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On 10/10/10, Derry and I were in London.  It was a whirlwind day in which we went to several places, among them The Design Museum, located along the South Bank on Chad Thames  which, according to the sign, is the “best surviving example of the type of street that was very common in London’s Docklands before any redevelopment had taken place.”

There were lots of shops and people strolling about.  For London, it was somewhat peaceful area.

On the South Bank, we had great views of the Tower Bridge, which we walked over earlier in the day.

The Design Musuem.

Inside was a fantastic staircase.

The exhibit on the lower floor showcased The Brit Insurance Design Awards, which includes “the most innovative and forward thinking designs from around the world.”

This was my absolute favorite — a folding plug — and Derry told me about this earlier in the year.  If anyone has ever seen a UK plug, it’s big and bulky and not a fun thing to carry around when traveling.  Min Kyu Choi designed the folding plug, and we were pleasantly surprised to find it on display here.   It’s thin and an elegant solution to the otherwise bulky plug.  (Apparently he was inspired by the MacBook Air.)  You can read about it here.

Above is showing an adapter for multiple plugs.

A font tree!  :)

On another floor was an exhibition called “John Pawson Plain Space.”  The New York Times calls Pawson “The father of modern architectural minimalism.”  The exhibition included models, film, and photographs including some of the elements from a Monastery in the Czech Republic and the Sackler Crossing at the Royal Botanic Kew Gardens.

On the way into the gallery, was a white wall which looks textured.  The light seems to absorb into it in a unique way.  A total surprise was seeing it from the back, which the photo above shows.  Initially we thought it was the back of that wall.

It wasn’t until I saw someone get close to the wall and then seemingly disappear that I ventured closer and closer until realizing it was an opening to a room!   It was a full size installation to offer “a direct experience of his work.”  Wow!

The feeling was absolutely amazing.  We sat for a while, soaking in the the zen-feel, watching people who looked at the outside of the wall.  I wondered if they realized this room was on the other side.  The shadow play was fascinating.  The room had such a sense of stillness and beautiful light.  I loved how the people in the room contrasted with those outside of the room, and I found myself taking several pictures.  (Photography was allowed throughout the Museum, although no flash).

I had to get Derry to take some photos of me in the room.  I kind of wish I had some slinky dress on with high heels.  Silhouette is much kinder to an aging body.  He took several, and this I may print!

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 17th, 2010 at 10:59 am and is filed under Photos - UK. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.