London Design Festival
Encyclopedia
The London Design Festival was established in 2003 as an annual event to celebrate and promote London
as the creative capital of the world and gateway to the UK’s world class creative industries
. The Festival acts as a platform for a large and diverse range of partner organisations drawn from across the design community to stage the UK's biggest annual design event. Each year, the Festival presents new collaborations - bringing new projects to public audiences and mirroring the uniquely diverse nature of London's design scene.
The London Design Festival continues to develop and evolve - creating new networks, stimulating growth in the sector, increasing the opportunity for trade, and enhancing the reputation of London and the UK as a place for creative excellence and innovation.
The Festival is a fixture on the international calendar attracting thousands of visitors from across the world, during the ten days it runs in September. In past years the Festival has included a host of world-class talent and is now internationally one of the largest of its kind. In 2008, it attracted official delegations from over 30 countries, had total visitors estimated at 300,000 and included over 200 projects across the city.
The London Design Festival produces a Guide every year, containing information about activity. This is distributed across London in September. Many of the events at the design festival are free to attend.
, one of the world’s greatest museums of art
and design
. The V&A set aside the newly opened Sackler Centre and other areas of the museum for Festival events, shows, talks and installations. Highlights included:
, The Hayward, Queen Elizabeth Hall
and high profile public spaces, the site for the Size + Matter project is a popular outdoor attraction in London. In 2009 Size + Matter was seen by an estimated 763,000 visitors.
The Size + Matter project was first commissioned by the London Design Festival in 2007 in order to explore the dynamic between a chosen material, the manufacturing company and a leading designer or architect. The project is based on a partnership where the manufacturer supplies the material, its fabrication, and access to expertise.
The aims of the project have always been to challenge the perception of the materials used, to push the boundaries of that material, and to work on a different scale.
; "Prototile", Amanda Levete
2008 - "Sclera", David Adjaye
2009 - "Supercell", Marc Newson
; "Paper Tower", Shigeru Ban
during the Festival to host a design event.
The London Design Festival has previously delivered three events in the Square, with the intention of introducing design to a much wider audience. The projects have generated substantial press coverage and awareness of the London Design Festival.
2007 – “Great Light Giveaway”, Tom Dixon
; “LomoWorldWall Exhibition”, Lomographic Society International
2009 – “The Tournament”, Jaime Hayon
The medal is designed by Domenic Lippa of Pentagram
. Pentagram are also responsible for all London Design Festival branding. Thomas Fattorini Ltd, a long established British medal
manufacturer based in the West Midlands, produce the double-sided medal which is 75mm in diameter, made from Sterling Silver
with a gold plate finish.
Ben Evans - Director, London Design Festival (non-voting)
Sir Mark Jones
- Director, Victoria & Albert Museum
Ilse Crawford - Creative Director, Studioilse
Tony Chambers - Editor, Wallpaper* Magazine
Ekow Eshun
- Artistic Director, ICA
Professor Jeremy Myerson - Royal College of Art
Sir Michael Bichard
- Chairman, Design Council
Peter Wallis - Chairman, SRU
Michael Morris - Co-Director, Artangel
Alice Rawsthorn
- Design Correspondent, International Herald Tribune
2008 – Marc Newson
2009 – Sir Paul Smith
2010 – Thomas Heatherwick
Ben Evans, Director
William Knight, Deputy Director
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as the creative capital of the world and gateway to the UK’s world class creative industries
Creative industries
The creative industries refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information...
. The Festival acts as a platform for a large and diverse range of partner organisations drawn from across the design community to stage the UK's biggest annual design event. Each year, the Festival presents new collaborations - bringing new projects to public audiences and mirroring the uniquely diverse nature of London's design scene.
The London Design Festival continues to develop and evolve - creating new networks, stimulating growth in the sector, increasing the opportunity for trade, and enhancing the reputation of London and the UK as a place for creative excellence and innovation.
The Festival is a fixture on the international calendar attracting thousands of visitors from across the world, during the ten days it runs in September. In past years the Festival has included a host of world-class talent and is now internationally one of the largest of its kind. In 2008, it attracted official delegations from over 30 countries, had total visitors estimated at 300,000 and included over 200 projects across the city.
The London Design Festival produces a Guide every year, containing information about activity. This is distributed across London in September. Many of the events at the design festival are free to attend.
London Design Festival at the V&A
In 2009, for the first time, London Design Festival took up residence within the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, one of the world’s greatest museums of art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
. The V&A set aside the newly opened Sackler Centre and other areas of the museum for Festival events, shows, talks and installations. Highlights included:
- The fourth staging of the London Design Embassy, providing an exclusive central business hub for international and press visitors to the Festival supported by the London Development AgencyLondon Development AgencyThe London Development Agency is the Regional Development Agency for Greater London, England. It is a functional body of the Greater London Authority...
. - A poster exhibition curated by Domenic Lippa, featuring the work of 25 leading graphic designerGraphic designerA graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
s using inspirational London as their brief. - 'In Praise of Shadows' – an exhibition organised by EUNIC (the network of European Cultural Centres) with the support of the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
to mark the advent of the EU directive to phase out low-efficiency light bulbs by 2012 - The Business of Design Talks in association with the Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
; a series of five talks tackling relevant and topical issues of the day including ‘Evolving Architecture’ and ‘Design in Adversity’. Panels of high-level speakers were selected from across business, design, architecture, retail and fashion, both in the UK and abroad. - The Wallpaper* Chair Arch – an outdoor installation reviving a Victorian tradition. In honour of Britain’s creative industries Wallpaper* commissioned a contemporary arch from designer, Martino Gamper, using ErcolErcolErcol is the name of a British furniture manufacturer. The firm dates back to 1920, when it was established in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, as Furniture Industries by Lucian Ercolani ....
chairs. - 'Wasted' - a specially commissioned installation in the Tunnel Entrance to the V&A commissioned by Arts Co created from reclaimed waste.
Size + Matter
Size + Matter is a cornerstone of the London Design Festival, located at the Southbank Centre for one month during the Festival. Consisting of the Royal Festival HallRoyal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, The Hayward, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
and high profile public spaces, the site for the Size + Matter project is a popular outdoor attraction in London. In 2009 Size + Matter was seen by an estimated 763,000 visitors.
The Size + Matter project was first commissioned by the London Design Festival in 2007 in order to explore the dynamic between a chosen material, the manufacturing company and a leading designer or architect. The project is based on a partnership where the manufacturer supplies the material, its fabrication, and access to expertise.
The aims of the project have always been to challenge the perception of the materials used, to push the boundaries of that material, and to work on a different scale.
Size + Matter Projects
2007 - "Urban Nebula", Zaha HadidZaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, CBE is an Iraqi-British architect.-Life and career:Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.After graduating she worked...
; "Prototile", Amanda Levete
2008 - "Sclera", David Adjaye
David Adjaye
David Adjaye OBE is a British architect.-Early life:David Adjaye was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The son of a Ghanaian diplomat who has lived in Tanzania, Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon before moving to Britain at the age of nine, he led a privileged life and was privately educated...
2009 - "Supercell", Marc Newson
Marc Newson
Marc Newson was born in Sydney, Australia. Now based in London, he is a successful industrial designer who works in aircraft design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, and clothing. He incorporates a design style known as biomorphism to his various designs...
; "Paper Tower", Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban is an accomplished Japanese and international architect, most famous for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard paper tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims...
Trafalgar Square
Every year, the London Design Festival is granted sole use of Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
during the Festival to host a design event.
The London Design Festival has previously delivered three events in the Square, with the intention of introducing design to a much wider audience. The projects have generated substantial press coverage and awareness of the London Design Festival.
Trafalgar Square Projects
2006 – “The Big Chair Grab”, Tom DixonTom Dixon
Thomas Earl Dixon is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1977 to 1983 for the Houston Astros and Montreal Expos.-External links:...
2007 – “Great Light Giveaway”, Tom Dixon
Tom Dixon
Thomas Earl Dixon is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1977 to 1983 for the Houston Astros and Montreal Expos.-External links:...
; “LomoWorldWall Exhibition”, Lomographic Society International
2009 – “The Tournament”, Jaime Hayon
The London Design Medal
The London Design Medal, awarded during the Festival, celebrates individuals that make outstanding contributions to the world through their achievements and influence on contemporary design.The medal is designed by Domenic Lippa of Pentagram
Pentagram (design studio)
Pentagram is a design studio that was founded in 1972 by Alan Fletcher, Theo Crosby, Colin Forbes, Kenneth Grange and Mervyn Kurlansky in Needham Road, West London, UK...
. Pentagram are also responsible for all London Design Festival branding. Thomas Fattorini Ltd, a long established British medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
manufacturer based in the West Midlands, produce the double-sided medal which is 75mm in diameter, made from Sterling Silver
Sterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
with a gold plate finish.
The Judges
Sir John Sorrell CBE - Chairman, London Design Festival (non-voting)Ben Evans - Director, London Design Festival (non-voting)
Sir Mark Jones
Mark Jones (museum director)
Sir Mark Ellis Powell Jones is a British art historian, numismatist and museum director; he is director of the Victoria and Albert Museum...
- Director, Victoria & Albert Museum
Ilse Crawford - Creative Director, Studioilse
Tony Chambers - Editor, Wallpaper* Magazine
Ekow Eshun
Ekow Eshun
Ekow Eshun is a British writer, journalist, and broadcaster. Until November 2010 he was the artistic director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, leaving before the end of his six month notice period. He is a contributor to BBC2's Friday night arts programme Newsnight Review and a...
- Artistic Director, ICA
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
Professor Jeremy Myerson - Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
Sir Michael Bichard
Michael Bichard
Michael George Bichard, Baron Bichard, KCB, is a former public servant in the United Kingdom, first in local and then as a civil servant in central government. He currently serves as the Director of the Institute for Government and as Chair of the Design Council...
- Chairman, Design Council
Design Council
The Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design...
Peter Wallis - Chairman, SRU
Michael Morris - Co-Director, Artangel
Alice Rawsthorn
Alice Rawsthorn
Alice Rawsthorn is an English journalist and design commentator. As design critic of the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the New York Times, she writes the paper's weekly Design column,which is published every Monday and syndicated to other newspapers and magazines worldwide...
- Design Correspondent, International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
Winners
2007 – Zaha HadidZaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, CBE is an Iraqi-British architect.-Life and career:Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.After graduating she worked...
2008 – Marc Newson
Marc Newson
Marc Newson was born in Sydney, Australia. Now based in London, he is a successful industrial designer who works in aircraft design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, and clothing. He incorporates a design style known as biomorphism to his various designs...
2009 – Sir Paul Smith
2010 – Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick
Thomas Heatherwick is an English designer known for innovative use of engineering and materials in public monuments and sculptures...
London Design Festival team
Sir John Sorrell CBE, ChairmanBen Evans, Director
William Knight, Deputy Director