Three London offerings to keep art-lovers busy

You might not think of London as a summer destination but the city empties out in August, leaving plenty of space to browse its street markets, check out its galleries and unwind on its roof terraces. We tell you where to splurge, what to see and even sleep.

You might not think of London as a summer destination but the city empties out in August, leaving plenty of space to browse its street markets, check out its galleries and unwind on its roof terraces. The ever-evolving UK capital has plenty to keep design-lovers busy over the course of a long weekend.

The-Shard-by-Renzo-Piano-AFP

Sleeping
Accommodation-wise, the stylish St Martins Lane, a Philippe Starck creation, remains a design stalwart. The contemporary W Hotel in Leicester Square is a sensory delight and the new kid on the block, ACE Hotel in Shoreditch, exudes East London cool.

Sight-seeing
First stop when hitting the streets is the Design Museum, currently exhibiting “Designs of the Year 2014”, featuring innovative creations across the fields of fashion, architecture, digital, furniture, graphics, product and transport design. Covering over 2,000 years of art and décor, the V&A museum is also a must-see. Shortlisted for this year's RIBA Stirling Award, The Shard by starchitects Renzo Piano is one of the city's hottest attractions right now: check out the 360-degree views from the 72nd floor viewing platform.

Splurging
Shopping fixes can be found at King’s Road store Heal’s, which recently released its first fabric collection since the 1970s, and on the top floor of design emporium Liberty of London. Wander around the Clerkenwell design district for high-end pieces or check out this year’s Maison&Objet Creator of the Year Tom Dixon’s store in Ladbroke Grove.