Clerkenwell Design Week reviewed

It's been a hub of activity near the office this week as Clerkenwell Design Week kicked off in great style. So far we’ve managed to take a look at what’s on display in the Farmiloe Building, which provides a fantastic backdrop for the exhibitors to showcase their designs, with four floors of the building filled. The vast colours and textures on display from international interior design and architecture suppliers provide a stunning contrast to the exposed brickwork and floorboards of the elegant Victorian former glassworks.  

A few stands caught our eye including James Burleigh’s classic furniture with a modern twist and splashes of colour.

Duffy London made us smile with playful yet beautiful designs such as the UP dining table and the swinging chairs.    

The trail of showrooms and fringe events creates a really fun atmosphere and luckily the weather has stayed dry encouraging visitors to spill onto the streets with chatter and inspiration. A scenic walk up to the House of Detention was peppered with installations in gardens and pop up shops. The House of Detention was really exciting as it was underground, there was an acoustic performance and all the stands were in the cells of the Victorian Prison – a huge contrast for those who had just been to ExCel May Design Series! Particular favourites were Foundation Rugs graffiti style soft decorations; Mirror Glow’s beautiful pieces which really lended themselves to the surroundings and Merve Kahraman’s genius and luxurious furniture.

Clerkenwell Design Week has established itself as the UK’s leading independent design festival. The event finishes on Thursday 23rd May so there is still time to see what’s happening at any of the 60 showrooms taking part.

Mirare Maze Folly at Clerkenwell Design Week

This week is Clerkenwell Design Week, running from 21st to 23rd May. 

We have been sent this wonderful piece of work that is featured in the event, designed by Mobile Studio.

Called Mirare Maze Folly, the piece reinvents the classic garden maze, with walls that are made entirely of clear acrylic and uses plays on light and reflection.

The maze is a new addition to Mobile Studio's family of modular systems offering infinite size and configuration, retaining the idea of permeability and sitting almost like a ghost folly within the design festival.

Find out more about the maze and the design week here.

Clerkenwell Design Week

Next month will see the return of the Clerkenwell Design Week. The event is a showcase of architecture and design works from across the globe, with a focus on British designs.

Held in a variety of locations in the historic Central London area, it will see show regulars returning as well as some new faces such as Arper, Plumen and Foscarini.

Brands returning to the festival include Vitra, Knoll, Boss Design, Domus Tiles, Deadgood, Dare Studio, Jennifer Newman, Muuto, Magis, Zanotta, Johnson Tiles, and Dezeen.

The week takes place across 50 furniture showrooms and several special locations. The Farmiloe Building, a former Victorian merchants warehouse, will play host to high-profile international brands; The House of Detention, a subterranean Victorian prison, will form the festival’s hotspot for new designers, and the 12th century crypt and charming garden of the Priory of the Order of St John, will act as the hub for interior decoration trends.

Taking place the 21st to 23rd May 2013, it is the fourth time the event has taken over the area, being spread out over several different sites, and will offer talks, debates and parties throughout it's course.

To register for the event click here.

Solar tree installation at CDW

Another impressive installation at this year's Clerkenwell Design Week was the 'Solar Tree', designed by Ross Lovegrove and manufactured by Artemide.

The structure combined solar power with night LED lighting in London's St. John's Square during the week and provided visitors with a piece of urban furniture modelled on natural forms.

Comprising 20 'stems' which led to six leaf-like solar panels and four large LED lights, the installation functioned completely independently for up to three days and could feed energy back into the grid.

A great installation. Find out and see more on Design Boom.

images © Ashley Bingham (A&M photography)

Downstairs, in The Shed at Clerkenwell Design Week

A handbag?

Product design duo Maigrau’s tables were on display,  all made exclusively in Germany  - they’re just behind those large HANDBAGS which really grabbed us!  

Corking

Meanwhile our good friends Deadgood were showing their Cork Coffee Table – the PR team like objects that are made of cork and are rounded in shape…

A light touch - Clerkenwell Design Week Lighting Review

Review by Samantha Dawe, Director, The Think Tank

Clerkenwell Design Week 2012 basked in some very welcome warm sunshine but that didn’t stop us being inside and having a good look around.   Particularly this year it seemed that lighting was at the forefront of some intriguing design options and what was being shown would certainly create an impact in any space.  

As part of an expanded programme for CDW, a new site was included for exhibition space – the buildings and grounds of the Order of St John. Upstairs the light streamed through the stained glass windows but that did not dim the impact of Vessel Gallery’s display of unique and limited edition lighting.      


Whilst Tsai and Yoshikawa’s sculpted piece ‘Blooming Spark I’ was centre stage, each piece displayed was a work of art in its own right.  

 
 















While big is not always best, Guinness Book of Records holder Beau McClellan’s (world’s largest chandelier) eponymous company had presented a stunning large-scale lighting installation which hung in the Farmiloe Building and appeared to change colour.


     











































Looking down from the upper tier of the Building on this installation and the Anglepoise stand was a moment to savour.          



















The heat was rising but we took the plunge and continued to climb where we spotted Lightyears’ elegant lamps, highlighting the best qualities of minimalistic Scandinavian design. Simplicity is beautiful.  



                     















Alongside this Swedese, exhibiting we were told for the first time at CDW, was showing pieces launched at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair but again it was the lighting that caught our eye.  Maybe it was that the pieces lent themselves so well to creating atmosphere and intrigue in this quirky building where they seemed right at home.