Helsinki as World Design Capital 2012 launches major events this week!

Notes

September 3, 2012

Helsinki as World Design Capital 2012 launches major events this week!

“September will be the busiest and most international month of the whole of WDC Capital Helsinki 2012. Such an explosion of design has never before been seen in Finland. Participating in the event is easy since most of the events are open for everyone," says Pekka Timonen, Executive Director of WDC Helsinki 2012.

The Pavillion is the WDC Helsinki 2012's living room. Design: Wood Studio, Aalto University.

The Pavillion is the WDC Helsinki 2012's living room. It is an open-to-all space between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum. Design: Wood Studio, Aalto University.

Truly leading, World Design Capital 2012 – Helsinki, is about to launch major events during September – Helsinki Design Week, Everyday Discoveries, the Habitare Fair, the launch of activities at the Abattoir, and the finale at the Pavilion. Although, we are eager to see how it is transforming its design heritage and embedding design into its urban environment – being the first city in the world to make it actually happen!

Architecture Competition for the new Central library is part of the WDC Helsinki 2012 events. Image: WDC H.

Finns are not just debating and planning the change – they dare to make it happen, even if it means to relocate entire city’s ports or to merge three leading universities into one – the Aalto University, in relatively short period of time (more about this story read here). Although, besides serious budgets that support these major moves, the Finnish trump is cooperation! It makes the embedding design into people’s live possible, while Helsinki one of the most lovable, multi-cultural places for living today with Finns suceeding to stay modest and simple.

Visualization of the project's process. Photo Aalto U.

Since the beginning of the year, Helsinki is using the flagship of World Design Capital to radically improve the quality of its living environment, by putting people first before the objects, investing public budgets to create sustainable services and systems.

Finnish Design Shop pop-up is open at Old Customs House as part of HDW 2012. Image: HDW.

Thanks to its rich design heritage in product design and the culture of innovation, since the national Design Strategy „Design 2005!“ – Finns were researching and developing methods to amplify design methods on the services. Helsinki is a first world example of the city that takes users’ needs into account, having in mind their happines in the living environment. How far it has gone this development, we’ll try to find out during our visit to Helsinki this week.

HDW logotype.

Helsinki Design Week / 06. – 16. 09. 2012

Starting on 6 September, Helsinki Design Week is a series of events held across the city over ten days, celebrating creativity with the programme that include design, fashion, music, seminars and visits to spaces like creative offices and companies, usually closed to the general public. Main HDW exhibition will take place at Old Customs Warehouse featuring top international design and designers. The exhibition is curated by Kari Korkman, director of HDW.

Design Market during HDW 2011. Image: HDW.

Join “Everyday Discoveries” / 06. – 16. 09. 2012 at Suvilahti (Helsinki)

This exhibition will showcase design from more than 20 countries – their ideas and concepts as well as organise a number of different events. The exhibition’s underlying theme is day-to-day life – what is it like in the participating countries, and what kind of solutions to certain everyday situations have people come up with in the different countries? “Everyday Discoveries” is produced by Design Forum Finland, while it is a World Design Capital Signature Event.

Tatjana Bartakovic

Editor in Chief of Design Agenda. Works as Design curator and writer but mostly living from the work in public relations, branding and content marketing.

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