London Design Festival 2026 Opens 24th Edition with Landmark Pangolin Shield on Strand Aldwych
The 24th London Design Festival is currently taking place, with Wallpaper* providing live updates. Positioned on Strand Aldwych across from Somerset House, the 2026 Landmark Project, The Pangolin Shield by Studio Saar and Atelier One, incorporates a bamboo grid shell alongside traditional Indian police shields, highlighting issues of colonial history and environmental exploitation. Alex Tieghi-Walker oversees the Brompton Design District, which features a pop-up library centered on queer creativity. The London Design Medals celebrate four multidisciplinary recipients. Dedar's FOCUS/26 presents Vesi Liberi at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, while Rubelli unveils Kieffer's '4' collection. Isabel + Helen mark a decade with Motion Sickness at The Conran Shop, and Tom Dixon showcases a versatile cast iron collection at Coal Office. Live coverage is managed by Rosa Bertoli, Olly Mason, Ali Morris, and Jamilah Rose-Roberts.
Key facts
- London Design Festival 2026 is the festival's 24th edition
- The Pangolin Shield by Studio Saar and Atelier One is the 2026 Landmark Project, installed on Strand Aldwych opposite Somerset House with support from Secure
- The installation's bamboo grid shell echoes pangolin scales and is covered with Indian police shields and knups rain shields
- Alex Tieghi-Walker serves a second term as curator of the Brompton Design District, preparing a pop-up library on queer creativity
- Four winners of the annual London Design Medals were announced
- Dedar opens FOCUS/26 at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour with a full-length Vesi Liberi installation
- Rubelli introduces Kieffer's collection '4' with Formafantasma, including fabrics Wild, Pebble Beach, Fem and Layers
- Isabel + Helen's Motion Sickness at The Conran Shop, 16 Sloane Square, marks ten years of the duo's work
Entities
Artists
- Rosa Bertoli
- Olly Mason
- Ali Morris
- Jamilah Rose-Roberts
- Alex Tieghi-Walker
- Tom Dixon
- Isabel + Helen
Institutions
- London Design Festival
- Wallpaper*
- Studio Saar
- Atelier One
- Secure
- Somerset House
- Dedar
- Design Centre Chelsea Harbour
- Rubelli
- Kieffer
- Formafantasma
- The Conran Shop
- Burberry
- Cartier
- Coal Office
- Vispring
- London Craft Week
- Maison & Objet
- The Italian Cultural Institute
- Clippings
- Zaha Hadid Design
- Kartell
- Frieze Art Fair
- Chart Architecture Award
- Dutch Design Awards
- Danish Design Awards
- 3 Days of Design
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Udine
- Italy
- Strand Aldwych
- India
- Sloane Square
- Copenhagen
- London SW10 0XF
- London SW1W 8ER
- London N1C 4PQ