Name: WHAT IF? London Design Festival comes to Kingston
Start: 2025-09-18T10:00:00
End: 2025-09-18T16:00:00
Location: What If? Installation

What If? opens 13 September & runs 15-20 September in central Kingston. The event programme includes a pop-up Urban Room, talks and walks.

This September Kingston Society will be encouraging residents to shape where they live and work as they explore the week-long What If? installation in central Kingston.

Organised as part of both the London Design Festival’s annual series of city-wide events and Kingston 20252 celebrations, What If? invites those most affected by change to join the creative conversation and feel empowered to influence their community.

Over a thought-provoking programme that includes a series of talks and walks, visitors will be able to journey through Kingston’s past, reflect on present development challenges, and discover their potential to influence the borough’s future.

WHAT IF? INSTALLATION

Inspired by the concept of an Urban Room, Kingston College Creative Industries Centre’s Penny School Gallery will be transformed into five creative zones exploring place and possibilities. In collaboration with local innovators, designers, artists and architects, these areas will cover heritage, art and design, architects, designers and the future Urban Room.

During their visit, people will be invited to contribute ideas to an evolving physical map of Kingston, engage with members of the Kingston Society in open sessions, and leave behind drawings, stories, or questions of their own to feed into the future Urban Room design.

Sharing the inspiration behind What If, Kingston Urban Room Project Lead Peter Karpinski said: “For many residents, development decisions seem to happen behind closed doors, so it’s easy to feel shut out of the process or unaware there’s even a way in. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The built environment affects us all, and good design is created with - not just for - people.

“Our ‘What If’ installation will show how, instead of treating public input as a planning formality, an Urban Room would recognise residents as valued voices and put people and their priorities at the heart of decisions that shape our borough’s future.” he added.

WHAT IF? EVENTS PROGRAMME

To highlight the link between good design and local pride, and encourage people to connect with their surroundings, the free programme also includes themed walks and talks.

KINGS-TOWN TALK:

Discussion exploring the role of public art in urban spaces: Thurs 18 Sept (12.30-2pm) − Lunchtime debate in the Kingston College Creative Industries Centre as key creative voices - including local artists, council officers and Kingston organisations - debate the connection between public art, heritage and communities.

− The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session, where the audience can contribute their thoughts and questions around the social function of creative works in the public realm.

GUIDED WALKS:

Public Trail - Art in the Open: Tues 16 Sept (10.30 am-12.30 pm)

− With the town centre home to a wide range of outdoor art, this guided walk will reflect on around 20 artworks, each portraying a different side of Kingston’s character and revealing how past and present Kingston are connected.

− Starting from the Penny School Gallery and finishing at the Stanley Picker Gallery, the tour will cover the evolution of local art, from the newest additions to historic landmarks, including some that have been lost along the way.

Historic Kingston - Footsteps Through Time: Thurs 18 Sept (2.30 - 5 pm) − 2025 marks the 1100th anniversary of King Athelstan’s coronation – a perfect moment to reflect on legacy, identity and change on a walk where every stop has a story to tell. − This journey through the town’s colourful past will start from the Coronation Stone at Guildhall before taking in medieval bridges, coaching inns, and places once at the heart of local justice, from former prisons and correction houses to militia barracks and stocks.

Coombe Conduit - The Palace Pipeline: Sat 20 Sept (10 am - 3 pm)

− Follow the flow of history on this 3.5-mile walk tracing the ingenious Tudor route that channelled fresh water from Coombe to Court for 350 years; a route whose influence ensures it remains marked on Ordnance Survey maps today.

− The tour includes rare access to the hidden chambers of Coombe Conduit (where the walk starts), an hour’s break for lunch (not provided) at All Saints Church, and free entry to Hampton Court Palace Gardens (where it ends).

At a time of great change across the borough, Kingston Society hopes to align its What If? programme with one of the world’s leading design events will spark wider interest and highlight how a permanent, visible space in Kingston would be a catalyst for greater local involvement.

Visit kingstonurbanroom.org.uk for more information on the What If? Installation Dates: 13 to 20 September 2025 (excluding 14 September)

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