The world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form. The Design Museum's vision is a world where everyone values design.
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The museum's purpose is to make the impact of the design visible. It aims to achieve this by:
- Building public awareness of design by connecting design with people’s lives and passions
- Reflecting the designer’s role at the forefront of social, technological and environmental change
- Serving the design community. Design is a practice, a diverse discipline, infinitely rich in approaches and cha
racters. It is a young discipline, whose role in the world is evolving. Our unique approach to working with designers is to invite them to ‘think in public’ with us.
Join us on 9 September for ‘Upbeat Steps’ 💃
Experience an afternoon celebrating Bollywood dance and community with Step Change Studios. In this workshop you can learn some simple Bollywood dance moves and enjoy a short performance.
Book now: https://bit.ly/3OOo6Mq
| Designed by Eero Aarnio in 1963, the Ball Chair has become an icon of design due to its unconventional shape 🔴
It was originally debuted at Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966 and consists of a circular fibreglass shell in which someone can sit inside.
It is frequently used in films to evoke the futuristic style of the 1960s, or to suggest the villainy of a person who sits shadowed within its depths.
Aarnio, a Finnish interior designer, once said 'I will make a chair that when it is put in a shop window, no one will just walk past it'. He loved to provoke and cause a stir with his designs.
📸 aarinooriginals on Insta
Today we celebrate Charles and Ray Eames ❤️
The American designers were not only partners in life, but partners in their contribution to furniture and architectural design. Charles died in 1978, and Ray died on the same day 10 years later.
Their ethos was to utilise design as best they could, for example by making chairs stackable, and keeping the price of their designs affordable. These two things were to make sure everyone could have something not only practical but beautiful in their home.
Read our profile on : https://bit.ly/47sCJ0r
📸 Eames Foundation
A look inside the TWA Terminal at the JFK International Airport in New York ✈️
Designed in 1961 by Eero Saarinen, the building embodies the sculptural turn that modern architecture took in the early sixties.
Saarinen, who was born on this day in 1910, was famous for thin-shell concrete structures, rejecting the contemporary trend for uninspiring, shed-like airport buildings.
With the TWA Terminal, he wanted to create a building that was just as exciting as the latest jet liners.
Looking to revamp your walls? We have just the thing! Check out our variety of posters and prints in our online shop today.
Tap to shop now: https://bit.ly/3Ol1lRm 💛
To celebrate , here are a few of our favourite recent snaps captured at the museum 📸
Share your snaps with for the chance to be featured on our channels.
The Design Museum is open 7 days a week with loads of exciting exhibitions and free displays…
🥻The Offbeat Sari - until 17 September 2023
🤟 REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion - from 16 September 2023
🏝️ Design Researchers in Residence: Islands - until 1 October 2023
🏡 How to Build a Low Carbon Home - until March 2024
💡 Designer Maker User - free display open daily
Tap the link to find out more: https://bit.ly/44e2EXd
📸 priyaraguofficial, geoff_hsu, vernissagep, dr.adriaen on Insta
The stunning Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles is considered the greatest surviving example of Art Deco architecture in the city.
Designed by architect Claud Beelman, the building is distinguished for its many Art Deco motifs which include sunburst patterns, geometric shapes, zigzags and chevrons.
Originally a department store, in 2006 it was converted into condominiums.
📸 Elizabeth Daniels
Join us on 16 September for ‘Writing in Nature’ 🌳
Join poet and performer Fausta Joly for an afternoon of creative writing in the museum's Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden.
Book now: https://bit.ly/44d2y1G
💙 ONE MONTH TO GO 💙
The countdown is on for our upcoming exhibition REBEL: 30 years of London Fashion, opening at the Design Museum on 16 September.
This landmark collaboration with the British Fashion Council, sponsored by Alexander McQueen, will celebrate 30 years of their NEWGEN programme, an initiative that supports the best emerging fashion design talent.
The show will be one of the most compelling contemporary fashion exhibitions ever staged in the UK, acknowledging the work of over 300 designers and featuring over 100 objects, including Björk’s iconic 2001 swan dress and Sam Smith’s incredible inflatable latex suit by HARRI.
Tap the link for tickets and more information: https://bit.ly/3PkxlWB
📸 Sadie Williams AW18 Presentation, via British Fashion Council
We are saddened to hear the news of graphic designer Jamie Reid's death.
Our Director Tim Marlow commented: "Few graphic designers have helped define an era in the way Jamie Reid did. Never mind the formal tributes - he was even more than just a punk icon"
Pictured is a 2016 Jamie Reid display at our previous Shad Thames site.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
The Anna G corkscrew was designed by Alessandro Mendini for Alessi in 1994, inspired by Mendini's love of playing games. 🍾
Thought to be based on the designer's friend Anna Gili, the doll-like corkscrew seems to dance when in use.
The design was an instant hit; 20,000 were sold that year, and more than 1.5 million since.
This elegant diving board can be found at the Parco dei Principi hotel in Sorrento, designed in 1960 by one of Italy’s most influential 20th century architect/designers, Gio Ponti. 💙
Throughout his career, Ponti juggled numerous roles, which included architect, industrial designer, craftsman and painter.
In addition to his prolific architectural work, his design credits include coffee machines (the world’s first), lighting and furniture.
📸 okolo_architecture
On World Elephant Day, enjoy this lovely photo of the Eames Elephant, designed in 1945 🐘
The elephant’s designers, Charles and Ray Eames, were fascinated by the animals and spent hours drawing them.
This simple design marked an important moment in the history of mass-produced furniture. It was originally made from plywood, which the Eames believed to be the ideal material to manifest their belief that good design should be available to all.
📸 Charles and Ray Eames
This 30-metre-high observation tower between Dresden and Berlin is a symbol of landscape change and a walk-in sculpture all in one.
Nicknamed the Rusty Nail, the design is the result of an architectural competition.
The tower is a reminder of the industrial history of the region and from the top, visitors can see three lakes at once.
It was designed from 2007-2008 by architect Stefan Giers.
📸 Stefano Perego
🪑 COMING SOON 🪑
Join us in September for ANTIFURNITURE by performance artist Fyodor Pavlov-Andreevich.
This new project presents a collection of large interactive sculptures scattered throughout the Design Museum’s atrium, mezzanine and garden.
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Visitors will be invited to climb in, hide within and temporarily inhabit these structures, making them the collective performing body of this new display.�
ANTIFURNITURE opens on 26 September - more info: https://bit.ly/47kOq9H
📸 Olga Treivas
On this day in 1878 Irish architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray was born 💚
One of the most intriguing designers of the inter-war period, Gray was a pioneer of the Modern Movement in the 20th century.
The Bidendum Chair is one of her most famous designs, made up of a steel base and back rest and arms covered in fabric.
The 1926 design, inspired by the Michelin Man, set its creator apart as an art-deco furniture pioneer.
Read our profile on Eileen Gray: https://designmuseum.org/designers/eileen-gray
Wishing you a purr-fect International Cat Day 🐈
This is the Kindergarten Die Katze by artist Tomi Ungerer and architect Ayla Suzan Yöndel.
Constructed in 2011 in Karlsruhe, Germany, the whimsical educational venue includes a door for a mouth below a whisker-lined nose, windows for eyes, and a classroom in its belly.
📸 Stefano Perego
Who used to be hypnotised by these as a kid?
The Astro Lava lamp was designed in 1963 by Edward Craven Walker, and was advertised as an 'exotic new conversation piece'.
An icon of the 1960s, inside its glass container a lump of coloured wax moved and changed shape as the lamp heated up and cooled down.
📸 Mathmos Originals
Say ahh 😛
This is The Golem (1972), a massive public outdoor sculpture designed by artist Niki de Saint Phalle in Jerusalem.
Best known for her 'Shooting Paintings' and sculptures of voluptuous feminine forms, Saint Phalle was also celebrated for her large-scale public works and architectural activations, which can be found around the world.
In a 1996 lecture she spoke about the significance of creating a monstrous creature for a playground. She explained that it was a way for children to conquer their fears, to turn something terrifying into something fun and playful.
New month, new products 👀 From t-shirts to ultra-washable pens and ceramic Yaki cups…check out our wide range of beautiful design products today.
Tap to shop now: https://bit.ly/3K3ir3A
Creating the perfect harmonic blend of architecture and literature, here is a look inside the Toronto Reference Library (1977) by Raymond Moriyama. 📚
Moriyama is one of Canada's most renowned 20th century architects, and the building features a curving atrium which introduces plenty of natural light thanks to the placement of the many intricate skylights.
What is your favourite piece of library architecture?
📸 derekcastiglioni on Instagram
McDonald's iconic golden arches make up possibly the most famous logo in the world - but there is one location where the arches are teal rather than yellow.
This is in the city of Sedona, where in 1993 McDonald’s was allowed to open under one condition: they change the colour of their famous yellow logo to teal.
Sedona representatives were concerned the giant golden M would clash with the tones of the surrounding landscape. The teal arches, along with teal welcome signs, still stand there today.
☁️ COMING SOON ☁️
Email is Dead is a free and interactive exhibition in partnership with Intuit Mailchimp to explore how email’s impact goes far beyond simply being a communication tool.
Opening 28 September 2023, this exhibition will lead visitors through an engaging journey of the history of email from its beginnings in the 1970s to the future of 2070.
Tap the link for more info: https://bit.ly/43Wq9Ui
Have you been to see The Offbeat Sari yet? 👀
This landmark show is the first large-scale exhibition in the UK to examine the contemporary Indian sari.
Bringing together around 60 examples of trailblazing saris, the exhibition presents the sari as a site for design innovation and an expression of identity and resistance today.
It's on until 17 September - book your tickets: https://bit.ly/3WhzQur
📸 shriya.b.27, aforashwini, reemelmutwalli on Insta
The iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was born today in 1936 💖
Saint Laurent founded his fashion house in 1962 where he became known as a moderniser, leading bold approaches on how women should dress. From blazers to sheer blouses, he steered away from classic elegance.
One of the trademarks of his brand was the Mondrian Dress. Saint Laurent used the artist Mondrian’s work as inspiration by transforming the famous painting into a dress.
With strong colours and simple lines, this dress continued Saint Laurent’s modernist approach to fashion through the adaptability of art and design.
Do you remember the rush of putting new songs on your iPod? 🎶🕺
With over 30 different models, Apple’s iPod redefined the way we listened to digital music on the go by allowing the user to hold hundreds of songs and being a slim lined design, the size of a deck of cards.
The creation of the iPod meant that users no longer had to lug around their CD collection and instead had a compact device that allowed them to switch up their musical mood at their leisure.
Designed by Joe Colombo in 1970, the Boby trolley is an all-in-one organisation system on wheels. 💛
Colombo designed the Boby to store pens, paper, knives and other tools he needed when working in his studio, and the design conceptualises the idea that furniture should be multifunctional.
A staple of European homes for fifty years, the Boby remains in production today. This yellow one is part of the Design Museum's collection.
Italian designer Joe Colombo had a revolutionary impact on mid-century design. He was born on this day in 1930 and also died on this day in 1971.
It's the final weekend to come and see our Ai Weiwei exhibition Making Sense ⌛
Ai Weiwei is one of the most significant and recognised artists working today, and this critically acclaimed exhibition invites us into a meditation on value and humanity, art and activism.
Book your tickets (members go free): https://bit.ly/3Mn9vIy
This brightly coloured building is La Muralla Roja (The Red Wall) housing estate designed in 1968 by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill.
Formed like a fortress, the project appears as if it is emerging from the rocky cliffs it sits on.
The striking colours that cover the outer and inner facades are selected to either contrast with nature or complement its purity.
📸 mabelcf_
Join us on 19 and 20 October for ‘Design Thinking & Innovation in Collaboration with the RCA’.
Explore the emergent role of design within the landscape of innovation, using case studies that draw from current exhibitions and the permanent collection at the Design Museum.
Book your ticket: https://bit.ly/3NXmsYA
A look at the marvellous Lubetkin Penguin Pool at London Zoo 🐧
This striking enclosure was designed by Berthold Lubetkin, a Soviet émigré architect who pioneered modernist design in Britain in the 1930s.
Built around an elliptical pool, it features two interlaced spiral ramps made from reinforced concrete - a revolutionary material at the time. The pool was both technically impressive and visually dramatic, designed to clearly showcase the penguin’s behaviour to visitors.
📸 Janet Hall / RIBA Collections
♥️ NEW ART JUST DROPPED ♥️
To accompany our exhibition ‘Ai Weiwei: Making Sense’, Avant Arte and Ai Weiwei have collaborated on Glass Vase, a new edition of 300.
Cast in translucent red glass using an iron mould on Murano – a group of islands in the Venetian Lagoon renowned for glassmaking – Glass Vase encompasses a new juncture for the artist’s ongoing reflections on iconography, repetition and commodification.
It is now available to buy - get yours here: https://bit.ly/44zJ48Q
Join us on 17 October for ‘Design Your Way to Net Zero’.
This is one-day workshop will allow you to discover methods and tools to reduce carbon emissions in the workplace.
Book your ticket: https://bit.ly/3rCm0Yo
🛹 TICKETS NOW ON SALE 🛹
Tickets are now on sale for our upcoming exhibition Skateboard, opening 20 October 2023.
Sponsored by CONVERSE, the exhibition will map the design evolution of the skateboard from the 1950s to today – a story of design, daring and disobedience.
Curated and designed by industrial designer and skater Jonathan Olivares, this will be the first exhibition to explore the evolution of skateboard design in such detail.
Skateboard will feature over 100 rare and unique boards, with highlights which include Tony Hawk and Sky Brown’s first professional boards.
Book your tickets (members go free): https://bit.ly/3DqERrU 🎟️
📸 Caleb J. Adams
To celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, here are a few more of our favourite submissions - a wonderful visual reminder of South Asian history, culture and identity in the UK.
The sari is India’s most iconic and recognisable garment, and in celebration of our exhibition , exhibition curator Priya Khanchandani has been asking how sari wearers have worn their sari in the past, or how they wear it now.
Please continue sharing your photos using the hashtag – we'll be reposting some of our favourite submissions throughout the run of the exhibition, open until 17 September. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3WhzQur
📸 , .uppal70, , on Instagram
A close up look at the Lloyd’s building in the City of London. 👀
Completed in 1986 by Richard Rogers and Partners, it was Rogers second major building following the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Demonstrating many of the traits of the high-tech architecture style that emerged in the late 1960s, it is distinguished by its radical inside-out aesthetic. This sees all its building services banished to its exterior in order to create uninterrupted spaces inside.
Rogers, the pioneering architect best known for his iconic structures, was born on this day in 1933.
📸
Does your home need a sprinkle of ken-ergy this summer? With the arrival of the Barbie film, we think the more pink the better! Take a look at some of the great design products in our online shop and get inspired.
Tap to shop: https://bit.ly/3Q3dMm3 💖
✨ LAST CHANCE TO SEE ✨
Ai Weiwei: Making Sense presents the artist's work as a commentary on design, inviting us into a meditation on value and humanity, art and activism.
With closing week fast approaching, don’t miss out on the chance to catch this celebrated exhibition.
Tap the link to book your tickets (members go free): https://bit.ly/3Mn9vIy
Brutalism in bloom 🌷 this colourful building is La Tulipe in Geneva, Switzerland.
The building was designed in 1976 by architect Jack Vicajee Bertoli, who once collaborated with famed proto-Brutalist architect Le Corbusier.
Home to the Swiss Medical Research Foundation, it has been nicknamed the tulip because of its shape and vividly colorful tinted windows.
📸 luca_fascini
Call me ☎️
This 1959 advert for Western Electric explores the past, present and future of the telephone.
Early telephones were simply wall-mounted wooden boxes with handsets.
They gradually became smaller and easier to use, and after World War II the development of transistors and the increasing sophistication of plastics enabled designers to experiment with different shapes.
Still more miniaturisation, together with sophisticated programming and electronics, have enabled the smartphones of today.
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#OnThisDay we celebrate Surrealist fashion designer, #ElsaSchiaparelli. Her collaborations with artists, from Dalí to Jean Cocteau, resulted in daring and eccentric designs that challenged traditional notions of dress. Take a look at our video essay to see how Schiaparelli has contributed to the Surrealism movement - head to our Youtube channel to watch the full film. Discover the designs and legacy of SCHIAPARELLI in our new exhibition #ObjectsOfDesire🦞. Tickets: bit.ly/3C8Hwah
#ShopSaturday | From big bubble and hand-poured natural candles, to wacky surrealist inspired candles, explore our wonderfully curated candle selection. Tap to show now 💛
We see them every day but how much do you know about the design of British road signs? ⛔️⚠️ Today we are uncovering the secret story, involving design duo #MargaretCalvert and #JockKinneir.
'For me, colour is a way I try to remember moments' Artist and designer Yinka Ilori invites us into his studio in West London to talk about his love of colour and how his heritage influences his work. Watch the full video: https://bit.ly/3NALqML #ParablesForHappiness🌈 is on display until Summer 2023 – free entry
☁️ Let clouds have fun ☁️ Often hailed as 'the grandfather of ASMR', American painter and art instructor Bob Ross was born #OnThisDay in 1942. His instructional tv show #TheJoyOfPainting (1983–1994) helped thousands to feel a deep sense of calm. With softly spoken words, the sounds of brushing and scratching, many first experienced unintentional ASMR through his work. Experience it for yourself in the #BobRoss room in our #ASMR_IRL exhibition. ✨ 📸 Clip from 'The Joy of Painting' (1983-1994), Bob Ross. ®Bob Ross name and images are registered trademarks of Bob Ross Inc. © Bob Ross Inc. Used with permission
NEW | You've heard of Surrealism, Dalí, Magritte and Kahlo, but what is Surrealist design?🤷♀️ Today we delve into the dreamlike relationship between Surrealism and design. The Surreal artists and designers looked at everyday objects and reimagined them in a more dreamy or shocking way. From film, to fashion, to furniture; design was a key part of the Surrealism movement👁👄 Watch: https://bit.ly/3zgYS2q
How does this make you feel? Get mesmerised by this 3D cactus animation now showing in our #ASMR_IRL exhibition✨ Tickets: https://bit.ly/3FdAH8Z 📷 'Cactus cuddle' by OP Design & Animation
Salvador Dalí, Schiaparelli, the Campana Brothers and Sarah Lucas all in one book – discover Surrealism's legacy in our #ObjectsOfDesire🦞 exhibition catalogue, produced by the Design Museum's Publishing team📚 Shop now: https://bit.ly/3gcVmiU
Our Ardagh Young Creatives programme is landing in Barnsley this Autumn - if you're aged 14-16, live in Barnsley and you're interested in design, join us for a week of mentoring, networking and workshops Sign up now - deadline Fri 21 Oct: https://bit.ly/3g5x5vh
Meet Bethany Williams, the fashion designer whose ethos is all about combining social & environmental issues in the collections she creates. Follow us into Bethany Williams' studio as we chat to the brand director, Natalie Hodgson, about their creative process and inspiration. __ 'Bethany Williams: Alternative Systems' is on until 4 September at the Design Museum - free entry: https://bit.ly/3kDDcFV
Happy #InternationalDanceDay I We’re looking back at our #Electronic exhibition with the costumes worn by the dancing silhouettes in the filmed visuals for The Chemical Brothers ‘Got to Keep on’ track. What outfit will you be wearing to dance in this #bankholiday weekend? 🕺 __ Video courtesy of The Chemical Brothers Show designers: Smith and Lyall Costume design: Kate Tabor
Have you ever heard a sound that has brought you a sense of calm? Or even made your skin tingle? ✨ Step out from behind your screen and experience the world of ASMR in a shared space in our exhibition 'WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR', opening Fri 13 May: https://bit.ly/3xO1DZe Presented with ArkDes and in editorial collaboration with NOWNESS
With stories from figures across the world of football and design, and featuring over 200 photographs, explore the world's most beautiful game in the #DesigningFootball exhibition catalogue. Order your copy now: https://bit.ly/369sqDQ
It's the final round of the Design Museum’s mini Instagram World Cup of stadiums and pitches from around the globe... ⚽🌎 This week, we look at the winding National Stadium in Taiwan, the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Italy, the renowned Allianz Stadium in Germany and the home of the New York Red Bulls, the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Head to Instagram to cast your vote: https://bit.ly/35vfBUb
In this week's #DesigningFootball Instagram World Cup of stadiums... Scenic landscapes from Switzerland, Brazil and Norway ⚽ Head to Instagram to vote for your favourite one: https://bit.ly/3iE7IPb
Do you know how and when the duvet was first introduced in the UK? This #WorldSleepDay we are uncovering the secret story, involving Design Museum founder Terence Conran
In this week's #DesigningFootball Instagram World Cup of stadiums... The ever-so popular Estadio BBVA in Mexico, the world's first wooden football stadium (Forest Green Rovers) and the Estádio Municipal de Braga in Portugal ⚽ Head to Instagram to vote for your favourite one: https://bit.ly/36qZJSE
Did you know? Amy Winehouse's iconic beehive was actually a wig. Hair stylist Tracy Cahoon reveals the story behind Amy's iconic beehive #AmyBeyondTheStage is on until 10 April: https://bit.ly/3L9bmwP
Tickets are now on sale for our exhibition #DesigningFootball (opening Fri 8 April)! ⚽️🔥 To celebrate, we invited Arsenal legend Ray Parlour and world champion freestyler Andrew Henderson to go head-to-head in a skills challenge in order to answer the question: ‘Are today’s football kits really better than ones from the past? ’ Watch the duo take on a series of challenges to find how design has impacted performance in football 👟 👕 🥅 🩳 Book tickets: https://bit.ly/3IgiCEW
Ahead of our #DesigningFootball exhibition, we're hosting a mini Instagram World Cup of stadiums and pitches from around the globe⚽️🌎 5 weeks, 15 unique stadiums/pitches and one winner - here we go 💪 Vote on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3t4TWLA
#InternationalWomensDay2022 I From prints and books celebrating the women who have shaped and continue to enrich the story of design, to uniquely designed products from female-led brands, celebrate female creativity within all areas of design with our curated collection from the Design Museum Shop > https://fal.cn/3mLWT
Ahead of our #DesigningFootball exhibition, we're hosting a mini Instagram World Cup of stadiums and pitches from around the globe⚽️🌎 5 weeks, 15 unique stadiums/pitches and one winner - here we go 💪 Vote on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3MzGVkX
Happy #WorldBookDay 📚! Here's a few of the books on our reading list - what are you currently reading? Shop our selection: https://bit.ly/35kDsG8
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