British Land, Headline Partner of London Design Festival for the third consecutive year, will showcase key commissions and activations as part of the 2018 Festival.
Alphabet by Kellenberger-White at Broadgate
British Land has commissioned London-based graphic design studio, Kellenberger-White to create a landmark project at Finsbury Avenue Square, Broadgate. The design studio, known for their playful approach to typography, has designed a bespoke typeface which will come to life through a series of 26 moveable alphabet chairs. It will transform Broadgate into an interactive, urban playground, that brings together typography, architecture and gravity. Alphabet will be painted in a colour palate formed from industrial paint manufacturer, International Marine Paint. Colourways will include: International Orange, used on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and Cornflower Blue, on the
Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge. This will complement the development activity which is currently transforming the Broadgate neighbourhood.
Paddington Central, a new Design Route for 2018
This year, for the first time, Paddington Central will be an official Design Route as part of the Festival. An urban waterside oasis, British Land’s Paddington Central campus is one of London’s newest food and tech hotspots. Located next to Paddington Station and the iconic Grand Union Canal, it is home to inspirational public works of art, vibrant cultural events and ground-breaking architecture. Its community works smarter, stays active and lives well thanks to a backdrop that encourages businesses and people to flourish.
Snøhetta Book Pavilion at Paddington Central, Commissioned by British Land
Pioneering architects Snøhetta will present their Book Pavilion, an innovative architectural installation inspired by the traditional principles of a library. Located at 2 Kingdom Street, the installation will offer an immersive experience, which transports visitors into a world of books. The Snøhetta Book Pavilion will feature a range of oversized books which rotate and act as walls to create a range of spaces, from quiet and intimate, to open and public. Parents will be able to read to their child and visitors will be able to read together and share their experiences.
Each book will include an insert with the following inscription; Reading gives us somewhere to go. A place to escape. This book lives in the Snøhetta Book Pavilion at Paddington Central but its story doesn’t end when you read the last chapter. Please enjoy this book and then bring it back to the Snøhetta Book Pavilion so someone else can immerse themselves in the joy of reading.
Flip Book Garden by Ido Garini at Paddington Central
Along Grand Union Canal, visitors will be able to discover the Flip Book Garden- an immersive landscape experience and transformative urban garden. Commissioned by British Land to create a stand out interactive installation, Ido Garini (Studio Appétit) has brought to life the exciting child-like sensation of opening a pop-up book by creating an outdoor setting that transitions throughout the day like the flip of a page. Merging the rich Victorian heritage of Paddington Station and its surroundings, together with contemporary and innovative design, the installation invites visitors to immerse in a lavish and inspiring atmosphere.
The Royal College of Art at Paddington Central
Three thought-provoking installations from students at the School of Architecture at the Royal College of Art will explore the future of residential, lobby space and retail with three showcases in and around Sheldon Square. The Residential Build of the Future installation inside 4 Kingdom Street will present plans for an interlocking one-bedroom maisonette which experiments with new and varied apartment types complementing communal spaces for eating and working.
The Future of Lobby Spaces installation inside 2 Kingdom Street will offer engaging insights into how art and cultural content change perceptions of these spaces. The installation is an amorphic 3D cloud structure that comprises of flexible furniture, creating moments of privacy within the lobby space. Presented on giant light cubes under Bishop’s Bridge, the Retail of the Future installation will explore how emerging technology will affect retail spaces and drive shifts in politics, economics and human behaviour. This approach to design aims to identify future problems that may not yet exist. It will showcase four scenarios that will be brought to life in a series of large-format photographic images.
Darcie & May Green Barges at Paddington Central
Floating works of art designed by ‘godfather’ of British pop art Sir Peter Blake, will welcome visitors aboard to enjoy canal side dining throughout the Festival. Darcie Green opens at 7.30am & May Green opens at 7.00am, until the late hours of the evening.
Liz West at Paddington Central
Experience the positive impact of colour and light with British artist Liz West’s radiant site-specific sculpture, Colour Transfer. A dazzling immersive environment that captures the essence of its surroundings and inspires and energises those passing by.
British Land delivers Places People Prefer through the development of places where people can work, shop and socialise. It creates individual buildings and enlivens the spaces around them to help people’s wellbeing and meet their needs.
British Land will also work with London Design Festival as principal supporter of the British Land Celebration of Design to host the prestigious awards evening, for the fifth consecutive year. This forms a key part of the Festival, honouring and celebrating those who have made a significant contribution to the world of design. Both partnerships demonstrate the company’s ongoing commitment to the use of design in creating places which meet the needs of customers, communities and respond to the changing way people live their lives.
