Dezeen · Architectuur

Fourteen must-see exhibitions and installations at London Design Festival 2026

The London Design Festival, running from September 12 to 20, 2026, features a strong program with established names and emerging talent. Highlights include a takeover of Richmond's Ham House, a sound installation at Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, and a group show of 102 emerging designers.

At the Victoria & Albert Museum, 'Awakenings' explores artificial intelligence through a game reflecting on human labor by Playfool, an installation by Nina Davies on AI-generated movement, and Aziza Kaydri's 'Sender Unknown' which merges Uzbek embroidery with AI. Craft x Tech pairs Japanese craftspeople with international designers, including Philippe Malouin and Bethan Laura Wood, to reinterpret traditional techniques.

The non-profit collective Design Everything presents 'Design Everything' at Aram, visualizing barriers faced by independent creatives. The show features objects made by 102 emerging designers in response to limitations like space, time, and budget, aiming to reflect on the industry's current state. Aram also offers a coworking space and a pop-up from Italian brand Arflex.

Furniture brand SCP celebrates its new Clerkenwell townhouse with launches and events, including ceramic vases by Martino Gamper and Bitossi Ceramiche, a lighting collection by Blue Green Works, and the UK debut of Very Simple: Kitchen.

The Lavery at Cromwell Place hosts a program curated by Alex Tieghi-Walker, featuring international and homegrown talent. Studio Iron, Isamaya Ffrench's design gallery, presents a group exhibition with independent makers. Beverly Nguyen shares an exhibition of Vietnamese domestic objects, Zoë Ene reimagines a room as a parlor for the game Nchọ, and Rafael Prieto displays sculptural chairs inspired by the sun.

The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station opens for 'The Art of Sound,' an immersive sound experience by L-Acoustics featuring installations by computational biologist Max Cooper and sound recordist Chris Watson.

'Past Made Present' at Ham House showcases work by Kingston University MA graduates, offering new ways to engage with the historic property's interiors and gardens. Highlights include a contemporary throne exploring colonial histories, Coade stone objects acting as viewfinders, and a speaker cabinet inspired by Japanese lacquer cabinets.

Material Matters fair, now in Shoreditch, brings together over 50 exhibitors showcasing natural, reclaimed, and new materials. Featured items include furniture from salvaged oak by Prima Materia, bacteria-grown tiles by Biomason, and a 3D-printed ceramic facade system by Phyta Biodesign.

Max Radford Gallery takes over Christopher Farr's Shoreditch showroom with an exhibition pairing contemporary furniture and archival rugs, featuring works by London designers LS Goma and Tessa Silva, and German designer Carsten in der Elst.

Furniture brand Made launches a 23-piece collection inspired by the Barbican's architecture and interiors. An installation on the ground floor explores the design process and how the estate's original layouts informed the collection.

In Hackney Downs Studios, East London duo All Ears hosts 'Village Meeting,' a group show of over 30 makers from London's emerging collectible design scene, including Jane Wright, Jesse Butterfield, Amelia Stevens, and Andu Masebo.

Architecture practice Studio Saar and engineering firm Atelier One present 'The Pangolin Shield,' a bamboo pavilion inspired by the pangolin. Clad in bamboo police shields and palm-leaf rain covers, the installation examines colonial legacies and ecological exploitation.

Gallery Fumi partners with the Royal College of Art for 'After School,' showcasing outstanding work by recent alumni in textiles, ceramics, and design. Graduates also present final year projects at RCA's Kensington campus, and the 'One Tool, One Stool' exhibition features early student work.

Emerging design gallery Slancha presents 'Hanging Baskets' reimagined by 10 designers at Awaykin, and 'Travel Light' at The Hoxton, featuring accessible pieces from newer talents worldwide.

Interiors firm 2LG Studio returns to Shoreditch Town Hall with 'You Can Sit With Us,' showcasing emerging design talent including Jabez Bartlett and Hanna Fastrich. 2LG Studio will also debut a new lighting collection with North South AD. The venue also hosts the wider House of Icon exhibition.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.