2021 London Design Medal winners announced

 Four London Design Medal winners were announced at a ceremony on 20 September at the Royal Exchange supported by Fortnum & Mason and No.3 Gin.  

2021 London Design Medal winners from left to right: Eyal Weizman MBE, Mac Collins,
Ilse Crawford CBE, and Michael Wolff.
Photography: Joyce Nicholls

Each year, London Design Festival recognises the contribution made by leading design figures and emerging talents to London and the industry.  The four London Design Medals awarded are The London Design Medal, Lifetime Achievement Medal, Emerging Design Medal, and Design Innovation Medal. A panel of established designers, industry commentators and previous winners meet to debate the possible recipients of the Medals. 

The 2021 Winners are: 

· London Design Medal:                    Ilse Crawford CBE         

· Design Innovation Medal:                Eyal Weizman MBE

· Emerging Design Medal:                 Mac Collins

· Lifetime Achievement Medal:          Michael Wolff

For full information on the medal winners, click HERE.

Also announced was the launch of the new London Design Festival Red Book that tells stories of the LDF21 and beyond. 

“We’ll give them a little Red Book, we said, for the festival in 2003 – so it’s taken a long time,” says founder and chairman Sir John Sorrell. 

Designed by Pentagram, the pages of this not-so-little Red Book show that in that time, London has continued to be a magnet for creativity. 

"We hope the Red Book brings together and celebrates the design community in London - and continues to inspire the next generation of designers, makers and brands that call London home, even if just for a week of September each year."

Meanwhile the Shoreditch Design Triangle’s District Day in East London is featuring all day a programme that includes an exploration of Gabriel Bouroullec, the father of the French designers Ronan and Erwan, at Jasper Morrison’s shop and human centric design at SCP.

On 22 September  at the Victoria & Albert Museum in Knightsbridge, there will be a full day of curated talks exploring themes from neuroscience to design and sustainability. From pioneering ideas to powering the home to creative ways to work with waste and design with materials.

Tom Dixon launches MATERIALITY as part of London Design Festival 2021

After a successful event in Milan last week, British designer for interior and home products Tom Dixon continues his Grand Tour of Europe in home turf this week as part of London Design Festival 2021.

Tom Dixon test-driving the new MASS four-poster bed. 
On display at Tom Dixon HQ, the new bed is adorned with Kvadrat’s new Sisu fabric, a thickly woven checked upholstery designed by Nanna Ditzel and Danh Vo.  Kvadrat’s Sisu fabric complements the warm brass tones of the MASS family.   Illuminating MASS is the new MELT chandeliers in golden hues.

From 18th to 26th September, Tom Dixon invites patrons to visit his Coal Office HQ, and explore the theme of MATERIALITY and enjoy a series of presentations and workshops.

Tom is launching the new MASS collection, a family of super-polished solid brass tables, coat and bookstands. Created exclusively for LDF is a limited-edition MASS 4-Poster bed that will be on display in the Gallery.

Also showcased in a designated room are cork sheets that clad the walls and the brand’s tables and stools, representing the versatility and innovative qualities of it as a material. 

Cork as a material is experiencing a resurgence in design and architecture since it is recyclable and carbon negative, as it can be harvested without harming the tree that it grows on.  

Cork sheets have been supplied by Amorim, the world's biggest cork processing group. The new PRESS collection, a family of accessories, pendants and surface lights made from thick and transparent ribbed glass, decorate the space.

Simultaneously, throughout the week from Monday – Friday, Tom Dixon’s Coal Office restaurant will be serving afternoon teas daily from the MASS Gallery. Head Chef, Nitai Shevach will be serving olive oil cake with pistachio cream and kadaifi crumble and cremeaux choux pastry with rose and pistachio. Accompanying the sweet bites will be Nyetimber Classic Cuvee MV and organic whole leaf teas by Cocoon Tea Artisans – creating the ultimate English afternoon tea experience by invitation only.   On Monday evening, Nyetimber will host a special introduction to their collection of English sparkling wines, alongside a private tour of the exhibition led by Tom Dixon.

For details of Tom Dixon's series of programmes, click HERE. 

All images from Tom Dixon.

London celebrates as design capital of the world featuring London Design Festival, London Fashion Week, Planted and Design London

Tin Drum debuts a ground-breaking new installation, Medusa, in The Raphael Court at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London's Knighsbridge as one of the main features to celebrate London Design Festival.
Produced in collaboration with acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, Medusa is an eminent visualisation of architecture in a Mixed Reality medium, examining the interrelation of nature and art.

The 19th edition of London Design Festival takes place across the city from 18-26 September 2021.

Design Districts are a key component of the Festival makeup with each Design District constituting a cluster of events within a short walking distance of each other, enabling visitors to navigate over 200 events and geography of the city. More information on each Design District coming soon.

With The Unboxing Show at King's Cross Design District, artist Peter Marigold is bringing back the nostalgia of creating cardboard models and highlighting the potential of the material that is usually considered as consumer waste. He has invited a global cohort of creatives to design an object that can be made in cardboard.

Confirmed Districts for LDF21 are Brompton; Clerkenwell; Design District at Greenwich Peninsula; Islington; Kings Cross; Mayfair; Park Royal; Shoreditch Design Triangle; Southwark South; William Morris Design Line (in Walthamstow that begins at Wood Street and ends at Blackhorse Road).

Concurrently London Fashion Week presented by Clearpay returns September 16-21 2021, joining in the celebration of the cultural reopening of London with an line-up of fashion and accessory designers.  Throughout the event, all digital content is available on the platform online with no log-ins or passwords required.

Meanwhile Design London 22-25 September 2021 is making its debut during London Design Festival 2021 to showcase a curated selection of cutting-edge furniture, lighting and contract interiors brands as well as collaborations with renowned and emerging designers.

Situated in Magazine London alongside a dynamic new Design District on Greenwich Peninsula, the inaugural Design London will feature a multitude of international brands, including esteemed Italian brands Ethimo Design; Penta and Artemide, Danish brand Fritz Hansen, as well as bespoke sculptural lighting company Cameron Design House who will reveal new contemporary brand Empty State. 

Defined by its modern architectural form, the venue provides a striking blank canvas for showcasing the very best in contemporary design, while functional and outdoor spaces provide a means for large-scale creative expression. Positioned on the banks of the River Thames, it offers uninterrupted views across Canary Wharf and is directly accessible by tube, road, river, air and cable car.

Highlights include “Discussions at Design London,” which will be opened by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori. He will welcome guests through a kaleidoscopic tunnel of colour, inviting them to take a seat in his joyfully-designed auditorium, Transparency in shades of colour. The line-up of speakers includes Henry Holland, Eley Kishimoto, and Pearson Lloyd.

Returning this year is Planted (23 to 26 September 2021 at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross) as part of LDF which is based around the principles of biophilic design, bringing together a talks programme, various installations and plant-based products, with a focus on sustainable design brands who are dedicated to preserving nature.

Another notable London venue is the Victoria &Albert museum in Knightsbridge which during 18 to 26 September is hosting projects, installations and exhibitions by designers that look at design and its relation to climate change, showcasing projects that explore a low-carbon future, the circular economy and climate justice. Installations include a collaboration between mixed reality studio Tin Drum and Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, who will premiere an installation called Medusa: Architecture + Reality.

Images from London Design Festival website.