New digs drawing crowds
Industrial design is alive and well in London, and attracting hundreds of thousands.
THE Design Museum in London recently welcomed its millionth visitor since relocating to its new premises on Kensington High Street in November 2016.
On April 5, the significant visitor was personally greeted by museum codirector Alice Black.
Previously based in Shad Thames, south-east London, the museum’s current space sprawls over 10,000sq m, three times bigger than the original premises.
Key architectural designer John Pawson converted the interior of a 1960s modernist building to house the museum’s new home.
In a press release, Black said welcoming their millionth visitor to the newly located museum was something they were very proud of.
“This is an amazing endorsement by our visitors, young and old, British, European and from further afield, and proves that there is a buoyant public interest in design.
“We will build on this success and continue to deliver our learning programmes to schools, universities, colleges, young people and adults, stage exciting exhibitions that show how design improves lives and deliver public talks and debates that give unfettered access to the brightest and most creative minds of our generation.”
The new space incorporates the Designer Maker User, a free permanent display about contemporary design done in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover.
A recent exhibition held in the space was the Ferrari: Under The Skin, which attracted over 90,000 visitors.
The exhibition lauded the 70th anniversary of the brand and the man behind it, Enzo Ferrari, and showcased classic Ferraris worth over £140mil (RM760mil).
“The move has been absolutely everything I dreamed it could be, with visitors of all ages and backgrounds being inspired by the excellent exhibitions and engaging with design in new and interesting ways,” said Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum, in a press statement.
“Design is vital to our economy, our culture, the way we live, so I am delighted that our museum continues to lead the way in debating and exploring how we can shape the world around us,” he added.
The Design Museum is the world’s leading museum devoted to architecture and design.
Its work includes various design genres including fashion, product, and graphic design.
Since opening its doors in 1989, the museum has displayed everything from an AK-47 to Christian Louboutin high heels with their trademark red soles.
It has staged over 100 exhibitions, welcomed a total of more than six million visitors at its previous location and showcased the work of some of the world’s top designers and architects, such as Paul Smith, Zaha Hadid, Miuccia Prada and Frank Gehry.