Highlights at Clerkenwell Design Week 2026: Day 2
Every day, Design Milk editors bring you the best to see, learn and do during the UK’s leading design festival. These are our picks for Wednesday, May 20.
Editors’ Choice | Speeches | All Day Happenings | Showroom events | Products
Highlight of the day
The Secret Garden of La Erreria
This sensory installation that replicates the traditional English garden as a reflection of materiality in architecture, with Tile of Spain ceramics from the brands Adex, Cevica, Cifre Cerámica, Cristacer, Decocer, El Barco, Harmony, Inthetile, La Platera, Porcelanosa, STN Wormica, and Design Undefasa. READ MORE
Design dialogues
Designing for Gen Alpha
Artificially intelligent children will reshape expectations of education, housing and public space. This future panel discussion explores how hybrid physical and digital environments will define the next generation’s experience in space.
12:00-13:00
RSVP HERE
Circular Certification Routes
The panel explores how ECONYL® regenerated nylon and the R2R® program facilitate international sustainability certifications such as LEED, BREEAM and WELL through a circular economy approach.
14:00 – 15:00
RSVP HERE
Turn it upside down: The iterative advantage
Iteration — from prototyping to AI-assisted workflows — is becoming a competitive design strategy. This session explores how rapid experimentation improves results and how communication throughout the process can build stronger understanding and trust with customers.
15:00 – 16:00
RSVP HERE
Endings
The Italian Hospitality by Giulio Cappellini
The Italian Commercial Service presents The Italian Hospitality, a curated installation designed by architect Giulio Cappellini, Design Ambassador for Italian Design Day 2026. The project reflects Italy’s distinctive ability to combine industrial production with craftsmanship, offering a coherent vision of modern life rooted in quality and innovation.
READ MORE
Recreation
What if you could hear a building? Recreatura is a binaural sound installation by Alicia Waibel, Evina Kat, Michael Wagner, Ritu Kittur and Samia Kapadia of the 4-8 Collective that redefines Charterhouse not as something to be seen, but something to be heard.
READ MORE
The German Collection
The German Collection brings together a top selection of recognized German brands and furniture. Participating brands: Brunner UK, Dresdner Zimmer, Express Küchen, HEWI, Indorama Ventures, JUNG, Krall + Roth, Sundrape, ter Hürne, Thonet, TREWA GmbH and Wineo.
READ MORE
Showroom events
What does it mean to design to belong?
What would it look like to design for true belonging – for people and the health of the planet? This is more than a panel discussion. Rather than passive listening, this session is an invitation to an interactive conversation shaped by you. Bring your questions, ideas and challenges as panelists respond in real time, creating a dynamic and collaborative dialogue. For more information or to secure your place, please contact: (email protected)
09:00 to 11:00
Shaw Contract, 33 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DX
Designed to Return: The Beauty of Circularity
Circularity offers a different kind of beauty: one based on care and continuity. This talk pauses to explore closed-loop design as a creative opportunity. Join us to rethink waste, redefine value and consider how circular thinking can shape your design approach.
12:00 to 12:30
Tarkett, 47-53 St John Street, EC1M 4AN
Spacestor Late Night
Celebrate innovation and creativity in style at Spacestor with music, food and drink and lively conversation. RSVP HERE
17:00 to 20:00
Spacestore Design Centre, 49 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6AL
Products
Teknion Beyond the Surface Collection
Dorothy Cosonas’ Beyond the Surface collection for Luum explores the depth of color, texture and pattern by drawing inspiration from the world around us: nature, art, fashion and the streets of New York. The collection translates these influences into 7 new products: three woven wallpapers, one nonwoven wallpaper, one multipurpose and two curtains.
https://www.luumtextiles.com/beyond-the-surface-collection
Naturtex Ciudadela
This 100% natural sisal rug celebrates the power of a material in its most honest expression. Its herringbone weave introduces rhythm and depth, creating a subtle pattern that shifts with the light and enriches the space without overpowering it.
https://naturtex.es/rug/ciudadela/
Tor incentives
Named after the solid, rugged rock formations that inspired its design, Tor has a massive silhouette that can anchor any office space. Its versatile base is designed for improved cable management, keeping workspaces tidy and functional.
https://www.moventi.co.uk/
Fritz Fryer Lugg Collection
This collection of lamps is 100% British made, celebrating the British heritage of engineering and antique lighting. It’s maintainable, repairable, made from solid materials that won’t break down over time, and has a finish that can’t be rushed or artificially reproduced.
https://fritzfryer.co.uk/
Workbench Flight desk
At the heart of the Flight Deck is a modular architecture that allows power and connectivity elements to be easily removed, upgraded or replaced as technology evolves. It helps meeting spaces seamlessly transition between formal business and social gatherings.
https://www.workbenchltd.co.uk/
