Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden Free display
The Nest
Discover a new installation at the museum's garden – an inclusive, sensory-friendly structure nestled among the trees, designed for people with dementia and their carers.
What to expect
The Nest is an inclusive, sensory-friendly installation crafted from natural and recycled materials on display at the museum's Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden from 11 August. This structure was designed to rethink how outdoor spaces can support people living with dementia.
Inspired by the surrounding birdhouse display Dwellings, Rehomed, created in collaboration with Computer Room and Flock Together, the concept of ‘nesting’ encapsulates notions of welcome, care and homemaking. The vision behind The Nest extends beyond its physical form, aiming to increase the garden's accessibility through design by opening doors for future initiatives that invite and foster connection and wellbeing within this community group. The structure’s design has been informed by research, outreach and support provided by charities such as Dementia Adventure and Age UK.
This project expands activations in the Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden relating to Growing Together, the museum's learning and research project exploring design and horticulture as catalysts for positive social change for the green transition.
The installation is surrounded by Dwellings, Rehomed, our garden display of birdhouses created in collaboration with Computer Room and Flock Together, open for visitors until June 2027.
You can visit the display until (insert date).
Contributors
The Nest was curated by a group of students from our MA Curating Contemporary Design in partnership with Kingston University. The curators commissioned a group of Foundation students at Kingston School of Art to design and build The Nest and developed a programme of activities catered towards a group of people with dementia and their carers, including collaborations with Hackney Herbal and the Royal College of Art.
Curators: Joanne Aguilar, Berla Chang, Christen Faver and Jess de Villiers.
Designers: Carla Bailey, Connor Carnegie Brown, Vanessa Chrzanowska, Oscar Disley, Valeriya Filobokova, George Hope, Lodi Markham-Chappell, Peter Omerod and Oscar Young.
Assistants: Ben Davies and Hugh Nash.
This project was commissioned by the Design Museum with support from Dr. Donna Loveday, Dr. Jana Scholze, Rebecca Davies, Symran Shah, Emily Harris, Kingston School of Art, and Gordon Malcolm from Dementia Adventure.
Read more about the Design Museum Garden
Initiated in partnership with the Design Age Institute in 2021, Growing Together explores design and horticulture as catalysts for positive social change and nurtures community connections in response to the planetary emergency.
'Growing Together' engages local residents to share stewardship of the Dame Sylvia Crowe garden at the Design Museum. The garden was named in memory of the pioneering landscape architect who designed the landscaping for the Commonwealth Institute in 1962.
The Nest display, museum garden
Plan your visit
Visit information
No pre-booking is required.
The display is free and open to the public following the museum's opening hours.
The Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden is located at the back of the museum building – follow the path on the right-hand side of the Main Entrance to the museum around the building. If you need any assistance, please ask a member of staff.
Please note that the garden is divided into two levels. The ground level of the garden is wheelchair accessible. Step-free access to the upper level can be provided, but bark-chip paths may make wheelchair access more difficult. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss access requirements. We apologise for this barrier.
What's On
Background image: