London Design Festival hits the city this week, bringing together all of the design events under one name. This year, the overarching theme is London Is Open; international designers shown throughout the festival emphasise that this city is one greatly influenced by diversity. With the Design Biennale events, exhibitions, and the Open House Weekend all falling within the next fortnight, our main task is to work out when we will be able to grab some sleep...

Check back regularly to keep up to date with London's latest happenings and our weekly recommendations!

London Design Festival | 17-25 September

Image: Alison Brooks Architects

London Design Festival celebrates London's best designers as well as bringing together the biggest events in the arts and design field, including London Design Biennale (Somerset House), 100% Design (Olympia) and London Design Fair (Old Truman Brewery). 

Since 2007, the London Design Festival has commissioned the world’s biggest designers and artists to create their ‘Landmark Projects’. This year, Alison Brooks Architects'The Smile will dominate Chelsea College of Arts with its innovative use of cross-laminated timber. Not to be missed, this piece sets out to demonstrate the capabilities of, and design opportunities created by, this type of innovative construction.

Brixton Design Trail | 17-25 September

Image: Jo Gibbs

Between the 17th and 25th September, the streets of Brixton of will be transformed to engage the local community through art, performances and skateable street furniture. Following on from the success of last year’s trail, this year continues the celebration of the community’s rich and unique history,  with the theme ofRebel Rebel in honour of 'Our Brixton Boy' David Bowie.

Squire and Partners, who partnered with BID Brixton to bring this trail to life, give us an interactive outdoor installation. This contribution to the festival will see the walls of Stockwell Avenue transformed into a large-scale canvas, showcasing local street artists both known and unknown.

Open House Weekend | 17-18 September

Image: Open House

Having started over 20 years ago as a way to promote public awareness and appreciation of London's architecture, the Open House organisation has flourished and expanded to include 30 cities worldwide.  The buildings available to access over the weekend are normally not open to the public, giving the general public the opportunity for people of all walks of life to be able to visit and appreciate these dwellings, institutions and workplaces.

Buildings this year include temples, air raid shelters, award winning homes, and the iconic BedZED development in Wallington. The open houses are scattered throughout London, and are all free to attend.

The Ruin of London: Owen Hatherley on Nine Elms | 20 September

Image: Barratt Homes

The Nine Elms development has been widely criticised and its progress scrutinised, namely for its focus on high-end, high-cost flats, making it a household name within the topic of regeneration in London. In this debate, Owen Hatherley and Peter Watts will discuss the impact and merits of this development, and look at the significance of the Battersea site. Hatherley is well known for his writing on post war construction, with his books A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain and A New Kind of Bleak becoming staples for anyone wishing to understand the consequences of (mis)planning for a utopian future. His co-speaker, Peter Watts, is similarly revered for his writings on the ideals of London planners, and how they ultimately fell short (Up in Smoke: The Failed Dreams of Battersea Power Station). This talk is about much more than just this development; it is about the wider context, and the impact of regeneration in our City.

Architecture on Film: Counting + Jem Cohen Q&A | 20 September

Jem Cohen at work, image: Gravity Hill Films

Jem Cohen is known for his focus on the social dynamics of the human condition. Described as an artist, the independent American filmmaker created the Counting project to provide a diary film, documenting the cities, politics and people of the places featured.  Capturing cities such as New York, St. Petersburg and Istanbul, in a way that is engaging in its curiosity, this film is set to inspire conscious observation in viewers. 

This Screening will be followed by a discussion with Jem Cohen and Gareth Evans (Film Curator, Whitechapel Gallery).

Also keep track of our weekly event picks for New York City and Los Angeles.

Have an event you want to submit? Send it to Bustler for review here.