CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK PREVIEW
Following a call-out from CDW to emerging and established designers and architects for ideas for innovative structures, the strongest submissions will be installed across Clerkenwell.
Expanded CDW Awards and new venues Haberdashers’ Hall, will be a new addition to CDW’ s list of spectacular venues. Known as The Luxury Edit during the show, this new venue will be hosting the CDW Awards ceremony on Tuesday 19th May, presented in partnership with Design Milk. Following a strong debut last year, the awards will once again celebrate furniture, lighting, materials and interior solutions that are shaping the future of design. New categories will focus on the individuals, teams and ideas challenging conventions and celebrating the creatives driving design forward today. In addition, as well as being home to a cluster of high-end Italian design brands, The Luxury Edit will host the talks series Design Meets featuring industry bodies, leading brands and industry experts.
A‘ living’ outdoor installation, The Pulse of Becoming, will animate the space outside The Luxury Edit. This Design Intervention, created by recent graduates
Musab Umair, Amruta Ramesh Pullawar and Sharath Binu John who are based in Portsmouth, explores the cyclical nature of death, rebirth and life. Chia seeds embedded in two opposing crescent shells will sprout during the festival, turning bare surfaces green.
The Museum of the Order of St John above St John’ s Gate( originally built in 1504) is one of the great hidden historical treasures of London and is another new venue for the festival. The atmospheric space, steeped in history, will be the temporary home to INTERIORS FROM SPAIN, a striking platform for contemporary Spanish design produced by Londonbased design journal Disegno.
Material Source Studio, which showcases products and materials for architects, interior designers and property professionals, and Workplace on the Square outside The Zetter hotel, a platform for design brands catering to offices, are two new additions to CDW’ s wide range of venues for 2026. Office design brands will also be exhibiting at Workplace at Goldsmiths’ at The Goldsmiths’ Centre which returns as a festival venue this year.
Returning venues, new installations St Bartholomew the Great once again becomes the Church of Design, this year’ s venue for the coveted Conversations at Clerkenwell programme curated by PR and Brand Consultant Katie Richardson, which will include discussions with leading and emerging designers on topical subjects. Dulux, this year’ s sponsor for Conversations at Clerkenwell, is launching a student-focused competition to design the backdrop of the talks stage using a palette of on-trend colours.
Roche Bobois, DEDON and MAGIS Spa are among the many leading international brands exhibiting at the Church of Design, and CONFLUENCE( pictured above), a monumental origami-inspired installation by Fung + Bedford, will be suspended from the ceiling of the 900-year-old Grade I listed medieval church.
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