Organized for the 13th time, Helsinki Design Week spreads around the city and features more than 250 events between 7 and 17 September 2017. Founded in 2005, Helsinki Design Week is the largest design festival in the Nordic countries. Held annually in September, the multidisciplinary festival presents design from a number of fields as well as fashion, architecture and urban culture. Helsinki Design Week presents the new faces and phenomena of design, promotes design internationally in collaboration with various partners and offers city citizens through design a forum to participate in developing and discussing the city and its culture. The festival programme contains around 250 events every year, and includes both events targeted for professionals and the general public. International design stars Helsinki Design Week 2017 is to launch the DesignCommons seminar that allows the audience to have dinner and discuss with international design stars. The first published speakers include iconic architect Winy Maas, technology entrepreneur with a Nokia background Marko Ahtisaari, landscape architect Cees van der Veeken and Studio Swine consisting of architect Azusa Murakami and British artist Alexander Groves. The seminar is part of the two-day World Design Weeks Summit that Helsinki is hosting for design leaders from all over the world. Helsinki Design Week’s director Kari Korkman has been chosen to preside the network until 2020. HDW HOP installations that proved so popular last year are making a return and bringing six new items to the Helsinki city centre. The installation series consists of works by Finnish and international designers and architects and focuses on the theme of a developing city. The Three Smiths statue that was covered by a giant bubble last year will be joined by a tiny parking-slot-size apartment house that takes a stand on tight urban architecture and building solutions for disaster areas. A Danish greenroom is to rise on the Keskuskatu street, and an old manege (Kaartin maneesi) will function as the background for versatile design themed programme. A tram dedicated by HST to culture will transform into an after-work design ride that tours the districts of Helsinki. Each ride has its own theme, including the future of cities, sustainable development and creative fields’ cooperation. This year, Helsinki Design Week announces one the largest design awards in Finland. The Home Revisited design competition was organized to celebrate Asko Foundation’s 50th anniversary, focusing on the home of the future and its changing needs. Announced on 7 September, the winner will receive a prize of 30,000 euros. All ten finalists of this international competition will be presented at the Home Revisited exhibition. For the first time, we’ll also see Data-Driven Design Day as part of the programme, presenting how to utilize computer data in design. Familiar favourites at HDW 2017, we’ll meet some popular favourites from previous years, including the largest stock sale in the Nordics, Design Market, HDW Kids’ Weekend, an event for the whole family, a startling keynote event i.e. the PechaKucha Night, Open Studios presenting creative work spaces, and last year’s highly popular Design Diplomacy that will again open the doors of ambassadors’ residencies in Helsinki. As part of the Habitare trade fair, we’ll offer a Showroom event for professionals and a Habi Kids area for children. In addition, the programme features more than 150 events by independent organizers, filling the streets, galleries, stores and museums with architecture, fashion and urban design. We’ll be hearing discussions, seeing fashion shows, witnessing launches and enjoying parties.
