- Molteni&C
- Poltrona Frau with Faye Toogood
- APPARATUS
- Marjan van Aubel
- Barbie x Greater Palm Springs
- The Wax Building
- Sophie Lou Jacobsen x de Gournay
- POoR Collective
- Giles Tettey Nartey
- AHEC, Diez Office and OMC°C
- BLOND
- Floor_Story
- Rio Kobayashi and Webb Yates
- George Smith x Commune Design
- Brompton Design District
- Pearson Lloyd
- Blessed Foundation
- Material Matters
The 22nd edition of the London Design Festival 2024 is fast approaching. Running this year from 14th to 22nd September, there is – as ever – more to take in across the city than a single pair of eyes or feet could possibly manage. That's where we can help. This year, we are debuting a four-part preview guide to the places, products and people we will be seeking out. Each Friday until the festival kicks-off we'll add a new instalment of the launches and events, the shows and installations, that we're adding to our itinerary.
London Design Festival 2024: what to see
Molteni Mondo. An Italian Design Story by Molteni&C
14 - 22 September
Brompton Design District
Celebrating 90 years of design and innovation, Molteni&C is launching the brand’s first monograph in London. The Italian design behemoths have created an immersive installation in its flagship store on Brompton Road, and proceedings will be marked by a talk with Michael Anastassiades, whose 123 chair and Card bookcase for Molteni were standout highlights from Salone 2024. Focusing on Brompton Design District’s theme of ‘The Practice of Learning’, the conversation will dive into the power of collaboration and the role of design as a bridge between past, present and future.
Poltrona Frau with Faye Toogood: 'A Squashed Space'
14 -22 September
157-153 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6S
Squash Collection model design by Faye Toogood
Designer Faye Toogood takes over Italian brand Poltrona Frau’s Fulham flagship store for London Design Festival. The installation titled ‘A Squashed Space’ is a charismatic portmanteau of Italian refinement and English tradition showcasing the collaborative Squash collection, which was presented earlier this year and featured in Wallpaper’s latest design directory. The store is a backdrop for a captivating display, draped in leather with tactile furnishings, a blend which Toogood describes with signature wit and whimsy: ‘I’m thinking of this collection as English Folk with Italian Horsepower’.
APPARATUS: Open Gallery
16-17 September
Apparatus, 7 Mount Street, London W1K 3EH
Apparatus Horsehair pendent
The New York-based design studio hops across the pond to host an open gallery during this year’s London Design Festival. Informed by theatre and literature, APPARATUS will present an array of lighting furniture and objects, including new editions to the Horsehair lighting collection and Cylinder series. The customisable, modular system has been somewhat augmented, emerging as different characters with vim and vigour. The Horsehair series welcomes ‘9 Pendant’ with columns of hair, brass and etched glass - signature elements of equine extravagance, which delight us enormously.
The Sun, My Heart by Marjan van Aubel
14 -22 September
G16, New Wing, Somerset House Strand, London WC2R 1LA
'The Sun, My Heart'
Connect with the power of the sun in van Aubel’s immersive installation. 'The Sun, My Heart' uses a series of 70 specially modified lights inspired by the Dutch designer’s ‘Sunne’ solar lights, to create a constellation which charts the sun’s daily cycles from dawn to dusk. Commissioned by London Design Festival, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the installation evokes an emotional response, designed to synchronise the rhythm of visitors' hearts with solar rhythms.
Barbie x Greater Palm Springs by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama
14 -22 September
Strand Aldwych, London, WC2R 1ES
Dream - Infinity Garden
Mid-century modern architecture is celebrated through a Barbie lens, in a landmark project by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama, in collaboration with Barbie and Greater Palm Springs.’Pavillions of Wonder’ are three pavilions inspired by Barbie’s 1960s Dreamhouses and the modernist architecture of Palm Springs. The imaginative pavilions are mildly surreal, with a desert-inspired infinity garden, geometric structures and swirling facades; a nod to modernist architecture and design, saturated in Barbie’s trademark pink.
The Wax Building opening exhibition
14-22 September
4 Garden Walk, Shoreditch EC2A 3EQ
Tamart Clore Lounge Chair and Ottoman Bute Teddy
The Wax Building is set to open during the London Design Festival, nestling into its Shoreditch location. The former Victorian factory has been transformed into four storeys, with an amalgamation of product design, lighting, furniture and interiors taking over each of its floors. On the basement-level floor a new London-based lighting company LightMass displays its illuminating structures. Furniture brand Cozmo takes over the ground floor, with Tamart setting up shop on the first floor, a design and furniture brand founded by architect Amos Goldreich. On the second floor Minimalux, known for its simple yet functional products, displays its work across the space.
Sophie Lou Jacobsen x de Gournay
19 September- mid October
De Gournay showroom SW3 6EP
Sophie Lou Jacobsen and de Gournay's Tulipa centrepiece bowl
Artist and designer Sophie Lou Jacobson has teamed up with heritage wallpaper brand de Gournay to unveil a collection of new pieces including an array of vases, candle sconces, pendant lights, and mirrors titled 'Tulipa'. Hand-crafted, each piece offers a historical touch to any interior, gently nodding to de Gournay's renowned Chinoiserie wallpapers, and boasting a deep understanding of 18th and 19th-century furniture and decor. The de Gournay showroom will display the glass and ceramic objects which is an expansion of Jacobsen’s 'Giardino Segreto' (Secret Garden) series of floral-motif vases and candle holders that launched in May 2023.
‘Together In Battersea’ by POoR Collective x Battersea Power Station
20 September - 20 October
Battersea Power Station Turbine Hall A
Poor Collective's workshop ‘What does Battersea mean to you?
Inspired by community, Power Out of Restriction (POoR Collective) has partnered with Battersea Power Station to create an installation inspired by the surrounding neighbourhood (read our interview with founder Shawn Adams). POoR Collective will also host a series of workshops for Wandsworth-based school children and youth groups to design an exciting piece of public art themed around ‘‘What does Battersea mean to you?’. This will be displayed in the Grade II* listed building’s Turbine Hall A during the London Design Festival.
'Communion' by Giles Tettey Nartey
14 - 22 September
V&A Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL
'Communion' by Giles Tettey Nartey, part of Brompton Design District's ‘The Practice of Learning’
British-Ghanaian designer Giles Tettey Nartey, showcases his 'Communion' table which was specially commissioned for Wallpaper* Class of '24 exhibition in Milan. With support from AHEC and crafted with Amercian Hard maple by Jan Hendzel, the designer explores cultural traditions through the rituals of domestic life in Ghana. Nartey designed the table for the making fufu–a West African staple food, which is made by pounding cassava into a dough. ' Communion' is designed to bring together family and friends in the shared act of making food.
‘Vert’ by AHEC, Diez Office and OMC°C
14 September-14 October
The Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art
Render of 'Vert' by AHEC, Diez Office and OMCC
American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) presents ‘Vert’, designed by industrial design practice Diez Office, and in partnership with climate farming experts Office for Mirco Climate Cultivation (OMC°C). Presented at the Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art, this project was designed with a clear mission in mind- to propose an innovative architectural solution for cooling cities, while also providing green spaces, urban biodiversity, and naturally integrating with existing infrastructure. The design consisted of a series of ten metre tall timber sails, which are covered in climbing plants, offering a cool and calming space in the bustle of the city.
‘BLOND LABORATORY’ by BLOND
16-22 September
1 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E28AA
Balance Bird, its origins are estimated from the late 1980s/1990s.The bird has its centre of mass under the axis on which it is balancing, which gives the illusion that the bird is balancing on just the tip of its beak. It is essentially a carefully disguised pendulum.
Industrial designers BLOND have asked seven designers to partake in its curated exhibition ‘Blond Laboratory’. The premise is to encourage ‘real-world’ inspiration over digital. BLOND asked each designer to create a response to artefacts they sourced- things that might be forgotten in an attic or left in a charity shop all within a budget of £20. Designers include: Jon Marshall (Pentagram), Form Us With Love, Julie Richoz (Julie Richoz Studio), Maddalena Casadei (Maddalena Casadei Studio) and James Melia (BLOND).
‘10 x 10’ by Floor_Story
Cairo Studios
Nile Street, London, N1
Floor_Story’s collection of rug collaborations
Rug dealer Floor_Story presents an exhibition of ten new editions from some of its iconic collaborations. Located at Floor_Story’s Old Street studio, the ‘10 x 10’ series will be presented together for the first time, with new editions from Henry Holland, Kangan Arora, Camille Walala, Adam Nathaniel Furman, Kitty Joseph, 2LG, John Booth, Gill Thorpe, Flock Studio and Diane Bresson. The fun and colourful exhibition celebrates the evolution of each designer, from the original partnerships, to how it has evolved to date. With experimentation in colour, techniques and influences, the exhibition showcases each designer's skill and craftsmanship.
‘Off The Shelf’ by Rio Kobayashi and Webb Yates
14 September 2024 to 28 February 2025
Olympia London
Olympia Pavilion by Rio Kobayashi and Webb Yates is on display from 14 September 2024 to 23 February 2025 at Olympia London
Olympia hosts its first ever London Design Festival pavilion, designed by Wallpaper* Class of ’24 artist Rio Kobayashi. Titled ‘Off the Shelf’, the installation, created alongside award-winning engineering firm Webb Yates, is an amalgamation of its surrounding architecture and the traditional Japanese wooden homes of Kobayashi's childhood. It is a seamless blend of science and craft, integrating traditional techniques alongside contemporary engineering. Using limited screws, joints, or material alterations; it is instead assembled from standard components cleverly weighted, or clamped together. This method ensures stability and durability while allowing the pavilion to be easily disassembled back into its original, off-the-shelf parts, the bulk of which can be returned, reused, or resold, demonstrating an innovative approach to sustainability. Acting as a platform to showcase other craftspeople and designers, it will be open from the 14 September 2024 to 28 February 2025.
‘The Muffin Collection’ by George Smith x Commune Design
Launches 18 September
George Smith flagship
SW6 2EH
‘The Muffin Collection’ by George Smith x Commune Design launches 18 September at George Smith flagship
George Smith, the English furniture and fabric company, and Commune Design, the California design studio celebrate ten years of creative partnership, revealing The Muffin Collection during the London Design Festival. The creative duo’s latest collection draws inspiration from the art deco movement, intertwined with a contemporary flair. Drawing inspiration from French interior designer Jean Michel-Frank, this collection encapsulates a spirit of playful elegance and is available in a sofa, armchair, chaise, and ottoman.
‘The Practice of Learning’ in the Brompton Design District
14 - 22 September
Located around the Brompton Design District
London Design Festival Brompton Design District, Cassina, Charlotte Perriand Collection. Flutz chair by Michael Anastassiades.
London’s longest running design district fails to disappoint, continuing to showcase a variety of designers with a programme of temporary exhibitions focusing on experimental design, also sitting alongside a series of new collection launches and events from international design brands. This year, they have been asked to respond to the theme ‘The Practice of Learning’ curated by Jane Withers Studio. Designers participating include: Marco Campardo, Guan Lee, Attua Aparicio, Sarah Van Gameren, Andu Masebo, Michael Anastassiades, Patricia Urquiola, Studio AMOS, Giles Tettey Nartey, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, POoR Collective and RCA Class of 2024 Design Products Graduates. Design showrooms based in the District launching new collections and design pieces include Cassina, Occhio, Liaigre, Giorgetti and Poltrona Frau while Molteni&C celebrate their 90th anniversary with a new monograph Molteni Mondo. An Italian Design Story.
‘Well Made: What it means today’ by Pearson Lloyd
14–22 September
Yorkton Workshops, E2 8NH
‘Well Made: What it means today’ by Pearson Lloyd is on display from 14–22 September at Yorkton Workshops
Pearson Lloyd, a London-based design studio known for designing functional beautiful and efficient systems that serve the needs of clients, and society at large, presents its curated exhibition to redefine the meaning of ‘well made’ in relation to contemporary challenges. In seeking contributions to the exhibition, Pearson Lloyd sent invitations to a diverse group of people and practices from across the design landscape, offering unique interpretations of certain designs varying across hand-held proportions, low cost and ease of access.
'Fields of Vision' by Blessed Foundation
Closes 19 September
Blessed Foundation
6 Stannary StreetSE11 4AA
Works by Alfredo Salazar-Caro as part of 'Fields of Vision' by Blessed Foundation
Blessed Foundation presents its group exhibition ‘Fields of Vision’ during the London Design Festival, celebrating the works from three US-based multidisciplinary artists: Ai Xia, Jamica El, and Alfredo Salazar-Caro. Integrating them into the Blessed Foundation space, the artists encourage visitors to question their relationship with nature, society and the future of sustainable practices.
Material Matters
18-21 September
Bargehouse
Oxo Tower Wharf
Bit Stools by Normann Copenhagen, part of Material Matters
Nested into the Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s Southbank, Material Matters returns again bringing together over 50 globally renowned designers, manufacturers and organisations to showcase the many interpretations of how the design industry can address issues around the circular economy and why material intelligence is so important to all our lives. There will be two themes this year; ‘Biodesign’ and 'Working with Waste’ .The first one is the innovative use of bio-materials, showing products made from mud to orange peel. The second theme is waste. The exhibitors delve into working with recycled plastics, textiles and more, discovering another us rather than burying or burning it.
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Bali welcomes Tri Hita Karana Tower, a hybrid sound and vision centrepieceTri Hita Karana Tower is launching at Bali's Nuanu City; designed by Arthur Mamou-Mani, it’s a new hybrid art-AI architectural landmark for the island
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Lego opens its first Superpower Studios at Paris’ La Gaîté LyriqueIn collaboration with Lego’s new Global Play Ambassadors, artists Aurélia Durand, Chen Fenwan and Ekow Nimako, and overseen by Colette co-founder Sarah Andelman, Paris is the site of the first Lego Superpower Studios
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‘If kids grew up going to London Design Festival they would learn so much’: architect Shawn AdamsIn the first of our interviews with key figures lighting up the London Design Festival 2024, Shawn Adams, founder of POoR Collective, discusses the power of such events to encourage social change
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‘If kids grew up going to London Design Festival they would learn so much’: architect Shawn Adams
In the first of our interviews with key figures lighting up the London Design Festival 2024, Shawn Adams, founder of POoR Collective, discusses the power of such events to encourage social change
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First look at London Design Festival 2024, a global showcase of creative talentLondon Design Festival 2024 programme announced, with special commissions across the city's landmarks by emerging talent and forward-thinking brands (14 - 22 September 2024)
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‘The future is hypermobile’: portability guides Tom Dixon’s Coal office exhibitionsLondon Design Festival 2023: at Coal Office, Tom Dixon explores themes of hypermobility in collaboration with cutting-edge contemporary brands, mixing AI, tech and research
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Ozwald Boateng reimagines Poltrona Frau classicsSavile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng was invited by Poltrona Frau to interpret its iconic designs through colour and pattern, marking the beginning of an ongoing collaboration
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Emerging stars and established makers unite in show for London Design FestivalCurated by Jan Hendzel, ‘11:11’ at Staffordshire St Gallery in Peckham, south London, features a diverse breadth of design, from ceramics and textiles to woodworking and jewellery
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At St Paul’s Cathedral, sound becomes light through an installation by Pablo Valbuena‘Aura’ by Pablo Valbuena at St Paul’s Cathedral for London Design Festival 2023 (and until early November 2023) makes sound tangible through light
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Simone Brewster evokes a forest of cork oak trees in central LondonFor London Design Festival 2023, Simone Brewster presents ‘Spirit of Place’ on The Strand in collaboration with Amorim cork, intended to ‘capture the essence of the forest’
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Andu Masebo turns a red Alfa Romeo into furnitureAndu Masebo gives new life to an old Alfa Romeo, creating playful furniture, on show at the V&A South Kensington during London Design Festival (and until 15 October 2023)
