26 Sept/Opening of The Serpentine Sackler Gallery by Zaha Hadid/Serpentine/London

The Serpentine Sackler Gallery, designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Zaha Hadid, will open today for the preview and to the public on Saturday 28 September 2013. 

The Serpentine Sackler Gallery gives new life to The Magazine, a former 1805 gunpowder store, located five minutes walk from the Serpentine Gallery on the north side of the Serpentine Bridge. With 900 square metres of new gallery, restaurant and social space, the Serpentine's second space in Kensington Gardens will be a new cultural destination in the heart of London. From this autumn, the Serpentine will present its unrivalled programme of exhibitions and events across both Galleries and into the Park. 

The new Gallery is named after Dr Mortimer and Dame Theresa Sackler, whose Foundation has made the project possible through the largest single gift received by the Serpentine Gallery in its 43-year history. Major funding has also been awarded by Bloomberg, long term supporters of the Serpentine as well as sponsors of the opening exhibition. 

In 2010 the Serpentine Gallery won the tender from The Royal Parks to bring the Grade II* listed building into public use for the first time in its 208-year history. The Serpentine Gallery has restored the building to an excellent standard, in partnership with The Royal Parks, renovating and extending it to designs by Zaha Hadid. A light and transparent extension complements rather than competes with the neo-classical architecture of the original building. It is the Zaha Hadid Architects' first permanent structure in central London and continues a relationship between the Gallery and the architect, which began with the inaugural Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Commission in 2000. The landscape around the new building will be designed and planted by the world-renowned landscape artist Arabella Lennox-Boyd. 

The opening exhibition in the Serpentine Sackler Gallery is the first UK exhibition by the young Argentinian artist Adrián Villar Rojas, who is on the brink of gaining international renown for his dramatic, large-scale sculptural works. At the same time, in the Serpentine Gallery, there will be a major retrospective by Italian sculptor Marisa Merz, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Venice Biennale. A redesigned website will feature the inaugural Digital Commission, while the first annual Bridge Commission explores the route between the two galleries with a series of short stories by twelve internationally acclaimed writers. Each story is timed to last as long as it takes to walk from the Serpentine Gallery to the Serpentine Sackler Gallery. The Serpentine's expanded presence in Kensington Gardens will be illustrated by a specially commissioned map by the artist Michael Craig-Martin. 

more info:

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2013/07/serpentine_sackler_gallery_designed_by_zaha_hadid_to_open_september_2013.html

18 July-12 Oct/Richard Rogers Inside Out/Royal Academy of Arts/London

The last weeks to visit the exhibition Richard Rogers Inside Out is at Royal Academy.

Richard Rogers RA is one of the most successful and influential architects in the world. He is responsible for some of the most radical designs of the 20th century, including the Pompidou Centre in Paris (with Renzo Piano), Lloyd’s of London and the Law Courts in Bordeaux. 'Inside Out' reveals the man and the ideas behind these pioneering buildings. Richard Rogers RA is one of the most successful and influential architects in the world. He is responsible for some of the most radical designs of the 20th century, including the Pompidou Centre in Paris (with Renzo Piano), Lloyd’s of London and the Law Courts in Bordeaux. 'Inside Out' reveals the man and the ideas behind these pioneering buildings. To encourage visitors to engage in the debates and issues around architecture today, the final room in the exhibition is a space for dialogue and discussion, events and workshops, where visitors can share their views and hear from high-profile speakers in related fields. Also look out for Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Manufactured House in the courtyard through August until early September. This innovative, flat packed, environmentally efficient home is an example of how new building technologies can help shape better mass housing.

More info:

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/richard-rogers-ra-inside-out/

19-22 Sept / Designjunction / London Design Festival / London

For the second year, the voluminous industrial 1960s Postal Sorting Office in Holborn is the backdrop for designjunction, a design show presenting an edited selection of global brands and emerging companies. For its third edition spread over three enormous floors, the show not only brings together exhibitors of furniture, lighting and accessories but also pop-up shops, large-scale installations, eateries, flash factories, seminars and screenings.
This year, the organisers are placing greater emphasis on illumination with the launch of an area dedicated to high-end decorative lighting, suitably called ‘lightjunction’. Staged in partnership with experts Cameron Peters Fine Lighting, the show brings together international lighting brands to exhibit their beautiful yet practical lighting designs.

designjunction is one of the London Design Festival's most important design show, widely known as the global meeting point for the industry. From all corners of the world, brands flock to the must-visit destination, bringing a wealth of product launches and inspiring pieces with them.
Critically acclaimed designjunction is set to present the second edition of the premier design show during the London Design Festival this September. Well known for its uncompromising selection of leading global brands and smaller cutting-edge enterprises, designjunction is at the forefront of delivering innovative, authentic design and technology. Breaking the mould of the traditional trade show environment, designjunction strikes the balance between creative and commercial, inspiring visitors from all across the globe.

designjunction, which last year attracted more than 17,000 visitors, will showcase the very best in furniture, lighting and product design from around the world, presenting an edited selection of leading global brands and emerging enterprises. designjunction showcases design against a stunning industrial backdrop, striking a balance between creative and commercial, while offering a much-needed alternative to the traditional trade show.

This year, designjunction returns to the centrally-located 1960s Postal Sorting Office, where a powerful line-up of renowned international brands, smaller cutting-edge labels, pop-up shops, large-scale installations, eateries, flash factories, seminars and screenings will be presented across three floors of the impressive 120,000 sq ft venue.
designjunction will feature more than 150 brands – making it central London’s leading destination for contemporary design and the most important global meeting point of the Festival.
Since its inception 2011, designjunction has achieved global success, transporting satellite editions of the show to other destinations including Milan and more recently New York.



Opening Times:

Wednesday 18 Sept. Preview 4-6pm

Thursday 19 Sept. 10am-8pm

Friday 20 Sept. 10am-7pm

Saturday 21 Sept. 10am-6pm

Sunday 22 Sept. 10am-4pm


Address:

The Sorting Office 21-31 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1BA


More info:http://thedesignjunction.co.uk/

18 Sept / Late night opening / Fitzrovia Now / London Design Festival / London

The collective of design showrooms, stores and like minded restaurants and cafes that make up Fitzrovia Now will be again joining forces to put on a spectacular show for London Design Festival 2013. Fitzrovia, best known for its village atmosphere and bohemian vibe, is a hub of creativity with scores of design businesses, art galleries and independent restaurants and shops – the perfect place to gain inspiration. A stop off on the design trail definitely worth its weight, from its amazing eateries, art galleries, to the many inspiring design boutiques and well-known design showrooms and shops, you can experience it all in Fitzrovia.

Design Destination designjunction is a stone’s throw from Fitzrovia so once you have visited it is a short stroll to Tottenham Court Road, where you could pop into Heal’s perhaps then grab a quick bite along the way at Riding House Café, Bubble Dogs or Fino.

Domus opens its brand new London showroom in Eastcastle Street with ‘A Dolls House’, a fundraising event by Cathedral Group, presenting the finished doll’s houses from 20 artists and architects including Zaha Hadid and David Adjaye to be auctioned for the charity KIDS.

Find inspiration from future talent with the Central St Martin’s graduate collaborative exhibition on show at OMK Design on Gresse Street. EDC London are hosting ‘How We Make Furniture’, a small exhibition of the design process, from initial concept through to mock ups, scale models, and finished products. At their showroom on Great Titchfield Street, Fritz Hansen is showing an inspired installation ‘OFF | CUT’

– an experimental, lightweight, deployable structure that explores the innovative re-use of high quality timber veneers and leather offcuts. The Installation is designed by Chung Tyson Architects and supported by The Bartlett School of Architecture Research.

More info:

http://fitzrovianow.com/

17 sept / Open Debate: Is London building a sterile city? / Open House London 2013 / Charles Darwin House / London

We live and work in the city, but just how liveable is London architecture? Open-City launches its first Open Debate as the spotlight event to 2013’s Open House London Weekend, giving a voice to the citizens of London, both public user and design professional, on the kind of city we are creating.

London continues to grow, develop and morph, yet how successful have recent developments been in cultivating a liveable community? Ranked this month as 55th of 140 cities in the EUI’s most liveable city in the world, is London losing its vibrancy with homogenous housing and a lack of well designed public spaces? Or are we experiencing a revival in creative architecture and community spirit? Bearing in mind such influential development as the Olympic Park, Kings Cross, Crossrail, and future development of Battersea, Waterloo, Elephant & Castle; the Open Debate looks at how, or if, the ‘stewards’ of our city’s enhancement are creating the best possible future places and spaces for us to utilise and inhabit.

Chaired by BBC correspondant Razia Iqbal, the panel of key capital representatives include:

• Leo Hollis, Historian, urbanist and author of recently published ‘Cities Are Good For You: The Genius of the Metropolis’ (April 2013)
• Steve Howlett, Chief Executive of Peabody Estates
• Sue Illman, Director of Illman Young Landscape Design and President of Landscape Institute
• Bob Allies, Partner of Allies and Morrison Architects

17 september, 6:30pm, at the Landscape Institute , Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street

More info:

http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/special/opendebate.html 

17 sept / Late night opening / Shoreditch Design Triangle and Clerkenwell Design Quarter / London Design Festival / London

The  Shoreditch Design Triangle 2013 is set to be the most coherent street by street event during this year’s London Design Festival.

Now in its 5th consecutive year, the event brings together a fascinating collection of designers, stores, galleries, studios, cafes, bars, brands and one-off events for a week of design-led festivities.

Truly collaborative and harking back to the days when the Hoxton and Shoreditch area was re-invigorated by the Young British Artist movement, the event revels in the true spirit of London, a place that bursts with new ideas, historical places and spaces, and the colourful characters who have strode the East End for many a year.

This year the event incorporates over 50 participants and has a wonderful blend of ideas behind it. Expect to see artisan, rural and high-tech craft, agriculturally themed products, locally made products, British made products, American made products, human-centred design, design inspired by electromagnetic fields, up-cycled furniture, new sustainable upholstery, new furniture, new lighting, new objects, a large show of ceramics, portrait photography, contemporary illustration, some cat-eye shoes and even a range of architecturally shaped puddings (to eat). Alongside this visual and physical feast, there are walking tours that take in both local history and a number of contemporary design studios, design talks on most days and a range of engaging workshops.

The event runs from 14th – 22nd September with the majority of venues opening late on Tuesday 17th and the likelihood of a number of parties during the week.

The Clerkenwell Design Quarter is an official destination within the London Design Festival (14-22 September). With involvement from leading institutions, design showrooms, media partners and local businesses, The Quarter is set to make a serious contribution to the Capital’s festivities this September.

Exhibitions, seminars, trails, competitions, workshops and a whole lot more will engage with visitors who want to discover Clerkenwell’s creative and cultural landscape by tracking down exciting and original companies.

More info:

http://www.shoreditchdesigntriangle.com/

http://clerkenwelldesignquarter.com/ 

13 Sept-10 Oct/Endless Stair London Design Festival/Tate Modern/London

Installed outside Tate Modern, the towering structure will invite visitors to climb and explore a series of 15 Escher-like interlocking staircases made from a prefabricated construction using 44 cubic metres of American tulipwood donated by AHEC members. As a viewpoint, Endless Stair provides breath-taking views along the River Thames.

The complex construction is designed by Alex de Rijke, Co-Founder of dRMM Architects and Dean of Architecture at the Royal College of Art, working closely with engineers at Arup. De Rijke has described timber as ‘the new concrete’, predicting that it will be the dominant construction material of the 21st Century.


Endless Stair sees the London Design Festival reviving its longstanding relationship with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) in a playful, yet technically ambitious public project to be installed with the powerful backdrop of one of the city’s best-loved landmarks, Tate Modern.


More info at:

http://www.londondesignfestival.com/

Monday – Sunday 9am-dusk

Free Event


The installation will be open 13 September - 10 October 2013

14-22 Sept/London Design Festival at V&A/Victoria and Albert Museum/London

The London Design Festival at the V&A is a nine day festival of contemporary design that celebrates London as the creative capital of the world.

As the hub of the Festival, the V&A is the first point of call for Festival visitors: the place to meet, pick up information, visit inspiring installations and events, and to enjoy the Festival atmosphere.

Throughout the Museum there will be a range of specially commissioned installations and displays to enjoy, as well as a broad programme of special events, talks and workshops taking place throughout the week in the bright, modern setting of the V&A's Sackler Centre, and in the Museum.

Visit the Festival’s information desk in the Main Entrance to find out more.

More info at:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/london-design-festival-at-the-v-and-a-2013/about-the-festival/