One of the most important additions for London Design Festival 2021, the Designposts project brings a series of wooden sculptures to the streets of London, each capturing the spirit of one of the festival's 10 dedicated design districts.
A collaboration between LDF, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), and three leading British furniture makers Benchmark Furniture (West Berkshire), Sebastian Cox (South East London) and Jan Hendzel Studio (South East London), the initiative aims to pay tribute to the diverse history and creative culture of London’s neighbourhoods; to give emerging designers a platform to showcase their talent; to give festival-goers a free open-air exhibition of thought-provoking art and design; and to present the potential of an underused and highly sustainable material – American red oak – to Europe’s creative community.
From an homage to the landmark gasholders of King’s Cross to a tribute to the barrel-making craft heritage of Park Royal, the Designposts provide illuminating responses to the multitude of stories that have shaped the city over the centuries.
The Designposts have been designed by a student or recent graduate of either London Metropolitan University or the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL. Each was assigned an individual LDF Design District, and invited to personally respond in the form of a large-scale sculptural structure. With guidance from AHEC and the expert furniture makers, they have spent the last few month’s finessing their designs, ready for installation on 15 September.