With just three days to go, Design London reveals new exhibitors and further details about what to expect from its international pavilions and special projects
Photography courtesy of HAY, one of the many exhibitors at Design London
Now in its second year, Design London will return to Magazine London in North Greenwich – as part of the London Design Festival from 21 – 24 September. It is set to be the festival’s largest contemporary design fair and headline as the main attraction in the newest design district, Greenwich Peninsula.
Doubling its size and spread across two exhibition areas including the main show space, Magazine London, and a new temporary pavilion, the Showground, the 2022 edition continues to showcase some of the best and most innovative ideas the design community has to offer.
It brings together an international line-up of sought-after brands from across furniture, kitchens and bathrooms, lighting and architectural fittings. ICON shares 5 unmissable exhibitions and installations at Design London below.
1. adidas: Chasing Circularity
adidas dives deep into its circularity journey with an exclusive preview of products from its Made To Be Remade collection, alongside a panel discussion that lifts the curtain on the unique process and challenges of designing within a circular system – supporting its mission to help end plastic waste. Visitors can view the latest innovations through a one-off visual exhibition, with a select few hearing from the Innovation team who is driving the brand’s circular ambitions forward – only at this year’s Design London.
2. Must see installations
Seoul-based Ago will exhibit its latest designs while installing a one-off feature in one of the show’s tunnels – inspired by its playful Cirkus chandelier. Its British counterpart, Haberdashery will display Flux, a custom centrepiece made of slender glass tubes and suspended from minimal ceiling plates.
Photography courtesy of Artemide and featuring FUNIVIA, a scalable and flexible lighting design inspired by cable cars
3. Eco-conscious displays
Newly launched in Germany by founder Emily Pecker, Coldharbour Tiles offers eco-tiles made from 100% recycled plastic waste. With no virgin plastic added, the tiles retain the same quality and safety standards as other traditional tiles. On display at Design London will be Net Positive, the company’s first certified wall tile range made from recycled plastic fishing nets in five ocean-inspired colours, using a zero-waste manufacturing process.
Also focusing on the environment is Riya Kuvavala, MA Material Futures graduate from Central Saint Martins, London. Kuvavala is a multidisciplinary designer who combines her design practice with science, craft and technology. Her Boat BioLogs are bioremediating floating gardens, incorporating hyperaccumulating UK-native plants that can be made and installed by canal boat residents. The aim is to use accessible and affordable materials and techniques to restore the canal water ecosystem.
4. International Pavilions
Alongside a multitude of product launches, visitors to Design London 2022 will have the opportunity to explore a curated selection of international pavilions; from the returning Danish Pavilion to newcomers including the Korean, Portuguese and Thai Pavilions.
Photography courtesy of the Korea Federation of SMEs
Korea
With the support of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Federation of SMEs which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, Korea Messe will present the Korean Pavilion at Design London for the first time. Its stand will be home to some of the country’s best small- to mediumsized design companies – with products on show ranging from ceramics and furniture to home accessories and kitchenware.
Portugal
Also new to the show is the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP). Its core mission is to represent, promote and protect Portuguese companies from five divisions that make up the wood and furniture sector: wood cutting, felling, sawing and wood packing; wood derivatives and energy; carpentry and alike; furniture and alike; export, import and distribution of wood and derivatives.
Thailand
12 sustainable and eco-conscious furniture and home decoration brands from Thailand have been selected to represent the Thai Pavilion – which is also new to Design London. In response to the urgent issue of global climate change, the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) of the Royal Thai Government has launched the “Thailand Be the ChanGe” initiative, highlighting some of the most forward-thinking Thai creative businesses working within the Government’s Bio-CircularGreen (BCG) model.
Photography courtesy of HARV
5. Special Projects
Last but not least, Design London 2022 boasts a whole host of collaborations; from sought-after brands to experiential installations. Known for her public art across the UK, Lois O’Hara believes in the positive effects colour can have on people and places.
As well as creating a one-off mural at Design London’s front entrance to greet visitors, the Brighton-based multidisciplinary artist is also responsible for designing this year’s talks theatre – where Discussions at Design London will take place. Meanwhile, on the same floor, there will be a champagne bar for guests to gather and relax; the space is set to be built using reclaimed materials from the 2021 talks theatre designed by Yinka Ilori.
What’s more, Versarien – which develops and manufactures advanced material technologies to improve the environment – has teamed up with British artist and designer, Steuart Padwick to create a 3D-printed installation at Design London.
Using 100% cement-free concrete reinforced with Graphene, this special feature – titled Island Steps – has been designed as a playful oasis which can be located both indoors and outdoors. The 3D-printing significantly reduces the volume of concrete needed, while the special mortar being cement-free is expected to reduce the carbon footprint by over 70%.
Design London returns to Magazine London, North Greenwich from 21 – 24 September 2022. More show content, including the talks programme curated by Katie Richardson, Discussions at Design London, can be discovered via designlondon.co.uk
