Dezeen Magazine

Five of the best installations to see at this year's Clerkenwell Design Week

With Clerkenwell Design Week kicking off tomorrow, design reporter Alice Morby has picked out some of the most interesting things to see, including an installation made from mirrors and a rainbow-hued tower.

This year, Clerkenwell Design Week takes place from 23 to 25 May – a three-day period where the EC1 area of London is populated by designers, architects and furniture brands.

Venues including the House of Detention, Spa Fields, Fabric nightclub and St James Church will each play host to a number of brands and exhibitions, while a programme of specially commissioned public installations will spring up around the district.

Here's our pick of the best ones to see:


Keep by Jordan Söderberg Mills

Multidisciplinary artist Jordan Söderberg Mills will create a perception-altering installation at Clerkenwell London, using light, colour and mirrored surfaces to create an optical illusion-filled immersive space.

The installation forms part of the Design Undefined exhibition at Clerkenwell London, which looks at blurring design disciplines and last year presented Benjamin Hubert's made-to-measure, 3D-printed wheelchair.

Clerkenwell London, 155 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3AD


The Beacon by Perspex

The Beacon, supported by materials company Perspex, is 2017's biggest installation. Measuring at 7.5 metres tall, the rainbow-hued structure is based on Tower of Babel – a biblical structure from the Bible's Book of Genesis.

Located in the Spa Fields area, the tower is open for visitors to climb, with a viewing platform offering expansive views of Clerkenwell.

Spa Fields, Northampton Road, EC1R 0DF


Bleed by Lighting Design Studio, Popcorn and Red Deer

A sea of red LED strip lights will be suspended above Clerkenwell's Bleeding Heart Yard for Bleed.

The installation responds to human interaction. When a visitor places their fingertip on the sensor, the lights react to their heartbeat – flashing on and off at the same rate.

Bleeding Heart Yard, EC1N 8SJ


BuzziJungle by BuzziSpace

Office furniture company BuzziSpace has enlisted the help of interior designer and architect Jonas Van Put to create an installation that "challenges the traditional confines of the workplace".

BuzziJungle is a multilevel structure that elevates meeting rooms and desk spaces above the ground. Visitors are encouraged to climb and interact with the tower, which is located in the Design Fields area.

Spa Fields, Northampton Road, EC1R 0DF


Double Vision by Hakwood

Flooring company Hakwood will install a four-metre-high structure in the narrow passages of Clerkenwell Close.

Named Double Vision, the installation has two sides decorated with boldly coloured patterns that will guide visitors along the exhibition route.

Clerkenwell Close, EC1R