Curbed: All Posts by Ali Morris
Love where you live
2019-03-06T09:00:00-05:00
https://archive.curbed.com/authors/alimorris8266981/rss
2019-03-06T09:00:00-05:00
2019-03-06T09:00:00-05:00
The 21 best things to do in London if you love design
<figure>
<img alt="A street in London. There are various buildings lining the street. At the end of the street is a historic building with a domed roof and columns." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pKx9puASujtINlJiu-UgkXeHYUQ=/320x0:5440x3840/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63190761/GettyImages_923317900.1551880891.jpg" />
<figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here’s what to see after you’ve ogled Big Ben</p> <p id="qZMmRu">Crammed with galleries, museums, studios, and design stores, the sprawling, multifaceted city of London offers design-minded visitors an almost endless list of activities. There are the usual suspects, of course, like the British Museum and the Millennium Bridge, but London is also brimming with secret gems you’re not likely to find on a standard tour of the city.</p>
<p id="89Jnbh">To avoid overload, we’ve highlighted 21 of the most inspiring spots, from don’t-miss-’em landmarks to off-the-beaten-path galleries, parks, and neighborhoods in the English capital, arranged roughly from west to east.</p>
<p id="MW4jf2">Looking for things to eat in London? <a href="https://www.eater.com/london">Our sister site, Eater, has you covered</a>.</p>
https://archive.curbed.com/maps/design-architecture-things-to-do-in-london
Ali Morris
2017-09-26T11:47:00-04:00
2017-09-26T11:47:00-04:00
London Design Festival 2017: Highlights from the city’s annual design fair
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H-hO8ZzIUXWYX9qzxkdZMuLG5X0=/125x0:1384x944/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56859967/peter_0006_003_85a0407.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>A peek at fashion designer Peter Pilotto’s installation in the Brompton Design District. | Photo by Angus Mill Photography</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In its 15th year, the English capital’s design fair steps up its game</p> <p id="SFzbyF">London Design Festival (LDF), like New York’s springtime Design Week, generally takes a backseat to <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2017/4/13/15250658/salone-del-mobile-2017-milan-design-week-awards-ranking">Milan’s higher-trafficked annual bacchanal</a> of all things design.</p>
<p id="CQIwr5">But this year’s LDF marked the city’s 15th edition—and as the fair approached its final weekend, it was clear that the English capital was working to stake a claim to thought-provoking, visually arresting, flat-out-fun design. Here, we take a look back at this year’s London Design Festival highlights.</p>
<h3 id="hB9FfO">New Generation</h3>
<p id="YSs2sW">A new guard of London designers united by their fearless approach to pattern and colour took center stage at London Design Festival this year. French by birth, but distinctly East London in spirit, <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2017/8/30/16226400/camille-walala-memphis-design-playground-mural">Camille Walala created a pattern-covered bouncy castle</a> in London's straight-laced Broadgate neighborhood. Covered in her unmistakable Walala graphics—a sort of modern day Memphis—the inflatable structure was one of the Festival's landmark installations.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ddVJk_GhkNoEqNK5Dzdmke_EUlQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9329117/unnamed__4_.1504107616.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Andy Stagg</cite>
<figcaption>Camille Walala’s Memphis-inspired playground in London’s Broadgate neighborhood.</figcaption>
</figure>
<div id="MvziLe">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZejJ6_g7SC/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">HELP!!! I want to donate this playground to a school in London , can you recommend a school that needs this playground!!?!! Please share </a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by YINKA ILORI Studio (@yinka_ilori) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-09-25T20:25:30+00:00">Sep 25, 2017 at 1:25pm PDT</time></p>
</div></blockquote>
<script async="" defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
</div>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WYCPoYrVaxsIEXlNjqJ4tll6MKs=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9329449/yes.jpg">
<cite>Photo courtesy Yinka Ilori</cite>
<figcaption>Designer Yinka Ilori.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="8ZjTlx">Also prolific was Londoner <a href="http://yinkailori.com/">Yinka Ilori</a>, whose <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2015/9/23/9918268/yinka-ilori-if-chairs-could-talk">distinctive, narrative-filled designs</a> were the star of not one, not two, but three shows across the festival. Ilori’s work included in a brightly colored playground at Citizen M hotel, a series of one-of-a-kind chairs made with social enterprise Restoration Station, and an installation called “A Large Chair Does Not Make A King,” which was commissioned by London’s Africa Centre. </p>
<h3 id="MsgCDu">More is More</h3>
<p id="avwAgr">In a refreshing move away from the Scandinavian-inspired minimalism that has dominated for so long, Milanese designers <a href="http://www.dimorestudio.eu/">Dimore Studio</a> created five hedonistic rooms inside London art gallery Mazzoleni. Viewed through circular openings in the wall, each room set was crammed with rich pattern, color, texture, and vintage furniture. Empty beer bottles, pills, and playing cards were left scattered around, hinting at the debauched lifestyle of each room’s absent occupants.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jlw60WS6Up02pOUyg3WgnMkb-cc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9329859/peter_0006_003_85a0407.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Angus Mill Photography</cite>
<figcaption>Peter Pilotto took over three stories of a Victorian townhouse during London Design Festival.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Cj7zsU">Over in the Brompton design district, womenswear label Peter Pilotto commandeered three stories of a Victorian townhouse, filling it with vibrant work by a carefully selected crew of artists and designers. Set against a backdrop of clashing pastel walls and carpets were sumptuous rugs by <a href="http://maxlamb.org/">Max Lamb</a>, opulent glass chandeliers by <a href="http://www.bethanlaurawood.com/">Bethan Laura Wood</a>, Button Top stools by <a href="http://martinogamper.com/">Martino Gamper</a>, and, of course, Pilotto’s own intricately embroidered clothes arranged across rails.</p>
<h3 id="BEcawf">Monochrome</h3>
<p id="8t0fOv">The theme of immersive environments continued with <a href="http://fayetoogood.com/">Faye Toogood</a> and <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2016/4/18/11451220/lee-broom-milan-design-week-salone">Lee Broom</a> but in a distinctly more monochromatic fashion. In a disused garage space flooded with an ethereal natural light from its glass roof, Faye Toogood conjured an all-white show space filled with creamy colored furniture and artworks that evoked a sense of lightness. The pieces—each donated by a different designer in exchange for one of Toogood’s signature Spade chairs—included a hanging glass sculpture by Andere Monjo and series of Square Lights by Peter Marigold.</p>
<div id="WS7EyK">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZYqVKdFSUV/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">The Trade Show 16 – 24 September 10am – 6pm daily, The Garage, 1 North Terrace, London, SW3 2BA #ldf17 #thetradeshow #fayetoogood #bromptondesigndistrict #ldf17 @brompton_design_district @l_d_f_official</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Toogood (@t_o_o_g_o_o_d) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-09-23T13:32:46+00:00">Sep 23, 2017 at 6:32am PDT</time></p>
</div></blockquote>
<script async="" defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
</div>
<div id="VcQx97">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:33.30078125% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZQvcxMgvmI/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Now you see it, now you don't. ON REFLECTION, an exhibition that plays with your mind is now open 20th-24th September at the #leebroom store on Rivington St, Shoreditch #trickery #opticalillusion #onreflection #ldf17 @l_d_f_official @shoreditchdt @lukehayes_uk</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Lee Broom (@leebroom) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-09-20T11:43:34+00:00">Sep 20, 2017 at 4:43am PDT</time></p>
</div></blockquote>
<script async="" defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
</div>
<p id="iJO8DN">Meanwhile, in east London’s Shoreditch, Lee Broom created an atmospheric all-black installation in celebration of his studio’s ten-year anniversary. Called ‘On Reflection’, the pieces were displayed in a fire-lit black room at the designer’s studio. On the far wall, what at first glance appeared to be a grid of mirrors turned out to be an identical mirrored room set that only became obvious when visitors realized that their own reflection was absent in the mirror.</p>
<h3 id="J46exJ">Plastic Fantastic</h3>
<p id="2shNZB">Jesmonite was named as the material of the year at London Design Fair but elsewhere recycled waste materials were used aplenty. At <a href="http://www.londondesignfestival.com/designfrontiers">Design Frontiers</a>, in Somerset House, new brand Pentatonic launched a range of customizable furniture made entirely from recycled materials, including plastics, cans, and smartphone screens.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RAf_ggumDkHPvUqvRdEotmXZGLE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9329551/pentatonic_launch_flat_pack_furniture_sustainable_design_dezeen_2364_col_5_1704x1136.jpg">
<cite>Photo courtesy Pentatonic</cite>
<figcaption>New brand Pentatonic launched a range of customizable furniture made entirely from recycled materials.</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/exaeNnnBY8c25sEtoagSduKr0qk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9329571/ace_hotel_ready_made_go_collection_london_design_festival__dezeen_hero_852x479.jpg">
<cite>Photo courtesy Ready Made Go</cite>
<figcaption>Items by Michael Marriott, James Shaw, and Soft Baroque in the Ready Made Go show at London’s Ace Hotel.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="10E1Hi">Over at the Ace Hotel, the third edition of Ready Made Go, curated by Laura Houseley of Modern Design Review magazine, showcased six new products by five London-based designers. A stool by <a href="http://www.michaelmarriott.com/">Michael Marriott</a> was made using Smile Plastics—a product manufactured from waste materials such as recycled food packaging; design duo Soft Baroque teamed with Alusid—a company that makes a natural stone-like surface material made from recycled ceramics and glass elements from old television sets; and a set of cake stands by James Shaw made from 100 percent recycled polymers that are melted and squeezed through a hand-held extrusion gun.</p>
<h3 id="FSdKbn">Culinary Delights</h3>
<p id="S4MQqN">At the launch of Christopher Jenner’s new Epicurean silverware collection made in collaboration with heritage British silverware brand E&Co, the designer worked with culinary designer Ido Garini of Studio Appétit to create a series of five styled compositions.</p>
<p id="5i9DIf">Laid out across a vast dining table, each mise-en-scène was presented within a wooden frame, with the silverware arranged alongside the ingredients that inspired its design, such as cheese, honey, salt, and rice. In addition, Studio Appétit created a tasting menu of intensely flavored cubes inspired by the pieces; one such cube, crystalized honey, accompanied the honey pot. A cheese-and-stout cube represented the cheese knife.</p>
<div id="PzjsEE">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZLDETuhqH4/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">#christopherjenner #productdesign today we launch our new #epicureanexperience in #collaboration with @elkingtonandco during @l_d_f_official on view from 12pm today @thomasgoode_uk 18-22 September 19 #southaudleystreet part of @mayfairdesigndistrict with #scénographie by @studioappetit pictured here the #cheeseknife with #hammered handle and the #oilandvinegar stand</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Christopher Jenner (@christopherjennerdesign) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-09-18T06:39:33+00:00">Sep 17, 2017 at 11:39pm PDT</time></p>
</div></blockquote>
<script async="" defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
</div>
<p id="qITFqa"> </p>
<p id="sdtSOX">Garini’s talents were also in demand over at the German Gymnasium in Kings Cross, where Conran + Partners hosted a food and design exhibition exploring culinary rituals. Centered around a black-and-gold, 20-foot-tall “food worship monument,” tastings ran throughout the week with guests tucking into killer cocktails served in hand-crafted cups and deconstructed black forest gâteaus eaten using bespoke cutlery designed by the Dutch studio.</p>
<p id="GS9N2I"></p>
https://archive.curbed.com/2017/9/26/16363024/london-design-festival-2017-highlights
Ali Morris
2017-06-20T14:23:31-04:00
2017-06-20T14:23:31-04:00
New Serpentine Galleries pavilion by Francis Kéré celebrates London rain
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eJ_1aSvJ6-MGA5PoxeEdVz4A-vo=/366x0:5699x4000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55353829/serpentine_fka_5002.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>© Kéré Architecture, Photography © 2017 Iwan Baan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This year’s annual architecture folly takes its rounded form from the baobab tree</p> <div><div id="qkirmK"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3hmT3OAllgs?rel=0&amp;controls=2" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="mQA5WG">It’s that time of the year again: the 2017 <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/19/15833740/architecture-zaha-hadid-serpentine-pavilion-pop-up-bjarke-ingels">Serpentine Galleries pavilion</a>, an annual Instagram phenom of an architectural folly, is here. </p>
<p id="j6WkaX">For the Serpentine’s 17th temporary pavilion, which opens to the public on Friday, June 23 in London’s Kensington Gardens, Berlin-based architect <a href="http://www.kere-architecture.com/">Diébédo Francis Kéré</a> conjured a joyful, tree-shaped structure that works together with its verdant surroundings.</p>
<p id="c7c7Ey">Known for his socially engaged architecture, Kéré has built several education and health facilities across his home country of Burkina Faso, where his buildings—with their clean lines, simple materials, and elemental beauty, have created an essential infrastructure. His expertise lies in creating low-cost buildings that adapt to the local climate and are built using local materials and traditional techniques.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><div id="tDj1PQ">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVkfG2qgKec/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Congratulations #FrancisKere on your stunning @serpentineuk Pavilion as seen in #FriezeProjects 2016 #OpernDorfAfrika</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Nathan CG (@followaginger) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-06-20T17:40:00+00:00">Jun 20, 2017 at 10:40am PDT</time></p>
</div></blockquote>
<script async="" defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
</div></div>
<p id="nkcxwb">“I believe that architecture has the power to surprise, unite, and inspire all, while mediating important aspects such as community, ecology and economy,” he says.</p>
<p id="uuvO3X">With this latest project, Kéré demonstrates how his architecture can make a seamless transition from Burkina Faso’s red clay soils to the Serpentine’s manicured lawn. “In Burkina Faso, I am accustomed to being confronted with climate and natural landscape as a harsh reality,” he said. “For this reason, I was interested in how my contribution to this Royal Park could not only enhance the visitor’s experience of nature, but also provoke a new way for people to connect with each other.”</p>
<p id="B9KCmH">Realized in a simple material palette of concrete, steel, polycarbonate, and timber, the pavilion’s low-lying circular form is inspired by baobab trees, a species native to Kéré’s hometown of Gando. Characterized by their chubby trunks and a flat canopy of branches, the baobab trees function as meeting places for the community.</p>
<p id="m2eeDW">“Like the shade of the tree branches, the pavilion becomes a place where people can gather and share their daily experiences,” explains Kéré.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kxgstTmlACl91cJw2oYrjYVaHt4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8718851/serpentine_fka_4394.jpg">
<cite>© Kéré Architecture, Photography © 2017 Iwan Baan</cite>
</figure>
<p id="7WxvCN">An overhanging timber roof, supported by a steel structure and covered with a transparent skin, offers dappled shade and allows air to circulate. "Wherever you turn, there are openings” said Kéré of the design. “We wanted you to still be connected to nature.” </p>
<p id="Hm8U7a">Underneath this canopy, four bright-blue curved walls made of prefabricated wooden blocks wrap the space. Assembled in triangular modules that have slight gaps and apertures between them, the design allows air to circulate while creating a sense of lightness. Indigo blue, Kéré explained, is an important color in his country’s culture. “If you have the chance to do something like I did here you come with your best color, you show yourself from your best side. This is indigo blue.” </p>
<p id="t1VJof">At the pavilion’s center lies a circular open air courtyard. Here, the roof slopes downwards like a tree trunk, funneling rainwater into an underfloor drainage system, where it will be collected and used to irrigate the park. Somewhat uncharacteristically, London’s famed rain didn’t make an appearance at this morning’s viewing.</p>
<p id="pGN8X3">“I hope it will rain soon,” laughed Kéré during his address to the crowd. “You will be safe and protected by the structure, and you will see the effect of a waterfall, here in the middle of the pavilion. I wanted to celebrate water, even in London.”</p>
<p id="6pxHPn">“Water is a precious gift. Here we are able to collect 9,000 liters of water that will be used for the park. It is real.”</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Francis Kéré’s Serpentine Pavilion 2017" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/67VfD2kiC1Npe7jy7sG5UuJyzDE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8718855/serpentine_fka_5452.jpg">
<cite>© Kéré Architecture, Photography © 2017 Iwan Baan</cite>
</figure>
<p id="XEE1iQ">In the evening, the pavilion’s open structure becomes a source of light, with the perforated walls providing glimpses of activity within. “In my home village of Gando, it is always easy to locate a celebration at night by climbing to higher ground and searching for the source of light in the surrounding darkness,” reflects Kéré. “In this way, the pavilion will become a beacon of light, a symbol of storytelling and togetherness.”</p>
<p id="ERCGqY">The pavilion is open to the public in London’s Kensington Gardens from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, October 8.</p>
<p id="acVdQc"></p>
https://archive.curbed.com/2017/6/20/15840948/serpentine-galleries-pavilion-2017-diebedo-francis-kere
Ali Morris
2016-11-23T15:31:28-05:00
2016-11-23T15:31:28-05:00
London Design Museum's new home mixes spontaneity and grandeur
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NrDkwXv5g6-7IMQ-bGHHgqn1YsY=/418x0:3366x2211/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63187818/shutterstock_535211356.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Shutterstock</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The new building, by John Pawson and OMA, replaces the museum’s old space near the Thames River</p> <p id="MBFLq6">It’s been just over four years since ground broke on the London <a href="http://designmuseum.org/">Design Museum’s</a>’ new Kensington High Street address, but the institution’s new home has been ten years in the making. </p>
<p id="YH1GgD">Sites at the Tate, the V&A, Kings Cross and even a possible spot just down the road from its former home in Shad Thames all failed to make the grade. Then, serendipitously, a largely forgotten Grade II-listed cultural exhibition and conference center built in the 1960s became available.</p>
<p id="Bqnmov">Now with its public opening just days away (on Thursday, November 24), the former Commonwealth Institute’s £83 million (about $102 million) makeover is finally complete—an occasion that the Design Museum’s 85 year-old founder, <a href="http://www.conran.com/">Sir Terence Conran</a>, describes as “the most important moment in my career in design…so far.”</p>
<p id="kZPCVa">Set back from the road and flanked by a complex of three OMA-designed orthogonal residential blocks and a public plaza with fountains, the modernist building’s structural refurbishment was worked on by a duo of architectural heavyweights—OMA and Allies and Morrison, alongside Arup.</p>
<p id="BwQBV7">Over the course of four years, the original concrete floors were removed, the blue glazed facade was replaced to comply with today’s building standards, and the basement was excavated to increase the available floor area.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9fD8eh_QB1u3h-tJ_pw92nlixy0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15651420/shutterstock_1310467043.jpg">
<cite>Shutterstock</cite>
</figure>
<p id="4e680r">Three times bigger than the Museum’s former home at Shad Thames, the new space offers up 10,000 square meters (nearly 108,000 square feet) of space in which the team hopes to welcome 650,000 visitors each year. “Our audiences range from school children to those who know a lot about the subject,” says Design Museum Director Deyan Sudjic,. “We see the Design Museum as a forum to explore the impaapct of the rapid changes that design is bringing to our society.”</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="ALKylO"><q>The result is a space that, despite its lofty proportions, has a sense of informality about it.</q></aside></div>
<p id="KNyg4i">Inside, John Pawson has created a series of galleries in his typically sensitive and subtle style: Two double-height temporary gallery spaces are located on the ground and lower- ground floors; the former hosts “Fear and Love,” curated by Justin McGuirk, and the latter the Beazley Designs of the Year. A free permanent collection display, designed by Morag Myerscough and called “Designer Maker User,” sits on the third floor. As well as the galleries, an auditorium, offices, a library, an archive, and educational spaces all feed off a cathedral-like central atrium.</p>
<p id="DllbGB">But it’s the building’s original hyperbolic, paraboloid roof that still manages to grab all of the attention. Aa As it swoops downwards into the atrium space, it draws, drawing visitors’ eyes upwards as they circle their way around the angular <a href="http://dinesen.com/">Dinesen</a> oak staircases and walkways to the top.</p>
<p id="ltMSJj">“We wanted this idea of going up through the building like an opencast mine,” explains Pawson of the square spiral layout. “It was to make a building that was really wonderful for people, as well as objects.”</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ullsAJiKXmOy1vYzthQdaDqHJOY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15651892/shutterstock_1310467031.jpg">
<cite>Shutterstock</cite>
</figure>
<p id="2N4L17">The result is a space that, despite its lofty proportions, has a sense of informality about it. The glow of the softly lit handrails on the oak-lined walls and padded-leather bench seating built into the main staircase create an inviting space for visitors to come and sit a while, to sketch, or just soak in the space. As Sir Terence Conran commented at the media preview this week, “Design is about optimism and that’s what this space is about. It’s clean, fresh, well lit, friendly and full of surprises; I feel like I’d like to live here.” </p>
<p id="mtfrc2">On the Museum’s top floor, Parabola, a peaceful cafe by day and a restaurant by evening, is catered by Sir Terence’s food, wine, and hotel group Prescott and Conran and created by <a href="http://barberosgerby.com/">Barber & Osgerby’s</a> Universal Design Studio, steered by Irenie Cossey, design project leader. Bridging the space between the museum’s glazed facade and the central atrium, Parabola provides diners with views out over the treetops of Holland park on one side and a view down into the museum on the other.</p>
<p id="6EnMTK">“It was really about facilitating the views, making the space feel right and designing and supplying pieces of furniture which don’t interrupt but keep that feeling of being dual aspect,” says Osgerby of the subdued design, which seamlessly blends into Pawson’s scheme.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kumDc0MsYkENWF7he30YEkk7gps=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15652131/shutterstock_541444717.jpg">
<cite>Shutterstock</cite>
</figure>
<p id="5ZeHju">Customized archive furniture from <a href="https://www.vitra.com/en-us/home">Vitra</a> and <a href="http://www.artek.fi/">Artek</a> graces the space in a calming palette of dark blue, forest green, and oak, while a new wireless table lamp called ‘“Bellhop’”—designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos—has been specially created for the space. Nodding to the building’s ’60s origins, a row of Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni’s 1962 Taccia lamps sit atop a sweeping pewter bar—a piece that was custom- made by British manufacturer Benchmark, as was the banquette seating and waiter stations.</p>
<p id="6vzVZd">In the opposite corner of the building’s top floor is the Design Museum Members’ Room, also designed by Universal Design Studio. Closed off from the atrium, the Members’ Room is an altogether more intimate affair, with dark lounge seating, mirrored walls, and a single aspect that overlooks the park.</p>
<p id="97vSbA">Inevitably, there are hard-line modernists that mourn the loss of some of the building’s original Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners-designed features: the striking space-age mezzanine that used to sit in the atrium’s centre being one of them—but the trade-up benefits all parties. This welcoming museum space has not only secured the preservation and continued enjoyment of this spectacular architectural treasure, but has created an opportunity to create a truly global center centre for design and architecture.</p>
<p id="iXuakK"></p>
https://archive.curbed.com/2016/11/18/13676810/design-museum-london-john-pawson-oma
Ali Morris
2015-09-29T16:00:01-04:00
2015-09-29T16:00:01-04:00
8 London Design Festival 2015 Trends We Loved
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r4WPGBjiDrT9KjFE1Nd9khRXU24=/222x0:3778x2667/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48740115/curbed_placeholder.54.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Each year, when the <strong>London Design Festival</strong> rolls into town it grows bigger, more inspiring, and <strong>a little more unwieldy</strong> than the year before. This year's event took place over the course of 9 days in hundreds of beautiful—and some hidden—locations across the city. The diverse program of over <strong>400 exhibitions and events</strong> covers not just furniture, but everything under design's vast umbrella from <strong>fashion</strong> to architecture, art and technology.</p>
<p> With so many inspiring sights to see, we set out armed with a well-thumbed festival guide and wearing our most comfortable pair of shoes to connect the dots to bring you the emerging trends and key themes from this year's showcase.<br><style>.site-cna .post .post-title { width: 1000px !important; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top:6px } .site-cna .post h1.post-title a { font-size:35px !important} .site-cna #leadintro { width:1000px; font-size:16px } .site-cna .post .post-body .post-more {width:660px;} .site-cna .post .post-body img.bigpic {width:640px; max-width:640px !important; height:auto } .site-cna .post .post-body #leadphoto {width:640px; max-width:640px !important; height:auto } .site-cna .post .post-body .pullquote { float:right; width:250px; margin: 0 0 10px 14px !important; padding: 8px 4px; font-family:TradeGothicLTStdBoldCondensed; Helvetica, Arial; font-size:32px !important; line-height: 35px !important; border-top: 4px double #FF0000; border-bottom: 4px double #FF0000; } .post p { font-size: 17px; line-height:27px; margin-bottom:10px } .post h3 { font-family:TradeGothicLTStdBoldCondensed; Helvetica, Arial; font-weight:normal; font-size:38px; width: 640px; padding: 18px 0; } .post h4 { font-family:TradeGothicLTStdBoldCondensed; Helvetica, Arial; font-weight:normal; font-size:36px; width: 660px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-top:14px; } .site-cna .post .post-title { font-size:36px !important; width: 660px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top:6px; line-height:40px !important } .post-metadata {margin-top: 500px !important } #column-right { padding-top: 126px } .post .post-body object, .post .post-body img { max-width: inherit !important; } .firstcharacter { float: left; color: #FF0000; font-size: 75px; line-height: 60px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 8px; padding-left: 3px;</style></p>
<p> <strong>1. Technology</strong>: <br><em>A plethora of digital brands explored the intersection of technology and design</em>.</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Strategy-led industrial design company <a href="http://mapprojectoffice.com/">Map</a> showcased recent projects, including <a href="http://www.kano.me/screen">Kano</a> , a portable HD display you can <strong>make yourself</strong> as an interactive exhibition (↑)</p>
<p> Elsewhere, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516509&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Fus%2F&referrer=archive.curbed.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.curbed.com%2F2015%2F9%2F29%2F9916172%2Flondon-design-festival-2015-trends" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Samsung</a> <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2015/09/17/samsung-serif-tv.php">launched a lightweight television</a> with a super-slim I-shaped profile designed by the French <a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/">Bouroullec Brothers</a> (↓)...</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> British designer <a href="http://www.benjaminhubert.co.uk/">Benjamin Hubert</a> relaunched his studio under the name of 'Layer' and outlined plans to <strong>take a more holistic approach to design</strong> through the production of <strong>human-focused software and technology-based products</strong>...</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> ...while <a href="https://www.punkt.ch/en/technology-tamed/">Punkt</a> went back to basics with a new <a href="http://www.jaspermorrison.com/">Jasper Morrison</a>-designed cell phone that can <strong>only make and receive calls and SMS messages</strong> (↑).</p>
<p> <strong>2. Mass customization</strong>:<br><em>Customization is king for the industry's new online furniture brands.</em></p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Jason Goldberg's <strong>customizable, flat-pack furniture brand</strong> <a href="http://www.hem.com">Hem</a> popped up in Covent Garden (↑) with a slick retail outfit where customers were able to try out Hem's products in person while playing with the customization tools and features on the brand's website via a set of <strong>touch screen devices</strong>...</p>
<p> New customizable-furniture brand <strong>Tylko</strong> <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2015/06/24/tylko-furniture-app-augmented-reality.php">showed off its newly-launched</a> Yves Behar table and augmented reality-enabled app...</p>
<p> …while high-end modular furniture brand <a href="http://www.beynon.co">Beynon</a> launched its 'infinitely configurable' system at Design Junction (pictured at top).</p>
<p> <strong>3. Built for </strong><a href="https://instagram.com/l_d_f_official/"><strong>Instagram</strong></a><br><em>Photogenic installations bridged the physical and digital realms.</em></p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> London creative studio <strong>Patternity</strong>'s limited-edition collection of digital stationery for <strong>Paperless Post</strong> was brought to life in the form of an interactive installation at Somerset House. Mimicking the stationery's bold black and white graphics, <a href="https://patternity.org/">Patternity</a> packed a room full of playful, pattern-covered foam shapes that visitors could roam amongst and, of course, take the perfect London Design Festival selfie.</p>
<div> <p><br></p>
</div>
<p> And who could resist snapping <strong>Matteo Fogale</strong> and <strong>Laetitia de Allegri</strong>'s Mise en Abyme installation at the <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/">Victoria and Albert Museum</a>, with its Instagram-happy layers of <strong>pastel-hued acrylic</strong>? (↑)</p>
<p> <strong>4. Ceramics took center stage</strong><br><em>Innovative new ceramic collections were at every turn this year.</em></p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Brooklyn-based <a href="http://jasonmiller.us/">Jason Miller</a> who displayed his latest glazed-stoneware pieces (↑) at the Shoreditch outpost of London design store <a href="http://www.scp.co.uk/">SCP</a>...</p>
<p> ...and Reiko Kaneko, who showcased the results of her recent experiments with reactive glazes on fine bone china. (↓)</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> But by far the <strong>most ambitious ceramic adventure</strong> came from <a href="http://www.barnabybarford.co.uk/">Barnaby Barford</a>, whose Tower of Babel—a six-meter-high (nearly 20 feet) tower of <strong>3,000 London shops made out of bone china</strong> installed at the V&A—was a festival highlight (↑)</p>
<p> <strong>5. Material of the moment: Jesmonite </strong><br><em>Lightweight, fiberglass alternative </em><em><strong>Jesmonite</strong></em><em> found its way into three standout pieces.</em></p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Renowned for her Jesmonite vessels and coasters, Swedish sculptor <a href="http://hildahellstrom.se/">Hilda Hellström</a> upped her game with a impressive mountain-shaped sculpture installed at the Hoi Polloi restaurant at the <a href="https://www.acehotel.com/london">Ace hotel in Shoreditch</a> (↑).</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Meanwhile London-based product designer <a href="http://www.prin.in/">Ariane Prin</a> mixed plaster, Jesmonite, and metal dust to create a line of gorgeous rust-colored homeware pieces (↑)... </p>
<p> </p>
<p> ...and deviating from his usual refined wood pieces, <a href="http://pinchdesign.com/">Russell Pinch</a>'s show-stopping <strong>Nim</strong> table is made from hand-painted Jesmonite with a textured surface that transitions from rough to smooth (↑).</p>
<p> <strong>6. Recycled materials</strong><br><em>Proving that recycled products don't have to look like they're made from trash.</em></p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Curated by new research studio Matter, East London shop <a href="http://onegooddeedtoday.com/">One Good Deed Today</a> hosted an exhibition of material-driven design projects that included a pair of Adidas sneakers (↑) made using waste harvested from the ocean.</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Continuing the theme over at 19 Greek Street, Aussie designers Sarah King and Liane Rossler of <a href="http://supercyclersarego.blogspot.com/">Supercyclers</a> exhibited a set of Bento boxes made from marine debris collected in Australia (↑).</p>
<p> <strong>7. Light shows</strong><br><em>Impressive interactive illuminations steal the show.</em></p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Hung in the center of a room at the V&A, <a href="http://www.mischertraxler.com/">Mischer'Traxler</a>'s Curiosity Cloud was composed of 250 mouth-blown Lobmeyer glass globes (↑), each containing a <strong>hand-fabricated insect</strong>. As visitors moved through the room, the globs lit up and the insects sprang into life to beautiful, but slightly eerie, effect.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/76IxR4Kxj4/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">The new party prop; a piano that acts as a light switch. Installation by HEM for #LDF15</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A video posted by Thomas Aastad (@tomba79) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-09-21T21:51:52+00:00">Sep 21, 2015 at 2:51pm PDT</time></p> </div></blockquote>
<p></p>
<script async="" defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p> Meanwhile, in a darkened room over at Somerset House, <a href="http://curbed.com/tags/hem">Hem</a> installed a grand piano linked up to a row of 44 of its new <a href="http://nichettostudio.com/">Luca Nichetto</a>-designed <strong>Alphabeta pendant lamps</strong> that each turned on and off at the touch of a key.</p>
<p> <strong>8. Plant preoccupation</strong><br><em>The design industry's obsession with </em><em><strong>all things floral</strong></em><em> was channeled into a number of flower-focused collaborations.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> Over at Lee Broom's East London showroom, the in-house team turned their hand (with great success) to floristry, creating a series of impressive floral displays (↑) to mark the launch of Broom's new vase collection.</p>
<div> <p></p>
</div>
<p> Australian florist Simone Gooch of <a href="http://www.fjura.com/">Fjura</a> decorated designer Laetitia de Allegri's new ceramic pieces with striking florals (↑) in London's Brompton Design District...</p>
<p> </p>
<p> And Turkish designer <a href="http://bilgenursaltik.com/">Bilge Nur Saltik</a> turned the archetypal vase on its head quite literally with her line of hand-cut glass bell jars that turn single blooms into bouquets through their multifaceted surfaces.</p>
<p> ∙ <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2015/04/24/milan-design-trends-2015.php">The 9 Trends Cannibalizing the Interior Design Scene in 2015</a> [Curbed]<br>∙ <a href="http://curbed.com/tags/london-design-festival">All London Design Festival coverage</a> [Curbed]</p>
https://archive.curbed.com/2015/9/29/9916172/london-design-festival-2015-trends
Ali Morris