Ten years have passed since Helsinki, the city of Alvar Aalto, was chosen as World Design Capital in 2012. This year, on 24-25 August, the city will welcome Design Helsinki, the first Finnish B2B event in this field. The two-day summer event has the aim of underlining the importance and influence of Nordic design and its long-term commitment to the delicate issue of sustainability. The festival has also partnered with the trade fair Habitare and Alvar Aalto Foundation, who offer their support for the launch.
Many locations are involved, in the center and the outskirts, such as Kasarmitori Square with the International Pavilion, the Design Museum at Kaartinkaupunki with a program of talks, various installations in the Esplanadi park, as well as many showrooms around the city, attracting architects, designers, dealers, retailers and design lovers.
The showrooms of Finnish and international brands of Finnish and international brands (Carl Hansen & Søn, Kvadrat, Marimekko, Norman Copenhagen, Poiat, Skanno and many others) will welcome many events connected with the festival, including conferences, workshops, new product launches and much more.
The fulcrum of the entire happening will be the International Design Pavilion set up at Kasarmitori Square, in the Kaartinkaupunki district of Helsinki, a perfect architectural setting for a design event. Inside a space of 1650 sqm, visitors can discover Scandinavian and international brands in sectors of interiors and contract projects, with furnishings, lamps, surfaces, architectural finishes, and other exhibits. The brands include: Aeris, Arktis, Eikund, Framery, Fredericia, Herman Miller, KT Interior, Martela, Lintex, Naughtone, Vaarni, Secto Design.
The program covers a series of installations, initiatives organized by various companies, and talks produced in collaboration with Design Museum Helsinki. Design in Conversation, for example, provides encounters and in-depth discussion with design talents, entrepreneurs, journalists and institutions (from Hanna Harris, Chief Design Officer/City of Helsinki, to Tom Dixon), in an intense two-day schedule.
In the historic building of the former Brobergska Samskolan high school at Kaarti, Design Museum presents a complete program of encounters in the auditorium, while the museum itself will be featuring an exhibition developed by the studio Formafantasma.
