The main venue for Helsinki Design Week this year is the old banking room at Paasivuorenkatu 3 in Hakaniemi.
Bar Unikko implemented with Marimekko will be built in the long-closed bank room, offering a varied programme for both city residents and design professionals from 11 to 14 September.
In addition to Paasivuorenkatu, Helsinki Design Week will be celebrated in dozens of locations around the city.
Architecture Theme Day, PechaKucha and the publishing of the new architecture map of Helsinki
The Architecture Theme Day arranged on 12 September will feature a debate on the new Museum of Architecture and Design. The theme day celebrates the conclusion of the 1st phase of the design competition for the new Museum of Architecture and Design and publishes the 1st phase proposals of the online gallery.
"The journey towards the new AD Museum is at a pivotal point – the architectural competition for the new museum building will introduce a new visible landmark and player to Helsinki's cityscape. The visions presented in this competition offer tangible and concrete thoughts on what the new museum means for the creative industries and the vitality of the Helsinki metropolitan area – a discussion that is important to have now," says Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Finnish Architecture and Design Museum Foundation.
The Helsinki Design Week’s main exhibition, open to all free of charge, will be arranged on Thursday 12 September from 4 pm to 8 pm, with compelling insights from members of the museum’s international advisory group and other experts.
The day will culminate in a keynote by Paola Antonelli, MoMA’s senior curator of architecture and design, on museums as agents of change. Read more about the event here(Link leads to external service).
The architecture-themed day will end with an inspiring House of an Architect(Link leads to external service) evening, where architects will talk about their favorite residential buildings.
Friday will feature diverse discussions on multidisciplinary creativity. The winners of the Helsinki Design Awards and other Helsinki-based creative people will also be heard on stage. The evening will end with a fast-paced PechaKucha Night(Link leads to external service), known for its surprising speeches.
On the Map. To the Map. event(Link leads to external service) on Saturday will publish the new Helsinki Architecture & Design Highlights map, which will highlight 125 gems of Helsinki design and architecture. The map is produced in collaboration with Archinfo, Finnish Design Info, and the City of Helsinki.
In a panel discussion, Helsinki’s Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris, Hakola’s creative director Annaleena Hakola and skater and landscape architect Janne Saario will discuss Helsinki as a city of architecture and design: What is on the map now? Is there something that should be added? And how can Helsinki and Finnish Design strengthen their position on the world stage? The discussion is held in Finnish.
The event culminates in the city after dark, Helsinki Design Night(Link leads to external service), which will bring a club atmosphere to the venue with music and performances.
Find out more about the Main Event Venue programme on the Helsinki Design Week website(Link leads to external service).
Design and architecture will be celebrated in dozens of events around the city
This year, the Helsinki Design Award, a joint recognition of the City of Helsinki and Helsinki Design Week, will highlight design entrepreneurship.
“This year, we want the Helsinki Design Award to recognise the bold, meaningful and international activities of design-driven companies. Design and the creative industries are important contributors to a sustainable society,” says jury member Hanna Harris, Chief Design Officer of the City of Helsinki.
The Helsinki Design Award will be announced on Tuesday 10 September.
The diversity of urban nature will be explored in the Rönsyilytyöpaja workshop(Link leads to external service) open to all on 12 September. The workshop is based on plant-themed bodily exercises that help you to enter the world of plants.
The Piloting Day in Malmi(Link leads to external service) on 13 September showcases different pilots led by Forum Virium Helsinki, several urban development projects in Malmi as well as offers the possibility to participate in small scale pilots on site.
In the Green city LEGO® -workshop(Link leads to external service) on 14 September you can build the green city of the future. Could there be more urban nature in Helsinki? How do green areas affect the comfort of an urban environment? Could there be a forest in the middle of the city?
The workshop is a part of the Helsinki City Museum’s Places & Hoods – See Helsinki Anew exhibition program. The workshop is implemented together with Arkki ry, the architecture school for children and young people.
The festival will also feature familiar classic events such as the Design Market at Kaapelitehdas on 7–8 September, the Open Studios open evenings on 6 and 13 September and the Design Diplomacy series of events at the ambassadors' residences on 11–13 September.
The complete Helsinki Design Week programme can be found at helsinkidesignweek.com(Link leads to external service).
