London Design Festival 2022 Highlights
Image credit: London Design Festival, Into Sight, Sony Design
This month, London Design Festival returns to the city from 17-25 September for its 20th edition. Launched in 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans CBE, the festival was created to celebrate and promote the city as the global design capital. With one in six people in London working in the creative industries (Source: Mayor of London), design is vital to the UK economy.
“London and Design go hand in hand. It is part of our story. London Design Festival is a platform for hundreds of design stories to be told. Each of them talks to an expanding audience hungry for design ideas and enjoying the quality and diversity of what’s on offer. It all confirms London’s status as the global centre of design." - Ben Evans CBE.
There is a busy line-up of activities, from events and creative installations to workshops and panel discussions. We’ve rounded up our pick of the must-see highlights of this year’s festival for you.
Landmark Project 'Swivel' by Sabine Marcelis
Landmark projects
This year, LDF will once again feature ‘Landmark Projects’, creative outdoor installations in various locations across the city.
Swivel by Sabine Marcellis is a celebration of materiality and movement that encourages public participation and interactivity with design. Situated in St Giles Square, beside Tottenham Court Road, a busy public area with a grey concrete landscape, Swivel brings an unexpected injection of colour, pattern and natural materials. It encourages those who are passing through the area to stop and engage with their surroundings. Having seen Sabine’s work in Milan, we are very much looking forward to seeing this installation in London.
Into Sight by Sony Design is an interactive installation at the Pavillion Gallery at Cromwell Place, London. Sony Design employs visual and audio effects to transform simple surfaces into a boundless vista, inviting the user on a sensorial journey.
Image credit: London Design Festival - Plasticity
V&A Festival Hub
The V&A has been LDF’s official hub for twelve years and this year, the venue will host a series of exhibitions and events that explore the theme of transformation.
Plasticity
Created by Niccolo Casas in collaboration with environmental organisation, Parley for the Oceans, Plasticity is a 3.6m high sculpture constructed from recycled materials that have been retrieved from beaches and coastal communities. Plasticity demonstrates how plastic, an indestructible material, can be transformed using technology to create new constructs, that offer new architectural possibilities.
Around the festival
At Greenwich Peninsula, Stanton Williams, Webb Yates and LSI Stone will collaborate to create a circular stone structure; Henge, that will invite visitors to gather together. Made from recycled, zero carbon stone, the sculpture will also involve music and design. The installation will encourage spontaneous performances of dance, music and poetry within and around the installation.
Design Council Singapore and Singapore’s National Design Centre present R for Repair, an exhibition which will encourage a repair culture and examine the integral role of ‘repair’ in circularity and sustainability, highlighting how repair can give a new lease of life to damaged, yet cherished objects.
The Global Design Forum is London Design Festival’s curated thought leadership programme which is hosted at the V&A. This year’s programme of talks invites speakers to address the key issues that face designers today, including regenerative futures, connecting communities and identity and inclusivity. Don’t miss Come Together: How Can Design Build Stronger Communities on 21st September at 13:10. Supported by ExploreStation, an initiative commissioned by Network Rail and led by the Design Council to help create a passenger-first experience, this discussion will explore how organisations can put people first to build more inclusive, accessible, people-centred spaces.
Design Districts
This year, there will be 12 design districts, each reflecting and representing its local community.
At the Oxo Tower, Bankside, Material Matters, will make its debut. Based on the critically acclaimed podcast of the same name, Material Matters will take place over five floors and will bring together over 40 world-leading brands, designers, organisations and makers to champion the role of material in sustainability. Book your tickets here.
Bolon Artisan featuring Moooi chair
From 20th-22nd September, Clerkenwell Design Trail will celebrate the area as London’s creative heart. Visit on Tuesday 20th, the official district day for Clerkenwell, and walk the cobbles to see the latest innovations from a variety of leading brands in the kitchen, bathroom, lighting, flooring and furniture brands. Sustainable Swedish brand, Bolon, will unveil new colourways for its long-standing and best-selling collections, Artisan and Botanic. The new colourways will be displayed at the brand’s showroom as part of a furniture, flooring and lighting installation created in collaboration with innovative interiors brands, Moooi.
Trade show Design London will return to Greenwich for four days from 21st to 24th September. Building on last year’s success, it will double in size and will exhibit a range of sought-after design brands from around the globe, including established and emerging brands. There is also an engaging talks programme, Discussions at Design London, which will examine industry trends and topics. Opening the programme on 21st September, journalist Becky Sunshine will speak to innovative designer Lee Broom about his illustrious career, international success and upcoming launches.
Håkan Nordin, Head of Sustainability at Bolon
Friday 23rd September at 14:00, Roddy Clarke will chair a discussion on Material Needs, inviting Håkan Nordin, Head of Sustainability at Bolon and Co-Founder of Greenpeace Sweden, Steve Tidball, CEO and Co-Founder of Volleback and Nicole Meier of Ultrafabrics to discuss how their business goals and strategies are underpinned by goals of sustainable integrity.
Image credit: Design Centre Chelsea Harbour
Over at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Focus/22 returns from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd September. Billed as ‘the ultimate international design and decoration show’, this year’s programme includes workshops, product launches, tours, pop-ups, artisan demonstrations and talks. On Monday 19th September at 11:30, Hamish Bowles, Editor-in-Chief of The World of Interiors talks to globally renowned designer and tastemaker, Nicky Haslam. Throughout the week, there are also opportunities to join a Design Discovery Tour to visit many of the showrooms and gain a deeper insight into some of the industry’s most talked about designers.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’re most looking forward to visiting at this year’s festival. Follow us on Instagram as we share our LDF 2022 highlights and do get in touch on email or via DM if you have your own recommendations to share!
