Clerkenwell Design Week Picks
Clerkenwell Design Week returns to the capital this May, transforming one of London’s most creative neighbourhoods into a dynamic hub of design innovation, collaboration and discovery. Now in its 14th year, the festival celebrates the area’s rich design heritage with a week-long programme of exhibitions, showroom showcases, public installations, and talks from leading voices across the industry. From emerging talent to global names, Clerkenwell becomes a living, breathing showcase for what’s shaping the future of design today.
As proud media partners of this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, The Fluxx is delighted to bring you our curated guide to the highlights we’re most looking forward to. Whether it’s thought-provoking installations, exciting new product launches, or boundary-pushing collaborations, our picks reflect the creative energy and design excellence that define the festival.
Read on for our top recommendations — and where you’ll find us during one of the most anticipated events in the UK design calendar.
Alex Chinneck - A week at the knees
One of the standout installations at Clerkenwell Design Week 2024, British sculptor Alex Chinneck returns with a new public artwork that quite literally twists architectural convention. Installed in Charterhouse Square, this monumental four-storey piece reimagines traditional Georgian brickwork with Chinneck’s signature surrealism—appearing to ripple and melt like softened steel.
Referencing his now-iconic “Sliding House” in Margate and the “unzipping façade” unveiled at Milan Design Week, this new immersive sculpture blurs the line between architecture and illusion. Chinneck continues his exploration of the uncanny in urban form, offering Clerkenwell visitors an unforgettable encounter with transformative public art.
The installation is constructed from 320 metres of repurposed steel, with bespoke bending bricks, windows, and doors that shift and warp across the building’s surface. Produced in collaboration with leading names in British industry—including Michelmersh Brick Holdings, Crittall Windows, Chiltern GRC, and Cleveland Steel—the work is as much a technical triumph as it is a visual spectacle.
Expect this to be one of the most photographed—and philosophically intriguing—moments of the week.
Charterhouse Square, Barbican, London EC1M 6AN
Pixel Artworks - Feel the Pull
A powerful, immersive experience set within the atmospheric Victorian vaults of the House of Detention. Celebrating 20 years of creative exploration, the anniversary installation channels unseen magnetic forces into an electrifying journey through sound, light, and emotion. Far from passive viewing, this is a visceral encounter – the art responds to your presence, drawing you deeper into an interactive landscape of shifting visuals and pulsating soundscapes. It’s a must-see moment of the festival that will pull you in – quite literally.
12 Sans Walk, London EC1R 0AF, UK
Hay Showroom
In 2002, HAY was established as a new kind of design company in Denmark. Motivated by the ambition to offer good, democratic design, HAY set out to innovate new ways to answer the ever-evolving needs of modern living – but at a more accessible price point than traditional design companies.
Founders and Creative Directors Mette and Rolf Hay are committed to working with their generation’s best designers to create high-quality products that are available to a wide audience.
Product categories: Contract Furniture | Lighting | Outdoor Furniture
The Sans, St John's Sq, London EC1M 4AH
Schotten & Hansen x PLUCK Kitchens
A launch collaboration between Schotten & Hansen with the British kitchen designers Pluck can be enjoyed at this years show.
In their Bavarian laboratory, the German timber specialists created naturally pigmented Douglas Fir veneers to match our hues. The new bespoke colours include Carmargue Rose, Churchhaven Blue, Kadoorie Green and Petra.
Bernard Heinloth, Schotten & Hansen CEO commented, “Pluck’s passion for creating wood and colour combinations with their handcrafted kitchen furniture truly resonated with us. We are pioneers in the field of wood and natural colour and are delighted by the beautiful designs that once again demonstrate how wood surfaces can retain their natural beauty, even in surprising colour combinations.”
View a collection of kitchen furniture combining naturally pigmented Douglas fir veneers with the pared back, elegant style of Pluck.
Stand B10, British Collection, Crypt on the Green, St James’s Church, EC1R 0EA
Platform
Platform at Clerkenwell Design Week is a must-visit showcase dedicated to spotlighting the next generation of design talent. Housed within the atmospheric subterranean setting of the House of Detention, this exhibition provides a unique stage for emerging designers and independent studios on the cusp of breaking into the industry. Platform offers a refreshing counterpoint to the more established names seen elsewhere in Clerkenwell, giving visitors the opportunity to discover bold, original ideas and meet the creatives shaping the future of design. From experimental materials to inventive forms and sustainable thinking, the work on show reflects a spirit of innovation and a willingness to challenge convention — making it one of the festival’s most exciting and inspiring destinations.
Designs by AH HA Project featuring at this year’s Platform
70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ
CDW Exhibitions
Design Fields: Spa Fields, Northampton Road, EC1R 0HB
Light: House of Detention, 12 Sans Walk, EC1R 0AS
Project: Garden of St James's, St James's Walk, EC1R 0EA
Clerkenwell Green Pavilions: Clerkenwell Grn, EC1R 0DU
Elements: St John’s Square, EC1M 4DS
Brewhouse Yard: EC1V 0ET
British Collection: St James's Church & Crypt, Clerkenwell Close, EC1R 0EA
Detail: The Order of St John, St John’s Square, EC1V 4JJ
Platform: 70 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EJ
Ceramics of Italy: St John's Square, EC1M 4DE
Old Sessions House: The Old Sessions House, 23 Clerkenwell Grn, EC1R 0NA
Studio Smithfield: 1 E Poultry Ave, EC1A 9PT
Charterhouse Square: Charterhouse Square, Barbican, EC1M 6AN
The Charterhouse: Charterhouse Square, Barbican, EC1M 6AN
Church of Design: St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, EC1A 9DS
British Collection: St James's Church, Clerkenwell Close, EC1R 0EA
Danish Collection: Paxton Locher House, 8-9 Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0DE
Austrian Collection: The Crypt in The Order of St John, St John’s Square, EC1V 4JJ
Spanish Collection: Charterhouse Square, Barbican, EC1M 6AN
Italian Collection: St John’s Square, EC1M 4DS
German Collection: Catapult, 1 Sekforde St, EC1R 0BE