This week marks the start of a much anticipated event for me, the London Design Festival 2019.
Back in May, Sir John Sorrell, the Chairman of London Design Festival, invited 10 of Europe’s most exciting designers to create a ‘legacy’ piece of design, in collaboration with London’s top cultural leaders.
Most noteworthy, all 10 of the designers used American red oak, a sustainable wood source for their projects.
All the pieces will most certainly be on display for public viewing during London Design Festival 2019.
9 of them will be on show in the Sculpture Gallery of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and one will be outside the Natural History Museum from 14-22 September 2019.
Below are the 10 exciting collaborations :
This is Tomoko Azumi of TNA Design Studio.
Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, the Artistic Director of the Young Vic asked her to make him something that he could also pass on to his grandson.
He wanted something for his garden, inspired by the slave ships that brought his ancestors from Africa to the Caribbean.
In response, Azumi created Au.
She used thin slats of American red oak, steam-bent into shape, to create a boat structure.
I love its simplicity and symmetry. It would be a wonderful space to sit with the family, and perhaps read a book together.
Sir Ian Blatchford, Director and Chief Executive of the Science Museum Group, commissioned Marlène Huissoud (above) to create a beehive for the Science Museum.
Subsequently, with the help of the craftspeople at Benchmark, ‘Beehave’ was handcrafted, and blackened using a scorching technique.
Huissoud and her team spent over 100 hours in Paris adding the tactile engraving details to the surface of this beehive using a pyrograph.
Alex Beard CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House collaborated with designer Terence Woodgate to create two sofas, named Duo.
Here is Duo.
Doesn’t it just look so elegant?
I love it for its contemporary clean lines, and similarly for its serenity.
Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, was paired with the Jasper Morrison Studio.
He commissioned Morrison to create a set of two chairs and a table.
Here it is and it’s called Fugu.
Aren’t those edges so smooth and perfectly sculpted?
These pieces are definitely in line with the current trend of circles and curves in furniture design.
I do love how that red oak grain is coming through too.
Martino Gamper (above) was paired with Tamara Rojo, artistic director of the English National ballet.
Rojo wanted a piece that reflected her lifelong love of music, and would house her extensive vinyl collection.
Here’s the musical shelf created for Rojo’s living room.
Gamper used a combination of fumed red oak to create the horizontal shelves and a lighter veneer on the upright components to create an angled grain direction.
It’s absolutely stunning. Above all, a future design classic.
I wouldn’t mind having it as a shelf for my hardback Design book collection.
Here’s Jack Mama and Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama. I’ve previously met Nina, when she created the Built by All project for MINI Living.
They worked with Hans Ulrich Obrist, the artistic director of the Serpentine gallery on this project.
Obrist believes in the important role of postcards and likewise the revival of penmanship in the digital age.
Studiomama created these gorgeous post boxes from the red oak as part of their brief.
The large post box will be located outside the gallery’s front door and the smaller one in the book shop.
I can’t wait to see them up close.
This is Juliet Quintero.
Sir Johnn Sorrell, Chairman of London design Festival, commissioned her to create a lookout seat for the garden of his country home.
The seat is shaped like a bird’s nest and will be placed next to a pond, for sunset viewing and contemplation.
The red oak planks were thermally modified, therefore making them more durable for outdoor use.
Wish I could sit here and view the sky.
Designer Max Lamb was commissioned by Dr Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, to create a multifunctional dressing screen.
So, here is what Max came up with and it’s called Valet.
It’s a free standing screen that incorporates a mirror and storage space.
He exploited the porosity of the red oak by pushing teal blue dye into its surface. It looks so effective doesn’t it?
Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, commissioned Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay of Raw Edges to create a bookstand.
Books were of great importance to Blazwick,and similarly to the Whitechapel gallery. 
The bookshelf, named Wooden Hinge, will be used to award the gallery’s annual Richard Schlagman Art Book Awards and house new library catalogues.
The bookstand folds on red oak, rather than metal hinges.
Wooden Hinge will live in the Whitechapel Gallery’s bookshop.
Sebastian Cox, above, was commissioned by Amanda Nevill CBE, CEO of the British Film Institute to create a pen holder, a desk and a chair.
Nevill wanted a piece that represented her love of writing and moreover storytelling.
Therefore, Cox created Writer’s Collection, with angled curves matching the perspective lines on the BFI mezzanine, where it will be located.
Underneath the leather panels is a special compartment for the pen case and a paper scroll.
Aren’t these 10 pieces of design so inspirational? I certainly love them.
In short, I’m looking forward to seeing them at London Design Festival 2019, and after that, at their designated public locations.
Have a lovely day.
( photography provided by friends and co)
Some really interesting pieces. I especially like the book stand, which is beautiful and yet so functional for holding heavy books, which is becoming tricky with arthritic hands – definitely on my wish list.