Studio Saar and Atelier One Unveil Pangolin Shield Pavilion at London Design Festival

Key facts

• The Pangolin Shield is the landmark project for London Design Festival 2026.
• It is designed by Studio Saar and structural engineers Atelier One, led by founder Neil Thomas.
• The pavilion is located on the pedestrianised part of The Strand outside Somerset House and near India House in London.
• It explores Britain and India's colonial history through a bamboo-grid shell covered with police shields and rain shields.
• The police shields are traditional Indian shields made from lathis (bamboo sticks), originally designed by British colonial rulers to suppress riots.
• The rain shields, called knups, are woven and traditionally used by farmers in Meghalaya, north-east India, the wettest place on Earth.
• The design was inspired by the pangolin, the world's most trafficked mammal, reflecting Ananya Singhal's work as a wildlife photographer and conservationist.
• The pavilion was damaged during transport from India to the UK and will be shown with an interior scaffold during LDF.
• The Pangolin Shield is on view at The Strand, WC2 1HL, from 12 to 20 September.
• Photography is by Taran Wilkhu.