Splash! A Century Of Swimming & Style at the Design Museum

Photo: designmuseum.org

The Design Museum will be celebrating our love of the water by diving into the role that design has played in shaping our relationship with swimming over the last 100 years — from sports performance and fashion to architecture.

Photo: Richard Rowland/ABIR Architects

The Victorian's had a preference for simple bathing, but once swimwear began to be marketed in the 1920s beach holidays exploded in popularity. Fast forward to the present day, and swimming has become entwined with environmental issues and even influences our ideas of body autonomy.

The exhibition includes over 200 objects spread across three different sections, reflecting the changing locations in which we swim: the pool, the lido and nature.

Highlights include Pamela Anderson's iconic Baywatch swimsuit, a selection of Speedos from the 1980s, and the first Olympic swimming gold medal won by a British woman. Other items on display include one of the earliest-ever bikinis, the banned LZR Racer swimsuit, and an architectural model of the London 2012 Aquatics Centre.

Share page Twitter Facebook Bluesky WhatsApp Email

How to get to the Design Museum

Buses that stop near the Design Museum are 9, 10, 27, 28, 49 and C1

Bus fares to Design Museum

Bus fares	Cash	Oyster & Contactless		Travelcard
		Single fare	Daily cap	One day
				Any­time	Off-peak
All zones	n/a	£1.75	£5.25	£6

The closest station to the Design Museum is High Street Kensington Circle District in zone 1. Plan your journey from Bank, Charing Cross, Earl’s Court, Euston, King’s Cross St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marylebone, Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo or another station:

Acton TownAldgateAldgate EastAll SaintsAngelArchwayArsenalBaker StreetBalhamBankBarbicanBarons CourtBayswaterBecktonBeckton ParkBelsize ParkBermondseyBethnal GreenBlackfriarsBlackhorse RoadBlackwallBond StreetBoroughBounds GreenBow ChurchBow RoadBrent CrossBrixtonBromley-By-BowCaledonian RoadCamden TownCanada WaterCanary WharfCanning TownCannon StreetChalk FarmChancery LaneCharing CrossChiswick ParkClapham CommonClapham NorthClapham SouthColliers WoodCovent GardenCrossharbourCustom HouseCutty SarkCyprusDeptford BridgeDevons RoadDollis HillEaling BroadwayEaling CommonEarl’s CourtEast ActonEast FinchleyEast HamEast IndiaEast PutneyEdgware Road (B)Edgware Road (C)Elephant & CastleElverson RoadEmbankmentEustonEuston SquareFarringdonFinchley RoadFinsbury ParkFulham BroadwayGallions ReachGloucester RoadGolders GreenGoldhawk RoadGoodge StreetGreat Portland StreetGreen ParkGreenwichGunnersburyHammersmithHampsteadHanger LaneHarlesdenHeathrow T4Heathrow T5Heathrow T2&3Hendon CentralHeron QuaysHighbury & IslingtonHighgateHolbornHolland ParkHolloway RoadHyde Park CornerIsland GardensKenningtonKensal GreenKensington (Olympia)Kentish TownKew GardensKilburnKilburn ParkKing George VKing’s Cross St. PancrasKnightsbridgeLadbroke GroveLambeth NorthLancaster GateLangdon ParkLatimer RoadLeicester SquareLewishamLeytonLeytonstoneLimehouseLiverpool StreetLondon BridgeLondon City AirportMaida ValeManor HouseMansion HouseMarble ArchMaryleboneMile EndMonumentMoorgateMornington CrescentMudchuteNeasdenNew CrossNew Cross GateNorth ActonNorth EalingNorth GreenwichNorthfieldsNotting Hill GateOld StreetOvalOxford CircusPaddingtonPark RoyalParsons GreenPiccadilly CircusPimlicoPlaistowPontoon DockPoplarPrince RegentPudding Mill LanePutney BridgeQueen’s ParkQueenswayRavenscourt ParkRegent’s ParkRichmondRotherhitheRoyal AlbertRoyal OakRoyal VictoriaRussell SquareSeven SistersShadwellShepherd’s BushShepherd’s Bush MarketShoreditch High StreetSloane SquareSouth EalingSouth KensingtonSouth QuaySouth WimbledonSouthfieldsSouthwarkSt. James’s ParkSt. John’s WoodSt. Paul’sStamford BrookStepney GreenStockwellStonebridge ParkStratfordSurrey QuaysSwiss CottageTempleTooting BecTooting BroadwayTottenham Court RoadTottenham HaleTower GatewayTower HillTufnell ParkTurnham GreenTurnpike LaneUpton ParkVauxhallVictoriaWalthamstow CentralWappingWarren StreetWarwick AvenueWaterlooWembley CentralWembley ParkWest ActonWest BromptonWest HamWest HampsteadWest India QuayWest KensingtonWest SilvertownWestbourne ParkWestferryWestminsterWhite CityWhitechapelWillesden GreenWillesden JunctionWimbledonWimbledon ParkWood GreenWood Lane

Train fares to Design Museum

Train fares	Cash	Oyster & Contactless				Travelcard
	Single fare	Single fare		Daily cap		One day
		Peak	Off-peak	Peak	Off-peak	Any­time	Off-peak
Zone 1	£7	£2.90	£2.80	£8.90	£8.90	£16.60(zone 1-4)	£16.60(zone 1-6)
Zone 1-2	£7	£3.50	£2.90	£8.90	£8.90
Zone 1-3	£7	£3.80	£3.10	£10.50	£10.50
Zone 1-4	£7	£4.60	£3.40	£12.80	£12.80
Zone 1-5	£7	£5.20	£3.60	£15.30	£15.30	£23.60(zone 1-6)
Zone 1-6	£7	£5.80*	£3.80*	£16.30	£16.30
* Journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are always charged at the peak rate. Prices are correct as of 2nd March 2025

Contactless Oyster Visitor Oyster Travelcards Child fares Senior fares

You might be interested in…

Search for more museum exhibitions and sports events in London, or look for things to do in Kensington. Check out all the other events in London today, tomorrow, this weekend and during March

★Free

Read our review of Design Museum

Today Under £15

Anthony McCall – Solid Light exhibition at Tate Modern

Today Only £15

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition 2024

Today Under £15

Picasso: Printmaker at the British Museum

Today From £20

The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain

Today From £22

Electric Dreams – Art & Technology Before The Internet