Helsinki Design Week 20th anniversary programme to feature celebrations and happiness design

Main Exhibition: Designing Happiness    

At the heart of the festival is the international main exhibition Designing Happiness, curated by curator, researcher, and educator Anniina Koivu. The exhibition explores whether happiness can be designed.

The exhibition features works by renowned designers such as Eero Aarnio, Erwan Bouroullec, Oiva Toikka, Clara von Zweigbergk, and many more from Finland and around the world. 

The exhibition is open in Suomitalo during Helsinki Design Week on 5–14 September.

A symposium inspired by the exhibition, also titled Designing Happiness, will take place on Thursday, 11 September in collaboration with the City of Helsinki.  

Happiness Symposium explores what makes us happy

A Designing Happiness symposium inspired by the exhibition and organised in collaboration with the City of Helsinki will take place on 11 September from 14:00 to 19:00 at Suomitalo. Four eminent speakers will explore what makes cities, communities, customers – and ultimately people – happier.

Scottish-born, Lund-based city planner David Sim will present a softer approach to urban challenges: thinking on a smaller scale and building human-sized environments.

Bjørnstjerne Christiansen, one of the founding members of Superflex, will talk about participatory projects that bring together local communities, experts and children.

Jennifer De Paola, clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Helsinki, will provide insights into current research on happiness.

London-based design duo Isabel & Helen bring their own unique magic to the discussion, with one of the founders, Isabel Gibson, taking the stage.

The moderator of the symposium discussion will be Oli Stratford, editor-in-chief of Disegno magazine.

This year is no exception in that the City of Helsinki, together with Helsinki Design Week, will be awarding the Helsinki Design Award to a party or operator whose work has made urban life better through design. Helsinki’s Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris will interview the Design Award winner at the end of the symposium.

Daily programme and exhilarating evenings with the theme of ‘Celebration’

Helsinki Design Week turns 20 this year, and the theme for this year’s festival is ‘Celebration’. 

At Suomitalo, this theme is interpreted by a group of exciting design brands and designers, who will create spatial installations in the rooms of the fourth floor.

Restaurant Kuurna, which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary, will open a pop-up restaurant on the top floor of Suomitalo.   

Each day, Suomitalo will offer design and architecture discussions. The Weekly Talks series will cover topics such as new materials, urban development, and cross-disciplinary creativity. 

On 9 September, JKMM Architects and the Finnish National Museum will host a conversation on the topic of the museum’s extension project and renovation. On Fashion Day, 10 September, Fashion Community Helsinki will organise a salon-style fashion show, and MA students from Aalto University will present and discuss their Kukkapuro design project.

Other highlights during the week include the Ornamo Design Dialogue event for professionals on 9 September and CIRCLE, a social evening hosted by the Toivola Festival on 8 September, where six compelling voices come together to discuss life’s big themes – money, love, power, beauty, and sustainable living.

Celebrating Design Across the City 

The HDW classic Design Market will return to Kaapelitehdas on the festival’s opening weekend, 6–7 September. Also at Kaapelitehdas will be Aalto University’s ARTEFAKTI degree show, various workshops, and a celebratory cake café for the anniversary. 

HDW’s Children’s Design Week will also be held at Kaapelitehdas, with the Skidit collective presenting a Skiddo Party! installation experience for the whole family – complete with a giant cake and sprinkles.

Open Studios will grant access to some of the city’s most intriguing studios on 5 and 12 September, and the Design Diplomacy discussion series will host international designers in ambassadors’ residences from 10 to 12 September. The ever-popular PechaKucha Night takes place on 12 September, just next door to Suomitalo, in the Old Church. 

As part of Helsinki Design Week, the City will also open its doors and reveal the heart of decision-making in Helsinki, as festival goers are invited to explore the premises, architecture and artwork of Helsinki City Hall and the historic Bock House. The event held on 13 September also showcases the history and decision-making of the Helsinki City Council, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

The winner of the design competition for the new architecture and design museum will also be published during Helsinki Design Week. The announcement event, which will take place on 11 September from 10:00 to 11:30, will be broadcast live on the Helsinki Channel.

The news was first published on June 24, 2025, and updated on September 2, 2025.