volume creative, in collaboration with virgin voyages, invites visitors to take the plunge: a playful installation at bargehouse, oxo tower wharf.
the interactive project shows the power of design to evoke curiosity, in a stand-alone immersive experience created for london design festival. visitors are invited on a journey of discovery and asked to dive into a new experience.
the minimalist exterior juxtaposes with the warmth that awaits within. visitors step into an endless horizon, giving way to an extraordinary secondary space that depicts a sunset under the sea.
the concept is inspired by a love of the sea – the great unknown with the promise of epic discoveries.
take the plunge hints at this spirit of adventure and celebrates the endless possibilities of great design, using multi-sensory techniques to capture the joyful elements of an oceanic journey.
supported by virgin voyages.
14-22 september 2019
10am-8pm daily
oxo tower wharf
barge house street
london
se1 9ph
tube > blackfriars
#ldf19 #taketheplunge #volumexvirginvoyages
aram store celebrates the bauhaus centenary with innovative work from the art school, produced by tecnolumen, and modern work by new tendency. in the gallery, studio truly truly will present a solo exhibition that reflects on its creative process, and explores ideas for the future living space.
founded in 1980, german brand tecnolumen champions the production of bauhaus design. its first product was the wagenfeld table lamp, often called the bauhaus lamp. designs by metalwork students of the famous design school were added to its collection, amongst them work by marianne brandt, gyula pap and additional lighting by wilhelm wagenfeld.
graduate of the bauhas university in weimar, manuel goller is the founder of new tendency design studio in berlin. inspired by contemporary sculpture and the production process, many of the company’s designs evolve from production and construction methods. natural and recycled materials such as steel are chosen for sustainability. forms are functional, angular and geometric, and have been influenced by those produced at the bauhaus school in the 1920s and early 30s.
examples of this work will be on display during london design festival.
the aram gallery presents an exhibition by rotterdam-based studio truly truly (kate and joel booy), who design products, lighting, furniture and textiles. the pair were invited to think about creativity in their practice: how to join ideas, make connections and juxtapose creative techniques to find new solutions. recently they have been investigating abstract and multi-use objects for the future living space. by introducing flexibility and ambiguity to design, they question whether we can reduce the amount of things we need, and keep them for longer.
14 & 16-21 september 2019
mon 10am-8pm; tue, wed, fri & sat 10am-6pm; thu 10am-7pm
110 drury lane
WC2B 5SG
tube > covent garden | temple
tube >
#ldf19 #aramldf19
the annual beazley designs of the year exhibition showcases the most innovative designs across fashion, architecture, digital, transport, product and graphic design from the past 12 months, as nominated by the public and design experts from around the world. discover all the new installations throughout the design museum created to celebrate this year’s london design festival.
‘the wacky and the wonderful, life-saving or just mind-changing… these are the people designing our future.’ channel 4 news
sponsor > as a specialist insurer, beazley is well placed to understand the value of good design. it sees first-hand the consequences when things go wrong and its products and services are expertly designed to help people and businesses when they most need help.
224-238 kensington high street
w8 6ag
14-22 september 2019
everyday 10am-6pm
tube > holland park | west kensington
#ldf19 #beazleydesignsoftheyear
print artist lisa king and london flower school introduce in perfect process and launch their first collaborative collection, an exhibition and pop-up shop during london design festival 2019.
taking over a 400 sq. metre disused church in copeland park, peckham, the exhibition showcases the process of the creative journey, culminating in a large-scale flower and print installation limited edition framed prints and british made silk scarves will be available to purchase at a temporary retail space at the exhibition and on lisakinglondon.com
14-22 september 2019
mon-sun 10am-6pm
unit 9f copeland park
133 rye lane
bussey building, peckham
se15 3sn
tube > peckham rye
bamboo (竹) ring, or ‘take-wa 竹わ’, is an experiment in the concept of weaving, as explored by kengo kuma.
japanese architect kuma (founder of kengo kuma & associates) has most recently designed the v&a dundee, his first building in the uk, as well as the new national stadium for the tokyo 2020 olympics along with taisei corporation and azusa sekkei.
inspired by the john madejski garden and curated by clare farrow, the doughnut-shaped structure – like a nest or cocoon – has been created by weaving rings of bamboo and carbon fibre together. for kuma, working with ejiri structural engineers and the kengo kuma laboratory at the university of tokyo, the installation is an exploration of pliancy, precision, lightness and strength: by pulling two ends, it naturally de-forms and half of the woven structure is lifted into the air.
bamboo has been used traditionally in japanese architecture in part due to its linearity and flexibility, and as a symbol of strength and rapid growth. the basic component of the structure – a 2m-diameter ring – is made from strips of the bamboo phyllostachys edulis. by combining carbon fibre, a contemporary material, with the traditional material of bamboo and laminating each ring, the resulting effect achieves a certain rigidity while maintaining the unique material properties and beauty of bamboo – a remarkable, sustainable material that resonates with kuma’s childhood memories and looks into the future of architecture.
bamboo (竹) ring, or ‘take-wa 竹わ’, is intended to be a catalyst for weaving people and place together.
tube > south kensington
#LDF19 #BambooRing
sam jacob is designing a new installation within the grand entrance to the v&a to highlight the need to rethink the global plastics system; to consider its full lifetime journey; and to design future-use into every product.
the installation for london design festival follows the recent announcement that sam jacob studio has been selected to transform the cromwell road entrance.
titled sea things, the concept will take the form of a large scale two-way mirrored cube suspended above visitors with an animated motion graphic internally reflected to an infinity that seems both as wide as the ocean and as large as the challenges we face. the project has an aim to evoke a powerful sense of emotion, so visitors come away feeling empowered with a better understanding of their role alongside technology and design to make the world a more sustainable place.
upon entering the space, the installation – which is both a digital and physical manifestation of the global single-use plastics crisis – has an intention to immediately impact visitors.
in addition, jacob has taken inspiration from the v&a’s ceramic galleries and will remake a selection of water vessels from the v&a’s collection. from recycling to experimental post plastic materials, the intervention will emphasize issues of value – the design of water vessels in global culture and history, along with the value of plastic itself – whilst demonstrating the potentials and opportunities for the future.
sam jacob says, “it’s fantastic to be able to work on such an urgent issue and to be able to draw both on the knowledge of the v&a and the global intelligence of sap. working between research on the immediate future but with roots in culture and history of design is an inspiring place for a designer to operate.”
the project aligns with sap’s ‘plastic cloud’ project, which leverages the power of technology to turn the tide on ocean plastics. the software giant is working with global partners to create the digital infrastructure that will improve the economics of the global plastics system and increase after-use value of plastics.
tube > south kensington
#ldf19 #seathings #samjacob
iri-descent by liz west is a suspended arrangement of 150 skeleton-framework cubes located in the atrium of the historic fortnum & mason store in piccadilly.
clad with dichromatic film in two differing colorways, the cubes appear to change color as visitors move around the atrium and between the floors above and below. There are two color variations interlaced throughout – warm and cool – offering a multi-colored range of hues. the highly reflective film also mirrors its surrounds and transmits complementary colors outwards.
iri-descent forms part of an ongoing series of spatial light works, based on research into color theory and light fields, that aim to transform architectural spaces and public environments.
west works across a variety of media, mixing luminous color and radiant light in a provocation of sensory reactions. with iri-descent, she aims to encourage visitors to engage with the space in a new way, and to examine their own personal relationship to color and light. fortnum’s heritage and iconic landmark location provided the inspiration for the installation.
west said: “i am delighted to have been invited to work with london design festival in the atrium of fortnum & mason. it is a particularly joyful commission to work on due to the passion, knowledge and commitment of everyone involved. i have thoroughly enjoyed conceiving this and finding delicious materials to ignite the work and people’s imaginations and perceptions.”
zia zareem-slade, customer experience director, fortnum & mason said, “fortnum & mason is no mere shop, but is an immersive destination, sensorial experience, and place of wonder and joy. throughout every floor there is a visual feast and an explosion of color – and so with that in mind, we’re delighted to be teaming up again with london design festival and liz west to present ‘iri-descent’. a piece that creates curiosity, captures joy and plays with light and sparkle in such a beautiful way, we’re excited to see in our atrium and to share it with our customers”.
supported by fortnum & mason.
14 – 22 sept
monday-saturday 10am–9pm, sunday 11.30am–6pm
fortnum & mason
181 piccadilly
w1a 1er
tube > piccadilly circus station | green park station
#LDF19 | #IriDescent
sir john sorrell, chairman of london design festival, invited leaders of london’s cultural institutions to collaborate with some of the world’s most prolific designers to create a ‘legacy’ piece of design – an object of personal or professional relevance to them.
each of the pieces – 10 in total – are beautifully crafted in american red oak, an exciting and sustainable hardwood species that grows abundantly in american forests, and will be fabricated at benchmark furniture in berkshire. nine of the pieces will be presented as a group exhibition at the v&a, after which they will relocate to the homes or institutions of each of the commissioners. the 10th piece, the nest, will be installed at the natural history museum.
“we called upon cultural leaders in london and asked if they would like to contribute to this thought-provoking project,” says sorrell. “we then invited some of the world’s top designers and were delighted when everybody immediately said yes.”
“ahec (american hardwood export council) is always pushing the boundaries for american hardwoods and we wanted to create a project that celebrates the use of red oak to demonstrate not just how beautiful it is for furniture making, but also to test the performance and quality of this abundant wood,” says david venables, european director of ahec. “it’s a fabulous project with incredible designers. we can’t wait to see what emerges from these unique collaborations.”
the 10 commissioners and designers are;
alex beard cbe chief executive, royal opera house, with terence woodgate
amanda nevill cbe ceo, british film institute, with sebastian cox
hans ulrich obrist artistic director, serpentine galleries, with nina tolstrup and jack mama, studiomama
sir ian blatchford director and chief executive, science museum group, with marlène huissoud
iwona blazwick obe director, whitechapel gallery, with yael mer and shay alkalay, raw edges
sir john sorrell cbe chairman, london design festival, with juliet quintero, dallas-pierce-quintero
kwame kwei-armah obe artistic director, young vic, with tomoko azumi
dr maria balshaw cbe director, tate, with max lamb
tamara rojo cbe artistic director, english national ballet, with martino gamper
dr tristram hunt director, v&a, with jasper morrison
supported by american hardwood export council.
tube > south kensington
#LDF19 #LEGACY
life labyrinth – designed by patternity – brings to life the healing powers of one of the most ancient geometric symbols on earth.
based on a giant three-dimensional spiraling labyrinth formation, life labyrinth is a pattern-based journey that takes visitors on a personal meditative walking experience that is proven to have both psychological and physical health benefits: harmonizing body, mind and spirit.
patternity’s bold monochrome style reflects the brickwork of westminster cathedral and the communal seating pays homage to the geometries of the cathedral’s architecture.
surrounded with plants, graphic shapes and gentle sounds, the space is a destination for creative contemplation, reconnection and positive intention amidst the hustle and bustle of london life.
guidelines for walking the life labyrinth feel free to walk the labyrinth alone or with others. notice the sky. feel the support of the earth beneath you. listen to the sounds. there is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. all paths lead to the centre. most of all, pay attention to your experience.
1. intention + connection
connect with your breath, be here now. call to mind a positive intention – for yourself, others, or for the planet as a whole.
2. trust+experience
surrender to the spiraling path. walk purposefully as you meditate on your intention. feel it in your body.
3. reflect + celebrate
take a moment of gratitude. imagine your intention rippling to life. celebrate yourself for walking the life labyrinth.
supported by victoria and victoria westminster business improvement district.
further support by materialise creative design and tarkett.
tube > victoria
#LDF19 #LifeLabyrinth
camille walala returns to london design festival in a characteristically colorful manner. the french-born designer has been commissioned by grosvenor britain & ireland to energize and enliven south molton street, in the heart of london’s west end, with a bold and beautiful family of street furniture.
combining head-turning color and geometric shapes in monumental proportions, the result is walala lounge, a set of 10 sculptural benches, accompanied by planters – some freestanding and some integrated into the structure of the benches – and a series of oversized flags that will be strung, bunting-style, from shopfront to shopfront, converting the area into an immersive corridor of color.
fully pedestrianized and lined with british and international boutiques and cafes, south molton street will be transformed into a place to pause.
walala’s vision is to create an open-air urban living room – a place for people to come together to chat and relax in central london – with a burst of color and irrepressible joy. the walala lounge will comprise an unpredictable array of cuboids, cylinders and arches made from brushed steel and tricoya® mdf, while a number of the designs incorporate planters and rug-like bases to enhance their engaging, home-like appeal.
as 3d sculptural objects, the benches and flags mark walala’s continuing evolution from two to three dimensions – a process which began in 2017 when she created villa walala in exchange square, broadgate as a landmark project for the festival, that took the form of a playful castle installation constructed from soft vinyl building blocks.
supported by grosvenor britain & ireland and city of london.
14-22 september 2019
location:
south molton street
london
w1k 5qe
tube > bond
#ldf19 #walalalounge