This August sees the inaugural edition of a brand-new design festival, set to become an annual fixture on the international design calendar.

Design Helsinki will run from 24-25 August in Finland’s capital city which this year celebrates ten years since it was named World Design Capital in 2012. Renowned for its functional and minimalistic Nordic architecture, the city boasts the largest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in Northern Europe, making it a key destination for architecture aficionados while Finnish design has made its mark on a global scale thanks to the likes of iconic designer Alvar Aalto as well as household names including Marimekko, not to mention the array of emerging talent.

Marking a decade since Helsinki was named World Design Capital, the city will celebrate the occasion with a series of events and city-wide activities, with Design Helsinki, the capital’s first dedicated B2B contemporary design event, at the heart of the celebrations. Design Helsinki will seek to highlight the profound influence that Nordic design and its long-held commitment to sustainability has on the architecture and design industries as well as providing a platform for international design professionals to meet with sought-after, world-renowned brands. Additionally, the show will work with two major partners in Finland – Habitare and the Alvar Aalto Foundation – to provide exciting and relevant content for visitors. Habitare and Design Helsinki will both feature in each other’s programmes. The creative director of Habitare, Laura Sarvilinna, will be interviewed as part of the Design Helsinki programme on “Regenerate”, while Design Helsinki will participate in Habitare’s programme as part of the theme “Blending Spaces”.

Featuring an unmissable programme for design, Design Helsinki will take place in various locations in and around Helsinki, including an international pavilion in Kasarmitori, a topical Talks programme in the Design Museum, installations in Esplanadi park as well as within multiple resident design showrooms. The fair will
also celebrate the area’s local design showrooms who will welcome architects, designers, dealers, retailers and more to experience the best of Nordic and Scandinavian design.

Design Helsinki takes place 24-25 August.
For more information visit www.designhelsinki.com