London Design Festival 2017: Top and Flop Picks
The 15th edition of the London Design Festival wrapped up on September 24, 2017, after a span of 10 days, drawing in more than 3.3 million attendees since its inception in 2003. This year’s festival showcased over 400 exhibitions, five trade fairs, and spanned nine districts. Notable attractions included Ross Lovegrove's 'Transmission' at the V&A, Ineke Hans's 'The Last Salon' in Brompton, and 'Design Frontiers' at Somerset House, featuring prototypes from various designers. Sam Jacob Studio's 'Urban Cabin' by MINI LIVING was displayed in Bankside, while St Pancras Church hosted 'Enlightened Design II' focusing on lighting. Some events, such as the Design Medal exhibition at the V&A and 'Set in Stone' at the Design Museum, faced criticism for being formulaic, and the absence of designjunction's late-night party was noted.
Key facts
- London Design Festival 2017 ran from September 15 to 24, 2017.
- Over 3.3 million visitors from 75 countries have attended since 2003.
- More than 21,000 projects have been presented since inception.
- This edition featured over 400 events, five trade fairs, and nine districts.
- Ross Lovegrove's 'Transmission' used Alcantara fabric to create a 21-meter organic sculpture at the V&A.
- Ineke Hans' 'The Last Salon' proposed 12 future directions for furniture design.
- 'Design Frontiers' at Somerset House included prototypes from Form Us With Love, Superflex, Benjamin Hubert, and Jaime Hayon.
- Sebastian Cox presented mycelium-grown furniture.
- MINI LIVING's 'Urban Cabin' by Sam Jacob Studio included a shared kitchen and micro-library.
- 'Enlightened Design II' featured four Dutch light designers in St Pancras crypt.
- Design Medal winners were Margaret Calvert, Es Devlin, Paul Priestman, and Julian Melchiorri.
- 'Set in Stone' at the Design Museum lacked signage for works by Jasper Morrison, Sagmeister & Walsh, Michael Anastassiades, and Eduardo Souto de Moura.
- Camille Walala's 'Villa Walala' inflatable playground in Exchange Square required unsightly anchors due to weather.
- Nine districts participated: Bankside, Brompton, Brixton, Chelsea, Clerkenwell, Islington, Shoreditch, Mayfair, Pimlico Road.
- designjunction did not host its annual late-night party this year.
Entities
Artists
- Ross Lovegrove
- Ineke Hans
- Sebastian Cox
- Ninela Ivanova
- Sam Jacob
- Margaret Calvert
- Es Devlin
- Paul Priestman
- Julian Melchiorri
- Jasper Morrison
- Michael Anastassiades
- Eduardo Souto de Moura
- Camille Walala
- Benjamin Hubert
- Jaime Hayon
- Form Us With Love
- Superflex
- Sagmeister & Walsh
- Masanori Umeda
- Flynn Talbot
- Elias Anastas
- Yousef Anastas
- Vivienne Westwood
- Arik Levy
- Tord Boontje
- Britt Moran
- Emiliano Salci
- Max Fraser
- John Pawson
- Zaha Hadid
- Tom Dixon
- Paul Smith
- Gilthero
- Alison Brooks Architects
- dRMM
- David Bowie
Institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Brompton Design District
- Somerset House
- MINI LIVING
- St Pancras Church
- Design Museum
- Exchange Square
- London Design Festival
- London Design Medal Awards
- designjunction
- Artribune
- MINI
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Mazzoleni
- Dimoregallery
- 100% Design
- Design Junction
- London Design Fair
- Kvadrat
- Alcantara
- Barrisol
- Memphis
- V&A Engineering Season
- Triennale Design Museum
- London Design Biennale
- Landmark Project
- Designjunction
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Brompton Design District
- Somerset House
- Bankside
- St Pancras Church
- Design Museum
- Exchange Square
- Liverpool Street Station
- Granary Square
- Brixton
- Chelsea
- Clerkenwell
- Islington
- Shoreditch
- Mayfair
- Pimlico Road
- Broadgate
- City of London
- Prince Consort Gallery
- King's Cross
- East End
- Bethlehem
- Jerusalem
- Turin
- Italy
- Trafalgar Square
- Kensington
- Victoria Gardens
- Milan