London Design Festival

🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏻🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏿‍♂️ Calling all volunteers!

Do you have a passion for London’s vibrant design industry? We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals to volunteer with us at this year’s London Design Festival!

Whether you’re into interactive workshops, inspiring thought-leadership sessions, or innovative installations and exhibitions, we have a place for you. Volunteering with us gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the dynamic world of design, gain valuable experience, and network with industry leaders.

💌 Applications are now open - don’t miss out on your chance to be part of London Design Festival 2024

➡️ Head over to our website for more details, link in bio.



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✨About last night! We celebrated the summer season in London, and fourth months till LDF24. Inside showroom and gallery in Covent Garden, we connected over .london maritozzi and savoury snacks, and refreshed with wine from , gin and tonics from and .charitea.uk

➡️ Are you ready for LDF24 14-22 September?
Find out how to join us via link in bio.

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🔵 This week we’re looking back in order to look forward. Campaign, community and resource platform has published its annual report on how it has been helping to shift the power balance in the design industry. From mentoring to a jobs board, Design Can has been expanding since it launched in 2019.

This time last year, London Design Festival co-hosted a roundtable event where studio leads and managers left the room with tools to embed learnings into their own teams, and make changes to become truly inclusive and representative.

➡️ Follow to explore resources available.

Cheers to 2024. Last night, inside Vitra showroom Tramshed in London, we brought the design community together to kick off ideas for . We sipped New Theory wine and Loah Beer while sparking collaborations to see us through to 14-22 September. GAIL's Bakery treats kept us fed throughout the evening that got our creative minds opened for the year ahead.

Fancy getting involved in LDF24? Find out more
https://lnkd.in/dV3CJuW



Photography: Kiran Gidda

A journey from London to Istanbul. Turkish artist and designer Melek Zeynep Bulut’s ‘OpenWork I Açık Yapıt’ started life at London Design Biennale at Somerset Houseet House before setting up camp at at Bernie Spain Gardens in Bankside during London Design Festival. Now, it’s new home is outside Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul.

Based on the emphasis on belonging and the city at its core, this is a two-faced exhibition, a tightly packed theatrical monument installation in the heart of the city, with a special curation called "To this rigidity we call the world."

Read our interview with Melek Zeynep Bulut

https://londondesignfestival.com/stories/a-theatre-for-soft-protest-and-alternative-communication

📰 News just in!

1 in 5 London jobs are now in the creative economy.

New data also shows that London's creative industries are worth £51.7bn and contribute over half of the UK’s entire creative industries economic output.

From visual arts, crafts and publishing to music and IT, there’s even better news for the sector. “With 1.1 million jobs in the wider creative economy, London can claim to be one of the biggest creative cities in the world,” says Ben Evans, LDF Director.

Find out more:

London’s Creative Industries – Sector deep dive This report provides an updated analysis of the culture sector in London. It draws on a variety of sources to assess performance trends over the past decade.

Explore your everyday emotions at the Mandala Lab London on at Canary Wharf until 25 November.

From gongs, breathing sessions, scents and more… this interactive space invites you to explore your feelings through five thought-provoking experiences inspired by Buddhist principles.

Part of , the Mandala Lab London is by the Rubin Museum of Art. Find out more via our website and how to visit.

London Design Festival — Mandala Lab Inspired by powerful Buddhist principles, the Rubin Museum’s Mandala Lab in London’s Canary Wharf will be an interactive space designed to explore challenging emotions and consider how to transform them into wisdom.

⏰ A global celebration of London is coming in 2025!

For the first time in over 50 years, our city will play host to the 34th World Design Congress.

Under the theme of Design for Planet, the World Design Organization's three-day event will take place from 17–19 September 2025, running in conjunction with London Design Festival’s 23rd edition.

Spearheaded by Design Council, the global design event will put a spotlight on the UK’s design economy and its continuous growth as an industry.

We look forward to having London at the heart of the global design community in 2025.

Find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/4sbjxjw5

What is design intelligence? 🌀

During this year’s Global Design Forum at with Pearlfisher., we explored this concept and how it could be used to solve real-world problems.

Design intelligence is the bold and practical thinking needed to equip everyone from brands and services to organisations and institutions, with the skills to ensure they remain both relevant and resilient.

🎥 To find out more, catch up on our channel and watch how speakers like Tae-Young Yoon from Snøhetta, Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Kadine James from Artificial Rome and many more unpack design intelligence through the lens of AI, future living and extreme change.

Find all the GDFxPearlfisher talks here: https://tinyurl.com/bdm7xb5x

This week is your last chance to experience ‘Aura’ by Spanish artist Pablo Valbuena at St Paul's Cathedral!

In collaboration with Artichoke, ‘Aura’ responds to the hallowed enclaves of the cathedral and reflects on architect Sir Christopher Wren's inimitable design processes, amalgamating sound and light to create a very modern installation in the centre of one of London's most famous landmarks.

For the full experience of 'Aura', it's highly recommended to visit during Evensong, which is free and un-ticketed daily (NOW until Saturday 17:00 – 17:45 and Sunday 15:00– 16:00).

This project is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies with engineering consultancy services by Arup.

Find out more here:

London Design Festival — Aura Inside St Paul’s Cathedral, London Design Festival in association with Artichoke presents ‘Aura’ by France-based Spanish artist Pablo Valbuena. The installation examines the potential of time, sound and light to create a contemporary response to the Cathedral.

Applications for LOEWE Foundation's Craft Prize 2024 close tomorrow 25 October! The international award celebrates excellence in craftsmanship, with the shortlisted and winning works to be featured in an exhibition and accompanying catalogue in Paris in spring 2024. Find out more via the link below.

https://tinyurl.com/mrfhccw4

Michael Wolff co-founder of pioneering brand Wolff Olins and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Medal is publishing his first and only biography. The book is an opportunity to discover how Michael’s counterintuitive creativity works.

Designed by NB Studio in collaboration with writer Tom Lynham it chronicles Michael’s consultancies over a 60-years and 300+ pages with brands such as Apple Records, VW, Audi, The Post Office, the University of Oxford and many more…

But they need your help, join the Kickstarter campaign to help get this book published!

Michael Wolff Leap before you look - The Zen of branding This book will inspire you to become more strategic, more adventurous, more disruptive, more mischievous! What are you waiting for?

Did you attend an event this week? Take our survey, and be entered to win one of five limited edition LDF20 Anniversary Books!

Every year, your feedback helps us understand who visits LDF, the quality of the programme, and the contribution the Festival makes to London's economy.

All feedback is completely anonymous and we value everyone's input!

See the link here to fill out our form. https://tinyurl.com/bdz35ppz

This weekend, Ingate Works is hosting established and emerging designers and makers in a creative takeover. Featuring work from Wandsworth based artists, Royal College of Art recent graduates and a handful of designers from further afield, Ingate Works Takeover is a chance to see several designers' creations all in one space.

Find out more details on our website.

Supported by Nine Elms.

https://londondesignfestival.com/activities/ingate-works-takeover

“Humans have always had symbolism with gates,” says Turkish artist and architect Melek Zeynep Bulut on ‘OpenWork I Açık Yapıt’. Throughout world history, gates have been representations of power, setting borders and social hierarchy. ‘OpenWork I Açık Yapıt’ questions how we can change that.

You can explore Bulut's installation at Bankside Design District in the Bernie Spain Gardens during .

https://tinyurl.com/yjvhncn6

Architectural vision, pictorial sensitivity for matter and colour and perfection of details: Porro S.p.A. unveils in London the codes of its sartorial design. During , visit the brand’s renovated space in King's Cross to find out more about the research on colour, inlay and design behind the new Linea collection by Alessandro Mendini.

London Design Festival — New Creative Languages: Sartorial Spaces and a Colourful Craftsmanship Architectural vision, pictorial sensitivity for matter and colour and perfection of details: Porro unveils in London the codes of its sartorial design. Visit the brand’s renovated space to find out more about the research on colour, inlay and design behind the new Linea collection by Alessandro Me...

London Design Festival opens tomorrow! ✨

Marking our 21st edition, this year’s programme is packed with installations, talks, workshops and taking place over nine days.

Don’t miss ‘Aura’ showcased inside St Paul's Cathedral. To mark the third centenary of Christopher Wren’s death, LDF and Bloomberg Philanthropies have commissioned this landmark project as part of the celebrations for Wren300 – a year- long cultural programme of events that seeks to refract the architect’s legacy through a hyper-contemporary prism.

Created with public art facilitator Artichoke, artist Pablo Valbuena’s design intervention responds to the hallowed enclaves of the Cathedral. It reflects on both Wren’s inimitable design processes and amalgamates sound and light to create a very modern installation in the heart of one of London’s historical centres.

“’Aura’ does not construct another experiential layer as cinema can do. It is a fully embodied experience.” remarks Valbuena on the installation.

London Design Festival is live from 16–24 September across the city. To see ‘Aura’ at St Paul's Cathedral, reserve your free ticket via our website.

London Design Festival — Aura Inside St Paul’s Cathedral, London Design Festival in association with Artichoke presents ‘Aura’ by France-based Spanish artist Pablo Valbuena. The installation examines the potential of time, sound and light to create a contemporary response to the Cathedral.

Occhio turns on the lights – and brings the culture of light to
London with its new flagship store.

During , visitors can experience Occhio’s culture of light in the new flagship store and be part of the launch of the new and completely unique luminaire series Luna. Luna is based on the innovative magical light source ‘Fireball’ which seems to float like a celestial body in the glass sphere.

Find out more about their event below.

Occhio – a new culture of light at London Design Festival Occhio – a new culture of light Opening Occhio store London Launch of new series Luna

Announcing our LDF23 Medal Winners! 🏆

This year’s winners are representative of our current industry and are forces in the world of creativity: engineering, craftsmanship, social justice, architecture and city planning. These medals recognise the contribution made by leading design figures and emerging talents to London and the industry with four London Design Medals awarded: The London Design Medal, Design Innovation Medal, Emerging Design Medal and Lifetime Achievement Medal.

Find out more about the winners below.

London Design Festival 2023 Medal Winners Each year, London Design Festival recognises the contribution made by leading design figures and emerging talents to London and the industry with four London Design Medal awarded.

"Between September 20th and 23rd, 2023, Isola Design, the digital and physical design platform, will unite its global community of international designers, design studios, manufacturers, and creators in the UK, within the Material Matters exhibition"

DesignWanted

Material Matters marks the debut of Isola at LDF 2023 As an integral component of the London Design Festival 2023, the Material Matters fair is set to take place at the iconic Bargehouse.

With just over a week away, see Design Week's picks of what to see during the festival.

Things to see and do at London Design Festival 2023 Design Week’s list of not-to-be-missed events at this year’s London Design Festival.

💥Material Matters💥

From 20-23 September during , visit Material Matters at Oxo Tower Wharf to celebrate all things that increase awareness of the importance of material intelligence – and the way we use our resources – to design a better, more sustainable, world.

Highlights from all floors include ✨

♻️A site-specific installation on the ground floor alongside a bespoke registration desk made from recycled materials and produced in partnership with Smile Plastics

📌 New York-based biomaterials company BioMatters and Slik Lab on floor one.

📖 Floor two is the show's learning space, inviting visitors to take a 'deep dive' into a handful of materials.

🪑 Floor three is dedicated to market-ready cleverly designed products, featuring a circular-design approach and innovative materials.

🎙 The fourth and top floor is a spectacular 50-metre-long loft that will contain the event's talk space as well as designers, makers and smaller manufacturers working in various materials.

Find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/n2tn6385

The Mandala Lab is headed to London!

If you're a London-based follower, visit the during the London Design Festival opening day on Saturday, 16 September! The space is open to the public from 12:00–18:45 and free all day!

To celebrate the opening, there will be a free gong-and-water improvisation at 19:00 (7:00 PM) in the Mandala Lab, followed at sundown by London’s first-ever Breathe-In, a synchronized participatory breathing practice to help invoke a baseline for wellbeing.

The outdoor sound experience and breathing meditation will feature Dame Evelyn Glennie, Khen Rinpoche Hungtrampa, and Dr Tara Swart.

Visit the link below to register for the Breathe-In and to learn more about the Mandala Lab, London!

https://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/breathe-in-at-canary-wharf-09-16-2023

Special Project 🌈 'Nice To Meet You Again'

Come down to the Shoreditch Electric Light Station (16-19 September) and be the first to see the new MINI family, alongside an immersive installation, by Morag Myerscough and a host of talks that investigates colour, the future of urban design, and realising circularity.

✍️With activities for children all weekend, sign up for the talks and receive a free coffee.

All proceeds are going to the Design Charity.

Link here: https://tinyurl.com/4jutycpr

Can design cities learn from one another? This is the question being asked at ‘Design to Wonderland’, an installation presented by Shanghai Design Week during at the China Exchange UK in Central London.

“Shanghai’s design scene has evolved into a thriving ecosystem that reflects the city’s unique blend of tradition and modernity,” says the curatorial team behind the programme.

Free to the public, exhibition ‘Design to Wonderland’, celebrates collaboration and explores design empowerment in Shanghai; from sustainable thinking to innovative making, retail experiences and cultural aesthetics.

Find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/mryd2nvh

‘The Fundamentals of Caring’ is the latest design venture by Hart Shoreditch created with east London illustrator and artist James Daw. For its second project with London Design Festival, the hotel – part of Hilton’s Curio Collection– presents a multi-sensory installation featuring visuals, sounds, smells, textures and more across an establishment that hints, architecturally, at Shoreditch’s industrial legacy.

Read our interview with James here: https://tinyurl.com/4cjc45jf

From Without Shape Without Form, Unstruck Melody is a unique collaboration with British-born Canadian artist Nirbhai (Nep) Singh Sidhu.

Transferring knowledge in an art installation, which includes large-scale tapestries, mixed-media paintings, a film and a take-away publication.

Created to inspire curiosity, encouraging the audience to engage deep listening and a process of self-discovery through contemporary Sikh teachings.

At the as part of the from Saturday 16 September 2023 – Sunday 15 October 2023.

Poster design: Nirbhai (Nep) Sidhu and Todd Westendorp