Clerkenwell Design Week launches new installation series: ‘ Design Interventions ’ and expanded CDW Awards
Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) is pleased to announce it will be returning to London’s EC1 on the 19 – 21 May 2026.
The Fountain of Technicolour Beads by One Bite Design
Marking the 15th anniversary of this global design festival, a new curated series of large-scale installations will be launched called Design Interventions. Following a call-out from CDW to emerging and established designers and architects for ideas for innovative structures, the strongest submissions will be installed across Clerkenwell. These will encourage interaction and spark conversations about materials and the built environment, while activating EC1 with striking, immersive moments throughout the festival.
In addition, a major highlight this year will be the expanded CDW Awards, presented with the digital design magazine Design Milk. The CDW Awards will not only celebrate the best new products and innovations but also the disruptors, dreamers and ‘doers of design’.
Design Interventions: an opportunity to reflect and connect
These site-specific, interactive installations, created by the design and architecture community, will appear in the parks, streets and green spaces of Clerkenwell, as well as in the festival’s venues. Many of these pop-up structures will provide a place to sit, reflect and connect with others while exploring structural and material concepts.
The Crinkle-Crankle Bench by StudioFolk
One of the many Design Interventions selected for this year will be on Clerkenwell Green. The Fountain of Technicolour Beads (pictured above) has been created by Hong Kong-based multi-disciplinary studio One Bite Design. This immersive terrazzo installation integrates spatial design with social awareness by focusing on Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD).
Next to St James’ Church, The Crinkle-Crankle Bench will take pride of place. This series of half crescent benches crafted from natural stone bricks is designed by architectural practice StudioFolk.
Expanded CDW Awards and new venues
Haberdashers’ Hall will be a new addition to CDW’s list of spectacular venues. Known as The Luxury Edit during the show, this new venue will be hosting the CDW Awards ceremony on Tuesday 19th May, presented in partnership with Design Milk.
Haberdasher’s Hall
Following a strong debut last year, the awards will once again celebrate furniture, lighting, materials and interior solutions that are shaping the future of design. New categories will focus on the individuals, teams and ideas challenging conventions and celebrating the creatives driving design forward today.
In addition, as well as being home to a cluster of high-end Italian design brands, The Luxury Edit will host the talks series Design Meets featuring industry bodies, leading brands and industry experts.
A ‘living’ outdoor installation, The Pulse of Becoming, will animate the space outside The Luxury Edit. This Design Intervention, created by recent graduates Musab Umair, Amruta Ramesh Pullawar and Sharath Binu John who are based in Portsmouth, explores the cyclical nature of death, rebirth and life. Chia seeds embedded in two opposing crescent shells will sprout during the festival, turning bare surfaces green.
The Pulse of Becoming Design Intervention will be installed outside the Haberdasher’s Hall
The Museum of the Order of St John above St John’s Gate (originally built in 1504) is one of the great hidden historical treasures of London and is another new venue for the festival. The atmospheric space, steeped in history, will be the temporary home to INTERIORS FROM SPAIN, a striking platform for contemporary Spanish design produced by London-based design journal Disegno.
Material Source Studio, which showcases products and materials for architects, interior designers and property professionals, and Workplace on the Square outside The Zetter hotel, a platform for design brands catering to offices, are two new additions to CDW’s wide range of venues for 2026. Office design brands will also be exhibiting at Workplace at Goldsmiths’ at The Goldsmiths’ Centre which returns as a festival venue this year.
Returning venues, new installations
St Bartholomew the Great once again becomes the Church of Design, this year’s venue for the coveted Conversations at Clerkenwell programme curated by PR and Brand Consultant Katie Richardson, which will include discussions with leading and emerging designers on topical subjects. Dulux, this year’s sponsor for Conversations at Clerkenwell, is launching a student-focused competition to design the backdrop of the talks stage using a palette of on-trend colours.
Roche Bobois, DEDON and MAGIS Spa are among the many leading international brands exhibiting at the Church of Design, and CONFLUENCE (pictured above), a monumental origami-inspired installation by Fung+Bedford, will be suspended from the ceiling of the 900-year-old Grade I listed medieval church.
CONFLUENCE by Fung+Bedford will be suspended from the ceiling at the Church of Design
The House of Detention returns as the host of Light, showcasing a selection of exciting local and global lighting brands. Visitors will be greeted at the entrance with Loom Light, a 3D-printed light sculpture drawing on the optical language of Op Art, designed by MIMStudios, AI Build and SEAM Design.
[d]arc thoughts, an enlightening series of talks curated by [d]arc media, also returns.
“We’re thrilled to be back in Clerkenwell this May with our new Design Interventions initiative which acts as a creative platform for the incredible talent and imagination of the participating architects and designers,” says Marlon Cera-Marle, Design Division Director at Media 10, the organiser of the annual design festival. “These thought-provoking installations are set to bring a new interactive dimension to the show. We’re looking forward to another successful year welcoming tens of thousands of people from the UK and abroad to EC1 to discover the latest that global design has to offer.”
Festival venues at CDW26
A mix of historic and contemporary buildings will once again become venues during CDW26:
- Old Sessions House – Home to brand activations, presentations and the festival hub.
- The Charterhouse – Contemporary furniture, decorative lighting and luxury finishes.
- Detail & Finishes – Featuring refined luxury products and finishes in St John Priory Church.
- British Collection – Taking over the whole of St James’s Church once again and highlighting the best British design talent and brands.
- Ceramics of Italy – Hosting Italian ceramic and porcelain tile brands at a pavilion on St John’s Square. This exhibition is organised by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with the Ceramics Association of Italy.
- Commercial Design in the Park (formerly Project) – Focused on contract furniture and surface design, the venue will also host a series of talks from Commercial Interiors UK.
- Commercial Interiors on the Green (formerly Clerkenwell Green Pavilions) – Contract furniture, solutions and surfaces brands from around the globe.
- Interior Hardware (formerly Elements) – Dedicated to architectural hardware and finishes.
- Future Talent (formerly Platform) – Spotlighting emerging design talent and companies.
International design names
Across all venues, CDW will feature hundreds of design brands, showcasing furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces, home accessories and product design. Confirmed exhibitors include String Furniture, Moroso, Swedese, Dornbracht and Vincent Sheppard. Collections from Austria, Denmark and Italy will also return.
Hundreds of showroom partners are an essential part of Clerkenwell Design Week (see full list) as they host product launches, talks and workshops. A small taste of participating showrooms include: Actiu, Andreu World, Boss Design, Camira, Domus, HAY, Hansgrohe, Herman Miller, Humanscale, J.Adams & Co, Knoll, Muuto, Milliken, Modus, IRIS CERAMICA, Knoll, Tarkett and Cosentino.
Interactive app
A new state-of-the-art app replaces the printed, paper guide and tickets in 2026. The CDW app will be an essential digital companion for visitors, helping them tailor their visit and navigate the venues, exhibitors, participating showrooms and much more according to their specific interests.
Loom Light
Food & Drink
Festival-goers can also enjoy exclusive discounts and offerings from local food and drink partners. Architects and interior designers will have the opportunity to join guided specialist tours covering topics ranging from sustainability to emerging design talent and more.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2026 takes place across EC1, London, from 19 – 21 May. More details about the festival will be announced in due course. For more information, please visit clerkenwelldesignweek.com – registration is now open.