The best installations from London Design Festival 2024
This September, the global design community gathered in the capital for the annual London Design Festival. Spanning 11 design districts and featuring hundreds of events, the festival attracted leading thinkers, practitioners, retailers, and educators from around the world. It was a citywide celebration of creativity and innovation in design.
Each year, the festival commissions major design installations across the city. Here's a round-up of some of our favourites.
Vert Photo Ed Reeve
Vert by AHEC and Diez Office
American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) presented Vert at the Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art, designed by leading industrial design practice Diez Office in partnership with climate farming experts OMC°C. A sustainable structure in red-oak glulam poised to revolutionise the cityscape, this Landmark Project proposes an innovative architectural solution for cooling cities, providing serene green spaces and enhancing urban biodiversity, while seamlessly integrating with existing infrastructure.
Pavilions of Wonder Photo by Ed Reeve
Pavilions of Wonder' by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama, presented by Mattel, Inc.’s Barbie® and Visit Greater Palm Springs
Another Landmark Project was ‘Pavilions of Wonder' by multidisciplinary designer Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama presented by Mattel at Strand Aldwych, in central London. The installation celebrated the instantly recognisable midcentury modern architecture prevalent throughout Greater Palm Springs and the iconic architecture of the Barbie DreamHousesTM, which have been, in part, inspired by the architecture of Greater Palm Springs and midcentury modernist style.
Liquid Light Photo by Mel Yates
Liquid Light by Johnnie Walker and Marshmallow Laser Feast
The immersive installation Liquid Light by celebrated artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast and Scotch Whiskey brand Johnnie Walker. Housed at The Old Selfridges Hotel the installation delved into the innovation and craftsmanship of glassmaking.
The centrepiece featured an array of glass-blown droplets suspended in mid- air, collectively symbolising the evolution of form over time.
The Sun, My Heart Photo by Ed Reeve
The Sun, My Heart by Marjan van Aubel Studio and Bloomberg Philanthropies
Another immersive highlight was The Sun, My Heart by renowned solar design practice Marjan van Aubel Studio at Somerset House. Specially commissioned by London Design Festival, which is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, this experience invited a reflection on our relationship with the sun through individual experience and emotional engagement. Inspired by the studio’s innovative ‘Sunne’ solar lights, the installation specially modified lighting to create a profound sensory and emotional connection to this celestial body. Featuring a mesmerising constellation of 77 suspended lights that chart the sun's daily cycles, from the gentle hues of sunrise to the warm glow of sunset.
Together in Battersea Photo by Charlie Round-Turner
‘Together in Battersea' by POoR Collective
'Together in Battersea' was a commission by POoR Collective, hosted at Battersea Power Station. The installation examined the community and connection in Wandsworth, two years after the site's reopening. POoR Collective (Power Out of Restriction), founded in 2019 by Larry Botchway, Shawn Adams, Ben Spry, and Matt Harvey-Agyemang, aims to empower young people, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, with design industry skills.
The project was inspired by Wandsworth residents under 18, who attended workshops in August 2024. These sessions, centred around the question “What does Battersea Power Station mean to you?”, encouraged participants to explore themes of place and togetherness. The first workshop introduced basic design skills, such as orthographic drawing, while the second invited participants to express their views on community, touching on family, friendship, and public spaces. 'Together in Battersea' captured the hopes of young people for a more connected community.