London Design Festival 2022 – What Not To Miss

We love it at SPHERE when the London Design Festival returns every September. Now celebrating its 20th year, this week-long design extravaganza brings the city alive with thought-provoking installations and events highlighting London’s status as the design capital of the world. Whether you want to experience monumental art in public spaces, or simply to nose around some of the many exhibitions and retail experiences going on in every corner of the city, from Pimlico to Shoreditch, London Design Festival will show you London at its innovative best.

To celebrate the beehives on the rooftop of Fortnum & Mason French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, presents Mellifera: The Dancing Bees, an installation of swirling, 3D printed beehives, dancing through the stores atrium. Made from fermented sugar, the components of the installation are fully compostable and in the spirit of the circular economy will be reusable after the event. Individual components will be on sale following the Festival to raise funds to support the UK’s bee populations, with 50% of all proceeds donated to Bees for Development.

At Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly

Swivel, St Giles Square

Taking five minutes to sit at the busy base of the Brutalist Grade II listed Centre Point has become a viable moment of experiential design excellence thanks to Sophie Marcelis Swivel project. The Rotterdam-based designer has created 10 monumental rotating seats made from a selection of colourful travertines, quartzites and marbles that speak to the built up London landscape in which they sit, with nods to the new Elizabeth Line and Tottenham Court Road station, which are moments away.

At St Giles Square, Tottenham Court Road

Material Matters, Bankside

This brand new design fair taking place across all five floors of the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower is based on the critically acclaimed podcast of the same name. The show is positively teeming with designers, makers and manufacturers whose aim is to celebrate the value of materials of all kinds, with a focus on using waste and promoting circularity in design. The design fair is free and open to all, with prior registration required here.

Bargehouse at Oxo Tower

London Design Medal 2022

Each year, London Design Festival recognises the contribution made by leading design figures and emerging talents to London and the industry with four prestigious awards.  This year’s notable winners include Sphere’s favourite costume designer 14 times Oscar nominated and winner of three Oscars, Sandy Powell who receives the London Design Medal. The celebrated photographer Sir Don McCullin CBE, receives the Lifetime Achievement Medal.

Pearl, Central Saint Martins

The pearl has been one of the most enduring, playful elements of jewellery design for centuries, celebrated by Royalty and Punks alike. This exhibition taking place at Season Gallery on Brick Lane celebrates their multi-cultural appeal. The designers showing including Lin Cheung, Caroline Broadhead and Maria Militsi who all met through the Central Saint Martin’s BA Jewellery Design course.

Season, 92 Brick Lane, E1

Henge by LSI Stone, Stanton Williams and Webb Yates

If Somerset is a trip too far to experience the transcendence of a 150 million year old Jurassic limestone circle, Canary Wharf has the answer: Henge. Unlike the original, this circular form of equally ancient stone at Wren’s Landing features music and sound design to enhance the experience, and invites everyone inside to engage with it as a welcoming gathering place for relaxing and contemplation.

The London Design Festival runs until September 25th.