3 June – 4 October 2009
Super Contemporary is the spirit of London design, past, present and future. The exhibition celebrates and examines the creative magnetism of London and its enduring reputation as the heart of contemporary design. The Design Museum has joined forces with Beefeater 24 to showcase 15 new commissions from London’s most dynamic creative’s, and as a group they demonstrate the diverse approaches to design in London.
Asked what they would give back to London, the 15 commissions show imagination, pragmatism and vision. David Adjaye, Industrial Facility and Thomas Heatherwick take key features of the London streetscape, the bus stop, the telephone box and the lamppost respectively, and re-imagine their design possibilities aesthetically and practically. El Ultimo Grito, working with Urban Salon, will reinvigorate the design of an enduring visual icon, Nelson’s Column.

Ron Arad will be re-calling the Hayward’s Neon Tower in a new film. Paul Smith, BarberOsgerby, Tom Dixon, Paul Cocksedge and Neville Brody will address some of London’s most ubiquitous issues – litter, noise, pollution, rain and surveillance, respectively, and offer ingenious and thought provoking designs. Wayne Hemingway is designing an outlet to help students and young creative entrepreneurs follow in his footsteps, Nigel Coates takes on Battersea Power Station, Ross Phillips will mix-and-match the general public with a series of interactive video pods and Kit Grover, inspired by an age old lucky charm, spins a twist on London’s heritage and turns a folk-law into a pin brooch.

about Beefeater 24
Beefeater is London born and bred. Having created its new luxury gin, Beefeater 24, in 2008, it wanted to celebrate its own achievements as well as those of other creatively-minded Londoners. Collaborating closely with the Design Museum on Super Contemporary has offered up the perfect opportunity; a way to support and shine a light on the triumphs of this creative community, which, like Beefeater, is constantly inspired by its London home.

Super Contemporary Commissions

• Bus Shelter by David Adjaye.
• Gone with the Wind by Ron Arad.
• Listening Station by BarberOsgerby.
• Freedom Space by Neville Brody.
• Batterseum by Nigel Coates.
• Rain It In by Paul Cocksedge.
• London Transport by Tom Dixon.
• Horatio’s Garden by El Ultimo Grito with Urban Salon.
• Thames Pin by Kit Grover.
• Vision for the city of London by Zaha Hadid.
• K9 Post Office Kiosk by Industrial Facility.
• Lamp-post Chandelier by Thomas Heatherwick.
• KiosKiosk by Wayne Hemingway.
• Head to Toe by Ross Phillips.
• New London Rubbish Bin by Paul Smith. (Revealed on 28 May Photocall with Paul Smith in Covent Garden at 10am.)

Super Contemporary Maps
To accompany the commissions a unique collection of personal maps will also be on show, giving a rare peek into London’s creative networks and what excites and drives them.

• Nick Roope of POKE is mapping the digital community.
• Alex Rich, Abake and Michael Marriott are mapping local public projects.
• B Store are mapping contemporary up and coming fashion designers.
• Daniel Weil is mapping 80s and 90s around graphic design agency Pentagram.
• Wendy Dagworthy is mapping the 70s fashion scene.
• Wayne Hemingway is mapping where he started sourcing and selling second hand clothes.
• David Rosen and Neville Brody are mapping different studio locations and clusters.