What Nelson Sees by Paul Cocksedge Studio at the London Design Festival 2025 – Photo by ©Mark Cocksedge.
Design. Design thrives along the River Thames. From September 13 to 21, London Design Festival 2025 takes over the city, turning ten districts into a giant playground for ideas. Expect bold public installations, experimental materials, and unexpected pop-ups in galleries, gardens, and even coffee shops. We rounded up sixteen not-to-be-missed installations and exhibitions in town. Enjoy!
- RELATED STORIES: Read more about London Design Festival 2025 on Archipanic.
Lee Broom’s urban chandelier
September 13-21, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road [ SE1 8XX, Map].
Photo by ©Luke Hayes, courrtesy of LDF.
As the sun sets, head to Belvedere Road where Lee Broom’s Beacon transforms the riverside with a monumental lighting installation inspired by the Southbank’s architecture and legacy. Supported by Brokis and Materials Assemble, the work reinterprets classic street lamps as one glowing sculptural chandelier. Made from upcycled glass using cutting-edge fusing technology, Beacon shines as a sustainable landmark: after the festival, its components can be repurposed into individual light fixtures.
See ‘what Nelson sees’ – Paul Cocksedge in Trafalgar Square
September 13-21 in Trafalgar Square, [WC2N 5DS, Map].
Photo by ©Mark Cocksedge.
In Trafalgar Square, Paul Cocksedge offers a breathtaking chance to see the city from Admiral Nelson’s vantage point atop his column. What Nelson Sees uses intersecting tubes to create telescopic portals onto London’s skyline. Visitors peer through these shifting views, beginning with today’s cityscape, moving back through centuries of history, then forward to imagined futures–glimpses of what the city might become a century from now. It’s a poetic journey through time, architecture, and possibility in the heart of London.
LDF at the V&A Museum
September 13-21, Cromwell Road [SW7 2RL, Map].
Courtesy of the London Design Festival 2025.
At the V&A, co-curators Carrie Chan and Kristian Volsing have shaped a powerful programme for London Design Festival 2025, spotlighting how design tackles urgent crises. Alicja Patanowska invites visitors to literally sit with the planet’s fragility through ceramic benches that question our use of natural resources. Ryunosuke Okazaki unveils futuristic garments whose sculptural folds recall ancient Japanese pottery.
Jakkai Siributr at V&A – Courtesy of the London Design Festival 2025.
Roo Dhissou builds a pavilion from Punjabi mud techniques, complete with an immersive soundscape, to explore care and responsibility in the spaces we inhabit. Meanwhile, Jakkai Siributr stitches together identity and belonging in There’s No Place, a collaborative embroidery project inspired by his encounters with refugee communities along the Thai-Burma border.
Design London Shoreditch
September 16-18, various locations.
Courtesy of Design London Shoreditch.
Design London Shoreditch is a bold new addition to the London Design Festival. Three curated shows unfold across iconic venues: Design at Work at Protein Studios [EC2A 3EY, Map] explores innovation in workplace design; Design Culture [Kachette, EC1V 9LP, Map] examines sustainability’s role in creative practice; and House of ICON [Shoreditch Town Hall, EC1V 9LT, Map] celebrates interiors, from serene Scandinavian minimalism to unapologetic maximalism.
You can sit with us–The green carnation by 2LG Studio – Courtesy of Design London Shoreditch.
Among the highlights, 2LG Studio celebrates inclusivity with the You Can Sit With Us exhibition, which foregrounds queerness in design. Artist Ben Cullen Williams collaborates with Google DeepMind to create Self Portrait, a generative AI exploration of identity. Meanwhile, ISOLA Design unites its global community. Together, they demonstrate the role of design in amplifying voices and celebrating diversity.
Material Matters: sustainable materials in a modernist gem
September 17-20 at Space House, 1 Kemble St / Corner of Kingsway [Map].
Reishi in The Nordic Light design collection by Mycoworks – Photo by MycoWorks.
At Space House, the fair Material Matters returns for its fourth edition, showcasing sustainable solutions in design. From mycelium-based materials by MycoWorks [Read more] to recycled windscreen composites by FILIE Materials, innovation meets craft in a bold display. Alongside global manufacturers and emerging designers, brands such as Arper and Tarkett highlight how the future of design depends on smarter, greener materials.
Beyond Foam
September 13-20 at Aram Gallery, 110 Drury Lane, Covent Garden [WC2B 5SG, Map].
Photo by Ed Reeve.
Aram‘s design store tackles one of design’s most pressing material problems: polyurethane foam, a highly unsustainable material widely used in fashion and furniture design—think of sofas, sneakers, and car seats. Beyond Foam by EcoLattice introduces a circular 3D-printed lattice as a sustainable alternative, showcased through playful prototypes and works by eight emerging designers. From furniture to fashion, the exhibition rethinks comfort, resilience, and sustainability.
Pictograms at Japan House London
Photo by Jérémie Souteyrat, courtesy of Japan House London.
From ancient cave walls to modern emojis, people have always used images to communicate. Now, Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs at Japan House London traces the fascinating journey of these visual symbols from street signs to smartphone screens. The exhibition also highlights Japan’s major role in shaping how we share information without words. Read more…
Max Lamb’s Crockery at Gallery FUMI
September 11-30, 2-3 Hay Hill, Mayfair [W1J 6AS, Map].
Photo by Gallery FUMI.
Gallery FUMI presents Crockery, a playful yet rigorous exploration of ceramics by Max Lamb in collaboration with 1882 Ltd., a contemporary ceramics factory based in Stoke-on-Trent. Using slip-cast earthenware from hand-carved plaster models, Lamb pushes the boundaries of what functional objects can look and feel like. This series challenges the conventional perception of ceramics as delicate and unsuitable for functional design.
Serendipitous inspirations at Ruup & Form Gallery
September 13-21, 7 Tilney Court [EC1V 9BQ, Map].
Ambre Cardinal’s body sculpture – Courtesy of Ruup & Form.
Ruup & Form brings together sixteen artists in In Company of the Unexpected, a showcase that embraces disruption as fertile ground for creativity. Christopher Kelly and Daniel Hayden’s Overgrown chairs unseat expectations of furniture, while Poppy Lennox maps unseen energies with silk thread, and Ambre Cardinal’s ethereal body sculptures double as spatial jewels. Each work redefines materiality and meaning, proving that surprise can be a catalyst for new forms of design.
Tent design by Typologie
September 15-18 at the Jasper Morrison Shop, 24b Kingsland Road [E2 8DA, Map].
The humble camping tent takes centre stage at the Jasper Morrison Shop. French designers from the much-admired journal Typologie present model tents, archival pegs, and a photographic survey that traces how tents blend function with fragility. This inventive exhibition uncovers the systems behind one of humanity’s oldest shelters—reminding us that even the simplest designs can inspire wonder.
Lightness of Form, Terence Woodgate for Carpenters Workshop Gallery
September 17-20 at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, 79 Barlby Road [W10 6AZ, Map].
Portrait of Terence Woodgate and John Barnard – Photo by Tom Carter.
At Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Terence Woodgate presents Lightness of Form, developed with engineer John Barnard, pioneer of the first carbon-fibre Formula 1 car. The exhibition showcases sculptural tables, cabinets, and seating elements that strike a balance between strength and elegance. By morphing carbon fibre from pliable to rigid, Woodgate explores equilibrium, beauty, and endurance—proving design can be both technically daring and aesthetically refined.
Disposable Music: when songs become objects
September 14-21 at Simmos café, 5 Skipper’s Yard Fish Island, Hackney Wick [E3 2RF, Map].
Warped vinyl – Courtesy of Old Flame.
At Simmos Coffee at Lockside Studios, Old Flame shakes up the playlist with Disposable Music, an exhibition that asks what happens when songs become as fleeting as a scroll. Blending the viewpoints of a designer and a musician, it explores music not just as sound, but as something visual, tactile, and experiential. Dystopian formats are reimagined as sculptural objects—some sleek, others intentionally distorted—highlighting how music is becoming a throwaway product. Rather than offering answers, the show prompts visitors to reflect on how we design, consume, and experience music in a culture shaped by algorithms and attention spans.
Tender Revolution in Brompton Design District
September 13-21, 237 Brompton Road, South Kensington [SW7 2RW, Map].
Maxin Lester’s lime bikes quad – Courtesy of the Brompton Design District.
Tender Revolution brings together designers, artists, and makers from the Royal College of Art for a showcase inspired by A Softer World, the theme chosen by Alex Tieghi-Walker, the new curator of the Brompton Design District. Spanning furniture, textiles, and objects, the exhibition celebrates design as an act of care, connection, and renewal. The participating creatives challenge the rigid systems around us, showing how thoughtful, attentive design can spark transformation and create spaces—and experiences—that feel more human and compassionate.
Aesop: retail design rooted in place
September 13-19 at Aesop, 18 Cheapside [EC2V 6AH, Map].
Photo by Aesop.
At the Aesop store in the Fleet Street Quarter, Enduring Forms celebrates the art of creating retail spaces that truly belong to their neighbourhoods. The Australian skincare brand is renowned for its thoughtful architectural approach, working with acclaimed studios worldwide. Each store reflects local craftsmanship, revives vintage and pre-loved pieces, and prioritises sustainability—all while highlighting the beauty of existing architecture through subtle, considered design. It’s a reminder that even a shop can tell a story about place, care, and creativity.
Tom Dixon at Coal Drops Yards
September 13-21, 4-10 Bagley Walk [N1C 4DH, Map].
Photo by Tom Dixon.
Take a moment to slow down and dive into Tom Dixon‘s newly refreshed King’s Cross flagship store. After previews in Milan and Copenhagen, the brand is now showing its full AW25 collection for the first time—think hypnotic lightings that create optical illusions to tactile textiles. You’ll also catch exclusive sneak peeks from the upcoming SS26 range, including a portable version of the luminous JACK seat.
From Club Culture to bird houses at The Design Museum
September 13-21, 224-238 Kensington High St [W8 6AG, Map].
Outside the Blitz club in 1979. Photo by Sheila Rock.
At The Design Museum, things swing from wild nights to feathered mornings. Inside, Blitz: The Club that Shaped the 80s dives headfirst into the legendary nightclub that redefined London’s style, fueling a creative scene that spilled into fashion, music, film, and art. Step outside, though, and the mood shifts completely with Dwelling. Rehomed, where designer birdhouses invite quiet reflection. It’s hard to imagine two more opposite experiences—dancing until dawn, then tending to the birds.
- All photos and visuals are by the London Design Festival 2025, unless indicated otherwise.
Ryunosuke Okazaki at V&A – Courtesy of the London Design Festival 2025.
