# London Design Festival

London Design Festival is a citywide cultural event that takes place over nine days every September across London. It was founded by John Sorrell and Ben Evans in 2003 and celebrated its 22nd edition in September 2024. In an article by Wallpaper, the festival chairman stated, "We consciously founded the London Design Festival to be public-spirited. Over the last 20 years, the Festival has had incredible depth of penetration and success in bringing people together and distilling new ideas."

## About

The inaugural edition of the London Design Festival took place from the 20 to 28 September 2003, "bringing together 90 speakers in over 60 events throughout the capital".
"In 2017, the Festival welcomed an estimated audience of 420,000 visitors". In 2019, it attracted an audience of over 600,000 visitors from over 75 countries. Over 2,000 design businesses participate each year, including brands and universities.
The Festival comprises over 400 events and exhibitions staged by over 300 partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world. The Festival also commissions and curates its program of Landmark Projects, Projects at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and Special Commissions throughout the city.
The Festival also has events including its thought-leadership programme the Global Design Forum, talks, keynotes, daily tours, and workshops. In 2019 it had 50 speakers from 18 countries and 2,800 visitors.

### Landmark Projects

The Festival commissions and curates large-scale installations across the city in indoor and outdoor locations. The installations are developed and shown during the Festival, with many later being shown in other cities or locations in the following months or years. Working with businesses and designers, previous Landmark Projects have included Sclera by David Adjaye (2008), Endless Stair by Alex de Rijke (2013), The Smile by Alison Brooks Architects (2016), Medusa by Tin Drum and Sou Fujimoto (2021), INTO SIGHT by Sony Design (2022), and Sabine Marcelis's swivelling stone chairs on St Giles Square (2022).

## Location

Since 2009, the Victoria and Albert Museum has been the central hub for the London Design Festival, celebrating fourteen years of partnership in 2022. It has been called the "true epicentre" of the festival. Museum director Tristram Hunt said that the “London Design Festival occupies a vital role in London's thriving design sector, reaffirming London's position as one of the world's leading global design capitals.”
In 2022, twelve Design Districts across London participated – Bankside, Brompton, Pimlico Road, Clerkenwell, King's Cross, Design District (Greenwich Peninsula), Mayfair, Shoreditch, Islington, Park Royal, William Morris Design Line and Southwark. Other districts have participated in previous editions including Paddington Central, West Kensington, Marylebone, and Chelsea.

## Awards

Each year a jury composed of established designers, industry commentators and previous winners choose recipients of the London Design Medals across four categories. Winners are chosen from a wide range of design disciplines and awarded for their contribution to their field.
Festival Director Ben Evens stated “While there is no shortage of design awards, we wanted to do it differently. So we took the Nobel Prize route – there's no shortlist, just a winner. So that means there's no losers either.”
The London Design Medal is designed each year by jewellery designer Hannah Martin. The Medals feature a London bird, the Cockney Sparrow, in flight.

### The London Design Medal categories

* London Design Medal: The highest accolade bestowed upon an individual who has distinguished themselves within the industry and demonstrated consistent design excellence.
* Design Innovation Medal: Celebrates entrepreneurship in all its forms, both locally and internationally. It honours an individual for whom design lies at the core of their development and success.
* Emerging Talent Medal: Recognises an impact made on the design scene within five or so years of graduation.
* Lifetime Achievement Medal: Honours a significant and fundamental contribution to the design industry throughout a career.

### Previous medal winners

* Sir Ken Adam, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2015)
* Sir David Adjaye, London Design Medal (2016)
* Pooja Agrawal, Design Innovation Medal (2023)
* Paola Antonelli, London Design Medal (2020)
* Ron Arad, London Design Medal (2011)
* Ross Atkin, Emerging Design Medal (2019)
* Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, London Design Medal (2015)
* Grace Wales Bonner, Emerging Design Medal (2018)
* Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, London Design Medal (2014)
* Peter Brewin and Will Crawford, Design Innovation Medal (2015)
* Margaret Calvert, Lifetime Achievement Medal, (2017)
* Hussein Chalayan, Panerai London Design Medal (2018)
* Daniel Charny, Design Innovation Medal (2019)
* Natsai Audrey Chieza, Design Innovation Medal (2024)
* Mac Collins, Emerging Design Medal (2021)
* Sir Terence Conran, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2012)
* David Constantine, Design Entrepreneur Medal (2013)
* Ilse Crawford, The London Design Medal (2021)
* Es Devlin, Panerai London Design Medal (2017)
* Tom Dixon, London Design Medal (2019)
* Ken Garland, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2020)
* Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Emerging Design Medal (2012)
* Kenneth Grange, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2016)
* Dame Zaha Hadid, London Design Medal (2007)
* Thomas Heatherwick, London Design Medal (2010)
* Harry Blackiston Houston, Emerging Design Medal (2024)
* Rosario Hurtado and Robert Feo, London Design Medal (2012)
* Yinka Ilori, Emerging Design Medal (2020)
* Eva Jiricna, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2018)
* Indy Johar, Design Innovation Medal (2022)
* Rei Kawakubo, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2024)
* Hanif Kara, London Design Medal (2023)
* Roland Lamb, Emerging Design Medal (2014)
* Joycelyn Longdon, Emerging Design Medal (2022)
* Dame Ellen MacArthur, Design Innovation Medal (2020)
* Sir Don McCullin, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2022)
* Pat McGrath, London Design Medal (2024)
* Dame Magdalene Odundo, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2023)
* Julian Melchiorri, Emerging Design Medal (2017)
* Marc Newson, London Design Medal (2008)
* Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh, Design Entrepreneur Medal (2012)
* Neri Oxman, Design Innovation Medal (2018)
* Sandy Powell, London Design Medal (2022)
* Paul Priestman (PriestmanGoode), Design Innovation Medal (2017)
* POoR Collective, Emerging Design Medal (2023)
* Dieter Rams, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2013)
* Lord Richard Rogers, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2014)
* Nicolas Roope, Design Innovation Medal (2014)
* Daan Roosegaard, Design Innovation Medal (2016)
* Daniel Rybakken [sv], Emerging Design Medal (2013)
* Vidal Sassoon, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2011)
* Peter Saville, London Design Medal (2013)
* Sir Paul Smith, London Design Medal (2009)
* Marjan Van Aubel, Emerging Design Medal (2015)
* Eyal Weizman, Design Innovation Medal (2021)
* Dame Vivienne Westwood, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2019)
* Michael Wolf, Lifetime Achievement Medal (2021)
* Bethan Laura Wood, Emerging Talent Medal (2016)