The inaugural London Design Biennale Utopia by Design

The inaugural London Design Biennale took place at Somerset House inSeptember 2016, establishing a new international platform for contemporary design. Conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans, the event brought together 37 countries and territories under the theme Utopia by Design, marking the 500th anniversary of Thomas More’s Utopia. Curated by Dr. Christopher Turner, the Biennale invited participants to explore how design could address social, environmental, technological, and cultural challenges while imagining better futures for society. Throughout Somerset House’s historic galleries and courtyards, visitors encountered an extraordinary range of installations, prototypes, immersive environments, and speculative projects. National pavilions presented diverse interpretations of utopian thinking, from visions of future cities and sustainable living to reflections on identity, migration, and social equality. The exhibition demonstrated design’s capacity not only to solve practical problems but also to stimulate debate and inspire new ways of thinking about the world. The success of the 2016 edition established the London Design Biennale as a major fixture on the international design calendar and reinforced Somerset House’s role as one of London’s leading cultural venues.