Press Release:
designjunction celebrates its most successful show to date with 28,000 visitors
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Above: Turkishceramics commissioned Adam Nathaniel Furman as the designer of ‘Gateways’ on Granary Square | ©Ruth Ward
Critically acclaimed designjunction celebrates its best show to date, attracting a record breaking 28,000 visitors to the King’s Cross site over four days. 200 leading international design brands exhibited across five exhibition spaces, and the show launched a brand new Talks Programme which welcomed more than 50 top inspirational speakers.
2017 marked the 7th UK edition of the show during the annual London Design Festival. Visitors came from across the world to see the exhibition with 91 visiting countries recorded, firmly reinforcing this year’s marketing campaign ‘Where Design Meets.’ 69% of visitors were from the UK whilst 31% were international.
On returning to the King’s Cross site, Show Director Will Sorrell says “The success of this year’s show is a true reflection of how designjunction continues to grow in synergy with King’s Cross. The event took a significant step forward in 2017, with spectacular, memorable installations that cemented the area’s reputation as London’s design hub; an impressive selection of UK and international exhibitors; and a new and hugely popular talks programme. We are excited for the future and already planning an even more ambitious 2018 edition.”
Above: Renault UK bespoke interactive structure on Granary Square ©Ruth Ward
Above: Campari’s bespoke ‘Campari Creates’ narrowboat on the Granary Square waterway, Turkishceramics commissioned Adam Nathaniel Furman to design ‘Gateways’ on Granary Square ©Ruth Ward
Show highlights
Installations
Visitors couldn’t miss Turkishceramics’s Gateways, which was the most photographed and shared project at the show. The commission by Adam Nathaniel Furman showcased Turkey’s rich ceramic history through four, brightly coloured gates, each referencing a different era.
Headline Partner Renault UK built an impressive double decker pavilion which housed concept car TreZor on the top floor. The ground level presented the work from three Central Saint Martins’ Industrial Design students, who were the finalists in a collaboration which asked students to design a car for the future. Yuchen Cai was awarded the winning concept at a private VIP party at the show.
Above: Rado Star Prize UK presented in The Crossing; and Renault TreZor concept car on Granary Square | ©Ruth Ward
Also supporting emerging design, Rado and designjunction announced the winner of the inaugural UK edition of the Rado Star Prize. The Jury Prize was awarded to Joachim Froment, who impressed the judges with the clever design concept of his ‘0.6 Chair’.
Above: The Box Office by Remote Possibilities; and bloomon’s immersive flower tunnel both on Granary Square | ©Ruth Ward
Welcoming visitors to Granary Square were three, sculptural, glass pavilions called The Box Office. The structures were a new launch by Remote Possibilities, who wanted to show the diverse use of these portable pods.
Other highlights included Campari’s narrowboat on the waterways with bespoke logo installation by Eley Kishimoto, bloomon’s flower filled immersive tunnel and Design Dubai District (d3) presentation of 18 designers from across the Middle East Region.
Brands
Cubitt House and new pavilion Cubitt Park played home to the Festival’s most impressive brands and product launches. From the established to the emerging, both structures played home to the latest trends in cutting-edge design.
Above: Bethan Gray and Another Country both in Cubitt House | ©Ruth Ward
British brand Bethan Gray launched a new monochrome marquetry set from the Shamsian Collection, which uses traditional Islamic craft dating back to the sixteenth century. Also from the UK was Deadgood with eye-catching new rug Pop, Another Country’s extended Hardy Series and Barber & Osgerby’s Ballot Chair for Isokon Plus.
Above: Design House Stockholm and Deadgood both in Cubitt House | ©Ruth Ward
Channels returned to the show with a new collection of cabinets by its founder Samuel Chan called Stele. The six cabinets that are identical in size, but each one serves a different function. TedWood, also known for its handcrafted contemporary furniture, launched new living room and bedroom furniture.
The show also hosted a strong showcase from Scandinavia with the likes of Icons of Denmark, Frederica, Friends & Founders and Design House Stockholm joining the line-up.
Above: Tala in Cubitt House and Blackbody x Haviland showcases its Helene: Light and Porcelain chandelier in The Crossing | ©Ruth Ward
Also on display was the careful curation of decorative lighting including newly established brand Tala, who launched the world’s largest sculptural bulb, Voronoi. Blackbody showcased their light and porcelain collaboration with fellow French brand Haviland whilst LG Display exhibited its OLED light panels, and launched the LG OLED Design competition encouraging emerging and established designers to enter.
Shops
The Canopy was the London Design Festival’s top retail destination, with more than 75 premium pop-up shops selling everything from homewares and textiles to leather goods and prints. HAM’s bespoke bunny mural welcomed shoppers to the show. Kickstarter and Assemble presented a new range of experimental homeware products called SPLATWARE, which they used to serve a selection of treats to passers-by.
Above: Kickstarter x ASSEMBLE presented SPLATWARE by Granby Workshop and HAM’s bespoke bunny mural welcomed shoppers, both at The Canopy | ©Ruth Ward
As a platform for new design, online retailer Someday Designs launched their first ever in-house sofa collection, whilst young ceramicist Emma Alington showcased an attractive range of gold-rimmed mugs, plates and jugs that she makes by hand from her studio in Maidenhead.
Above: Someday Designs and Really Well Made both at The Canopy | ©Ruth Ward
Opening a new shop in London, stationery experts Papersmiths launched the new Milan collection at designjunction. London based online retailer Really Well Made showcased, for the first time in the UK, the Floating Leaves range designed by Norm Architects in collaboration with Copenhagen-based art print house Paper Collective and product makers Moebe.
Talks
designjunction’s brand new talks programme took place at neighbouring venue, The Office Group. Based around the show’s theme ‘where design meets’, the programme explored the issues and topics which affect the design industry today from technology and politics to home and colour.
designjunction looks forward to returning to King’s Cross 20 – 23 September 2018.
Above: Granary Square at designjunction2017 | ©Ruth Ward
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