Architecture News

Best of the London Design Festival

By Rita Catinella Orrell

Best of the London Design Festival
The Tent London and Super Brands London exhibitions during the London Design Festival were co-located at the Old Truman Brewery venue in Shoreditch.
Photo © Rita Catinella Orrell

<strong>God is in the Details</strong><br />For this <a href='http://architecture.swarovski.com/Content.Node/main.php#/en/home' target='_blank'>Swarovski-sponsored</a> exhibit held during the festival — Best of the London Design Festival
**God is in the Details**
For this Swarovski-sponsored exhibit held during the festival, 14 designers—including Faye Toogood, Amanda Levete, and Paul Cocksedge—were challenged to select one small detail from an object in the museum’s vast collection. Visitors to the V&A obtained a map that helped them locate the shoulder-height magnifying lenses constructed by Swarovski and strategically positioned next to the selected details, which included surprises such as a miniscule grinning face engraved on the side of a gun.
Photo © Susan Smart Photography

<strong>The Progressive Extension of the Field of Individual Development and Experience</strong><br />This project’s long-winded title belied a simple but elegant cork flooring installation at t — Best of the London Design Festival
**The Progressive Extension of the Field of Individual Development and Experience**
This project’s long-winded title belied a simple but elegant cork flooring installation at the V&A. The floor was installed on the existing bridge over the V&A’s Medieval and Renaissance galleries and was a collaboration between London-based FAT Architecture and Portugal’s Amorin, the world’s largest producer of cork. The floor is made up of a series of natural cork tiles laid in a repeating trompe l’oeil geometric pattern that is based on a scientific diagram of cork’s cellular structure.
Photo © Susan Smart Photography

<strong>The Wind Portal </strong><br />On display until November 3 in a massive doorway in the Simon Sainsbury Gallery at the V&A, <em>The Wind Portal </em>is a gateway of 5,000 spinning paper win — Best of the London Design Festival
**The Wind Portal**
On display until November 3 in a massive doorway in the Simon Sainsbury Gallery at the V&A, *The Wind Portal* is a gateway of 5,000 spinning paper windmills created by Lebanese designer Najla El Zein (shown). EL Zein was inspired by the day-lit gallery, which is home to the museum’s collection of Medieval and Renaissance urban architecture. Imposing in scale but delicate in appearance, the windmills are operated by a computer program as well as natural breezes. During a press preview, El Zein explained that the exhibit was not as delicate as it appears. “It’s meant to be touched,” she said.
Photo © Rita Catinella Orrell

<strong>28.280</strong><br />On display until November 21, the 28.280 custom chandelier by Canadian designer Omer Arbel was one of the V&A’s most ambitious installations for the festival. Lo — Best of the London Design Festival
**28.280**
On display until November 21, the 28.280 custom chandelier by Canadian designer Omer Arbel was one of the V&A’s most ambitious installations for the festival. Located in the museum’s grand entrance, the massive grouping of 280 individual 28 Series glass pendant lamps are suspended from the highest point of the building and cascade down almost 100 feet. Each lamp was handmade at Bocci’s glass factory in Canada using a fabrication process developed by Arbel.
Photo © Rita Catinella Orrell

<strong>Avignon No. 1 Dressing Tables</strong><br />One of the highlights at Tent London, an off-site exhibition in the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch, was the Avignon No. 1 dressing table designed — Best of the London Design Festival
**Avignon No. 1 Dressing Tables**
One of the highlights at Tent London, an off-site exhibition in the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch, was the Avignon No. 1 dressing table designed by Gabor Kodolanyi of Hungary’s Codolagni Design Studio. Modern and romantic at the same time, the table features two soft-close drawers, solid ash wood, wool drawer pulls, and a 22-watt, LED-rimmed circular mirror set into the tabletop. A beige wool upholstered stool comes with the table.
Photo courtesy Codolagni Design Studio

<strong>Lightfalls</strong><br />3M Architectural Markets debuted their first collection of LED lighting at the 100% Design expo at Earls Court. Made in the U.S., the new collection includes the <a hr — Best of the London Design Festival
**Lightfalls**
3M Architectural Markets debuted their first collection of LED lighting at the 100% Design expo at Earls Court. Made in the U.S., the new collection includes the Lightfalls wall sconce by New York-based designer Todd Bracher. Using a proprietary 3M film that is 99% reflective, one 15’’-wide voluptuous orb sconce can distribute the light of a single LED into multiple fixtures, creating the illusion of several sources where there is only one. Available as a single sconce, or a linear, circular, or organic pattern, in a number of different finishes.

Photo courtesy 3M Architectural Markets

<strong>Grow Portable CNC Milling Machine  </strong><br />At the designjunction exhibition in Holborn, designer <a href='www.michaelwarrendesign.com/Grow' target='_blank'>Michael Warren</a> set u — Best of the London Design Festival
**Grow Portable CNC Milling Machine**
At the designjunction exhibition in Holborn, designer Michael Warren set up a temporary factory to demonstrate the world’s first full-scale modular, portable CNC system. Bridging the gap between professional hand-held power tools and stationary CNC machines, the Grow CNC milling machine can help reduce lead times and offer greater design flexibility on the job-site. The router system can be easily assembled on-site and be ready to cut in under three minutes, and then be packed back in its own flight case for easy transport and storage.
Photo courtesy Michael Warren Design

<a href='www.inthescaleofcarbon.com' target='_blank'><strong>In the Scale of Carbon</strong></a><br />This exhibit at the Super Brands London venue in Shoreditch was created by <a href='www.materialsc — Best of the London Design Festival
**In the Scale of Carbon**
This exhibit at the Super Brands London venue in Shoreditch was created by Materials Council, a London-based consultancy established by Ian Hunter and Brad Turner, former materials researchers at Foster + Partners. The minimal exhibit featured large-scale, cubic volumes in different scales to physically represent the amount of various architectural materials—from stainless steel to soft wood—that can be produced for one tonne of C02 emissions.

Photo courtesy Materials Council

<strong>Kaza Concrete</strong><br /><a href='http://www.kazaconcrete.com' target='_blank'>Kaza Concrete</a> had a jaw-dropping booth at the 100% Design show featuring the manufacturer’s new Myst — Best of the London Design Festival
**Kaza Concrete**
Kaza Concrete had a jaw-dropping booth at the 100% Design show featuring the manufacturer’s new Mystile collection of contemporary artistic wall and floor surfacing. Using a “reengineered” fiber reinforced concrete shaped by meticulously handmade molds, the Hungarian manufacturer presented a feature wall made of wavelike concave and convex tiles with a faceted face of small triangles that captured the light and made the entire surface animated. Intended for indoor or outdoor use, these luxe concrete tiles are specified most frequently for the hospitality industry.
Photo © Rita Catinella Orrell

<strong>Wireless Charging Countertops </strong><br />At the 100% Design expo <a href='www.dupont.com' target='_blank'>DuPont Corian</a> presented a striking feature wall made of the saturated black co — Best of the London Design Festival
**Wireless Charging Countertops**
At the 100% Design expo DuPont Corian presented a striking feature wall made of the saturated black colored Deep Nocturne, the first solid surfacing product created in the company’s Deep Color Technology. At the booth DuPont also announced a collaboration with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) industrial coalition to integrate PMA-compatible wireless charging solutions for smartphones and tablets into work surfaces made with Corian.

Image courtesy DuPont Corian

<strong>Air</strong><br />Reminiscent of an Airstream trailer, the Air Range by <a href='www.devolkitchens.co.uk' target='_blank'>deVOL</a> is a contemporary kitchen system featuring curved oak frames — Best of the London Design Festival
**Air**
Reminiscent of an Airstream trailer, the Air Range by deVOL is a contemporary kitchen system featuring curved oak frames, Hi-Mac solid surface doors and drawers, and riveted aluminum end panels. To help draw in the crowds at 100% Design, deVOL workshop manager Ben Creed set up a temporary workshop where he made a bench inspired by the components of the Air Kitchen.

Image courtesy deVOL Kitchens Ltd.

<strong>Silt Tableware </strong><br />At the designjunction exhibition held at The S<strong></strong>orting Office, an expansive building in Holborn, the London-based design and architecture studio <a — Best of the London Design Festival
**Silt Tableware**
At the designjunction exhibition held at The Sorting Office, an expansive building in Holborn, the London-based design and architecture studio VW+BS presented a few new product designs, including the Silt tableware collection made of unglazed purple clay. Not only does it offer a raw tactile experience, but the unglazed material also has the effect of softening the taste of water in the same way as activated charcoal. The line has been developed by the Taiwanese company Lin’s Ceramic Studio using a twice-fired clay and includes a large jug with a lid, small jug, bowl, and four cups.
Photo courtesy VW+BS

The Tent London and Super Brands London exhibitions during the London Design Festival were co-located at the Old Truman Brewery venue in Shoreditch.

London’s annual design festival, which wrapped up a nine day run on Sunday, included over 300 events, exhibitions, and installations held across the capital. Now in its 11th year, the festival has expanded from a focus on furniture and product design to a platform for various disciplines, including sculpture, fashion, and graphic design. Here, we present some highlights from around the city, including special shows at the Victoria and Albert Museum and new product designs from the 100% Design, designjunction, Tent London, and Super Brands London exhibitions.

Click the image above to view a slide show.