Twenty years ago, designers Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans decided to shape the first London Design Festival. It was 2003 and, at that time, although the city had already been one of the most important meccas in the world of design for decades, it lacked an event of its own. This year, the festival celebrated its 21st edition.

The program included large-scale street installations, different exhibitions in museums, tours of the city’s creative districts and fairs and talks framed within the Global Design Forum. The event wouldn’t be complete without the presentation of the London Design Medals, recognizing the contributing of outstanding figures.

“The London Design Festival continues to provide an invaluable platform for the UK’s design community: over the past two decades, the festival has cemented London’s reputation as a global creative capital while supporting designers at every level of their careers,” the festival’s director Ben Evans said in a statement.

About last night ✨ We celebrated the London Design Medals inside St Stephen Walbrook. In the ceremony, our winners took the stage to accept their medals.

You can find out more about our medal winners here. https://t.co/TVToDRPlLF

📸Iona Wolff pic.twitter.com/4HYCefPIGd

— London Design Festival (@L_D_F) September 19, 2023

At St Paul’s Cathedral, artist Pablo Valbuena presented a specially commissioned body of work titled Aura. The installation explores the contemporary meaning of a temple and the role of light and sound in creating modern-day rituals. Conceived as a light installation, it was defined by pulsating light reflecting the cathedral’s sound.

Meanwhile, at St Stephen Walbrook Church, Moritz Waldemeyer presented Halo, an installation defined by a pendulum circling Henry Moore’s altar with a trajectory informed by planetary movements and creating a halo around the marble piece. The installation is completed by chromatic transitions that reflect natural phenomena.

London-based designer Simone Brewster worked with Portuguese cork specialist Amorim on Spirit of Place, an installation on The Strand featuring a family of sculptural vessels 2.5m tall, representing the company’s cork forests in Portugal. Brewster focused on the forest’s traits, such as drought resistance and fast growth.

As if that wasn’t enough, the London Design Fair also included pavilions packed with both national and international brands and creators where visitors can enjoy talks and interactive workshops. In addition, the city was filled with satellite activities and presentations, offering a chance to interact with the creative world.

“London and Design go hand in hand. It is part of our story. London Design Festival is a platform for hundreds of design stories to be told. Each of them talks to an expanding audience hungry for design ideas and enjoying the quality and diversity of what’s on offer. It all confirms London’s status as the global centre of design,” said Ben Evans.

ArtDesignLondon Design Festival