HDW Meeting Points
Instead of one central festival hub, Helsinki Design Week will be staged across a network of HDW Meeting Points located throughout central Helsinki.
HDW Lab
HDW Lab is a two-storey space at the corner of Kluuvikatu and Aleksanterinkatu dedicated to developing practical ideas for revitalizing the city centre.
Workshops held on the upper floor will bring together key stakeholders and decision-makers in urban development to explore new possibilities for ground-floor retail spaces and the public realm. The goal is to develop ideas that can be tested and integrated into the urban environment as part of Helsinki Design Week 2027.
From 1–4 September, the ground floor of HDW Lab will become a showcase for the future city centre. Each day will focus on a different theme, explored through expert talks, workshops and live demonstrations. Rather than presenting abstract discussions, the programme will offer visitors tangible examples of how street-level spaces could be used in the future.
Marimekko and Futuro at Helsinki Design Week
What happens when two icons of Finnish design meet almost sixty years later?
Designed by Matti Suuronen in 1968, the Futuro House represented a bold vision of the future. During Helsinki Design Week, Futuro will land in the Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden in collaboration with Marimekko.
Led by American architectural heritage expert Jan van Dijs, the project brings one of Finland’s most visionary architectural works back into the spotlight. The installation celebrates Suuronen’s legacy while inviting visitors to reflect on how the building might respond to today’s needs, challenges and aspirations.
The interior of Futuro will be reimagined by Marimekko, presenting the brand’s interpretation of contemporary living and design. The result is a bold and imaginative installation that offers visitors a new way to experience the iconic building.
The interior features patterns created for Marimekko by Danish print designer Vibeke Rohland, developed during her year-long residency in the brand’s textile printing studio as part of Marimekko’s Artist in Residence programme.
Sami Tallberg’s wild mushroom bar
During Helsinki Design Week, the festival will explore practical ways of activating the city centre through exhibitions and events. HDW will demonstrate how the city centre can transform throughout the day and how seasonal food culture can create new reasons for people to gather.
Finland’s abundant autumn mushroom season provides a unique foundation for seasonal gastronomy. Together with chef Sami Tallberg, Helsinki Design Week will launch Helsinki’s first street restaurant dedicated entirely to wild mushrooms.
Eteläranta 6
At the end of August, the Museum of Architecture and Design will open a new event and gathering space at Eteläranta 6. Together with its partners, the museum will host a programme of events in the space designed by Joanna Laajisto, inviting the public to discuss the role of architecture and design in shaping the city.
Throughout the construction of the new museum, Eteläranta 6 will offer visitors an opportunity to follow the site’s development. During Helsinki Design Week, the space will also host a dedicated festival programme.
