London Design Festival 2024

This year’s festival took a deeper dive into the changing nature of work and our living spaces, addressing post-pandemic realities and pressing environmental concerns. We encountered both practical solutions and inspirational concepts, reflecting the design world’s adaptive response to today’s challenges.

At Lualdi UK’s “Workspaces for the Future” talk, experts gathered to dissect the evolving landscape of office design. The discussion touched on crucial themes – the impact of technology, changing work patterns, and the growing focus on wellbeing. As attendees eagerly absorbed ideas about smart layouts and collaborative spaces, a thought-provoking question emerged: How can innovative workspace design not only boost productivity but also enhance the daily experience of workers? The real challenge, it seems, is creating spaces that not only meet the functional needs of modern businesses but also inspire and energise the people within them.

MillerKnoll’s “Design with Impact” showcase presented a bold vision for future workspaces. Senior Insight Strategist Bertie Van Wyk outlined strategies to align office design with evolving employee needs. The expansive showroom buzzed with ideas about wellbeing, community, and adapting to change. Beyond the sleek designs of Knoll, Herman Miller, and Maharam lay a more profound goal: to fundamentally redefine the relationship between work, worker, and workplace. Going beyond creating attractive spaces, MillerKnoll sees this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the office. Their approach suggests that true innovation lies not in the objects that fill a space, but in the experiences and connections they foster.

Over in the Brompton Design District, Andu Masebo and Mikey Krzyzanowski’s Making Room offered a fresh perspective on collaborative environments. Part workshop, part speakeasy, part relaxed place to hang out, this vibrant hub invited visitors to reconsider the very essence of communal space, blurring the lines between work, leisure, and creative expression. It was one of the most energised places during LDF, with a long list of collaborators bringing both knowledge and openness to the proceedings. The project held talks, parties and workshops, all ruminating on the nature of interior spaces, their functions and purpose, while also inviting people to make new objects.

Across the London Design Festival, numerous projects highlight new sustainable composite materials, with each one presented as being equally important. However, determining which of these innovations will have real-world applications that drive meaningful change in material usage can be challenging.

One standout project, “100R” at Material Matters on the South Bank, celebrated “Hydro CIRCAL 100R,” a material billed as “the world’s first industrial-scale aluminium made entirely from recycled post-consumer scrap.” Hydro, a leading Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, showcased designs from talents such as Inga Sempé, Max Lamb, Andreas Engesvik, Shane Schneck, Rachel Griffin, John Tree, and Philippe Malouin. Their products ranged from vessels and lights to chairs and full shelving systems. While the language of extruded aluminium is somewhat limiting, the designers approached it with sensitivity and a light touch. What made this project particularly exciting was Hydro’s scale and influence. With over thirty thousand employees in forty countries, their ability to bring this material into widespread use at a significant scale holds great potential for advancing sustainable design across the industry.

As the 2024 London Design Festival drew to a close, the mood was undeniably optimistic. The British design scene, resilient in the face of recent challenges, seems poised for renewal and innovation. The range and breadth of shows around the capital were impressive. Collaboration is flourishing and new talents are emerging with fresh perspectives. As we look to future editions of the festival, there’s a sense of anticipation about how design will not just reflect our changing world, but actively shape it for the better.