Florian Dussopt’s Twitter Machine will be on show at DesignJunction during London Design Festival
Returning this month as part of the London Design Festival is designjunction. The flagship show hosts design exhibitions at its new site in Granary Square in Kings Cross. For the fifth year in a row, Transport for London are celebrating their design heritage at designjunction. This year, TfL will be launching a series of products to mark the 2016 theme ‘Metroland’, as well as hosting a fun fair installation and a Twitter machine.
Florian Dussopt has designed a machine in the shape of the TfL roundel, which prints out tweets in the iconic Johnston typeface designed by Edward Johnston (1872-1944). The Underground Group’s Frank Pick commissioned Johnston to create the script in 1916.
The theme of this year’s TfL collaboration with designjunction is ‘Metroland’, a marketing term used to describe the suburbs of north-west London which sprung up near the newly extended Metropolitan line. London Transport’s property division Country Estates attempt to lure Londoners away from the frantic city to the green suburbs such as Wembley Park, Neasden, Pinner, Rayners Lane, Rickmansworth, Ruislip and Amersham in the 1910s and 1920s.
Among the companies taking part is online retailer Made.com, which has been inspired by TfL’s archives to create a unique collection of furniture, lighting and accessories. Kirkby Design has created new versions of the Piccadilly textile design, while Loris & Livia have created a collection of tablemats and coasters made from rubber train flooring. Meanwhile, Finnish brand Vallila have created prints, tea towels, cushions and tote bags featuring iconic scenes of London life, inspired by London Transport’s advertising poster archives.
For a guide to what else is on in London in September, click here.
Pop-up restaurant Pick, which will serve classic British cuisine, is open at DesignJunction during the London Design Festival
© Transport for London 2015
One of the highlights of the annual London Design Festival (19 – 27 September) is the design show DesignJunction. This year, the show is spread across two different venues in Bloomsbury and runs from 24 – 27 September. Transport For London are teaming up again with DesignJunction for the fourth year in a row as part of ‘Transported by Design’ – events and collaborations celebrating TFL’s design heritage.
This year sees a TFL-themed pop-up restaurant and an entire hand-drawn wooden tube station installation at DesignJunction. ‘Pick’ is a foodie collaboration between TFL and the East London Liquor Company, named after Frank Pick (founder of TFL’s design ethos) and designed by Michael Sodeau. On the menu will be classic British dishes with a contemporary twist, while ELLC will be serving spirits from their distillery. Aside from the food and drink, the restaurant will feature a range of British design, including Trent Jenning’s Coolicon pendant shade lighting, Lindsey Lang’s table graphics and AJ Wells’ enamel top tables and splashbacks.
Meanwhile, sculptor and illustrator Camilla Barnard is designing and building a typical Underground station made from wood. The station will feature classic and new TfL design elements. The mini tube station will include a ticket hall, platform and barriers. Also on display will be TfL’s new product ranges, including from Alice Made This, Coolicon Lighting, Michelle Mason, Mini Moderns, Swoon Editions and Homes & Gardens award winner Lindsay Lang.
DesignJunction will feature a wooden tube station installation created by Camilla Barnard
© Transport for London 2015
For a guide to what else is on in London in September, click here.
An artist’s impression of the TFL ‘Year Of The Bus’ pop-up bar and restaurant at DesignJunction
© Transport for London
Although the London Design Festival kicked off last Saturday, one of the highlights of the annual event is DesignJunction (18-21 September 2014). Located in the old 1960s Royal Mail Sorting Office in New Oxford Street, DesignJunction is a multi-level showcase featuring the best furniture, lighting and product design from around the world. As well as host of displays and shops, the unique venue also plays host to pop-up eateries.
For the third year in a row, DesignJunction has teamed up with Transport For London to incorporate the latter’s iconic designs into a restaurant. As 2014 is the ‘Year Of The Bus’, TFL will be celebrating the centenary with a themed pop-up bar and restaurant. In conjunction with the East London Liquor Company, the space will feature a huge version of the General Map of Outer London, which was designed in 1921 by MacDonald Gill. With furniture provided by Modus and seating upholstered in familiar TFL-style moquettes by Kirkby Design, the restaurant will feature vintage enamel bus flags and poles by Trueform dotted around as well as archive shots of buses and the people who work on them.
The pop-up will offer ‘urban international’ food with old favourites such as smoked bacon sarnie, scotch egg and sausage roll to continental choices including croissants, pastel de nata and broad bean, pea, mint and feta toast, as well as a range of salads. The East London Liquor Company will be serving special cocktails using their own gin, vodka and rum, as well as locally brewed beer.
There will also be the opportunity to buy 10 limited edition Oyster card holders featuring the bus theme, including a central London bus map and different interpretations of the London bus. All items in the restaurant will be available to buy from the TFL Shop, including the limited edition original Bus Stop flags.
For a guide to what else is on in London this month, click here.
For Metro Girl’s review of the 2012 TFL 1950s-themed pop-up restaurant at DesignJunction, click here.
Sep 25
This gallery contains 6 photos.
For this year’s London Design Festival, architectural firm dRMM have created a stunning sculpture made of interlocking staircases. Erected on the green outside Tate Modern, the Escher-inspired, interactive creation is open to the public to climb and walk over. Although the LDF finished last week, Endless Stair will remain in situ until October 10. The three-dimensional structure […]
Grab your tray: The serving counter on the 1950s pop-up canteen at Design Junction
Sweet tooth: Croissants, Pains and Danish pastries (left) or scones with clotted cream and jam (right)
Retro: Scenes of former transport workers at lunch decorate the walls
I love a good pop-up restaurant or cafe and am a fan of retro interiors, so I was excited when Canteen and London Transport teamed up to create a 1950s-themed canteen for this year’s London Design Festival. TFL delved into their archives of photos of the staff canteen which used to fuel the bus and tube staff back in the 1950s, to recreate a contemporary vision of their former catering division.
The Canteen pop-up was located in Design Junction – one of the main venues of this year’s London Design Festival. The huge space within the Old Sorting Office in New Oxford Street was transformed into several levels of design celebration – mini showrooms, a cinema and pop-up bars and restaurant.
Like a staff canteen, we got in a small queue to choose our food and drink from the menus on the wall, against a backdrop of the familiar London Transport symbol. As it was lunchtime, we opted for the traditional British dish of pie and mash with gravy with a cup of Rosie Lee (slang for tea to those who might not know!). I loved the novelty of getting the food on a tray and trying to find a seat.
A good hearty breakfast: The menu options for early risers
The seats in question were vintage patterned benches and lovely curved wooden chairs from furniture brands Very Good & Proper and Modus. As we sat down and tucked into what I would describe as tasty, comfort food, our scenery was old photos of transport workers tucking into their lunch on the wall. I was fairly peckish, so after my pie and mash, I ended up ordering fresh, hot scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam – yum!
All in all, the service was fast and friendly, the food was good value and tasty and the interior was cool… I just wish it was permanent. But isn’t that what makes pop-up venues so special?
After our leisurely lunch – fortunately as we weren’t actually TFL workers on a break, there was no clock-watching or work to rush back to – we checked out the displays and showcases on the three levels at Design Junction. Lots of treats for the eye and inspiration for the home.
Find a seat: The canteen has a mixed of wooden, cushion and high chairs
What wonders lie inside? The unassuming entrance to Design Junction in the Old Sorting Office
on New Oxford Street
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