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| Drawing by Mike Whalley |
In November we draw the Design Museum, off Kensington High Street.
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'The world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every
form.' |
[By Jimmy Lu and Helen Hayhoe]
The Design Museum holds permanent and temporary exhibitions and events on various aspects of design and is hosted in a recently renovated Grade II* listed building.Visitors can also sketch nearby Holland Park, which has gardens in different styles, as well as the elegant façades of Kensington High Street.
The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your art
kit.
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| Sketch in Holland Park by James Hobbs |
Key times and meeting points
11 AM
Meet at the paved area outside of the main entrance of the Design Museum.
The area has outdoor seating and is surrounded by attractive landscaping.
The Museum entrance has a canopy that can provide shelter in case of rain.
The Design Museum café is not currently open (this could change), but there
is
a café in Holland Park, or you could stock up on coffee and sandwiches in the area around High
Street Kensington underground station.
1 PM
Meet again at the paved area outside of the Museum entrance to look at
drawings and take photographs.
3.30 PM
Meet again outside the Museum entrance to look at drawings and take final
group photographs.
Afterwards
We could then go to the
Britannia pub a little way down Allen Street, on the opposite side of Kensington High Street, third road on the right.
It's also a good drawing venue, with wood-panelled walls, leather armchairs
and real ale.
Options for drawing
The Design Museum is at 224-238 Kensington High Street – see map below.
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| Source: ArchDaily |
The Museum is a Grade II* listed building and a landmark building from the
1960s previously housing the Commonwealth Institute. It had stood vacant for
over a decade, before the site was redeveloped by OMA (Office for
Metropolitan Architecture), and the building interior by John Pawson. It
displays contemporary design and innovation. There is a permanent free
exhibition, Designer Maker User, and tickets for a new exhibition,
Waste: What Can Design Do? can be booked online
Nearby Holland Park is set back from Kensington High Street, along a path
beside the Design Museum. The park surrounds a Jacobean mansion, Holland
House, named after its second owner, the Earl of Holland, whose wife was the
first person in England to successfully grow dahlias. The large park has
playing fields, woods and the Kyoto Japanese garden with a waterfall and Koi
carp. There are also formal gardens, wandering peacocks, a small café, and
toilets.
Kensington High Street itself has many interesting buildings. The most
fascinating drawing opportunities are the buildings in the squares and
streets off the high street.
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| Photo by Jimmy Lu |
Practical information
COVID-19 visit information
Since COVID-19 and its variants remain even though restrictions have been lifted, it's sensible to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe throughout the event. The risk of infection for outdoor events is low, but basic guidance still applies: please do not attend if you feel unwell, wear a face covering when you're close to others, give people space, and practice good hand hygiene. There is also the option of self-testing before the event.
No advance booking is needed to see the free
exhibitions. Inside the Museum visitors are encouraged to wear a face mask and keep
social distance.
The Museum café is temporarily closed. All COVID-19 information can be
found on the Museum website.
Getting there
The nearest Tube station is High Street Kensington Station on the District
and Circle Line. Leaving the station, turn left on Kensington High Street.
The Design Museum is further along on the other side of the road (just past
the Cass Art shop).
Other stations within a 15-minutes’ walk include Kensington Olympia
(Overground and Southern), Earl’s Court (District and Piccadilly) and
Holland Park (Central). There are also many bus routes running along
Kensington High Street. Cycle parking is available in front of the
Museum.
The Design Museum is free to enter with no pre-booking for permanent
exhibitions. There is however a charge for temporary exhibitions
(pre-booking required). There are toilets inside the Design Museum and in
Holland Park. All areas of the Museum are accessible by lift.
The Museum café is closed, but Kensington High Street has many cafés and
sandwich shops.
See you at the Design Museum!
The day is run by Jimmy Lu and Helen Hayhoe.
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Location map
