Clerkenwell Design Week announces expansion and a showstopping installation by Alex Chinneck

Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) announces its return to London’s EC1 from 20 – 22 May 2025 for its 14th edition as a leading global design festival. This year’s event will be the largest yet, introducing three new exhibition venues. Among them are the historic medieval and Tudor buildings of The Charterhouse and Charterhouse Square, which will host artist Alex Chinneck’s major new public artwork; the capital’s oldest parish church, St Bartholomew the Great; and Studio Smithfield, a Grade II* listed building above the iconic Smithfield Market in the heart of the Culture Mile.

These additions will form a vibrant and bustling new southern district for the festival. Meanwhile, the 2025 edition will feature a myriad of curated events throughout Clerkenwell. Visitors can explore an impressive lineup of international exhibitors and cutting-edge products showcased across 16+ venues and 160+ local design showrooms.

New Exhibition Venues

·       The Charterhouse and Charterhouse Square

Dating back to the 14th century, The Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings, courtyard gardens and green spaces reflecting over 600 years of British history. This May, this heritage site will serve as a striking backdrop for contemporary furniture, decorative lighting and luxury finishes. It will feature an array of global bathroom brands, from Geberit and Toto to Bette, C.P. Hart and Victoria and Albert Baths. Also joining them will be British fabric and wallpaper company Colefax and Fowler. In addition to design brands, the venue will host Conversations at Clerkenwell, the festival’s official talks series. For 2025, the talks will take place in a theatre designed by the London-based design studio Kapitza, known for its colourful public art installations for British Land, wayfinding designs for the Royal London Hospital, as well as public and leisure architecture projects.

Outside, Charterhouse Square will showcase products for outdoor living and hospitality, alongside Alex Chinneck’s new sculpture. Specially commissioned by CDW, the design promises a return for the artist to sculpting with brick and playing with architectural elevations. In 2013 Chinneck completed a ‘sliding house’ in Margate, furnished with curving bricks, curving windows and a curving door. His new sculpture revisits this sculptural language while introducing an element of interactivity. It uses repurposed steel, salvaged from the demolition of another building in London, thanks to the sponsorship of Cleveland Steel. It is developed with the support of Crittall Windows, FabSpeed and Michelmersh Brock Holdings PLC.

·      Studio Smithfield

A 27,000-square-foot Grade II* listed building above Smithfield Market, Studio Smithfield is a new creative event space and will be home to commercial and workplace interior brands during CDW.

·       Church of Design

Set within St Bartholomew the Great, a 900-year-old Grade I listed medieval church, Church of Design will offer a breathtaking setting for modern design showcases. Exhibitors will include French interiors specialist Roche Bobois. Meanwhile, new to this year’s edition, CDW has partnered with Sandow, the US-based publisher of Interior Design, Design Milk and Metropolis. As part of this collaboration, Sandow will host design conversations, Design Dialogue by Sandow, inside the church throughout the festival. In the lead-up to the event, the publisher has launched its first-ever CDW Product Awards, celebrating the most innovative and visionary products shaping the future of design. Submissions are now open.

Returning Venues

In addition to the new venues, existing locations will house a variety of product-focused exhibitions, including:

● Clerkenwell Green and Installations – Structural stone will take centre stage in the recently refurbished Clerkenwell Green, where Albion Stone and Hutton Stone will reveal a special new commission by Hawkins\Brown, demonstrating the durability and beauty of British stone bricks. Nearby, the ambitious Stone Tapestry structure by the Stone Federation will be featured, along with showcases from exhibitors specialising in contract and workplace interior products and solutions.

● Project – Focused on contract furniture and surface design.

● Design Fields – Showcasing contemporary furniture, lighting and product design with an international focus. The Design Meets talks series will also return, inviting representatives from trade bodies and associations to engage in a range of intimate, industry-led discussions.

● Light – Home to global lighting companies. Darc Thoughts, Darc’s talks series, will also return.

● Elements – Dedicated to architectural hardware and finishes.

● British Collection – Taking over the whole of St James’s Church again and highlighting the best British design talent and brands.

● Detail – Featuring luxury interiors

● Platform – Spotlighting emerging design talent and companies.

● Ceramics of Italy – Hosting Italian ceramic and porcelain tile brands at VaynerMedia’s headquarters on St John’s Square. This exhibition is organised by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with the Ceramics Association of Italy.

● Old Sessions House – Home to brand activations, presentations and the festival hub

● The Goldsmiths’ Centre – Presenting products for commercial and workplace interiors.

● Cowcross Pavilions and Brewhouse Yard – Both presenting leading commercial interiors from the UK and abroad.

International Design Names

Across all venues, CDW will feature over 350 design brands, showcasing furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces, home accessories and product design. Confirmed exhibitors include String, Bolzan, Chelsom, Vincent Sheppard, Kasthall, Ethimo, Kirkby Design, Coat Paints, Benchmark, Morgan, Another Country, Ercol, Pluck Kitchens, Universal Fibers, Arte and Ultrafabrics. Click here for the latest exhibitor list. The Danish Collection will also return to Paxton Locher House and expand into parts of Clerkenwell Green. More than 160 showroom partners (see full list) will also host product launches, talks and workshops. These include Allermuir, Andreu World, Ferm Living, The Conran Shop, Camira, Bolon, Tarkett, Modulyss, Flokk, Bla Station, Lintex, VitrA, Duravit, Hansgrohe, Ideal Standard, Secto Design, J. Adams and Co, Bert Frank, Case Furniture (pop-up showroom), Modus, Nordic Design House, Cosentino, Domus Tiles, Parkside and Viaduct.