The museum is currently housed in a former 1940s banana warehouse on the south bank of the River Thames in the Shad Thames area in SE1 London. The conversion of this warehouse altered it beyond recognition to resemble a building in the International Modernist style of the 1930s. This was funded by many companies, designers and benefactors. The museum was principally designed by the Conran group, with exhibitions over two floors, and a "Design Museum Tank" exhibition space out by the water front. Terence Conran aided in this conversion, as it was his concept to create such a museum of modern design A large scale sculpture titled Head of Invention by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi was installed in the area between the Museum and the Thames. Currently (until Novenber 2016) the Cycle Revolution at London’s world leading Design Museum celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition and looks at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future. As they feature talks, meet the residents tours and a host of other events, it is a good idea to check the calendar.
Ground floor: This is the foyer of the museum, which houses the admissions desk, shop, café, and the only toilets in the building, which were designed by Australian product designer Marc Newson, and are viewed as an attraction by some tourists. First floor: Due to the small size of the museum all the exhibitions change frequently; the first floor houses the main attraction of the museum as it is the biggest space. Previous exhibitions here include a retrospective of Peter Saville's Graphic Design, Manolo Blahnik's Shoe Design and the History of Video Games. Also on the first floor is the Blue Print Café, with views of the River Thames and Tower Bridge. Design Museum Space is on the mezzanine floor between the First and Second floors, it is not generally accessible to the public. It is primarily used for Design Museum talks, which are lectures on design/designers, or hired out for events. It is decorated in a shade of light blue, as the theme of the space is supposed to be "the swimming pool". Second floor: This space is normally split into two subsections, a larger space towards the windows and river view, and a smaller walled-off space at the back. A semi-permanent exhibition on historic design is generally at the front, which is usually themed for coherency, with themes such as different decades of design. At the rear of this floor is the "Education Centre", where the Education Department of the museum teaches children on a school visit, in workshops. Note: From Tower Bridge one has to descend steps to the museum. Wheelchair uxers should come via London Bridge (or bus). Wheelchair accessible toilets on ground floor. The Design Museum offers exhibition tours for blind and partially sighted visitors, providing opportunities to touch and discuss objects.
Location : 28 Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD
Transport: Tower Hill (District/Circle) London Bridge (Northern Line or Jubilee Line). London Buses routes 42, 47, 78, 188, 381 to Tooley Street, 100 to Tower Gateway, 225 to Jamaica Road, RV1 to Tower Bridge.
Opening Times: Everyday.
Monday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:45
Last Admission 17:15
Tickets : Adults £13.00, Children (6 - 15) £6.50
Concessions £10.00, Carers Free
Prices include 10% voluntary donation.
Tel: 020 7940 8783.
