Clerkenwell Design Week, which takes over the EC1 district in east London until May 21, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, and is marking the occasion with a series of interactive installations in festival venues, streets, and green spaces. Entitled Design Interventions, the installations have been created following a call-out to emerging and established architects and designers for ideas for innovative structures. Each contribution is intended to spark conversations about materials and the built environment, as well as offering space to sit, reflect and plan your tour of the event’s unmissable design launches. Below, we’ve rounded up our top ten highlights to see around Clerkenwell.
The Fountain of Technicolour Beads by One Bite Design
This playful, immersive terrazzo installation, created by Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary studio One Bite Design, lights up Clerkenwell Green. Its aim? To improve awareness of Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD), also known as colour blindness.
The Luxury Edit at Haberdashers’ Hall
This venue – a striking example of modern architecture crafted in traditional materials – is home to a selection of Italian luxury brands, brought together under one roof. Expect to see the latest collections by Cassina and Moroso, as well as memorable glass bathroom furniture by Artelinea, sculptural lighting by OliveLab, and a showcase of contemporary terracotta tiles by Fornace Brioni.
The Pulse of Becoming installation
Outside The Luxury Edit is this installation by recent graduates Musab Umair, Amruta Ramesh Pullawar and Sharath Binu John, who are based in Portsmouth. It features chia seeds embedded in two crescent shell forms, which are sprouting and turning green during the festival. The sculpture symbolises the cyclical nature of death, rebirth and life.
String Furniture at Old Sessions House
Head to festival hub the Old Sessions House to see the Museum Trolley, a new design by TAF Studio for String Furniture, the Swedish company famous for its midcentury modular shelving systems. It reimagines the brand signature of simple, functional beauty. A host of other global names are also showing at the venue.
El Salón at The Museum of the Order of St John
This is a new venue for the festival and offers a rare chance to see inside a hidden 16th-century architectural gem. It hosts El Salón, a curated show of contemporary Spanish design, including artisanal upholstered furniture by Joquer. The brand is showcasing new additions to its Senso line, a customisable seating system by Mario Ruiz characterised by sleek, comfortable forms.
Church of Design at St Bartholomew the Great
There’s still time to book in for one of the designer talks on the Conversations at Clerkenwell programme, held in the atmospheric surroundings of this ancient church. On May 21, Lara Bohinc and Todd Bracher are on the menu, as well as Dulux Presents: Watch Paint Dry, a masterclass by the brand’s creative director Marianne Shillingford which promises a host of fascinating facts about paint. The Church of Design space also features stands by Roche Bobois, Dedon and Magis.
Light at House of Detention
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A Victorian former prison transforms into a display by independent lighting brands for the duration of the festival. Check out minimalist pieces by Milanese brand Minale, and the new Luna oak chandelier by British designer Tom Raffield, who creates award-winning wooden lighting. His sculptural piece was inspired by lunar constellations seen on the Cornish coastline, and combines timber with glass spheres. Raffield is also showing his sustainable Bloom pendant, which references Cornish wildflowers, and the Comber collection inspired by Atlantic tides.
British Collection at St James’s Church
Celebrating local brands, this is a great venue to discover handcrafted furniture, such as Barnby Designs’ new Clayden console in sustainably sourced oak, and ob&b’s boxy Woody armchair. The playful new Sit chair by Fox & Furb is another highlight – made of layers of rounded foam and padding, it’s inspired by 1990s bubble lettering and explores how typography, texture and form can come together in furniture.
Contemporary furniture at the Charterhouse
Inside the Charterhouse, another venerable historic venue, is a mix of contemporary furniture, lighting and finishes. Among the European brands showing are outdoor furniture company Gandia Blasco and Swiss bathroom expert Laufen, which is unveiling its new VOLTA self-cleaning basin by Yves Béhar. Visitors will experience how its organic form, which has two distinct levels, reimagines the movement of water in a swirling motion.
The showroom trail
A host of brands are showing new pieces in the showrooms scattered around Clerkenwell. Don’t miss British brand Deadgood at 46 Old Street, which is launching its fun new Lollipop wooden chair inspired by ice-lolly sticks; Italian firm Cantarutti at 75 Farringdon Road for its sleek Coco lounge chair; and Muuto at 28 St John’s Square for the best new Danish design.
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