Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) will make its return to London from 21-23 May 2024 for the 15th edition of the festival. With the event set to host more than 600 curated events across a network of over 160 local design showrooms and 300 exhibitors, Hospitality Interiors takes a deep dive into the show to locate the highlights and must-sees!
Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 attracted over 37,000 visitors and this year’s event is set to build on that success with a strong line up of both home-group and international brands. With a number of exhibition venues across the EC1 postcode, the event provides the opportunity for leading brands and emerging talent showcase their designs from around the world.
Image Sam Frost
Marlon Cera-Marle, Design Division Director of Media 10 who organise the event: “We’re thrilled to return this May with Clerkenwell Design Week. As one of the most attended specification events in the A&D calendar, it also serves as an important platform to discover new talent and ideas.
“This year, we’re excited to showcase an unprecedented number of participating brands, reflecting strong demand from both home and overseas. In response, we’re expanding our exhibition and installation spaces, including the newly revamped, pedestrian-friendly Clerkenwell Green. Anticipation is high for what’s in store, from diverse brands and showrooms to exciting partners, features and special events.”
What to look out for…
Exhibitors and Showrooms:
With so much on offer, we took a look at some of the exhibitions and events scheduled to take part and selected some of our favourites:
Joining CDW and the neighbourhood for the first time is British lighting manufacturer J. Adams & Co, launching its new St John Street showroom just in time for the festival. Collaborating with tile expert Solus, the in-house team has repurposed materials from the site and factory offcuts to create stunning terrazzo tiles and worktops.
With almost 50 years experience in the business, Havwoods’ showroom will be open for visitors to experience real wood flooring available in an extensive range of finishes and dimensions. Showroom tours will be available on May 21st. Christopher Hyde will introduce its Atmosphere Collection at the event.
Kabin can be found at Design fields during the festival and will be showcasing their space solutions whilst Parkside’s tiles will be on display at their Sekforde Street showroom.
Tarkett’s St John Street’s showroom will be open for visitors to explore their latest flooring offerings. Franklite will be showcasing its decorative lighting at the festival’s Light venue held within the subterranean House of Detention, a former Victorian prison.
Events:
This year will see the British Collection double its size, taking over the entire crypt of St James’s Church, including the Tom Dixon-furnished vestry, which will also host the popular ICON Talks series.
Other returning venues housing an array of product-focused exhibitions include:
- Design Fields – home to contemporary furniture with an international focus, including over 35 Italian furniture and decorative brands.
- Light – home to global lighting companies and installations, as well as Darc’s curated talks.
- Project – home to contract furniture and surface design.
- Elements – home to architectural hardware and finishes.
- Detail – home to luxury interiors.
- Platform – home to emerging design talent and brands.
- Ceramics of Italy – home to Italian ceramic and porcelain tile brands; and
- Old Sessions House – atmospheric home to brand activations and presentations, as well as the festival hub offering CDW visitors free access between 21 – 23 May.
Conversations at Clerkenwell returns for the 2024 event, offering a compelling series of talks reflecting a wide range of creative concepts.
One that we are really excited about will see Ultrafabrics’ draw together a panel of experts to discuss neurodiversity and how multisensory design can transform an enrich interactions (22nd May at 2pm in Spa Fields). As a topical theme in the industry, this conversation will be a key one to catch. AllSfär is also addressing this important subject with a talk at its Baltic Street East showroom. Scheduled for 22 May at 15:30, the session will be led by the founders of the neurodiversity consultancy ZoneND, focusing on designing for the senses and why it is the key to positive wellbeing and neuro-inclusive practice.
Designers looking for inspiration for sustainable practice should be sure to catch BIID’s conversation on 23rd May at 3pm in Design Fields where the firm’s Angela Bardino will lead a panel on how designers can make the best sustainable and ethical choices.
Another that we are looking forward to is a discussion on May 21st at 3pm on how the hospitality industry is adaptin to the need for multi-use spaces with so many workers now ‘working on the go’. Head to Design Fields for this one.
Photograph by Sam Frost
International Focus
This year, CDW has introduced three international pavilions to the festival. The Italian Collection will feature 31 brands on the first floor of Design Fields, showcasing furniture, lighting and textiles. Catapult will host the German Collection, presenting its country’s acclaimed brands and furniture, while the Danish Collection will take over the magnificent Paxton Locher House, highlighting the finest in Danish design, including Linie Design, Nordlux, Ro Collection and Sika Design. Ceramics of Italy is also back on St John’s Square with a great line-up of tile experts.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2024 takes place across EC1, London from 21 – 23 May.
