Reptonians descend on Design Museum

Always keen to offer their pupils the chance to experience the world of design on offer outside of Repton, the Design and Technology department hosted their second annual trip to London’s Design Museum this Thursday.

Welcomed by picturesque blue skies, the group made their way on foot from Tower Bridge to the museum, where they were met by one of the museum’s curator. At this point the pupils learnt about to the history of the Design Museum, and its enduring links with the V&A, having begun life in the basement of this world famous museum, before being introduced to the museum’s current major exhibitions; The Design of the Year Awards and Drawing Fashion, a collection of fashion illustrations dating back to 1918.

Particularly valuable was the Design of the Year Awards exhibition, enabling Reptonians to see, first hand, the latest developments in the world of design, across the genres of fashion, architecture, furniture, product and many more. Exhibits included: a stand dedicated to Dubai’s architectural masterpiece the Burj al Khalifa; a coffee table in the shape of a gigantic magnifying glass; an innovative fire extinguisher, eliminating the issue of weight; new lighting design described as ‘wall piercing’; even a suggestion as to how illnesses may be diagnosed in the future.

Having experienced what the future of design has to offer, the trip continued with a look at the history of design, at the Design Museum’s original home, the V&A. The museum is full of iconic examples of design from past eras, all of which are continually used by designers a inspiration for contemporary design, and Reptonians will be expected to consider these items themselves, especially at A Level.

Among the favoured 20^th Century items were: the Cinderella table - a solid piece of wood, computer machined into an unimaginably hollow and organic shape; the ‘little heavy’ chair by Ron Arad, steel beaten into an implausibly comfortable form;  and the first Dyson Vacuum G-Force Cyclonic. In viewing these pieces, the students were encouraged to consider how far manufacturing has developed in recent years.

However, another important principle for the students is that the past can still be very relevant – reproductions of Arne Jacobson’s 1951 design for the bentwood ‘Ant’ chair have only recently given a modern twist to some house dining rooms, while Reitveld’s 1918 chair design and Poul Henningson’s Artichoke lamp show that technology is only just beginning to catch up with the imagination of designers.

Having spent so long admiring these design masterpieces, the group were unable to negotiate the queue to enter the Science Museum before the end of the day, but still returned to Repton full of culture, their horizons broadened and brimming with enthusiasm for design.

To view a gallery of images from the trip, please click here.

The previous week, the Design Scholars also travelled to London, in a prestigious visit to celebrated design consultancy SeymourPowell. To read more about this trip, please click here.