13 – 21 September 2014
Lose Yourself in Design
Programme and Reviews of shows visited
For more detailed reviews see:
V & A
History of London Design Festival and 100% Design
Designersblock and DesignJunction
Sir John Sorrell in his introduction to this year’s London Design Festival says:
“It is easy to get lost in London. It is a big, diverse city with so much going on. Music, dance, theatre, film, art and, of course, design, especially design. That is what it makes so exciting”
And that is the challenge as well for this year’s London Design Festival – to choose what to see of the 300 events in 8 days! And where to start! So here are some tips on how to make the most of 8 days to lose yourself in design and plan your way around.
London Design Festival 2014, V & A, Double Space for BMW – Precision & Poetry in Motion by Barber & Osgerby
The Programme
Download this year’s programme or get yourself a map at one of the participating venues
The ICON map includes also parties and internet cafes.
http://www.icondesigntrail.com/
The V&A
The V & A has been the hub venue of the London Design Festival for the last 6 years. Here you will find a great range of design installations among the V&A’s own exhibits. Finding where they are, will lead you through a journey of discovery over time and enables you to discover parts of the V&A you have never visited. Here are some images:
London Design Festival 2014, V & A, Crest by Zaha Hadid
If you want help discovering all there is at the V&A the LDF organises guided tours on a regular basis throughout the day. No need to book, you can just turn up. They start at the London Design Festival Welcome desk at the Grand Entrance and run regularly throughout the day. Highly recommended.
www.londondesignfestival.com/va-museum
For a review see here
London Design Festival 2014, V & A, Human Nature by Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert
Landmark Projects
They are extraordinary installations and representing the public face of the London Design Festival.
www.londondesignfestival.com/landmark-projects
In addition to installations at the V & A they include
A Place called Home at Trafalgar Square
By Jasper Morrison, Patternity, Raw Edges and Studioilse. Supported by Airbnb. Four highly acclaimed designers have been invited to dream up their interpretation of a room within a home that you would not want to leave, offering a new vision of a domestic space. These rooms will be created as four separate structures in Trafalgar Square, all identical on the outside, with each ‘house’ interior reflecting the individuality and personality of the different designers, just as each Airbnb listing is distinctive and individual.
To reflect this variety, designers Jasper Morrrison, Patternity, Raw Edges and Studioilse have each been given a structure within the Square which they can fill, design, decorate or imagine in any way they want.
London Design Festival 2014, A Place Called Home,
Design Districts
These are the areas which have concentrations of design events, all of which are in walking distance of each other.
There are now 6 official design districts which have evolved over the 12 years of the London Design Festival. Each one has its own personality, and facilitate getting to grips with the wealth of design on display in London.
Each one has its own late night openings and parties.
Brompton Design District
Late night: Thursday 18 September
Now in its 7th year includes V&A, Conran Shop, Cassina, B&B Italia amongst others
www.bromptondesigndistrict.com
Shoreditch Design Triangle
Late night: Tuesday 16 September
Coordinated by SCP and now in its 6th year you an find here a great collection of designers, stores, galleries, cafes, bars, brands and one-off events,. The central hub is the Ace Hotel on Shoreditch High Street. Tent is based here, as well as SCP, Ceramics in the City at the Geffrye Museum and many others.
www.shoreditchdesigntriangle.com
London Design Festival 2013, Ceramics in the City at the Geffrye Museum
Clerkenwell Design Quarter
Late night: Tuesday 16th September
Started in 2013 and includes Designersblock, as well as Cappellini, Poltrona Frau, CraftCentral, DesignJunction and the Goldsmith’s Centre.
It will also host the first Clerkenwell Architecture and Design film festival
www.clerkenwelldesignquarter.com
London Design Festival 2014, Designersblock, Dome Projection
For a review of Designersblock and DesignJunction see here
Islington Design Quarter
Late night: Tuesday 16th September
New this year.
Easily accessible from Clerkenwell it includes design-led shops such as Coexistence, Twentytwentyone as well as other showrooms and cafes
www.londondesignfestival.com/islington-design-district
Chelsea Design Quarter
Late night: Monday 15th September
Includes Focus/14 and specialises in interior design showroom
www.chelseadesignquarter.co.uk
Queen’s Park Design District
Late night: Thursday 18 September and Saturday 20 September.
New
www.queensoparkdesigndistrict.co.uk
www.londondesignfestival.com/design-districts
RIBA REGENT STREET WINDOWS PROJECT
13-21 September
Now in its fifth year, the RIBA Regent Street Windows Project has matched cutting edge RIBA architects with some of London’s most prestigious retailers to create stunning architectural installations in shop windows along and around London’s Regent Street. This year 15 architecture practices, have worked with 15 retailers to create a sequence of stunning architectural installations on Regent Street, Heddon Street and Brewer Street.
http://www.londondesignfestival.com/events/riba-regent-street-windows-project
London Design Festival 2014, Regent Street RIBA collaboration
Design Destinations
They are the large design exhibitions and the commercial hubs of the festival. In all of the exhibitions you will see hundreds of exhibitors.
100% Design 2014
Earl Court 1 & 2
West London
The largest event of its kind. Celebrating its 20th Edition this year. It was the reason for starting the London Design Festival which grew out of 100% Guaranteed, a programme of events and exhibitions in the East of London, from which Tent developed.
100% Design will be celebrating its 20th Edition on Thursday 18th September. There also will be a Stories Lounge and a Stories Wall where visitors can post their memories. You will find here as well posters with a visual account of Hidden Art’s participation at 100% Design since the first one in 1995.
London Design Festival 2014 – 100% Design, Workplace Hub
For a review of 100% Design see here
DesignJunction, Old Sorting Office, Central London
The 4th year – with more than 180 exhibiting brands it is a lively show and a great space, which includes established as well as emerging brands alongside pop-up shops, eateries and Flash factories, where the processes of industrial production will be brought to life.
London Design Festival 2014, Designjunction, Dominic Wilcox, Stained Glass Driverless Sleeper Car of the Future
For a review ofDesignJunction see here
Designersblock
The Old Sessions House,
22 Clerkenwell Green
EC1R 0NA
18 – 21 September
For a review of Designersblock see here
Multidisciplinary design from over 100 independent designers, collectives and companies. The show takes place in The Old Sessions House, one of London’s most iconic buildings. Constructed in 1779, the 3,000 sq m building was the busiest Courthouse in England for over 100 years.
London Design Festival 2014, Designersblock, Plumen Light Installation
Tent London and Superbrands London
Old Truman Brewery, East
18 – 21 September
It is Tent’s 8th year, and it was the first of the shows that started alongside 100% Design. Based in East London, still the creative heart of London, the 280 exhibitors come from 27 countries. I always enjoy visiting the show, talking to designers we know and finding out about new talent.
London Design Festival 2014, TENT, Asami Kiyokawa, Merry Go Round
For a review of this year’s Tent see here
Focus/14
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
West London
Home to 500 international brands
Trade only. Public can visit Wednesday 24 September
Decorex, Syon Park, West
The longest-standing design and interior show. This is the first year it will show at Syon Park
www.decorex.com
www.londondesignfestival.com/design-destinations
Talks and Seminars
This year there seems to be something for everyone. Most design destinations have a seminar programme, and there are also the talks organised by the London Design Festival
www.globaldesignforum.com and see individual events for further information
For review of London Design Festival 2013
London Design Festival 14, 100% Design, Seminar design by El Ultimo Grito
