London Design Festival 2022: exhibitions and trade shows guide

Exhibition: Immersive installation, by Patrick Nash and Cluster London

Patrick Nash and Cluster will bring a collaborative installation involving neon figures to Bankside Design District. As well as seeking to respond to the unique environment of Borough Yards, the neon figures also are interactive in that they are designed to respond to movement of visitors as they move through the space. Nash is known for employing distinctive minimal single lines in his work and using neon to draw in the viewer’s gaze, while Cluster London aims to create new experiences and new opportunities through its work.

This free exhibition runs 17 – 25 September from 12:00 till 20:00 at Borough Yards Clink St entrance, Unit 220, London, SE1 9DG.

Exhibition: The Running Towards

In celebration of London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) new typeface, Fire Brigade sans, Shoreditch Fire Station will house a collection of graphics and other typefaces which take inspiration from it. Design studios such as Alphabetical, DNCO, DutchScot, Supple Studio, and Pentagram will respond to the theme. Works include new interpretations of the flammable icon, London Fire Brigade objects and ephemera, and a woven wool carpet design form Brintons. London Fire Brigade’s design history will be displayed across a vintage fire engine and visitors will be invited to see what life is like behind the shutters of the station.

This free exhibition runs 20 – 24 September from 18:00 till 20:00 on the first day and from 12:00 till 18:00 every other day at Shoreditch Fire Station, 235 Old Street, London, EC1V 9EY.

Exhibition: Digital Design Weekend

Visitors can expect immersive experiences, creative workshops, and interactive demonstrations at the V&A’s flagship event on digital cultures. Digital Design Weekend serves to investigate how digital design can shed light on the reality of climate change, while encouraging visitors to consider their own online behaviours. Visitors of all ages will be welcome to explore the influence of technology in society and culture through family-friendly activities around the museum. Most events during the weekend are drop-in, but some may have limited places.

This free exhibition runs 24 – 25 September from 10:00 till 17:45 at V&A, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

Exhibition: The Future of Ageing

The Future of Ageing seeks to provide insight into how design can help people living later in life through the development of products, services, and environments. Displaying different prototypes and sketches of Design Age Institute and partners’ projects, the exhibition hopes to exemplify how design can support an ageing population which, one day, will include your future self. Exhibits include a hands-free cargo-carrying robot, a flexible living and working space for the older generation, and an app that promotes taking care of your hearing health through birdsongs. A long-term project which is also part of The Future of Ageing is an intergenerational garden at the Design Museum called Growing Together.

This free exhibition runs 17 – 25 September from 10:00 till 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and from 10:00 till 18:00 every other day at The Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London, W8 6AG.

Exhibition: Regenerative Futures

With props from researchers and designers, Regenerative Futures explores what future societies might look like through the lens of regenerative design. At the centre of the exhibition is the questions of whether nature and people can co-exist and balance their needs against each other. Companies involved in the exhibition include Blast Studio, which transforms urban waste into sustainable furniture through 3D printing, Space10, a research design lab, and experts in product and brand design Studio MOM. Contextualising the objects in the exhibition is an accompanying short film called Abundance.

This free exhibition runs 17 – 25 September from 10:00 till 18:00 at Sackler Centre V&A, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

Exhibition: PRDD Sustainable Innovation and Design Hub

Park Royal Design District Sustainable Innovation and Design Hub is a space for designers, artists, and makers to showcase how they work with recycled materials. The Excelsior Projects Space will also host talks and panel discussions. Visitors can expect visual demonstrations and opportunities to see finished products made from sustainable materials.

This free exhibition runs 23 – 25 September from 10:00 till 20:00 on the first day and from 10:00 till 18:00 on the following days at Excelsior Project Space, 41-43 Standard Road, London, NW10 6HF.

Trade Show: Design London

London Design Festival’s largest contemporary design fair is back for a second year, promising to showcase innovative ideas across furniture, lighting, architectural fittings, and more. With a huge line-up of international brands, Design London has confirmed that works by Dutch sustainable furniture maker Van Rossum and Bristol-based Shelf Studio co-founded by Sam Chasseur. It will also feature a collection of work from 12 eco-friendly brands from Thailand working within the Thai government’s bio-circular-green model, which is part of the Thailand Be the Change initiative.

This trade show runs 21 – 24 September from 10:00 till 21:00 on the first day, from 10:00 till 17:00 on the middle two days and from 10:00 till 16:00 on the final day at Magazine London, 11 Ordnance Crescent, Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE10 0JH.

Trade Show: Material Matters 2022

Material Matters is making its debut at London Design Festival, with a thematic approach to a five-floor space in the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf. Its marketplace and installation seek to include designers and artists who are using cutting edge sustainable materials in their practice, in particular those who focus on waste and circularity. With a special focus on craft at this show, visitors will be able to see and buy work from exhibitors specialising in glass, metal, grass roots, orange peel and ceramics. Displays featuring tech and 3D printed furniture and Scandinavian furniture will also be on show. Material Matters’ series of talks will kick off with a discussion on the power of Norwegian design, headed by Snøhetta’s director of product design Marius Myking, followed by more later in the week about how we consume materials and how we use plastics in designing and making.

This trade show runs 22 – 25 September from 10:00 till 18:00 on the first three days and from 11:00 till 16:00 on the final day at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, London, SE1 9PH.