WHY THE LONDON DESIGN BIENNALE MATTERS
2nd of June, 2025.
Why the London Design Biennale Matters to Location Managers, Scouts & Creative Producers
Key Points
The London Design Biennale 2025 at Somerset House is a must-attend for location managers, scouts and production companies looking to explore how global design thinking intersects with storytelling, placemaking and sustainable environments.
For property owners considering listing their space for filming or photoshoots, the Biennale showcases how creative teams activate locations in meaningful and commercially valuable ways.
Shark House, a design led, protest film location in Oxford.
From 5–29 June 2025, Somerset House becomes a vibrant hub of global creativity as it hosts the fifth edition of the London Design Biennale. For professionals across film, TV, fashion, advertising, and content creation, it’s an unmissable opportunity to witness the latest in spatial storytelling, design innovation, and international collaboration.
The Power of Design and Place
At Silverstein Locations, we know that the perfect location isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about meaning, emotion, and narrative. This year’s theme, ‘Surface Reflections’, asks how identity is expressed through the built environment—an idea that resonates with every location scout and production designer shaping worlds on screen.
Whether you're sourcing for a feature film, a stills campaign, or a commercial brief, understanding how design shapes perception adds deeper dimension to your work.
A Global Event in a Historic Location
Set in the heart of London at Somerset House, the Biennale features over 40 international pavilions addressing global challenges like urban renewal, cultural heritage, sustainability, and recovery after conflict—all through the lens of design. For location professionals, it offers a unique view into how spaces can be reimagined, reused, and recontextualised to tell powerful stories.
It’s also a striking reminder of how adaptive reuse of heritage sites—something we often work with at Silverstein Locations—can provide richly layered backdrops for modern narratives.
The Sorting House, a London film location with design flair.
For Prospective Location Owners: Unlock the Potential of Your Space
If you own an architecturally distinctive home, a raw industrial building, or even a tucked-away studio, you may be sitting on a potential film or shoot location. The London Design Biennale offers a live demonstration of how creative teams transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary settings.
At Silverstein Locations, we help you market your property to the UK’s leading production companies, photographers, and agencies—managing the process smoothly from first enquiry to final wrap.
What Location Professionals Can Gain
Attending the London Design Biennale gives location managers and creative producers a rich source of inspiration and insight. You'll come away with:
New ideas for sourcing, adapting and interpreting spaces visually
Global insight into how identity and narrative are shaped through environment
Design-led thinking that can inform everything from set dressing to location briefs
Connections across design, architecture, and production sectors
The Value of Cultural Landscapes
In today’s climate, access to international locations is more than a logistic convenience — it’s an artistic necessity. Fictional worlds rely on real-world textures, dialects and visual cues to resonate. Every vineyard terrace, cobbled alley or mountain pass offers a unique palette for directors and cinematographers.
While the debate over the global movement of culture may rage on in political circles, the industry has already moved forward. Streaming services thrive on multilingual content and award-winning films regularly showcase more than one language — and more than one worldview.
Skylight Studio, a quirky London film location in Canonbury.
Space Matters—Let’s Collaborate
At Silverstein Locations, we’re passionate about places and the stories they tell. We work with some of the UK’s top location scouts and production teams to provide unique, versatile and visually striking properties—from Brutalist townhouses to Georgian mansions, working studios to landscaped gardens.
The London Design Biennale is more than a celebration of design—it’s a rallying call to reimagine the way we use and value space. We’ll be attending, and we look forward to connecting with those who share our passion for creative environments.
Interested in listing your property or browsing our curated collection of shoot-ready locations?
Reach out to Silverstein Locations and discover how your space could become part of the creative process.
