Design Museum

Join us in the museum garden on 26 June for ‘Thinking Chairs: Circular Fashion and Multispecies Design’ 🌿

This is a celebration of creativity with fashion brand Anciela as part of London Climate Action Week 2026.

Book now: https://bit.ly/4xvba3P

In the heart of London stands the striking Brutalist landmark, Space House 💫

Best known for its distinctive precast concrete grid façade, Space House (1968) is often described as the younger sibling of Centre Point (1966). Commissioned by British property developer Harry Hyams and designed by architect George Marsh, the building was created by the Richard Seifert studio, the practice behind several iconic London landmarks, including Centre Point and Southbank Tower.

Space House is made up of two contrasting structures: a circular tower and a rectangular block. Originally designed as office accommodation, its bold form has made it a defining feature of London's skyline, earning Grade II listed status in 2015.

Following a four-year restoration and redevelopment, Historic England described the project as 'one of the most important redevelopment projects of our time'. The refurbishment carefully preserved Marsh's original vision, ensuring Space House remains one of the capital's most celebrated examples of Brutalist architecture.

📷 1+2: Historic England Archive.

On 4 July, learn how to create your own unique piece of fabric using natural materials 🌹

Explore the fundamentals of natural dyes derived from plants and waste materials.

Book now: https://bit.ly/45qbcMU

‘For my dearest darling, treasured, cherished Agatha whom I worship…’ 💘

This handwritten note from Zero to Agatha captures the romance and theatrical charm at the heart of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Set in 1932, the beloved film follows concierge M. Gustave and his loyal lobby boy Zero after Gustave is wrongfully accused of murder. At the centre of the story is Agatha, played by Saoirse Ronan - Zero’s great love and an unexpected key figure in unravelling the mystery. Together, Zero and Agatha help Gustave clear his name, stealing a priceless painting and uncovering a conspiracy beyond the hotel’s pastel-pink walls.

The film’s distinctive visual world was shaped by acclaimed costume designer Milena Canonero, who blended authentic 1930s silhouettes with Wes Anderson’s signature storybook aesthetic.

See Agatha’s original costume and this note on display in Wes Anderson: The Archives, open until 16 August 2026. Book via the link: https://bit.ly/3ZqUquP. Members go free.

With England kicking off their World Cup campaign, we're looking back at some of the tournament's most iconic design stories 🏆

Our 2022 exhibition Football: Designing the Beautiful Game explored how design has shaped the sport, showcasing the legacies of clubs and legends including Lionel Messi, Pelé, George Best and Diego Maradona.

Here are a few World Cup highlights from the exhibition, revealing how design has helped define the world's biggest football tournament:

👟 Geoff Hurst’s adidas Diamant boots from the 1966 final, later dipped in bronze
⚽ Match balls from the 1930 final between Argentina and Uruguay
🇧🇷 Pelé’s kit from the 1958 World Cup, worn when he was just 17 years old
🖌️ Official World Cup posters from across the decades

Good luck to the England team ⚽

📷 Felix Speller

Designer Charles Eames was born on this day in 1907 🎈

Together with his wife Ray, Charles Eames formed one of the most influential design partnerships of the 20th century, creating work that continues to inspire designers today.

In 1957, the pair created the Solar Do-Nothing Machine, a solar-powered toy for the Aluminium Company of America. Designed to highlight the potential of the sun as a sustainable, renewable energy source, the playful machine featured colourful elements that spun and twirled when exposed to sunlight.

The project is now considered one of the earliest examples of solar-powered design, demonstrating the Eameses' enduring fascination with innovation, technology and the future.

A close up look at Atari - the young hero on a mission to rescue his beloved dog 🐕

Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs is set in a dystopian future where a deadly canine flu sweeps through the Japanese city of Megasaki. When the tyrannical Mayor Kobayashi orders all dogs to be exiled to Trash Island, his 12 year old nephew Atari embarks on a daring journey to find and rescue his loyal dog, Spots.

Voiced by Koyu Rankin, his character was brought to life through stop-motion animation, with meticulously handmade puppets created by a team led by Andy Gent.

Originally designed by concept artist Felicie Haymoz, Atari began as a series of drawings before being sculpted into a 3D puppet. To create his expressive performance, animators used a library of custom-sculpted interchangeable faces and mouths, carefully swapping them frame by frame to achieve seamless speech and emotion.

Discover more in Wes Anderson: The Archives, open until 16 August 2026. Book your ticket via the link: https://bit.ly/3ZqUquP

1: Richard Round-Turner, 2: Luke Hayes

Go behind the scenes of NIGO: From Japan with Love on 10 July 😎

Join curator Esme Hawes for a special tour exploring key objects, stories and themes from the exhibition, from fashion and music to collecting and design culture.

Book now: https://bit.ly/4dCnSpk

Remembering David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of our time 🩵

A pivotal figure in the pop art movement, Hockney rose to prominence while studying at the Royal College of Art. Over the decades, his bold use of colour, playful experimentation, and embrace of new technologies – from Polaroids to iPads – helped cement his legacy as a visionary across both fine art and design.

His celebrated pool paintings captured the carefree spirit of 1960s California, when backyard swimming pools became aspirational symbols of modern living and postwar prosperity.

This poster, which is part of the Design Museum collection, was created for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The tiled design at the bottom mimics the playful wave pattern Hockney painted onto the floor of his own LA pool. It was last on display as part of our 2025 exhibition, Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style.

A few playful buildings to put a smile on your face ☺️

Which is your favourite?

1. Kazumasa Yamash*ta’s Face House in Japan (1974)
2. The Binoculars Building in California by Frank Gehry (1991)
3. Kindergarten Die Katze by Tomi Ungerer and Ayla Suzan Yöndel (2011)
4. One of Japan’s fruity bus stops (1990)

📸 stepegphotography, gio_23, souichirou___ on Instagram