A new home for a landmark institution

This winter marks an exciting moment in the world of international design: the opening of the new Design Museum in West London. Previously located beside the Thames near Tower Bridge, the museum has moved into a new premises at the former Commonwealth Institute, a 1960s Grade 2* listed site in Kensington. The new building has been converted with the help of John Pawson, an architect widely known for his sleek, minimalist approach. In the video above, the museum’s director, Deyan Sudjic, discusses Pawson’s ‘subtle but powerful’ transformation of the building.

A design legacy

Founded in 1989 to exhibit the finest works from diverse disciplines including graphics, architecture, products and fashion, the Design Museum is one of the world’s leading centres of design. To celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2014, the museum invited leading designers to discuss a favourite object from the collection. Below, watch as Morag Myerscough and Javier Mariscal give the lowdown on a piece that has particularly inspired them and their work.

The Design Museum moves to Kensington

Covering 10,000m2 and expecting to welcome half a million visitors per year, the Kensington building houses new learning spaces and triple the amount of exhibiting space, including two temporary exhibition spaces and a vast area reserved for the permanent collection. The opening exhibition, Designer Maker User, explores the development of modern design through the lens of those three important roles in the manufacturing process. Organised and curated by Morag Myerscough, this exhibition can be previewed in the video above. The new Design Museum promises to be a fitting home for this leading cultural institution.

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