Exhibitions: Exploring the Future at London's Design Museum

A centerpiece of an upcoming exhibition at London's Design Museum is a crowd-sourced piece of furniture. It's an idea that Made.com has pioneered in the last several years. Image courtesy Design Museum.

This is one of those times when we can’t even begin to fathom the changes happening around us. It’s particularly true for design, and an upcoming exhibition at London’s Design Museum seeks to explore its future in a new and provocative way. In conjunction with the pioneering furniture retailer Made.com, the museum’s show The Future is Here: A New Industrial Revolution will explore the potential for democratizing the design process via new means of production. One of the key components of the exhibition will be a publicly commissioned piece of furniture that will be market-ready when the show opens on July 24. Starting April 8, people will have a chance to vote on the shortlist of designs that were submitted last month in response to the show’s brief. We recently spoke to curator Alex Newsom about the show, its genesis and the implications for the future of design.

Click to read more ...

Restaurant at Royal Academy in London by Tom Dixon

British designer Tom Dixon finished the interior of the Restaurant at the Royal Academy on January 19, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England. Dixon oversaw the design as Creative Director of Design Research Studio. The restaurant is part of the Peyton and Byrne restaurant group, which also runs the renowned dining rooms at the National Gallery.

Click to read more ...

Temporary Beach Volleyball Stadium for 2012 London Olympic Games

Populous, the London 2012 Olympic stadium architect and official architectural and overlay design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Atkins, the UK's largest engineering and design consultancy, will transform the iconic horse guards parade in London into an Olympic venue for the beach volleyball, competition taking full advantage of its historic and central setting.

The solutions provided include taking the standard components available for temporary stadiums and creating the same feeling of permanency as the main games venues. Pre-existing modular components will be hired to create a bespoke court. In keeping with both populous and atkins' low carbon ethos, following the games, the venue will be dismantled, leaving no trace on the location, and can be reassembled and used in other locations. 

Click to read more ...