For the first time during London Design Festival, Relay Design Agency turns into curator with ‘Arcade’ – a showcase of bespoke pieces by its favourite artists and designers. ‘Arcade performs as a commissioning platform allowing artists and designers to produce work outside of their regular remit,’ says Neil Walsh managing director of Relay. Photography: Lewis Ronald
Relay intended to push the boundaries of craft to produce the limited-edition projects, including shelving by Silo Studio (left) and vase by Richard Healy (right), all revealed as part of Shoreditch Design Triangle
At Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, Kvadrat opens its first residential showroom designed by Vincent Van Duysen. In a muted wooden cove, Kvadrat’s brands including Sahco, Kinnasand and Kvadrat / Raf Simons showcase textured wares in a library setting amongst the Danish brand’s rugs
Inside its Georgian townhouse showroom, Hay and &Tradition open up the Design & Dine club for the week. Inviting visitors to immersive themselves in the Danish design experience, they tapped Keays and Kempton to realise the environment that takes cues from the building’s former use as a private members club, with snippets of Georgian design history peppered amongst the contemporary pieces. Photography: Catherine Hyland
For the dine element, they assigned Dinner Ladies for an autumnal Nordic feast, which was served in the dining room surrounded by artworks of epic Scandinavian landscapes. Open until 21 September, guests can escape to the St James’s cove for an evening and tickets are £45 for three courses. Photography: Catherine Hyland
Emily Forgot’s architectural artworks come to life with a 3D maze at CitizenM Hotel in Shoreditch. Guests are invited to walk through the layers of brightly hued textures and archways in the entrance to the hotel to escape the bustle of the city surrounds
While meandering through the space, a theme tune by Soundscape and CitizenM plays in the background, titled Focus - created through research by neuroscientists into human brainwaves. ‘its about travel, exploration and journey,’ muses Forgot
Interacting with its Broadgate Square surrounds is Paul Cocksedge’s Landmark project, Please be Seated – a structure that invites audiences to do exactly that. Commissioned by British Land, and made using scaffolding planks, the work acts as both a sculpture and bench. ‘It walks the line between a craft object and a design solution. It occupies the square without blocking it,’ says Cocksedge of the piece that was created with British interiors company White & White. Photography: Mark Cocksedge
Floating effortlessly in the John Madejski Garden at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Bamboo Ring is a delicately woven structure by Kengo Kuma. Known for its architectural strength and flexibility, the organic material is woven into rings with carbon fibre and built as a nest thanks to the help of Ejiri Structural Engineers and the Kengo Kuma Laboratory at The University of Tokyo. Photography: Ed Reeve
Design co-operative Adorno are showcasing independent works from regions including Denmark, Mexico, Iceland, Sweden, France, Norway and Belgium, offering local techniques and artistry at London Design Fair. The Italian selection (image attached) has been curated by Annalisa Rosso and Francesco Mainardi, with pieces by the likes of Draga & Aurel, Farg & Blanche and Laura Noriega included. Photography: Tommy Frost
Taking over a listed townhouse in new district Kings Cross, London-based Bohinc Studio will be presenting its first ever solo show. Honouring the 50th anniversary of the moons landing, the exhibition, titled Lunar House will open up as a galaxy of cosmic offerings. Included is the latest endeavour, the Planetaria collection of rugs, created with Kasthall. Photography: Philippe Fragnière
To mimic the cosmos, the installation has been doused in a rich blue backdrop, with products acting like stars in the sky. ‘I love to use it to highlight contrasts and create bold statements,’ the Slovenian designer says of her use of colour. Bohinc completes the multisensory installation with sounds by Pandora’s Jukebox and scents from Perfumer’s Story. Photography: Philippe Fragnière
In the Brompton Design District, Mint gallery will launch exhibition Raw. The installation will hone in on the work of 60 global designers who respond to the theme of considerate design and materiality. Included is the work of Milan-based design studio Cara/Davide who form furniture from architectural grid-like structures made of solid walnut, ‘carabottino’
