We’ve loved seeing design installations popping up across London over the past week for this year’s London Design Festival. Its mission to pronounce London as the design capital is clear and compelling with so many hundreds of young and established designers proving their talent. There are some fantastic events taking place until the end of the month, so we’ve picked some of our must-see spots to make it easier for you.
First up is designjunction … from furniture to lighting to product design, designjunction is packed with inspiring designs. Staged in Victoria House and the old St Martins college building in Holborn, the designjunction flagship had a range of exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge brands, new labels and design pop-ups.
If you’re a Londoner reading this, you’ve probably already seen you twitter feed clogged up with photos of Charles Petillon’s Heartbeat installation in Covent Garden Market. Petillon has created a 54 metre stretch of white balloons with gently pulsating white lights to evoke a heartbeat. They appear almost cloudily and beautifully poetic.
Speaking of the work Petillon said: “The balloon invasions I create are metaphors. Their goal is to change the way in which we see the things we live alongside each day without really noticing them. With Heartbeat I wanted to represent the Market Building as the beating heart of this area – connecting its past with the present day to allow visitors to re-examine its role at the heart of London’s life.” The installation is completely free to walk around and up until September 27th.
Somerset House is also taking part this year, hosting a series of exhibitions and talks. Among them, one of our favourites is their 10 Designers in the West Wing exhibition. They’ve teamed up with the London Design Festival organisers to showcase 10 leading international designers including Nendo, Faye Toogood and Ross Lovegrove.
We particularly enjoyed Faye Toogood’s display of drawing rooms, redrafted as charcoal sketches on translucent plastic sheets that line the walls. She creates an atmospheric space to relax in.
There’s also a focus on new digital technology, with Tino Schaedler of Optimist Design joining with United Realities to take us on a journey in exploring both physical and virtual spaces and their connections. Free and open until September 27th, more info here.
