A Disused London Fire Station Has Been Taken Over by Designers

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Summary

  • Max Radford Gallery and Ercol have joined forces to create a furniture collection alongside six emerging designers
  • The “Grain Pile” show is part of this year’s London Design Festival, and brings together Andu Masebo, Eddie Olin, Joe Armitage,  Jaclyn Pappalardo, Isabel Alonso, and Lewis Kemmenoe

Finding exhibition space in London can be tough, so sometimes you have to get creative. For Max Radford, an old fire station turned out to be the ideal spot for his show during the London Design Festival, and he’s filled it with work from some of the city’s most promising new artists.

“Grain Pile” is an exhibition featuring new work by six designers-Andu Masebo, Eddie Olin, Joe Armitage, Jaclyn Pappalardo, Isabel Alonso, and Lewis Kemmenoe. They each collaborated with the British furniture brand Ercol, creating pieces using the company’s factories and materials.

Andu Masebo creates unique pieces called “Seconds Stools” using furniture parts that didn’t quite meet Ercol’s quality standards. He finishes each stool in a solid, vibrant color, giving these discarded materials a new purpose and a fresh look.

Lewis Kemmenoe showcased his talent for playful design by creating intricate marquetry patterns on the sides of a rocking chair. Eddie Olin, new to woodworking, built a black-stained dining set and incorporated his distinctive metalwork. Meanwhile, Isabel Alonso designed a set of low tables using a simple but elegant combination of arched, cylindrical, and flat components.

The exhibition includes pieces by Joe Armitage and Jaclyn Pappalardo. London native Joe Armitage drew inspiration from the city’s buildings when creating his armchair, incorporating design elements from Keeling House, a building by modernist architect Denys Lasdun.

I thought everyone else did the usual tables and chairs, but Pappalardo really stood out! She made this amazing cabinet, and she said it was inspired by those classic Ercol pieces – it clearly showed, and it was a really nice touch of nostalgia.

Radford believes this year-long project beautifully demonstrates how the UK design industry can thrive while also nurturing new talent.

We primarily showcase artists from the UK, so partnering with one of the country’s leading manufacturers feels like a natural fit,” he explained. “It’s also encouraging to see the design world actively supporting up-and-coming designers.

Henry Tadros, chairman of Ercol and the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Lucian Ercolani, explained that he and Max had discussed collaborating on a project for several years. He wanted to give designers the freedom to draw inspiration from Ercol’s history and use the company’s resources to bring their own ideas to life.

Grain Pile is featured in this year’s London Design Festival, a city-wide event running until September 21st.

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2025-09-17 17:26