London Design Festival (14-22 September) moves into its 17th year, continuing to expand with two new districts and a blockbuster inaugural charting of Italian made design. Meanwhile, innovative forms of reuse, the future of living and digital design get in focus. Spanning the capital from White City to Kings Cross, exhibitions enter curious locations and installations address bolder questions. During the week, team Wallpaper* swarms the museums, galleries, routes and heritage homes to bring you the live highlights as they happen…
Norwegian design duo Vera & Kyte have been tapped by stone experts Lundhs for a collection of vases and trays that combines tinted glass and wood with the natural stone. Titled Epilogue, the contemporary sculptures are both decorative and functional in the space. ‘The exceptional durability of the material leads us to create objects with a formal elegance for everyday use that will age beautifully and last a lifetime,’ say Vera Kleppe and Åshild Kyte of the pieces that launched at London Design Fair
New initiative Modern Art Hire, a collection of works and props curated by interior stylist Laura Fulmine to hire, has enlisted Dello Studio to create furniture for the contemporary wares to sit upon in exhibition ’Prototypes’ in Hackney
Made up of Paris-based Charlotte Taylor and London-based Oscar Piccolo, Dello Studio looked upon sources like The Flintstones and Ancient Greek architecture to inform the organic shapes that style the room, and act like sculptures in themselves
At Aram Gallery, Rotterdam-based Studio Truly Truly were invited to showcase the creative world behind their practice. For this, they assigned photographer, friend and regular collaborator Pim Top to realise images that signify the starting point for their processes. These abstract images were then printed onto Really textile board, hung from the ceiling, and curled up around Truly Truly’s experimental works
‘It is a connection of things we have seen, a connection of idea,’ says the duo, who titled the showcase Non Linear, indicative of their career trajectory and works that unravel as dynamic stories on the top floor exhibition space
Only 17 Orion lights make up Lee Broom’s latest immersive installation for this year’s festival. Inside his Rivington Street space, guests can wonder in two at a time to experience ‘Kaleidoscopia’ which creates the sense of infinity with mathematically angled large mirrors reflecting the liner pieces. Photography: Luke Hayes
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’
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BAO BAO VOICE by BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE
View Google MapsShowcasing for the first time during the festival, the Japanese brand creates a multisensory exhibition that is inspired by the geometric structures of its iconic BAO BAO bags. Texture, sound and video will produce a whimsical environment, bolstered by a kaleidoscopic rainbow of 100 bags inside Protein Studios.
17-23 September; 31 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EY
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Custom Exercise at Ace Hotel
View Google MapsReusing, repurposing and reinterpreting is on the agenda for this year’s design showcase at Ace Hotel. Libby Sellers was called upon to assign four global designers to realise products for the rootop and lobby of the hotel. Fabien Cappello will form water jugs and cutlery holders for the lobby, while on the rooftop, guests can discover room dividers by BCXSY, rugs by Raw Edges and GAN (detail pictured), and door stops presented by Diego Faivre.
17-22 September; 100 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, E1 6JQ
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Snøhetta Book Pavilion in Paddington Central
View Google MapsLast year, the Norwegian architects were invited by British Land to create a book pavilion in the Paddington Central design route. This year, publisher Phaidon has been invited to curate an edit of titles to be featured in the rotating outdoor library. Joining these will be a selection of Wallpaper* issues for visitors to browse while wondering the West London territory.
14 – 22 September; Paddington Central, Kingdom Street, W2 6BD
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Void by Dan Tobin Smith
View Google MapsStep into the natural existence of gemstones, including Mozambican rubies and Zambian emeralds, at this immersive installation inside Islington’s Collins Music Hall. Designer and photographer Dan Tobin Smith joins forces with The Experience Machine and Gemfields for this multisensory exploration of nature and design, bought to life via magnified photography and accompanying harmonies by female electronic drone choir NYX.
14-22 September; Collins Music Hall, 11 Islington Green, N1 2XH
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PriestmanGoode at Design Museum
View Google Maps‘Get Onboard: Reduce. Reuse. Rethink’ is the theme of PriestmanGoode’s showcase about waste in the travel industry. In our climate of conscious travel, the studio combines its own aviation research with analysis on how creative thinking can tackle pivotal issues and drive change.
12 September 2019 – January 2020; Kensington High St, Kensington, W8 6AG
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Kengo Kuma at V&A Museum
View Google MapsFollowing the epic opening of his first UK commission, V&A Dundee, the Japanese architect returns once again to the spotlight with a woven bamboo and carbon fibre installation inspired by the John Madejski Garden, and curated by Clare Farrow. The doughnut-shaped sculpture was created with Ejiri Structural Engineers and the Kengo Kuma Laboratory at The University of Tokyo, and will float in the courtyard of the South Kensington Museum.
14-22 September; Cromwell Road, W7 2RL
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LG SIGNATURE and Wallpaper*
View Google MapsWe’re teaming up with technological powerhouse LG for an exploration of the intersections between art and technology. Inside the East Wing galleries of Somerset House, the showcase will display the LG SIGNATURE collection in an environment realised by the Wallpaper* creative team, elevating everyday items. On 18 September, the exhibition will host a lecture on creative inspiration with Italian architect Massimiliano Fukas.
19-21 September; Somerset House; Strand, WC2R 1LA
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‘Please Be Seated’ by Paul Cocksedge and British Land
View Google MapsBritish designer Paul Cocksedge will turn to contemporary building structures for his architectural project ‘Please Be Seated’. Using scaffolding planks, Cocksedge collaborates with British high-end interiors company White&White to realise a sculptural pavilion inviting visitors to interact with the ‘rhythm of the community’ that circulates in Broadgate.
14 September – 11 October; Finsbury Avenue Square, Broadgate, EC2M 2PA
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Irthi at London Design Fair
View Google MapsSharjah-based initiative Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council – a champion of women’s indigenous craft heritage in countries from Middle East, North Africa and South-East and Central Asia – is to launch its first product line at London Design Fair inside Truman Brewery. As Guest Country Pavilion, installation at the fair aims to be a platform for the talent of female makers in the UAE. Elsewhere at the fair, an exhibition propelling this year’s Material of the Year, Bio Materials, will be tackling issues of how to use these by-products from agriculture. Photography: Moez Achour
19-22 September; Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QR
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Gitta Gschwendtner at Fenton House
View Google MapsInside the 17th century Fenton House, contemporary design and heritage come head to head. The National Trust tapped design studio Gitta Gschwendtner to realise installations around the Hampstead abode. For ‘Please Sit’ Designers Michael Marriott, Nina Tolstrup, Carl Clerkin, Frith Kerr and Maisie Broadhead have been invited to focus on one element of the each of the eclectic rooms and form seating interventions.
12th September – Spring 2020; Fenton House, Hampstead Grove, NW3 6SP
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Matter of Stuff at Sketch
View Google MapsAt the Mayfair destination, design studio Matter of Stuff is giving the 5,000 cylindrical Burbridge pine dowels that were used for its 2018 installation a new lease of life. Placing them in the hands of PiM.Studio, Brodie Neill (bench pictured), Matteo Fogale, and Studio Furthermore, the exhibition ‘A Second Life’ will see these creatives recycle the product making walls, benches, light sculptures, and screens, all peppered along the atmospheric Sketch corridors.
14 September – November; 9 Conduit Street, W1S 2XG
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I-MADE at Saatchi Gallery
View Google MapsAn inaugural exhibition of Italian design and manufacturing hits London’s Saatchi Gallery part of the newly coined Chelsea Design District. This mammoth showcase of the refined culture of craft has been curated by Giulio Cappellini and will highlight icons of design from furniture stalwarts like Cappellini, Ceccotti, Driade, Flexform, Living Divani, Molteni & C, Poltrona Frau, Poliform, Technogym and many more. Pictured, Agave chair by Ethimo
19-22 September; Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, SW3 4RY
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Hem at Play at Redchurch Rooms
View Google MapsEarlier this year at Salone del Mobile, the Swedish brand launched its first set of accessories curated by Modern Design Review. For its second range, they have enlisted Dutch designer Bertjan Pot for a large decorative accessory, titled The Incredible House of Cards. The playful sculpture will emulate the well-known playing card structure and will be on view in exhibition ‘Hem at Play’ as part of the Shoreditch Design Triangle.
17-22 September; 28 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP
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Welcome Home at Elephant West
View Google MapsWhite City doesn’t sit on the official LDF trail, but there are reasons to venture west this year. Art cove Elephant West is hosting a month-long exhibition to coincide with the festival that explores the concept of the home in relation to our digital future. The experience is described as a ‘sensory journey of healing spaces of the future.’ Also fuelling the area’s uplift, De La Espada are hosting a residency (10-13 September), inviting guests into the home of the Portuguese brand’s founders via talks and dinners. Pictured, Adrift by David Rickard, part of Welcome Home at Elephant West.
6 September – 6 October; Elephant West, 62 Wood Lane, W12 7RH
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Kings Cross Design District
View Google MapsThe dynamic regeneration of this north London hub has been rewarded – it is officially a new LDF district. Design Junction returns to the area for the occasion, while Coal Drops Yard will host a landmark installation by Martino Gamper, new ceramics by Granby Workshop, and Bill Amberg’s new selection of digitally printed hides by Calico Wallpaper (pictured), Matthew Day Jackson, Champalimaud and Marcel Wanders. Nearby, Tom Dixon’s Coal Office HQ will present a multisensory lab, titled ‘TouchySmellyFeelyNoisyTasty’ that will include an exclusive collaboration with men’s care brand, Harry’s.
19 – 22 September; Stable Street, Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4DQ
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Truly Truly at The Aram Gallery
View Google MapsThe Drury lane gallery invites the experiments of Rotterdam-based Studio Truly Truly. Duo Kate and Joel Booy will reveal the non-linear nature of their creative practice through eight products and their processes. Truly Truly has teamed up with photographer Pim Top for the showcase, who has responded to the studio’s inspirations. Downstairs in the Aram Store, celebrations for the centenary of Bauhaus innovation continues with works produced by Tecnolumen on view alongside contemporary pieces by New Tendency, founded by Bauhaus alumni Manuel Goller.
16 September – 19 October 2019; 110 Drury Lane, WC2B 5SG
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Masters of Disguise by SEE••DS
View Google MapsOpening as part of the Jane Withers-curated Brompton Design District, and responding to this year’s theme of Nature/Nurture, SEE••DS examines human nature. Designers including Sabine Marcelis, Jochen Holz, Martino Gamper and more have been invited to design masks that address questions of identity, visibility and image. The gallery enlisted Venice- and London-based design studio M–L–XL to curate the show, and the results will be showcased in a performative exhibition, realised using low-impact materials.
14 September – 15 October; 35–36 Thurloe Place, SW7 2HP