Clerkenwell Design Week
27-05-2016
We always endeavour to get as many Squaredots as possible down to Clerkenwell Design Week. What better way to see what’s new and sit on all those chairs we’ve been specifying. This year was no different; almost everyone made it at some point. We relished the atmosphere and excitement created by 10,000’s of creative feet and the bewilderment of those few who’d stumbled upon it.
What stood out?
The tiled ‘billboards’ (by Giles Miller Studio with British Ceramic Tile Specification) along with the various installations such as the StackFolly and Museum of Making were great and lent the whole event the beginnings of a festival feel.
It would be interesting to see some of the excitement and theatrical staging of Milan coming to Clerkenwell. Many of the showrooms had simply opened their doors and laid out sweets. Whilst there was a lot to see, much of it was the same. Same as last year, same as each other.
Opportunities for the future?
It should be less about canapes and tote-bags, more about celebrating creativity, design and furniture. Whatever it is there is big scope for someone to step up and really do something different, to really embrace the event as a Festival of Ideas.
The up and coming businesses could be linked with the more established brands – more collaboration could work well for all parties. Why don’t the flooring manufacturers link with the furniture makers – contextualising products surely helps everyone.
The intervention by Tom Dixon Studio at St James Church is a great story. All credit to Vicar Andrew Baughen for seeing the potential in using the event to open new his beautiful church to new audiences. We’d like to see more in this vein. Using all the spaces in the area along with the streetscape itself, linking with restaurants, cafes and shops. How about striping out an old Routemaster and replacing all the seats, transforming it into a mobile showroom / tour bus.
We missed the Farmiloe Building. Fabrik was an interesting venue but it was dark, together with the House of Detention you had to feel sorry for the folks spending 2 days in the gloom. Great locations for displaying lighting, not so much for anything else. Design Fields was like a fete.
The first timers loved it. The old timers wondered what was in it for them. So we’re left with the question; Who and what is Clerkenwell Design Week for?
