London, that design engine

Earlier on during that designalicious morning, I spent time wandering through the Super Contemporary exhibit. This time a retrospective of an industry within a particular city, the exhibit “reflects London’s diversity, tracking its development over the decades, looking at the intersections between art, design, architecture and fashion” (exhibition brochure). And obviously, running through it all, culture – influencing and influenced by design.

A multimedia timeline runs around the room, highlighting significant designs, events, people and news from the past 50 years. The centre of the room is devoted to the 15 commissions created by influential London designers. Below is just a little taste:


Nigel Coates turns Battersea into a useful building again, this time as a multi-denominational symbol of faith, reflecting London’s diverse culture. How many symbols can you spot?


Listening Station by BarberOsgerby. Stand in the right spot and re-experience lost sounds of the city such as birdsong.


The Freedom Space invites us to interrogate how free… (look it up!)
(Did you know that London has the highest rate of surveillance in the world with Londoners caught on camera an average of 400 times a day?! Yes, each!)

One of my favourite things was the personalised London maps by influential London creatives, illustrating their experience of the city.

And in true innovative spirit, some of these commissions can be experienced at different sites around London (Paul Smith, Ross Phillips, Wayne Hemingway and through the Collabregator.

Super Contemporary is on at the Design Museum until October 4th, 2009. Catch it if you can – it’s a brilliant tale of the city.

(And the logo has an interesting story too…)