The colour red is often symbolically associated with sin, guilt, pain, passion, blood, anger and debt. Might this be an over-analysis of French architect Jean Nouvel’s all red design for the 10th annual Serpentine Gallery Pavilion?

SERPENTINE PAVILION, 10th July-17th October 2010

SERPENTINE GALLERY

Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA (020 7402 6075)

As Nouvel would have it, his use of the colour red is supposed to reflect iconic British images of post boxes, telephone boxes and London buses. That seems all too stereotypical for us Londoners. We prefer Nouvel’s more straightforward justification which is that red simply contrasts with the green of its park surroundings.

The metal structure of the building consists of geometric forms, large retractable awnings and a freestanding wall that climbs 12 metres above the lawn. Glass, polycarbonate, and fabric structures combine to create a versatile system of interior and exterior spaces.

This year’s pavilion hones in on the idea of play, as it is Nouvel’s desire to bring the tradition of French civic parks to London. Visitors can partake in a game of table tennis on, yes, red tables.Other games of chess, frisbee and kite flying are also on hand to entertain the public throughout the summer.

Visitors can relax in the Serpentine Gallery Cafe or attend one of the many events taking place within the structure, including the popular ‘Park Nights’ programme of public talks.

The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion commission is an ongoing annual programme of temporary structures by internationally acclaimed architects and designers who have not yet completed a building in England at the time of the gallery’s invitation.

Invited by the Gallery Director Julia Peyton-Jones and currently funded by a range of companies and individuals, including Arts Council England, each pavilion provides a welcoming spectacle for the arrival of summer.

This summer KesselsKramer’s London office, KK Outlet, is welcoming the famous Parisian store colette to their Hoxton Square space. For the first time colette are venturing onto UK soil and bringing with them specially selected products, books, music and art work.

SHOPSWAP, 2nd July-28th August 2010

KK OUTLET

42 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB (020 7033 7680)

colette is taking over KK Outlet in a style of its own, and KK Outlet is returning the gesture in Paris.

Alongside exclusive colette endorsed products, books and music, KK Outlet is hosting two high profile exhibitions from renowned graffiti writer Monsieur Andre (above) and illustrator Darcel (below). Both artists are showing the best picks from their recent colette shows, including new works and specially created pieces.

In return, KK Outlet is taking over colette (28th June-31st July), installing a unique showcase of products, books, and artwork which best reflects the multi-faceted nature of the company and its output.

colette is a famous destination store – it stocks the hardest to find and coolest products, gadgets, trainers, books, music and fashion. colette regularly collaborate with the likes of BAPE, Chloe Sevigny, Lou Reed, Terry Richardson and Lomography.

KesselsKramer is an independent communications agency located in Amsterdam and London, and has created communication for clients such as Vitra, citizenM, J&B whisky and Diesel. KesselsKramer’s output can encompass many disciplines – from a documentary about the world’s two lowest-ranked football teams (The Other Final) to a book about the worst hotel in the world (Hans Brinker Budget Hotel). KesselsKramer is also a publishing house, producing many titles, often featuring images from the private collections of agency founder, Erik Kessels.

At LDG, we’re big believers that design is visible at every turn and nowhere more so than within the fabric of our cities. As we go about our daily business, we often neglect the beautiful, intelligent, timely, or quirky details that make up our built environment. The downloadable Design Detail Trail reminds us of what not to miss.

Design Detail Trail: A Guide to the Overlooked Design Details of London

www.designdetailtrail.com

In some cases, a detail has existed for hundreds of years. Some are simple fragments. Some represent important periods of London’s cultural history. Others are more recent and some appear to be mundane. This guide acts as a means of revealing the intrigue and refinement of these everyday design details, whilst providing an alternative way to navigate and experience the city.

To coincide with the London Festival of Architecture 2010, details have been located across the city with a focus on five key areas:

North – King’s Cross & Bloomsbury

South – Borough

East – Shoreditch

West – Soho

Central – City & Clerkenwell

Design Detail Trail Info Point is now open for reference in the window of 16 Hanbury St, London, E1 6QR until the 4th July 2010. Pop by and take a look if you are in the area! If you can’t make it, download PDF versions of the maps directly from the website.

This project has been painstakingly created by Nadia Pedreschi and James Keogh.

LDG PROMOTION: Vintage at Goodwood is the latest addition to Britain’s summer festival portfolio. We have teamed up with the organisers to offer LDG readers a 10% discount on admission tickets. Be sure to book before 1st July! Details below.

Vintage at Goodwood takes place over 13^th, 14^th and 15th August on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. It is the latest addition to Britain’s summer festival portfolio. It will bring together authentic music, fashion, food, film, art and design, making it a unique festival of British culture and its worldwide influence.

Vintage at Goodwood features an inspirational line up of world renowned bands, with performances by the latest contemporary acts, DJs and collectors from each decade who have all been inspired by the past, as well as the living legends who have inspired them.

Vintage pays homage to the best of British fashion design through a line-up of catwalk shows, hands on creative experiences and the very best purveyors of vintage clothing.  The event will explore the musical, design and cultural lineages and offer a glimpse of where we go from here.

It will be the festival of choice for those who want style and glamour rather than a weekend of roughing it, the choice to go dancing in high heels, not wellies, and prefer eating in restaurants instead of outside a burger van.

TICKET OFFER: Vintage at Goodwood is offering the readers of London Design Guide a 10% discount on admission tickets which are booked between 1st June to 1st July 2010.  Visit the ticket section of the Vintage website, enter the code VINLDG10 when prompted and away you go!

To find out about the latest additions to the lineup and other exciting things being planned, visit the Vintage at Goodwood website.

At 5pm on 28th April, auction house Phillips de Pury & Company is staging its spring DESIGN sale in its London showroom. The sale focusses on rare and important pieces from celebrated 20th and 21st Century designers.

‘DESIGN’ auction, 28th April 2010, 5pm

PHILLIPS DE PURY & COMPANY

Howick Place, London SW1P 1BB (020 7318 4010)

Top: ‘Unique three-arm ceiling lamp’ by Serge Mouille (c.1955): estimate £70,000-100,000.

Above: ‘Mexique’ bookcase by Charlotte Perriand and Atelier Jean Prouvé (1953): estimate £80,000-140,000.

167 lots are offered in this curated sale, with estimates totaling £1,490,400 (low) and £2,137,900 (high). PAGE UPDATE: SALES TOTALED £1,822,075.

Above: ‘Totem’ floor lamp by Serge Mouille (c.1962): estimate £80,000-120,000.

A large collection of important midcentury French works by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, and Serge Mouille features alongside property from the apartment of Laurence and Patrick Seguin, Paris.

Above: ‘Willow’ sculpture by Harry Bertoia (c.1970): estimate £35,000-45,000.

Other significant works include designs by Ettore Sottsass, Harry Bertoia, Shiro Kuramata, and Atelier Van Lieshout.

Above: ‘Fisherman’s House’ by Atelier Van Lieshout (2000): estimate £35,000-55,000.

All lots can be viewed in person at Phillips de Pury from 21st-27th April 2010 or via their online catalogue.

Above: ‘Exceptional large wall light’ by Poul Henningsen for the Concert Hall, Scala Theater, Arhus, Denmark (1955): estimate £15,000-20,000.

All images courtesy of Phillips de Pury & Company.

At LDG, we are putting this call out to our readers to strengthen The Robin Hood Tax campaign, which calls for all of the main UK political parties to support the introduction of a financial transactions tax on the banks.

The tax would make a significant contribution to preventing cuts in public services, tackle climate change and reduce global poverty. It could raise hundreds of billions of pounds annually for domestic and international projects.

In this short video, titled The Banker, actor Bill Nighy explains what its all about.

On Thursday 15th April 2010, the No Brainer poster – as commissioned by East London-based arts movement Mutate Britain – was unveiled on the front of Cordy House on Curtain Road in London’s Shoreditch. The 12m x 18m poster was created by Dr D, an anonymous street artist who is famed for altering commercial and political advertising to make powerful cultural comments.

Here is a time lapse video of the poster paste up:

The campaign has the headline support of actors Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Noel Clarke (Dr Who), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter), and Joe Dempsie (Chris Miles in the E4 show Skins) all of whom were present at the poster unveiling and who have appeared in the campaign videos (watch The Banker 2).

A raft of other celebrities have got behind the campaign, including Sienna Miller, Emma Thompson, Lemar, and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Commenting on the campaign, Bill Nighy said, “Since we launched the campaign in early Feb, hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are supporting a Robin Hood Tax on the banks’ financial transactions. We urge our political leaders to listen to them and endorse the introduction of the tax.”

He continues, “The Robin Hood Tax is a tiny levy that could make the difference to many people in the UK and abroad, that will cost us personally nothing.”

Sign up here to show your support of The Robin Hood Tax.

Design duo Hannah Dipper and Robin Farquhar of People Will Always Need Plates have created three new teatowel designs to raise money for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and boost awareness of the charity’s Love Maggie’s Day on 26th March 2010.

Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres run exceptional support services across the UK, which are available to anyone living with, through and beyond cancer. Their care centres are places where you can access help with information, benefits advice, psychological support, courses, and stress-reducing strategies.

The charity has always embraced the importance of well-designed spaces. The founder, Maggie Keswick Jencks understood first-hand “the importance of an imaginative, inspiring place for people to be able to turn to at such a critical moment in their lives, somewhere which feels joyous, a beacon of hope.”

There are several Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres across the UK and more in development. The teatowel designs above are graphic representations of three centres which were designed by leading architects Richard Rogers (Maggie’s London – top image), Zaha Hadid (Maggie’s Fife – middle image), and Frank Gehry (Maggie’s Dundee – bottom image).

Pledge your support for this charity by buying a teatowel for only £8.50, with 50% going to the charity. Otherwise, consider making a donation to the charity – click here.

We’re delighted that LONDON DESIGN GUIDE has been included in Design Week’s annual round-up of the “people making a difference in design,” which was released today (28th January 2010).

In a section dedicated to Self-Publishing, LDG editor and publisher Max Fraser is credited alongside other newly-formed publishers.

Thank you Design Week! Others included in the supplement are BBC; Yves Behar; D&AD; Design Council; Design Museum; Rodney Fitch; Antony Gormley; Anish Kapoor; HRH The Duke of Edinburgh; Jamie Oliver; Dieter Rams; Penguin Books; Selfridges; V&A etc etc…

Well, its been an action packed year and everyone looks totally exhausted, including us. So, as of today (21st December 2009), we’re on holiday! Yes, that’s us done until 4th January 2010 when we’ll be back with our 2010 manifesto. Watch this space…

All that leaves us to say is many thanks for your support in 2009. Enjoy a relaxing Christmas break and a prosperous New Year! 

With love from all at LONDON DESIGN GUIDE xxx

According to a recent poll by home insurance company esure, the prize possession of most homes – the sofa – endures some heavy abuse in its lifetime, which apparently averages only 8 years, 1 month, and 8 days. Here are some amusing and insightful facts from their poll of 3,000 homeowners…

The average sofa will witness 293 arguments, 1,300 cuddles, and suffer over 1,600 spillages in its lifetime.

The most comfortable seat in the house will also host the bums of up to 782 visitors and tolerate 391 lads’ nights and 293 girly nights.

It will also be a bed for up to 489 visitors and be slept on by one member of the household for 293 nights due to a heated domestic spat.

In addition, couples who own the sofa will use it to kiss each other 12 times a month and cuddle up 14 times a month – that’s 1,174 kisses and 1,369 cuddles over the sofa’s lifetime.

The study also found that the sofa is home to its residents for an average of four hours per day.

It also emerged that the average child will lose approximately four toys a month down the back of the sofa and lose three socks or other random items of clothing.

Owners will also find money inside the sofa three time a month, totaling about 60 pence on each occasion – that’s the equivalent of £1.80 a month and £176.04 over the sofa’s lifetime.

Unfortunately for the sofa, and its upholstery, spillages are common in most households – the average sofa has wine spilt on it fortnightly and tea or coffee three times a week.

In addition, children will drop food and drink on the sofa three times a fortnight or 72 times a year, and even their parents will spill some of their dinner on the sofa six times a month.

That’s a staggering total of 1,663 spillages over the sofa’s lifetime – and yet 87 percent of respondents wouldn’t consider getting their sofa cleaned or re-covered.

The poll also showed the average sofa puts up with children jumping up and down on it 587 times during its lifetime.

It seats residents for 13 TV dinners a month, and homeowners snuggle up on the sofa for 1,271 soap operas and 782 films.

Here in the LDG office, we can’t help feeling our sofas are getting off lightly!