“Because we all work with the same mind, here’s a burst of what we like in London town:

Cultural variety, Stolen Space - art gallery in East London, The ICA, Whitechapel Gallery, Lounge Bohemia, The Design Museum, Broadway Market, Concrete Hermit - Gallery + Shop, Koenig Book shop, Secretwars, Riffle Maker Gallery, Monmouth Coffee, Imax, Hampstead Heath, Window-shopping around Carnaby Street / Bond Street / Soho, Maharishi / DPMHI, Biking to work (and shouting at most road users), The variety of the boroughs, Glug, Serpentine Gallery: Summer Pavilion.”

- Ian Hambleton, Partner, Studio Output, London

Eclectic, eccentric and VERY wacky, there’s no doubt London’s design and creative scene is in a class of its own – with a conscience to boot. Cherished by creatives locally and worldwide, the highly dynamic creative industry in London generates such buzz that propels the city to its well-deserved top capital city status when it comes to all things creative. Having an extremely established background of creative diversity and excellence, it’s not surprisingly therefore to witness a dynamic shift in paradigm towards sustainability and low impact on the environment. What lies in store? Who knows!

Inspiration and Events

Home to a multitude of internationally-renowned design events, this year sees London’s key events 100% Design and London Design Festival held in September this year. The London Festival of Architecture also attracts many internationally famous names, such as Daniel Libesknd, David Chipperfield, Rafael Vinoly, Cesar Pelli, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Ackroyd, addressing essential issues such as how to improve public space in cities, how architecture impacts the environment and how to make London a better place to live and work in, in general.

Creative Hotbeds

Beloved by London’s creatives, the Design Museum holds the honor of being one of the world’s leading musums devoted to contemporary design in every form from furniture to graphics, architecture and industrial design. Situated at a Thameside warehouse near the Tower Bridge after its rapid outgrowing of the basement of the V&A Museum, the Design Museum has emerged as an icon that plays a vital part in making design and culture essential to the cultural agenda. In the words of Ekow Eshun, the Institute of Contemporary Arts is “home to the best new art and culture from Britain and around the world., and is a meeting point for exploration between artists and audiences.” Established in 1947 by a collective of artists, poets and writers, it has been at the centre of many of the most significant artistic and cultural developments in the past 60 years..

Architecture Transformation


With London going through a period of massive change, New London Architecture fills the void and provides a space where everyone can find out and get involved in what the latest developments in the city are. Design for London combines architecture and urban design to transform London into a more sophisticated, user-friendly and environmentally responsible city. Some of its projects include high density housing, the Olympics Park, and certain sections to be added to Parliament Square. The Public Spaces Programme was launched in 2002 and aims to create or upgrade 100 public spaces in London to educate and inform Londoners on the importance of the public realm to their social, economic and environmental well-being.

Fashion Revolutionary

London is world famous for its Oxford Street, notorious for being the longest shopping street in the world, as well as the adjoining upmarket Bond Street in Mayfair which houses fashion, jewellery and accessories design houses. Knightsbridge, home to the inimitable Harrods, can be accessed just to the southwest. The fashionable shopping rareas of Sloane Street and Kings Road complete the circle, sealing London’s position as one of the world’s top fashion capital and home to designers Vivienne Westwood, John Galiano, Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo among others.

Creative Industry

Prominent advertising agencies in London include BBDO, BBH, Bates, Batey, Fallon, Droga5, Turner Duckworth, Mother, JWT, Leo Burnett, Saatchi, McCann Eriksson, TBWA and Wieden & Kennedy, amongst others. The city has also long been popular as a creative hub for worldwide industry leaders, gathering under the social network umbrellas of Creative Social and Glug London to raise their profiles. London is also home to some of the most established and prestigious advertising awards organisations, of which the Cannes Lions and D&AD occupy different ends of the spectrum, one being the biggest and most recognised award organisation in the indutry, the other non-profit and dedicated to design and education.

Be it mainstream and glamorous or underground and subversive, London has ample supply of both – and plenty in between to keep you occupied. Creatives and designers flock to this buzzy capital to get inspired by its fascinating blend of historical weath and edgy modernity, and leave either rejuvenated or drained. Like it or hate it, London’s just one of those cities you’ll definitely feel strongly about – and it keeps everyone coming back for more.

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TRAVEL ALBUM: DESIGN CITY publishes the essential photography subjects of a city. As they say, architecture landmarks denote the progressing development of a city. Design in each and every city speaks in different languages and dances to different cultures. A lot of cities are growing in the design realm but no one would know about this development but the travelers and the locals themselves. Only. The exciting quirks and electrifying eccentricity of Everyday Product, Design Schools, Designers, Resources, Hotels/Buildings, Design Studios/Personalities, Local Galleries, Museums, etc, are found in both secret and obvious places of the city.

We miss out on these simple things during travel or simply during our busy lifestyle in our own city. So the next time you travel, think of TRAVEL ALBUM: DESIGN CITY.


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