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If you’re passionate about interior design, mark your calendar for Decorex 2024, taking place from October 6-9 at Olympia Events in London. For 46 years, Decorex has been the UK’s premier event for discovering the latest trends and products in high-end interior design. This year promises to be more exciting […]
As the global epicenter of creativity and design, London is set to host some of the most anticipated interior design events of 2024. This year, the city’s vibrant design community will converge on four major events that promise to redefine the boundaries of interior aesthetics: the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, […]
Modern living rooms have become synonymous with the perfect fusion of style and comfort in London’s bustling metropolis. These contemporary spaces exude sophistication while providing a haven of tranquility in the midst of urban chaos as a hub of relaxation and entertainment. In this article, we’ll look at what makes […]
The London Design Festival was conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans. Building on London’s existing design activity, their concept was to create an annual event that would promote the city’s creativity, drawing in the country’s greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators to a deliver an unmissable celebration of design.
Every year an illustrious selection committee comprising established designers, industry commentators and previous winners sit down and debate possible recipients of The British Land Celebration of Design Awards across four categories. The eventual winners are chosen from a wide range of design disciplines and awarded for their exceptional contribution to their field.
“While there are no shortage of design awards, we wanted to do it differently: not just a big dinner that everyone has to buy tables for,” says Festival Director Ben Evans. “So we took the Nobel Prize route – there’s no shortlist, just a winner. So that means there’s no losers either.”
The Medal itself is designed by esteemed jewellery designer Hannah Martin and represents the once ubiquitous London bird, the Cockney Sparrow, in flight.
The eminent panel of judges come to their decisionentirely independently, with Festival Chairman Sir John Sorrell only getting the casting vote in the event of a tie. “In 2011 there was a big debate as Thomas Heatherwick was arguing strongly for Vidal Sassoon,” recalls Evans. “Ron Arad ended up winning that year,but we decided there and then to invent a LifetimeAchievement award. That particular year it was a stunning evening at St Paul’s, and Vidal Sassoonflew over especially from California despite being in ill health. He spoke in the most eloquent way.
about the fact that he had countless hairdressing awards but had never been given recognition by the design community before, and talked about how he’d always wanted to be an architect when he was growing up. The room was full of these legends from the design world and many of them were moved to tears.”
“Since then, we have integrated extra award categories to recognise individuals at different stages of their careers. The winners are announced in our Awards dinner; in 2014 it was at the top of the new Leadenhall Building with spectacular views across London.”
Source: London design festival
See also: Events in London
