Designjunction returns to London Design Festival 2015
Dezeen promotion: designjunction will return to the London Design Festival from 24 to 27 September 2015 in two new venues on Southampton Row (+ slideshow).
Now in its fifth edition, designjunction is set to exhibit more than 180 leading international design brands at The College – a five-floor venue once home to prestigious London arts institution Central Saint Martins.
"The former Central Saint Martins is at the heart of London's vibrant design scene and the perfect environment for visitors to connect and engage with design," said designjunction managing director and founder Deborah Spencer.
Classrooms within the college will create a backdrop for products by brands including Herman Miller, Wrong for HAY, Vitra and Benjamin Hubert.
Lightjunction will take over the entire ground floor of the former college, showcasing innovative lighting displays from the likes of Fontana Arte, Haberdashery and Northern Lighting in what was once the staff headquarters and dean's office.
Design brand Wrong for HAY is collaborating with coffee brand Noble Espresso to create a bespoke cafe, while a pop-up underground station made entirely from wood will be situated next to the Transport for London cafe.
This year's seminar programme will be themed on Design for a Reason and will take place in the former 300-seat Cochrane Theatre at The College.
Over 50 design-led pop up shops selling home accessories, luxury leather goods, statement jewellery, and limited-edition art prints will be over at the event's second venue – in the basement of Victoria House.
A late night shopping event will take place at the venue on at 24 September from 7 to 9pm, when visitors will receive a complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival and can take part in a design masterclass from Nest.co.uk and interior specialists 2 Lovely Gays, alongside live demonstrations and music.
Japanese brand Tokyobike will be hosting a series of guided bike tours across London, starting and finishing at Victoria House.
For this year's Teddy's Wish charity collaboration, designers have customised versions of the iconic Eames elephant from Vitra, which will be sold during an online auction that will run for two weeks and go live on the opening night of the event.
Designjunction will take place from 24 to 27 September 2015 during the London Design Festival. Tickets for designjunction acquired online in advance are free for trade and £10 for public. Dezeen readers can get 50 per cent off the advance ticket price using promo code DJDEZEEN. All tickets on the door are £14.
Read on for more information from the event organisers:
What to expect at designjunction2015
The fifth edition of the critically-acclaimed designjunction is set to raise the bar this year by taking over two new central London venues; The College, formerly home to Central Saint Martins and the striking event space Victoria House B1, both located on Southampton Row.
At The College, designjunction will showcase more than 100 leading international cutting-edge contemporary design brands – and many product launches. Resonating with the building's illustrious design history, designjunction will take over five impressive floors of the spectacular Lethaby building as well as other stunning spaces within the campus.
Across the road Victoria House B1 will house more than 50 design-led pop up shops, nearly doubling the show's retail offering. It will be the premier destination for all the latest home accessories, luxury leather goods, statement jewellery, limited edition art prints, unusual stationery and much more.
"This is a really exciting time for designjunction as we expand across two new locations in central London with the opportunity to deliver an entirely original edition of our flagship London show," said designjunction's managing director and founder, Deborah Spencer.
Expect to encounter live workshops and flash-factories, one-off collaborations, hundreds of new product launches, inspiring installations and delectable food. Designjunction2015 promises to deliver an unrivalled experience – making it central London's leading destination for contemporary design and the most important global meeting point during the London Design Festival.
What to expect at The College
The College will become the backdrop to the Festival's most inspiring mix of international brands. Cutting-edge design will create a striking contrast to the school's characteristic classrooms.
Designjunction's stellar line-up of brands include: Herman Miller, Wrong for HAY, Fritz Hansen, TON, Marset, Vitra, La Chance, Objekten, James Burleigh, Benjamin Hubert, Channels, Andreu World, Allermuir, James UK, Kirkby Design, Ligne Roset, String Furniture, MOLO, BoConcept, Dare Studio, EOQ, Modus, Made in Ratio, Places & Spaces, String, Another Brand, Atelier Areti, Zita Menyhart Studio and many more.
Lightjunction expands, taking over the entire ground floor of The College – transforming the staff headquarters and old Dean's office with pioneering light displays from some of the world's leading decorative lighting brands. Brands include: Fontana Arte, Mullan Lighting, Brokis, Blackbody, CTO Lighting, RUBN, Örsjö, Rothchild & Bickers and Northern Lighting.
This year the show will be partnering with Transport for London (TfL) to create a one-off restaurant exclusively for designjunction visitors. Design brand Wrong for HAY will be collaborating with La Marzocco to serve the finest artisan coffee in a bespoke café setting. Outside street food vans will park up in the Courtyard serving foods from across the globe for the duration of the show.
Designjunction's leading seminar programme will be themed around the concept Design for a Reason. Chaired by Aidan Walker, the programme will explore how issues like sustainability and digital developments affect the design process in today's world. The exciting programme will take place in the former 300 seater Cochrane Theatre at The College.
Camilla Barnard will be designing and building a monumental pop-up Underground station made entirely from wood. The life-sized installation, which will sit next to the TfL café, will be hand painted to reflect a typical station. The structure will showcase both classic and brand new TfL design collections from Alice Made This, Blue Marmalade, Lindsey Lang, Mini Moderns and textiles by Michelle Mason for Swoon Editions.
What to expect at Victoria House B1
More than 50 high-end design stores and boutique brands will pop-up up at Victoria House B1, bringing together an irresistible mix of brands in one central destination. Expect to browse the latest tech accessories, design objects, one-off prints, handmade ceramics, statement jewellery and much more.

Designjunction will host a late night shopping event for visitors to enjoy special discounts from participating stores and a glass of complimentary prosecco on arrival. Shoppers will also be treated to a design masterclass from Nest.co.uk and interior specialists 2 Lovely Gays alongside live demonstrations and music.
Designjunction is delighted to partner with Nest.co.uk as the official show retail partner. Nest.co.uk will present the Design Clinic – a home advice collaboration with interior designers 2 Lovely Gays. Visitors will be able to book complimentary sessions with the charming professionals throughout the show. The 2 Lovely Gays will also host daily Design Masterclasses in the Nest.co.uk buyers lounge.
Designjunction is proud to support Teddy's Wish for the second edition of A Child's Dream. Designjunction has partnered with Vitra for the charity collaboration this year, who have donated the iconic Eames elephant for selected brands to customise and sell at auction. This timeless children's toy will be transformed by 20 leading international designers including Lee Broom, FRONT, Eley Kishimo- to, CKR, Fredrikson Stallard, Industrial Facility, Michael Marriott, Max Lamb, Gensler, Raw Edges, Neri & Hu, Terence Woodgate and Zandra Rhodes. The online auction will go live on opening night of the show.