Design Museum
What Visitors Say
This was my first visit to the Design Museum, and it won’t be my last. The building itself is super impressive and visually stunning. Inside, the museum is spacious and easy to navigate. I visited specifically for the Wes Anderson: The Archives exhibition, which was exquisite. The exhibition was well curated - and being Wes Anderson, visually appealing. I spent around 2hrs there, as there is so much to see. I would definitely recommend booking tickets in advance. If visiting during a weekday go super early or later in the day, as when I was leaving around 12pm there were a lot of students entering. At 10am it wasn’t too busy and I was able to really enjoy the exhibition. There are toilets and lockers (for £1) available downstairs. There is also a tiny cafe on the ground floor, which was packed, so I didn’t stop as I wanted to sit down. The gift shops were great, with lots of items to relating to Wes Anderson and other exhibits. The museum is just a ten minute walk from High Street Kensington Station, and backs on to Holland Park - which is gorgeous and also worth visiting.
Not a very huge museum but still inspiring and thought provoking. The exhibited items cover various design categories. What impressed me most are the deep thinking behind, like the basic principles, purposes of design concepts, etc. The "Platform " at the first floor regularly brings the master pieces of a designer to the visitors. Sustainability is also a core concept of the museum, which is deeply planted in the selections and illustrations of the displayed items. Visit of the regular displayed items is free but the topical exhibitions are worth paying.
Had a nice time visiting this place. Even for those who aren't too much into art and designs its worth visiting the museum is you have time and are in the area. Inside is nice and clean and you have space to move around. They offer lockers for your items at £1 non-refundable (worth it). The museum is free but also paid areas. Toilets are good and the cafe serves descent coffee and pastries but very little seating space. There are multiple shops with interesting books and posters too. The layout and spatial design are really intriguing, and you can see works from a studio that have been donated to the museum. The museum is located next to Holland Park. The park is nice to spend some outside time with friends, family, dogs or just seat and read. Close to the museum you can find restaurants and pubs. The closest tube station is High Street Kensington, 10 minutes walking distance.
The museums main space is a spectacular atrium with a range of exhibits scattered across the different levels. Currently over the New Year there is a really interesting Harland Miller show and film about his love of fonts. Best of all is the fantastic Wes Anderson exhibition which is full of clothing and incredibly models used in his films. Toilets are good and the cafe serves descent coffee and pastries but very little seating space. There are multiple shops with interesting books and posters too.
The central space is extremely nice, truely a place to sit and relax for stretches of time. The cafe is extremely nice for a Musium cafe. The actual Musium is very small, most of the rooms are not accessable and seemingly for private hire. The actual exhibits are well put together and interesting but there's nothing much to it and you can probably see everything not an up charge in about 15 minutes. The up charge I saw was the Wes Anderson exhibition and it was fantastic and worth the cost
Highlights
Designer Maker User
How design shapes daily lifeFrom the London road signage system to classic consumer tech, this free gallery shows design’s hidden decisions.
Permanent display, upper levels
The Roof & Atrium
Iconic hyperbolic paraboloid roof (1962)The Grade II* listed former Commonwealth Institute was reborn here in 2016 - the roof floats like origami above the atrium.
Central hall under the sweeping roof
Material & Process
What things are made ofExplore how plastics, metals, fabrics and composites changed what designers could imagine.
Core collection cases
Graphics & Type
Visual language of citiesWayfinding systems, posters and packaging reveal how typefaces steer us without our noticing.
Graphic design section
Spotlight Exhibition
Rotating headline showsBlockbusters on fashion, film and tech design bring recent icons and behind-the-scenes drawings to the fore.
Temporary gallery
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
Founded in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran; relocated to Kensington in 2016.
The building’s dramatic copper-clad, hyperbolic paraboloid roof dates from 1962 and is Grade II* listed.
The free ‘Designer Maker User’ display introduces hundreds of everyday objects through the stories of their creators and users.
Annual programmes include awards that spotlight innovative product, graphic and digital design from around the world.
The museum’s reinvention retained the historic shell while John Pawson led the interior redesign for the 2016 opening.
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