HDW Main Venue: Suomitalo
The main venue of Helsinki Design Week is Suomitalo. Completed in 1911, the building is located in the heart of Helsinki, next to the Old Church Park. The façades of Suomitalo were designed by architect Armas Lindgren, with floorplans by Onni Tarjanne. Built from red Kökar granite, the building is a fine example of late Art Nouveau.
The ten-day celebration of design at Suomitalo will include the Designing Happiness exhibition and symposium, along with a varied programme of talks, launches, and other events for both design professionals and the general public. A wine bar and dinner events are also in store.
Designing Happiness: Exhibition and Symposium
At the heart of Suomitalo is the main exhibition, curated in 2025 by curator, researcher, and educator Anniina Koivu. Under her curation, Designing Happiness asks whether happiness can be designed.
“I believe the Designing Happiness exhibition celebrates Helsinki Design Week’s anniversary by asking what actually creates happiness in our body and brain. It then goes on to question whether happiness can be designed, showcasing design examples, immersive experiences and critical reflections on the science of happiness,” Koivu explains.
The exhibition begins with a scientifically researched mix that scientists call the “happiness cocktail” – a combination of four key hormones: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins, which regulate the brain and nervous system’s response to various stimuli.
These hormones are triggered by things such as light, music, exercise, nature, smiles, and laughter – as well as specific foods like sugar. Social rituals, acts of kindness and altruism also boost their production.
Participants in the exhibition include: Eero Aarnio, Erwan Bouroullec, Achille Castiglioni Foundation, Com-pa-ny, Stefano Giovannoni, Thélonious Goupil, Isabel+Helen, Chris Kabel, Jacob Kouthoofd Martensson, Frederik Mahler-Andersen, Paula Pääkkönen, Adrien Rovero, Brynjar Sigurdarson, Oiva Toikka and Clara von Zweigbergk.
A symposium inspired by the exhibition will take place on Thursday, 12 September. Speakers will be announced in August.
A Series of Celebration Installations
The annual theme of Helsinki Design Week is Celebration. Celebrations are conscious pauses that reflect on achievements or milestones and, most importantly, direct hopes toward the future. They create a space for imagining new possibilities and renewal, reinforcing a sense of togetherness and shared joy—even in challenging times—by recognising continuity and growth.To interpret this theme, a group of the most exciting design brands and designers have been invited to create installations at Suomitalo. These include contributions from Artek and SAAS Instruments, just to name a few.
By Popular Demand: The Return of Kuurna’s Pop-Up Restaurant and a Stunning Wine Bar
In honour of the anniversary year, HDW is bringing back one of its most beloved collaborations. First piloted in 2022, the partnership with Restaurant Kuurna returns as a pop-up restaurant on the top floor of Suomitalo. The timing couldn’t be better: Kuurna is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Bookings open in August.
On the fourth floor, Collusion’s wine bar will be open throughout the event, with bar snacks provided by Klaava, the new wine bar from the team behind Kuurna.
Other Events
As in previous years, HDW’s main venue will host daily talks on design and architecture. Highlights of the programme include The House by and Architect evening event, Helsinki Design Night club night, Ornamo Design Dialogue, an evening in collaboration with Toivola Festival and a Discussion and presentation of the Kukkapuro design project by Aalto University fashion MA students, created using EU-grown cotton.
