Clerkenwell Design Week is an immersive experience in one of London’s most distinctive neighborhoods. Taking place over just three days in a compact but well-organized district, it strikes a balance between design and culture with showrooms and installations. The most recent edition fully confirmed the distinctive identity of the event, now in its 14th year. It was the largest edition yet, with more than 16 destinations and 160 showrooms involved.
Design is represented through multiple expressions, mainly drawing from local creativity but also from Italian and European brands interested in the British market.
Alongside the new products and rich offerings on display, the most interesting aspect of Clerkenwell Design Week is its exhibition mode, which makes the event attractive, accessible, and inspirational. It creates an immersive experience in the district and its design offerings thanks to the synergy with the numerous design stores populating its streets and the exhibition pavilions dotting its squares and parks. Even more so, it is thanks to the collaboration with various historic buildings, including religious ones, that a bridge is created between the city’s glorious past and its contemporary, cosmopolitan spirit.
The Charterhouse and Charterhouse Square are venues with regal charm that have lent themselves to the event. Dating back to the 14th century, the Charterhouse is a complex of historic buildings, courtyards, and green spaces reflecting more than 600 years of British history. For the first time, the Charterhouse served as a setting for contemporary furniture, lamps, and decorative pieces, as well as wallpapers and textiles by Colefax and Fowler, alongside a range of bathroom brands, including Geberit, Toto, Bette, C.P. Hart, and Victoria + Albert Baths.
Outside, Charterhouse Square hosted outdoor designs, including Alex Chinneck’s new sculpture, which was specially commissioned by CDW. This project marks the artist’s return to sculptures made with bricks and architectural perspective play.
The Church of Design exhibition set an incredible scene inside St. Bartholomew the Great, a medieval church with nine centuries of history, juxtaposing the ancient and the modern. Exhibitors included Roche Bobois and Moroso. ‘Design Dialogue by Sandow’ conversations were also held here throughout the festival.
St. James’s Church welcomed the British Collection, showcasing a selection of UK brands and talent. The evocative setting of the Order of St. John was chosen to showcase Detail, a collection of brands and furniture from around the world. Ethimo, an authoritative representative of ‘Made in Italy,’ created an immersive secret garden in the cloister with its outdoor furniture.
Finally, the labyrinthine spaces of the House of Detention, a former Victorian prison, were illuminated by lighting companies that displayed their creations there.
