New Design Museum Opens in London's Former Commonwealth Institute

London's new Design Museum opens November 24 in the iconic former Commonwealth Institute building between High Street Kensington and Holland Park. Three times larger than its previous site—a former banana warehouse south of the Thames—the new location features a spectacular parabolic roof and makes the institution founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1989 the world's largest museum dedicated exclusively to design. The £83 million relocation took nearly ten years, coordinated by director Deyan Sudjic. The modernist structure sits within a new residential complex designed by OMA, who partnered with Allies and Morrison for the delicate restoration of the reinforced concrete and glass envelope. British architect John Pawson, in his first public building, remodeled the interiors around a large central void with stepped ramps and three double-height exhibition levels clad in light oak. The inaugural exhibition, Fear & Love – reactions to a complex world, features 11 installations curated by Justin McGuirk. The permanent free exhibition Designer Maker User will display over 1,000 objects, introduced by the Crowdsourced Wall—a 6-meter grid of pieces chosen online by visitors. The basement hosts the Designs of the Year exhibition, an annual award since 1999. The museum aims for 650,000 visitors in its first year.