As part of this year’s London Design Festival, Battersea is hosting its very own Design District to showcase architecture, design and events.
Pricing
Free unless indicated. Booking advised.
Battersea is renowned for its pioneering design heritage, with firsts in engineering and transport as well as a place for inventions and industry that have changed London and the world.
From Saturday 16 to Sunday 24 September 2023, Battersea Design District is joining the London Design Festival for the first time. This partnership celebrates local heritage while also spotlighting the neighbourhood’s creative communities and emerging innovation in the dynamic London Borough of Wandsworth.
Wednesday 20 September is Battersea Design District ‘Day’! Scroll down for the packed programme of exhibitions, talks, walks and tours you can sign up to for FREE!
See full events listings in the Battersea Design District area on the London Design Festival website
Don’t miss:
Monday 18 to Sunday 24 September
Wandsworth Council in partnership with Houston Lawrence and the RCA
Ingate Works will open its doors for the London Design Festival, hosting established and emerging designers and makers in a creative takeover. Featuring work from Wandsworth-based artists, Royal College of Art recent graduates and a handful of designers from further afield, Ingate Works Takeover is a chance to see several designers’ creations all in one space.
Plus don’t miss a series of live events taking place across one day on Wednesday 20 September! Full times of drop-in events on the London Design Festival website
Free, drop-in event
Where: Ingate Works, Ingate Place, Battersea, SW8 3NS
18-24 September, open 24 hours
Collaboration with South Thames College and the community
Layers of Truth: Unveiling Perspectives is a collaborative art installation designed by Roopa S Basu that celebrates the multifaceted nature of truth. The project explores diverse ways in which we perceive and interpret our truths, with insights from elders of the community met with creative responses of young art students. The interplay between generations and perspectives contributes various layers, each revealing a distinct dimension of truth.
Our unique life journeys, cultural backgrounds, personal values, and emotions influence how we perceive and interpret the world that we live in. Today, the sheer volume of information available further contributes to individualised truths. This abundance of information can make it challenging to discern what’s accurate and what’s not.
It is brought to life with precious contributions from members of society and students from South Thames College.
Where: Nine Elms Pavilion, off Nine Elms Lane opposite US Embassy, Riverside Walk, SW8 5DF
Free, no ticket required
Wednesday 20 September, 10am-5pm
Wandsworth Council in partnership with Doddington & Rollo Community Roof Garden Committee
The Doddington & Rollo Community Roof Garden opens its doors for the day for London Design Festival audiences to discover this diverse, thriving community garden at the heart of the Doddington & Rollo estates in Battersea.
See the plants, furniture and hard landscaping donated to the roof garden from the gold medal-winning show garden that it inspired.
Featuring 30-min talks at 3pm and 4pm from designer James Smith who designed the winning entry for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show drawing inspiration from this garden.
Free, ticketed – book your garden ticket on Eventbrite
Where: Doddington and Rollo Community Roof Garden, 33 Charlotte Despard Ave, SW11 5JE
Wednesday 20 September, 2pm-4pm
Saturday 23 September, 11am-1pm
Wandsworth Council supporting History Speak
Local historian Manasi Pophale leads a walk exploring the history, future and lived experience of the area through art and architecture
Explore Battersea and Nine Elms with this guided walk to discover iconic architecture and public works of art. Along the way, see sculptures and artworks in public spaces. The experience will transform our neighbourhood into a gallery. Bring your camera or sketch book and let the city inspire you!
Meet at 11 Wilcox Road near the Rainbow Plaque for the film ‘My Beautiful Laundrette.’ The closest Tube station to the starting point is Nine Elms (Northern Line) and Vauxhall (Victoria Line). The walk ends 2km away and the closest Tube station is Battersea Power Station (Northern Line) or Battersea Park rail station.
Free, ticket required – book your History Speak ticket on Eventbrite
Where: 11 Wilcox Road, SW8 2XA
Wednesday 20 September, 12noon-9pm with a talk from 7.30pm-8.15pm
Supported by Wandsworth Council
Wandsworth-based artist Luca Bosani is organising an Open Studio in partnership with Hypha, showcasing for the first time to the public his large work-in-progress project: UPO SHOP. Bosani is the recipient of the Free Studio Award with Hypha Studios, a charity matching creatives with empty spaces and regenerating the high street with cultural hubs & events for local communities.
Bosani is a London-based multimedia artist, specialising in shoe art and performance. With a whole new series of UPOs (Unidentified Performing Objects), the ‘shop’ explores the intersection between interior design, footwear retail and visual art. A hybrid space in the making – where high street design meets art installation – will be the home for a collection of unique UPOs that will be soon available to purchase.
There will also be a talk from 7.30pm-8.15pm with Luca and Hypha Studios about the work that both Hypha and Luca do.
Free, drop-in. Ticket required for the studio talk – book your free place now for Luca and Hypha Studios.
Where: Unit 4, Stewart’s Court, SW8 4UB, London, UK – next to Bag Books on Google maps.
Wednesday 20 September 2023, 2pm-4pm
In partnership with Wandsworth Council
An opportunity to see behind the design of what will be The 503Studio in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth. Theatre503 have been working with the architect team at t-sa (Takero Shimazaki Architects) in the realisation of their dream designs for an International Centre of Playwriting Excellence at Nine Elms.
Theatre503’s Artistic Director, Lisa Spirling and architects from t-sa (Takero Shimazaki Architects) will be hosting this open house, talking about how the plans evolved and giving a glimpse into the next stages as the building moves towards RIBA stage 4. Visitors will be welcomed and shown around the building shell of The 503Studio and shown the designs.
Free, drop-in, book your ticket on the Theatre503 website
Where: Studio503, Nine Elms Park, Nine Elms Lane, Battersea, SW8 5BB
Wednesday 20 September 2023, 5.30pm-7pm
Wandsworth Council in partnership with the Grantham Climate Art Prize
Whether your interest lies with the public realm, built environment or sustainable design we each have a role to play as we reimagine a resilient and sustainable future for our city. Join us for an exciting immersive workshop and conversation around how we can reimagine the public realm and the role design has to play in the future of a Net Zero London.
The public realm and built environment hold the keys to unlocking sustainable cities as we’re faced with the challenges of health, cost of living and climate change. So how can we redesign a future with these issues at the forefront of the design process and what does that look like?
Join artists, academics, practitioners, and urban designers for a conversation around the public realm, built environment and design to reimagine together what our communities could become and how design can help us get there.
This conversation will take place at the new Chocolate Films studio as part of this year’s Battersea Design District in the borough of Wandsworth.
Free – book your place on Eventbrite
Where: Chocolate Films Nine Elms Studio, 66 Ponton Rd, Nine Elms, SW11 7DA
Wednesday 20 September, 6pm-8pm
Wandsworth Council in partnership with Exterior Architecture
Focussing on Stewarts Road, Battersea Park Road and Thessaly Road public realm improvements, this people-driven workshop will include a walk around areas that Wandsworth Council are planning to improve, followed by an hour of co-design and conversation at Mondo Brewery.
Free, ticket required – book your design workshop ticket on Eventbrite
Where: Meet at 6pm at Mondo Brewing Company, 86 Stewarts Rd, Battersea, SW8 4UG
Wednesday 20 September, 7pm
Wandsworth Council and Lambeth Council with Allies + Morrison
Once abandoned to industry, the unique Victorian viaduct running through the heart of Battersea to Vauxhall now presents a new opportunity for Wandsworth Council and Lambeth Council to work together to open up vibrant public spaces.
In a celebration of local heritage and culture, historic and hidden arches could be brought to life with new business and community spaces alongside walking routes and leisure activities. Building on the successes of the neighbouring Southwark Low Line, the arches are envisaged as a new place to support a wide range of activities. Join the architects from Allies + Morrison to hear how reimagining the 250 arches that make up this Victorian low line could provide residents, local workers and visitors with a new way to experience this exciting part of London.
Free, ticketed – book your Low Line event ticket now on Eventbrite
Where: TXF Media Office, ground floor of Madeira Tower Unit 1 (opposite Arch 42), 32-34 Ponton Road, SW11 7BA
Thursday 21 September, 2.30pm-5pm
In partnership with Wandsworth Council
A unique presentation by World Heart Beat for London Design Festival charting the journey of building a creative hub which includes a boutique public concert hall (the first in London since 2008), music education centre and industry standard recording studio, from concept to creation.
Get an unmissable glimpse into World Heart Beat’s state-of-the-art building and immersive acoustic technology, D&B soundscape. With technology not seen yet in Europe, D&B soundscape provides an unparalleled audience experience and a distinctive asset to the London arts ecology.
2.30pm: Presentation from World Heart Beat, the concept, the story, the journey of creating a music venue
2.45pm: Presentation from the architect Rory Aitkenhead
3.00pm: Presentation of the immersive audio D&B
3.15pm: A performance using D&B soundscape installation
3.30pm: Drinks reception and tours, networking
5pm: Event ends
Free, ticket required – book your World Heart Beat ticket
Where: World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, 3 Ponton Road, SW11 7BD
Saturday 23 September, 11am-1.30pm
Wandsworth Council in partnership with daab design
Join daab design for a walk and talk event looking at the Battersea Design & Tech Quarter (BDTQ). This behind-the-scenes walk explores opportunities for change as part of Wandsworth Council’s plan to link communities, create a dynamic public realm and create jobs within Battersea’s industrial area.
The architect-led walk will visit the three cul-de-sacs subsites to look at spaces ‘hiding in plain site’ and discuss their potential to create new dynamic meeting places for local communities and future tenants of the BDTQ.
Free, tickets – book your BDTQ walk and talk ticket on Eventbrite
Where: Meeting point in front of the Tarmac plant on Silverthorne Rd & Queenstown Rd (opposite the Victoria Pub).
Coffee and tea at daab design architect’s office following the walk (103 Silverthorne Rd).
Check out the London Design Festival website for more events in the Battersea area
Address:
Battersea
Nearest train/tube:
Battersea Power Station Tube, Battersea Park rail station, Queenstown Road rail station, Nine Elms Tube
Start date: 18/09/2023
End date: 24/09/2023
Open from 12:00 to 17:00
