LONDON.- For its eighth edition (20 - 23 September 2018), leading design show designjunction celebrated its most critically-acclaimed show to date with a stellar line-up of brands, spectacular public installations and a pioneering talks programme. 200 international design brands exhibited across three key venues on London’s South Bank - Doon Street site, Oxo Tower Wharf and the Riverside Walkway - in the form of specially curated displays, exhibitions and pop-up shops, alongside bespoke restaurants and groundbreaking installations. 50 world-class speakers took to the stage in an outstanding two-day talks programme with a series of lively discussions and debates exploring crucial topics the design industry is currently facing.

designjunction attracted 27,000 visitors to the cultural hub of London’s South Bank over the course of four days. Visitors came from across the world to see the exhibition with 81 visiting countries recorded, 53% of the visitors were from the UK whilst 47% were international.

‘This year presented a fantastic opportunity to bring designjunction right into the centre of London, interacting with the Thames. Thanks go to our exhibitors and partners, who did the location justice with a strong showing of product launches, installations and engaging talks. Notably, this year’s programme also addressed some of the key issues facing the design industry, including inequality and mental health.’ --Will Sorrell, Managing Director, designjunction

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

The Riverside Walkway - Installations
On Queen’s Stone jetty, British designer Steuart Padwick made a dramatic change to the London skyline with his 9 metre high sculpture Head Above Water in support of mental health and the Mind campaign Time to Change.

On Oxo jetty, the city of Saint-Etienne - in collaboration with Lisa White, Head of Lifestyle and Interiors at WGSN, and designer François Dumas - showcased the Gateway to Inclusion, an immersive installation made out of multicoloured ribbons, which aimed to promote inclusion in design.

The Riverside Walkway provided a platform for Mud Shell, an innovative housing project that married ancient earth architecture techniques with the latest drone-spraying technology. Led by architect Stephanie Chaltiel, the project endeavoured to build a simple but sturdy and durable housing system that can be customised depending on the location.

Doon Street Site - Furniture and Lighting
On the first floor of the Doon Street site, designjunction presented a stellar line-up of UK and international brands - both established and emerging - such as leading British design brand Deadgood which launched the Hug Chair; London-based upholstery specialists Hitch Mylius with new additions to its Flix and Quiet Surfaces collections; family-run Italian company Bontempi Casa introduced new designs including the Lexington bookcase, the Mood and Galaxy chairs as well as the Secret desk; craft-conscious design brand Resident from New Zealand, unveiled the Offset dining table, a bold and heavy-duty furniture piece designed by Philippe Malouin.

Very Good & Proper, led by Ed Carpenter and André Klauser, celebrated 10 years of practical and beautiful products with a limited edition piece of art by Emily Forgot that takes inspiration from the brand’s entire portfolio.

Leading bathroom brand VitrA presented its new Plural collection conceived by Milan-based American designer Terri Pecora and inspired by the heritage of communal bathing spaces and rituals.

Uruguayan designers exhibited for the third consecutive year, shining a spotlight on the concepts and products at the forefront of the country’s blossoming scene. Uruguay XXI captured the ambition and diversity behind this resurgent design landscape, securing Uruguay’s permanent place on the world design stage.

Other furniture brands included Northern, Broste Copenhagen, Gemla, VitrA, Petite Friture, Ochre, Erik Jørgensen, Johanson, Resident, New Tendency, TON and Uncommon Projects amongst many others.

The Designers’ Dreamscape, designed by Brixton-based architecture practice Squire and Partners, hosted a talk on multi-sensory design with sound architect Tom Middleton and designer Tim Gledstone. They shared their insights into how and why incorporating transitional multi-sensory layers, such as sound and fragrance into the design of workspaces is good for creativity and communication.

A team of nine architects from Squire and Partners and guest mentor Mark Eley - founder of print studio Eley Kishimoto and Head of Programmes for Fashion and Design at Regent’s University - introduced free mentoring sessions for Part I/II architects from the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in The Designers’ Dreamscape. The space was designed as a highly stimulating environment in which core design tools are unlimited, and people from all generations and backgrounds can meet, work and create together.

STILL, a restaurant concept by design consultancy and procurement specialists BY FORM, offered a setting for quiet contemplation in the bustle of the show, with a menu by Nordic inspired 26 Grains.

Key to the show this year was a dedicated lighting area featuring leading design names such as Di Classe, Buzzispace, ANDlight, Catellani & Smith and Wästberg.

British designer Terence Woodgate unveiled Sum, a new collection from his eponymous lighting brand.

In this section of the show, award-winning British designer Bethan Gray collaborated with whisky experts The Glenlivet to create an experiential celebration of craft in the form of a bar serving a specially created menu of food and cocktails.

Doon Street Site - Pop-Up Shops
The ground floor of the Doon Street site housed temporary pop-up shops offering a vast array of products from fashion accessories and homeware pieces to textiles and stationery, attracting both retail buyers and design-savvy consumers.

Nolii, lifestyle-led tech accessories brand founded by celebrated designer Benjamin Hubert and design entrepreneur Asad Hamir, unveiled its flagship collection of life-enhancing tech accessories including Bundle, Couple, Stack, Set, Fold and Keep.

Independent London-based eyewear specialists Kite launched KiteONE – a pioneering headscanning and 3D printing technology, which creates seamlessly micro-manufacture bespoke frames to specific head and face measurements.

Other pop-up shops included: Iittala, Billy Tannery, Chalk Jewellery, Hanaduri, East End Prints, Hornit, Notable Designs as well as Pelican Story amongst others.

The Bargehouse - Exhibitions and Talks
Across four floors of the Bargehouse, designjunction curated an inspiring programme of exhibitions including ’The Original. About the power of good design’ by Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra, ’SOFT POWER’ by London-based industrial designer Tej Chauhan, the 2018 Blueprint Architecture Photography Awards showcase as well as ‘Elements’, which demonstrated flooring creative Bolon’s commitment to sustainability and its new bio PVC collection.

The Judges’ Prize winner of the Rado Star Prize was awarded to David Knowles, who impressed the judges with GC18. His project was on show in the Bargehouse as part of the Rado Star Prize exhibition, alongside the other shortlisted concepts. The Public Prize winner, voted by visitors to designjunction, was awarded to Martina Taranto for The Limescale Project.

Other special features in the Bargehouse included BEEM, Swiss Arts Council, Design Nation and a bar by Wolfpack Lager and Tala lighting.

designjunction's talks programme featured more than 50 world-class speakers, who discussed this year’s theme #designevery, celebrating design as one of the most powerful components in our everyday lives, with a focus on equality and diversity.