Clerkenwell is one of the most important design hubs in the world and this year Clerkenwell Design Week is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Here are five things not to miss when you visit.
Every May, the international design community flocks to Clerkenwell to experience the many exhibitions, installations, design-led fringe events, pop-ups, workshops, talks and showroom presentations that make up Clerkenwell Design Week.
Since the Industrial Revolution, this dynamic area has a long tradition of being home to the creative industries including craft workshops, printmakers, clockmakers and jewellers. Today, traditional crafts such as printing and bookbinding still flourish, alongside contemporary designers, independent producers and international brands. The area is also home to over 100 world-renowned design brands and more than 200 architectural practices.
For 2019, we can expect the biggest and best programme yet as a major celebration will be taking place to mark Clerkenwell Design Week’s 10th anniversary. Activities will run over three days and follow a distinct trail from north to south.
As a media partner for Clerkenwell Design Week we’ve had a sneak preview of some of the installations, exhibitions and showrooms that will be opening their doors to the public from 21-23 May 2019. We’ve selected five things that you won’t want to miss, if you’re planning to visit the show.
Joel Weaver for The Monkey Puzzle Tree
A visit to Platform will allow you to take in the work of Joel Weaver for The Monkey Puzzle Tree. Platform, a favourite location for spotting up-and-coming design talent, is set within The House of Detention which hosts a curated collection of cutting-edge design.
The Monkey Puzzle Tree will be showcasing its latest collaborations with established fine artists to create unique fabrics and wallpapers for commercial and residential interiors. Joel Weaver’s work particularly caught our eye. Joel has previously worked with Damien Hirst and Ryan Gander and has been nominated for the The Kleinwort Hambros Emerging Artist Prize this year. He creates small-scale, highly-detailed figurative pencil drawings with such attention to detail that they appear almost photographic.
Gwendoline Porte
Platform will also host Gwendoline Porte, a French interior designer who lives and works in London. Having recently graduated in Interior Design at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL, Gwendoline will be launching a new product at Clerkenwell Design Week called RAILS.
Part-way between sculpture and furniture, RAILS is a modular concept inspired by the form of railway tracks and the concept of ‘journey’. These limited edition pieces are playful, graphic, light-weight and ergonomic. They can be stacked on top of one another to form a column, multiplied to form a hexagon, or separated to become a stool, chair, coffee table or side table. They can lie horizontally or vertically or can be used to create a bench, wall or a landscape or used simply as a striking standalone art piece within a room.
We wrote about the trend for products that are made in the shape of the I or H beam in Warehouse Home Issue Eight. You can get your own copy of Issue Eight and all the other back issues here.
ege carpets
Celebrating its continuing collaboration with internationally renowned designer Tom Dixon, Danish flooring company ege carpets will be welcoming Dixon into its showroom where he will be sharing his inspiration for the Industrial Landscape collection, live in conversation with Trend Expert Rikke Skytte.
The Industrial Landscape collection reinterprets the rough, raw, everyday surfaces of the city of London. The range includes new designs Coal and Iron along with a new colourway, Blur II, adding to the stunning portfolio that draws inspiration from the gritty backdrops of railways, tunnels, factories, workshops, warehouses and the tidal river Thames.
True North Designs
Situated at the northern end of Clerkenwell, Design Fields will focus on the best in international contemporary design. The busy hub will showcase leading furniture, textiles and product design, from kitchens to bathrooms to the workplace.
Danish company, True North Designs will be presenting their new Regatta chair for the first time to a British audience. The Regatta chair, designed by Asger Soelberg, has a solid oak frame in the mid-century style with a walnut veneer and can be stacked.
Midj
Also located at Design Fields will be Midj, a company based in Cordovado, in the north-east of Italy. Midj manufactures mainly chairs and tables for public and domestic spaces all over the world. Founded in 1987, the company is known for its craftsmanship, creativity and technology which merge seamlessly to create an artisanal production with an industrial dimension.
