Installation highlights of Clerkenwell Design Week

With hundreds of architecture offices, design studios and manufacturer showrooms squeezed into its labyrinthine cobbled streets and alleyways, Clerkenwell is teeming with creative life.

For three days during the rainy late UK spring, Clerkenwell creatives open their doors and minds to give their insights into the common themes running through the industry today, and it’s clear to see that sustainability, wellbeing, innovation and the future of work/life culture remain steadfastly at the top of the creative agenda in 2022. Here’s a run-down of the best CDW 22 installations.

Underneath the cobbled archway to St. John’s Square, sat a visual narrative of Interface’s journey from the petroleum-intensive product of the carpet tile manufacturers’ history, to the climate-conscious Econyl (recycled nylon) used today. The sculpture twists together black-dyed yarn into a vortex, representative of their dark roots, then stretches out into a colourful rainbow inside a circle of light enlightenment.

Workspace provider The Office Group put together a reusable shipping container, filled with a selection of sustainable products used in their carbon-neutral workspace, the Black & White building, set to open in Autumn 2022. The products include architectural acoustic spray, a chair made from a single plank of wood and a background chequerboard of sustainable hardwearing carpet tiles.

Clerkenwell Design Week attracts design professionals and enthusiasts from all across Europe, of course. One tourist happy to make the trip, is the Delenimentum installation’s oversized Adirondack chair, originally found sunning itself at Lake Como in 2021. The large-scale furniture piece offers an altered perspective of life, and how, by youthfully appreciating and viewing nature differently, we can get more out of it.

Set in the bustling vibrancy of Clerkenwell’s headline space, Spa Fields, Texaa’s immersive example of sound absorption sees two identically shaped tunnels converge. One lines its surfaces with Texaa’s range of acoustic products, while the other’s wood-clad surfaces are left untreated. Visitors are invited to step through one tunnel, then the other, to experience the difference between acoustic comfort and suffering.

As the biophilic design consultancy Plant Designs explained to me, the sad truth is that many employers with environmental intentions see the majority of office greenery die before its time, due to a combination of petit office politics and plain forgetfulness. This is why Plant Designs offer an ongoing service of care, ensuring the full lifetime of nature. The benefits of biophilia are exemplified in this installation, with woodland mulch floor, appropriate atmospheric lighting, a fitting soundtrack of birdcalls and curated jungle flora taking over a simple desk and chair setup for a surprisingly tranquil workspace.

Collaborating architects BVN used off-cuts from co-working space Second Home’s nearby building to construct example pop-up work environments. The additional environments can be installed indoor or out on roofs or terraces, at no extra material cost, ready for simple dismantling and reconstruction elsewhere. After CDW, for example, this specific installation will move to another Second Home location in London Fields.

Suggesting how simple public and community meeting points can be created using minimal time, resources and lasting impact, NVBL Architects inflated a cloud of biodegradable TPU, suspended from neighbouring treetops and buildings. Held with steel cable and weighted with stone offcuts. The result is a perfect resource for the temporality of pop-up events and festivals.

Redesigning the traditional Victorian bandstand with contemporary architectural elements, Fieldwork Architects reimagined the spatial typology with greater attraction for modern work-from-home and work-from-anywhere culture. In bold colours and graphic patterns, Equitone’s facade panelling attracted visitors to the communal space to hear an insightful programme of talks, discussions and presentations throughout the week.

As a member of the Porsche team attempted to explain to me in simple language, the Taycan’s innovative electric motor features ‘hairpin winding technology’. The installation itself is, in fact, a scaled-up model of the copper wire design, which allows more air to pass through, bringing more cooling and performance. With the extra efficiency, the EV’s range is extended up to 267 miles, putting it amongst the most efficient cars on the market and highlighting the power of innovation and engineering in all design fields.

© Architonic