Tom Dixon celebrates 20th anniversary with ‘TWENTY’ at LDF 2022

Material intelligence, unconventional and judicious use of techniques, sustainable alternatives, and overall heightened consciousness are all essentials of global design. Rising awareness in the design community and audiences collectively ushers the creative discourse towards sustainability. London Design Festival 2022, an apt representation of the present and future of design, imminently reflects this trajectory. Acknowledged as a pioneer in innovative product design and high-concept interior design, Tom Dixon celebrates 20 years of his design journey. Following a successful showcase at Milan Design Week 2022, the designer's namesake luxury design company brings the celebratory exhibition TWENTY to London Design Festival. The design exhibition will encompass 20 extraordinary creations, furniture design, lighting design and homeware at the brand’s Coal Office in King’s Cross, London, turning it into an exhibition space. “A twentieth anniversary provides a moment to review, adapt, upgrade and rethink some of the designs that we have produced but also to introduce some of the latest thinking in materiality, longevity and luminosity for the near future,” says British designer Tom Dixon.

Materiality and innovation reside at the core of the exhibition’s design development process. The 20 striking compositions range from giant mycelium sculptures to chair designs like the eelgrass BIRD chair and a Flame Cut chair with a staggering 1000-year warranty. Visitors of the design fair will be welcomed to explore a mindfully curated selection of designs, some of which draw inspiration from Tom Dixon’s seminal collections such as MIRROR BALL, MELT and FAT. At the same time, other objects on display showcase upgraded or are in an embryonic experiment-mode.

One of TWENTY’s highlights is the MELT Dichroic chandelier, a colossal lamp that teleports one to the space age. A dichroic effect is a frequent occurrence in sunglasses’ designs and is also seen on the surface of early Roman glass which can be viewed at the British Museum. Dixon, in awe of this fascinating filter, decided on donning their most successful light–MELT–in it. "The coated component channels the light of our powerful LED driver into constituent parts of the spectrum, giving the already crazed internal reflection of MELT an additional chromatic boost and an unexpected space age aesthetic to this otherworldly lamp," shares the product designer.

The MIRROR BALL chandelier on the other hand is the brand’s creative effort towards reducing negative impacts on the environment. The chandelier is a reincarnation of one of Dixon's oldest lighting designs and is created using 100% recycled polycarbonate. “The change in optical quality is imperceptible and is a demonstration of the opportunities now available in a rapidly changing landscape to try harder to find more credible alternatives to virgin material,” Dixon explains.

The Mycelium sculptures developed as a by-product of a packaging project the brand has been working on. Mycelium, a stage in the life cycle of the mushroom, has grown into a fashionable material that is being widely explored lately. Magical Mushroom, an emerging company and collaborators in the project, make packaging from mycelium in place of polystyrene. In this way, Dixon aimed to exhibit a more permanent use of mycelium while underlining its property to hold scents. "We have created a series of ‘Scent Columns’ in solid mycelium, infused with a perfume formulated for the skin by our friends at International Flavours & Fragrances, who we work with for our range of candles and diffusers," shares Dixon.

In tandem with the exhibition, the brand will also launch the TWENTY Accessories during the design festival. The new TWENTY ELEMENTS Earth medium candle and diffuser will be adorned with Tom’s handwritten TWENTY in platinum brushstrokes across the vessels. Earth, as its elemental name suggests—celebrates simplicity and bare essentials. The scent is an earthy blend of mint, guaiac wood and cedar wood exuding a rich and mossy freshness. TWENTY TANK includes drinkware gift sets, the hand-painted silver brushstrokes complement the bold shapes of the collection and are a nod to metallics, the signature colour for the 20th anniversary. The TWENTY TANK drinkware sets includes Low Ball Glasses, as well as Water, Whiskey and Champagne Glasses.

A series of events and panel discussions will complement the design event at Coal Office during the festival. The London edition of TWENTY is an extension of Tom Dixon’s quest for facilitating the longevity of design and captures his passion for raw materiality.

TWENTY will be on display during the London Design Festival 2022 from September 17 to September 25, 2022, at Tom Dixon Coal Office in London.

Everything you need to know about London Design Festival 2022. Celebrating its 20th year, the festival takes over the city of London with installations, exhibitions, and talks from major design districts such as Brompton, Shoreditch Design Triangle, Greenwich Peninsula, Design London, Clerkenwell Design Trail, Park Royal, Mayfair, Bankside, King's Cross, William Morris Line, and Islington.