London Design Festival 16 – 24 September
londondesignfestival.com
017
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
WORDS BY EMILY MARTIN
WITH A VIBRANT and thought-provoking programme of events, exhibitions and installations, the LDF will once again provide a vital platform for designers and creative businesses to showcase their work. The 2023 programme will transform the city with fresh perspectives and present ground breaking ideas and creative concepts. It will feature major installations across the city, museum exhibits, 12 Design Districts that highlight creative clusters across London, design fairs, major trade shows, and the Global Design Forum – a thought leadership programme that brings together creative leaders to explore and propose solutions for pressing global issues. Additionally, the annual London Design Medals will recognise the contribution made by leading design figures and emerging talent to London and the industry, with four London Design Medals awarded each year. In line with its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, the Festival introduces Launch Pad, a new initiative for 2023, which aims to elevate designers who typically face barriers to accessing the Festival’s partnership scheme.
Below Aura by Pablo Valbuena is a new contextual project about contemporary rituals for St Paul’s Cathedral in London
Above Launched in 2021, London Design Festival’s Red Book aims to bring the design stories of London to the fore
REPORTER
This year, two Landmark Projects pay homage to architect and polymath Sir Christopher Wren. The Wren 300 celebrations, making the 300th anniversary of his death, celebrates Wren’s enduring influence and showcasing his significance in the 21st century: At St Paul’s Cathedral, there will be an installation, Aura, by Spanish designer Pablo Valbuena, which transforms sound into an aura of light projected at an architectural scale. A second Landmark Project by Moritz Waldemeyer at St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London will also feature as part of the Wren300 projects. Simone Brewster will present Spirit of
Place on The Strand, an installation of five large scale sculptural vessels. This family of objects, ranging up to 2.5m, represents Amorim’s cork forest at Herdade de Rio Frio, Portugal. Elsewhere, inspired by powerful Buddhist principles, the Rubin Museum’s Mandala Lab in Canary Wharf is an interactive space designed to explore challenging emotions and consider how to transform them into wisdom. The freestanding structure contains a metaphoric
floorplan for our emotional wellbeing, featuring five thought-provoking, playful experiences that guide you along an inner journey focused on self-awareness and awareness of others. London Design Fair makes its return to the international design calendar on 21–24 September. The largest commercial exhibition during LDF, it returns to Truman Brewery in Shoreditch and visitors will enjoy talks and interactive workshops, as well as discover exciting new designs, installations and trends. After last year’s successful debut,
the Material Matters fair will return to Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf between 20-23 September and will bring together world- leading brands, designers, makers and innovators to investigate and celebrate the importance of materials and their ability to shape our lives.
Elsewhere there will be specially commissioned projects at the V&A as part of the festival, as well as the Global Design Forum, LDF’s thought leadership programme, returning to explore how design can respond to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141
