Clerkenwell Design Week returned properly for the first time since 2019, and while the weather was a mixed bag, the event truly delivered in terms of trends. Visitors once again saw the latest designs, innovations and creative ideas, as well as experiencing hundreds of design-led fringe events, pop-ups, workshops, talks and showroom presentations.
The sight of people spilling into Clerkenwell’s Great Sutton Street, with drinks in hand, came as a very welcome return to some sort of post-pandemic normal. Which is slightly ironic, as said scene is anything but normal. We do feel for those inadvertently attempting to navigate the London borough through the three days of CDW.
The atmosphere was great throughout as the weather largely played ball, and people found themselves in front of clients, suppliers, rivals, and even colleagues, for the first time in what has felt like a very long time. It was great to see that people had been able to travel, not just from far flung corners of the UK, but from much further afield, as we bumped into friends from California, New York, Dubai, Sydney, Stockholm, Zurich and more.
We were certainly (pleasantly) surprised to see busy showrooms as well as streets from the very first day, and the crowd only grew further down the week.
Issues were certainly discussed throughout the packed, diverse series of talks, seminars and events. Orangebox’s five storey. purpose built showroom is a cornerstone of Clerkenwell Design Week, with its talks leaving no room for standing either! It showed the long awaited Campers and Dens, how it re-imagines the collaboration area now accounting for the majority of the workspace. This project had its design roots well before the pandemic and has proven to be quite visionary in light of the past two years.
We also like a good collaboration, and found a couple of exciting ones during the festival. Orangebox welcomed two leading design studios into its Smartworking London home. Perkins & Will commandeered the ground floor while Manchester’s NoChintz took over the first floor of the fantastic showroom, with each studio promoting a vision for the next generation of sustainable and cooperative work environments. We particularly liked the contrast between Perkins & Will’s elegant stylings and NoChintz’s bold, oversized graphics.
The Orangebox Showroom at Clerkenwell 2022 with spaces curated by Perkins & Will and NoChintz
Clerkenwell Showrooms were keen to get international product designers to talk about their vision for their launches, whether it was Alfred Haberli at Andreu World or Tom & Luke (Pearson Lloyd) at Teknion’s new showspace. The show did see a few showroom moves with Frem Group, Teknion and Senator Group moving into new spaces, while Andreu World was looking forward to expanding into a larger space in the months ahead and therefore further strengthening their position in the UK market. Vitra furniture decided to pull away from their Clerkenwell address, which was a bit of a disappointment considering the convenience of seeing all the best brands in a tight geographical radius.
Andreu World with Alfredo Haberli introducing Giro Soft; Teknion’s Clerkenwell Design Space; Senator at CDW 2022
Over 140 world-class design showrooms partnered with CDW from 24 to 26 May. Among them Bene, the Austrian manufacturer, unveiled CASUAL, a furniture collection consisting of a bench, lounge chair and table all by designer Christian Horner and displayed in a beautiful vermilion shade. Intended to promote places of togetherness and interaction, the benches and tables are available in three heights, so users can converse eye to eye with someone standing, while agile working is encouraged at the medium height with the low seat height being that of a classic bench. The design is a response to hybrid working, and the fact that informal conversations that couldn’t happen during the WFH era are now becoming increasingly important as people return to the office. Sustainability was also part of the design brief with close attention paid to the reduced use of materials in the product development stage of CASUAL.
Bene unveiled CASUAL, their latest furniture collection designed by Christian Horner
Brunner was the first showroom we visited when the show started and unfortunately, the wow factor was so high, it was akin to taking your very first PADI dive but in the stunning cerulean blue of the Maldivian waters – most other places fall short. The experience started right from the magnificent single leaf door to the stairwell pinned to the back wall that spanned the entire three floors. The brand’s choice of colours, fabrics, materials and products on display had the desired effect and left a lasting impression on visitors.
Brunner’s stunning space at Clerkenwell
Fritz Hansen, which celebrated its 150th anniversary at CDW 2022, marked the occasion with a special installation as well as previewing new products. Deadgood also presented new launches at the event, including ReWork, a simple yet comprehensive modular seating collection. Designed by David Irwin, the collection is a response to the new working patterns and cultures that are becoming entrenched in the modern workplace.
Fritz Hansen marked their 150th anniversary with new launches and an installation
Elsewhere, sustainability was the common thread running through most of the design. Arper presented new collections Mixu, Kata and Kinesit Met, as well as a new edition of its Aston Club series. Mixu is a sustainable and versatile collection of chairs and stools designed in collaboration with international architectural and design practice, Gensler. Kata by Altherr Désile Park is Arper’s first solid wood lounge chair designed with circular sustainability at its core.
Both Boss Design and Arper enjoyed their fair share of visitors with Arper’s traditional party on the first evening being the coveted party of the show. Prosecco for everyone on the guest list!
Arper presented new collections Mixu, Kata and Kinesit Met, as well as a new edition of its Aston series
Sustainability was a strong theme at Humanscale with visitors to the showroom having the opportunity to immerse themselves in the manufacturer’s efforts towards helping the planet. Humanscale’s Smart Ocean and Liberty Ocean chairs, which utilise material from discarded fishing nets pulled directly from the ocean, were both on display. Product launches, meanwhile, included NeatCharge, Humanscale’s innovative cable free charger for mobile devices. The brand also teamed up with Square Mile Farms, an innovative start up that puts urban farms into the heart of cities where people live and work. Two ‘farms’ were on display for Humanscale visitors, providing fresh, healthy, zero travel miles produce.
A dynamic talks programme throughout the three days underpinned the products on display. Jane Abernethy, Humanscale’s Chief Sustainability Officer, was live streamed from the US, talking about Designing for People and Planet. The following day, a panel of experts– Martin Gettings, Head of ESG Europe from Brookfield Asset Management, Tariq Abbas, Associate Director at HDR, Lydia Randall, Head of ESG at BDG architecture + design, plus Sarah Ratcliffe, Chief Executive Officer at Better Building Partnership as well as Humanscale’s Sustainability Ambassador, Hani Hatami discussed ‘Building Inside Out: Sustainability of Buildings From the Ground Up and In’. This talk referenced whether sustainability can contribute to the return to the built environment, the role of retrofit in buildings, and Humanscale’s contribution to net positive manufacturing.
Humanscale at Clerkenwell Design Week 2022
Bisley’s metamorphosis into a furniture company (from a storage one) seems nearly complete with storage all but out of sight. The brand’s choice of colours and focus on product development is definitely making an impression in the UK market and further afield.
Abstracta has always stood out with its aesthetically designed acoustic elements – the standout piece was Holly, the lighting feature on display at the store front. It’s a piece to covet for your home or your workspace!
Bisley and Abstracta at CDW 2022
Ideal Standard and Kohler had their doors open for Clerkenwell with beautiful experience centers situated in the heart of the fair, each space well positioned to take their customers through enviable bathroom products and design. VitrA’s London showroom was host to a site-specific installation by internationally acclaimed artist Lothar Götz titled ‘Colour Rush’. “The shapes in Colour Rush are about connecting what’s already there; the geometries created by our own eyes when we look at buildings and spaces. Like a three-dimensional painting, the artwork creates abstract space,” says Götz. The brand also launched a stunning new collection with Tom Dixon titled ‘Liquid’ that highlighted the designer’s signature round-edged aesthetics and soft forms.
VitrA with Tom Dixon and the Colour Rush installation; Ideal Standard at CDW 2022; Kohler’s experiential showroom
The flooring manufacturers were in their element, hosting talks, meetings and launching their respective latest collections. ShawContract bowed out of this version of CDW, but Modulyss, Milliken, and Interface all took advantage by showcasing new products and running a multitude of talks on themes that mostly centered on Sustainability. Ege, on the other hand, decided to take a leap into acoustic rooms, stay tuned to see if this bet pays off.
The Fabric Nightclub has always been an interesting and dramatic backdrop for CDW’s lighting displays. It feels a bit like descending onto the sets of ‘Blade – the 4th edition’! XAL lighting illuminated the entrance of the basement, a welcome relief as light was sorely needed to shake off the dark, dungeon-esque mood. Pad Home showed off Graypants’ latest, organically designed, pendant lights along with Humble’s wireless collection. These two companies are definitely worth keeping an eye on for your next product specification. AGO’s Cirkus, however, was our favourite, showcasing a chandelier and wall mounted lighting. This is one Korean company with a lot of Seoul!
INSPIRING INSTALLATIONS
Among the installations, BVN Architecture and Second Home collaborated on an innovative site-specific space called WorkPOP. It supported the notion of work-from-anywhere and encouraged experimentation towards pop-up, iterative, workspaces. Visitors were encouraged to step outside of the traditional boundaries of the traditional workplace. The installation also featured recycled materials and was designed to be modular, with a circular lifespan. After the event, WorkPOP will be relocated to the rooftop of Second Home’s workspace in London Fields, where it will support events and knowledge work for its creative community.
BVN Architecture and Second Home collaborated on an innovative site-specific space called WorkPOP
Sessions House was another must-visit destination. Here, sustainable acoustic designers, BAUX, hosted the global launch of their first ever ceiling product within the BAUX Acoustic Lounge. The lounge was a low, climate-impacted installation designed by BAUX Co-Founders, Form Us With Love, and BAUX Creative Director Johan Ronnestam. Elsewhere in the space, acoustic brand Texaa presented two acoustic spaces allowing visitors to understand more about the impact of architecture in acoustics through a sound experience that demonstrated how sound influences our perception of space.
Baux Acoustic Lounge At The Sessions House
Wellness was another key theme at CDW with Welltek providing a wellbeing hub during the event. Visitors were encouraged to enjoy a moment of calm in a showroom space filled with fresh, filtered air and calming light. Using the Air0 Clean Air System purification system, clean and safe indoor air was assured, something that has no doubt been at the forefront of facilities managers’ minds in the last two years. The system harnesses state of the art technology to remove even the smallest pollutants from everyday sources, such as traffic, smoke, bacteria, viruses and chemicals. Visitors to the showroom could also see Artome M10, a state-of-the-art mobile projector and sound-system, which also doubles as an audio-conferencing solution. Those seeking peace and quiet to get some concentrated work done tried out Framery One. This innovative booth design incorporates the latest technology, plus leading sound insulation standards and echo-free acoustics, so you can’t be overheard or disturbed. It is fully flexible too, with an electric, height-adjustable table that accommodates laptops, personal devices, and workplace essentials.
Welltek Wellbeing Hub with Air0 Clean Air purification system, Artome M10 mobile projector and sound system, and Framery One Pods
The unsung hero of the modern workspace has to be the electrics. OE were on almost all the products we visited at the show, so we decided to check in with them to see what was new. Short answer – batteries! Their investment in battery powered plugins aims to usher a new age of mobility, and we are excited!
All in all, this much-loved design festival made a triumphant return, celebrating the capital’s creativity throughout London’s historic Clerkenwell. Here are some additional pics for design inspiration…
EVENT PICS
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Date added:
3 June, 2022
