ettore Sottsass for the London Design Festival. The installation will be created in collaboration with Milan design studio StudioPepe, textile designers Zuzunaga and sustainable stonemasons Stone Theatre.
52 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3LL
13-22 September, www.darkroomlondon.com

*’Euclid’ by Ewelina Wisniowska*

**Royal College of Art**
The RCA presents Art Food at Flow Gallery, an exhibition of new tableware designs from students on the Ceramics and Glass course at the university, in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the School of Form in Poland. The brief was to make a product that would complement and enhance the work of artistic chefs, such as Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrià. Tim Allen, head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Launceston Place in Kensington, and food writer, William Sitwell, mentored the students throughout the project and their work was realised at the Ćmielów Porcelain factory. RCA students also have exhibitions at both of the college’s campuses in Battersea and South Kensington throughout London Design Festival.
Flow Gallery, 1-5 Needham Road, London, W11 2RP
16-21 September, www.flowgallery.co.uk

'Oslo Lounge' by Christoffer Angell, Oyvind Wyller, and Simen Aarseth for Bernhardt

Bernhardt
Norwegian design trio Christoffer Angell, Øyvind Wyller and Simen Aarseth first met the American producer Bernhardt when they were exhibiting graduate projects as part of 100% Norway. Now they're launching their first piece with the furniture brand. The Oslo Lounge is a sculptural sling chair in a range of fabrics, including leather and suede.
99 St. John Street, London, EC1M 4AS
16-20 September, www.berndhart.com

Patricia Urquiola's 'Husk' bed for B&B Italia

B&B Italia
Need a rest but don't want to miss a thing? Take some inspiration from B&B Italia's Sleep By Design display of four new beds by Antonio Citterio, Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa and Gabriele and Oscar Buratti. B&B will also screen a schedule of films to illustrate the designers' personal attitudes and sleep habits. No snoozing.
250 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2AS
16-22 September, www.bebitalia.com

Remodelled slices of potato by food designers Arabeschi di Latte

Boffi
If you missed it in Milan, Boffi celebrates the London launch of its K20 kitchen by Norbert Wangen with an experimental event by food designers Arabeschi di Latte. Food Remix will see the showroom transformed into a postproduction lab where food is remodelled in surprising new ways.
Boffi Chelsea, 254 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2AS
14-22 September, www.boffiuk.com

'Shell' stools by VW+BS for Decode London

Decode
Contemporary design and cocktails mix together quite nicely, as if we didn't know that already. Making a point of the fact, this year Decode is taking up residence at the Looking Glass Cocktail Club on Hackney Road to create the Decode Bar & Showroom. New work from VW+BS, Samuel Wilkinson and others will be exhibited as an added bonus.
49 Hackney Road, London, E2 7NX
18-22 September, www.decodelondon.com

A rendering of the 'Grado˚' installation by Ron Gilad at Molenti&C and Dada

Molteni&C
Molteni&C and its kitchen cousin Dada is launching an exclusive version of the Grado° Collection by Israeli artist and Wallpaper* Designer of the Year Ron Gilad. The designer and Francesca Molteni will join Deyan Sudjic for a talk at 6pm on 18 September.
Molteni&C Dada Flagship Store, 119 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2 8JR
14-22 September, www.moltenidada.co.uk

'Jack' Stool by Lostine for SCP

SCP East
This season will mark the third edition of SCP Design Department Store, which will see the Shoreditch shop stocked with a covetable collection of products by American brands Lostine, the American Design Club, Roll & Hill and Fort Standard. SCP will also launch new designs by Mark McGinnis, Reiko Kaneko, Lucy Kurrein, Donna Wilson and Terence Woodgate.
135 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3BX
14-22 September, www.scp.co.uk

Vase by Alex Meitlis for Hazorfim

100% Design
Officially the UK's largest design trade event, 100% can sometimes be hit and miss. A sure draw, however, will be the new range of brass, silver and gold vessels designed by Ottolenghi architect Alex Meitlis for Israeli company Hazorfim.
Earl's Court, London
18-21 September, www.100percentdesign.co.uk

'Liquid Light' by Kristine Five Melvaer

Tent London & Superbrands
Taking over East London's Truman Brewery, Tent London and its Superbrands sideshow return with a mix of new and established names. Two unmissable shows will take place in gallery spaces outside the main hall: 100% Norway celebrates its tenth anniversary this year with a huge solar installation while Vernacular displays a selection of Ireland's best designer-makers.
Gallery 13, Old Truman Brewery, Elys Yard, London, E1 6QR
19-22 September, www.tentlondon.co.uk

Chairs designed by Tord Boontje

Tord Boontje
Having resigned from his post as head of design products at the RCA earlier this year, Tord Boontje is now revisiting his own graduation project from 1991 - an investigation into interference pigments - for this year's festival. Using his findings as a guide, he has created new works including Magnetic Fields, for which he's cast resin slabs in three-dimensional patterns of electromagnetic movement. We're highly curious.
Studio Tord Boontje, 23 Charlotte Road, London, EC2A 3PB
13-22 September, www.tordboontje.com

'Elementi' copper cabinet by Andrea Felice

Decorex International
This year high-end interior design fair Decorex will up sticks from its base in Chelsea's Royal Hospital and move to the rather more prestigious Perks Field & The Orangery by Kensington Palace. Kit Kemp is designing the entrance and Martin Brudnizki the champagne bar, and there will be two new tents dedicated to an Outdoor & Lifestyle theme.
Aram, Stand C15, Decorex International, Perks Field & The Orangery, Kensington Palace, London
22-25 September 2013, www.decorex.com

A sketch of FAT Architects' doll's house design

A Doll's House
inspired by the doll's house that Edwin Lutyens designed for the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1922, socially minded property developer Cathedral Group has commissioned a collection of 20 doll's houses from some of the world's greatest architects and designers. On display at the new Domus West-One showroom on Eastcastle Street in Fitzrovia, the houses will be auctioned at Bonham's in November for disabled children's charity KIDS.
Domus Tiles, 23-25 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8DF
14-21 September, www.adollshouse.co.uk

'Endless Stair' by dRMM Architects

Endless Stair
The 'Endless Stair' installation, by London practice dRMM Architects, has scored an enviable home in front of the Tate Modern. The Escher-esque structure is made up of interlocking flights of stairs that - as the name suggests - can be endlessly reconfigured. Hailed as the landmark project of London Design Festival 2013, it is pioneering new uses for hardwood as the first architectural project of its kind in the world to use American tulipwood cross-laminated timber (CLT).
Riverside of Tate Modern, Bankside SE1 9TG
13 September - 10 October, www.drmm.co.uk

'Father' bracelet from Elke Kramer's Concrete Jewellery collection

Darkroom
A year-round haven of superbly curated accessories for men, women and home, Darkroom is transforming its Lamb's Conduit Street boutique into a postmodern celebration of Ettore Sottsass for the London Design Festival. The installation will be created in collaboration with Milan design studio StudioPepe, textile designers Zuzunaga and sustainable stonemasons Stone Theatre.
52 Lamb's Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3LL
13-22 September, www.darkroomlondon.com

'Euclid' by Ewelina Wisniowska

Royal College of Art
The RCA presents Art Food at Flow Gallery, an exhibition of new tableware designs from students on the Ceramics and Glass course at the university, in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the School of Form in Poland. The brief was to make a product that would complement and enhance the work of artistic chefs, such as Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrià. Tim Allen, head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Launceston Place in Kensington, and food writer, William Sitwell, mentored the students throughout the project and their work was realised at the Ćmielów Porcelain factory. RCA students also have exhibitions at both of the college's campuses in Battersea and South Kensington throughout London Design Festival.
Flow Gallery, 1-5 Needham Road, London, W11 2RP
16-21 September, www.flowgallery.co.uk

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

London Design Festival 2013 preview: the top 20 events

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