Popup showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week

March 1, 2019

KI House, Popup Showroom, 8-9 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DE
Clerkenwell Design Week 2019, 21-23 May 2019

KI, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of workplace and education furniture, will make its Clerkenwell Design Week debut in 2019 with a pop-up showroom at the landmark Paxton Locher House on Clerkenwell Green. This stunning home will be transformed into 'KI House' for the launch of several new UK-designed & manufactured products. There will also be a variety of talks, workshops and a 'House Party', co-hosted with Bute Fabrics, on the evening of Wednesday, 22 May.

New products:
As traditional working and learning environments continue to take inspiration from domestic and hospitality interiors, the architecture of the house lends itself perfectly to display KI’s new products:

Enhanced, integrated storage, seating and workstation system will help organisations to create human-centric, diverse office landscapes.
A next-generation, cost-competitive sit-stand desk and bench range, co-created in collaboration with some of KI’s largest clients.
A new, UK-designed & manufactured seating collection created for active learning environments in colleges and higher education institutions.
Cafe & dining spaces will benefit from an elegant new one-piece polypropylene stacking chair, also designed & manufactured in the UK.
Stackable to 50 high, a new high-density stacking chair features an elastomer seat to provide unprecedented comfort and versatility.

The venue:
Situated right in the heart of Clerkenwell, Paxton Locher House was built in the mid-1990s and is a popular destination during 'Open House London'. The ingenious architecture of this house embodies KI’s ethos of finding innovative solutions to unique design challenges for its clients. Secluded behind buildings facing the Green, this split-level home presented a design challenge – enclosed by its neighbours, the site had no opportunity for windows. Instead, the architects created a space flooded with natural light by adding skylights and a large retractable glass ceiling over the central atrium. This transforms into a beautiful open internal courtyard in fine weather – the perfect setting for KI’s programme of events within the space.

What’s on:
In addition to the products on display and the Wednesday evening 'House Party', KI will be hosting talks and workshops around co-creation and modification of furniture, fabrics and PET felt accessories.

Alex Gifford, KI’s new design director will guide designers and specifiers through KI’s unique furniture co-creation capabilities for large office projects. KI is also partnering with Bute Fabrics and designer Natasha Marshall, to help designers make a unique statement with custom-printed fabrics. Also, on display will be a collaborative project with designer Freyja Sewell, who will share her valuable insights on working with PET felt. Finally, for those interested in architectural tours of the house, these will be hosted by the property’s owner throughout the festival.

Jonathan M Hindle, Group Managing Director, KI EMEA comments: "Congratulations to Clerkenwell Design Week on reaching this milestone 10th anniversary. As the festival has grown, so too has KI – we are now making our first step as an exhibitor with our own popup showroom in a landmark location, to complement our HQ in the nearby Lego building at New Fetter Place. We are looking forward to welcoming those who already know us well, and even more so - those who don’t. It’s KI, Jim. But not as you know it."

About Bute Fabrics
Bute Fabrics, the innovative textile design and manufacturing company based on the Isle of Bute off the west coast of Scotland, is known for its visionary colour palette and beautiful use of texture. The Bute name has always been an assurance of sustainability, quality and durability, recognised worldwide. Established by the 5th Marquess of Bute in 1947 to provide employment for returning servicemen and women at the end of WW2, the mill has historically been known for woven woollen upholstery fabric for the contract interiors market. Although still a key part of the business, its reach now extends to a range of sectors, encompassing, for instance, theatre auditoria, luxury home interiors, restaurants, hotels and fashion accessories. www.butefabrics.com