The 16th edition of Barcelona Design Week -the annual event on design and creativity created by Barcelona Design Centre in 2006- will be held from 7 to 17 June.

The 16th edition of Barcelona Design Week -the annual event on design and creativity created by Barcelona Design Centre in 2006- will be held in two different moments: from 7 to 17 June, with a professional program, and from 7 to 30 October, with the city festival.

The BDW 2021 slogan, “Think, Design, Act”, reflects a message that they want to convey at the present time to face the challenges that lie ahead: think on a design level, design and implement new solutions, models, and environments more sustainable, economically viable and focused on the real needs of people.

Design is a key ally for any sector, not only about objects but about processes, innovation, sustainability, and putting people at the center.

Organised by Barcelona Centre de Disseny the Barcelona Design Week is promoted by Barcelona City Council, in collaboration with FAD Fostering Arts and Design and Museu del Disseny.

The BDW is a member of the World Design Weeks network, whose headquarters are in Barcelona. The network consists of nearly 40 design festivals around the world in design and creativity fields.

Daan Roosegaarde and the new value of “Schoonheid”

Daan Roosegaarde, designer and founder of Studio Roosegaarde in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, will be giving the opening conference of Barcelona Design Week 2021. Graduated from The Berlage Institute with a Master in Architecture, he is a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, a visiting professor at several universities. He was selected by Forbes and Good 100 as a creative change maker and named Artist of the Year 2016 in The Netherlands.

Daan Roosegaarde, photo Raymond Rutting

Roosegaarde pulls technology out of the screens to explore the social role of design in our world, and activate solutions to improve life in urban environments. As an innovative thought leader, he shows the importance of “Schoonheid” (a Dutch word meaning both beauty and cleanliness) as our new value, along with his vision for a better future.

Under the title “Landscapes of the Future”, the designer will present his innovative practice which merges people, technology, and space to create a future-proof world. In his vision, virtual floods, smart roads, and smog-catching towers.

Off BDW

During the Barcelona Design Week, the Off BDW will be held, which will include those activities mainly of a professional nature organized by other agents in the sector during the 10 days of the program.

These are exhibitions, installations, presentations of new products/services, inaugurations, open doors to creative spaces, talks with creatives, conferences, seminars, workshops… that are related to design, creativity, and/or innovation and are held during the BDW Pro appointment, from June 7 to 17, 2021. They may take place in any of the 10 districts of the city, in person or virtually: https://barcelonadesignweek.com/en/calendar/