Romanian Design Week kicks off in Bucharest

Romanian Design Week is taking over Bucharest for its tenth edition between May 13 and May 22. Nearly 100 events are happening all over the city, that span multiple areas of design, visual arts, architecture, as well as lifestyle and product innovation.

This year's Design Week theme is #FORWARD, born from the desire to investigate, test, and design scenarios for the future of creative communities, innovation, and sustainability through collaboration and equity, all in the service of developing harmonious cities and societies, according to the Institute, the creators of this interdisciplinary festival.

The organizers also say that the aim of the festival is to create “a strong infrastructure for developing creative industries, growing and diversifying the audience of designers, small businesses, agencies and manufactures, promoting creative entrepreneurs in Romania”.

The festival offers such a wide array of things to do and see – exhibitions, pop-up stores, workshops, parties, live performances - that surely everyone will find something that piques their curiosity.

The festival's main social hub this year is the Paint Factory, which has been transformed into a micro-city offering fun activities, interactive art installations, and a food & drinks area. The Factory also hosts a large Concept Store, where people can wander from pop-up shop to pop-up shop, and explore unique items from over 100 Romanian designers and artists.

Romanian Design Week is also opening the Ion I.C. Brătianu Foundation to the public. Between May 14 and May 22, the complex becomes Design House, a unique exhibition where every day, the space will be reconfigured by a different Romanian designer. Visitors will also have the chance to learn about the history of the Neo-Romanian heritage house and the Dacia Boulevard - Calea Victoriei area through guided tours.

During the festival, this and a variety of other cultural spots participating in the European Night of the Museums (May 14) and theArchitecture Studios Night (May 19) will be keeping their doors open all night.

For those wishing to spend some time in nature, the Bucharest University Botanical Garden is launching their Weekend Sessions within the festival – a series of musical, poetry, dance and other live performances, which will continue all summer.

The festival is also family-friendly, featuring workshops that kids can participate in, such as: "Andy Warhol's Shoes" an educational workshop, wherein kids will get to make their own Pop Art; An urban beekeeping workshop put together by CișmiCivic, and Scandinavian Design House's "Interior Design for Kids" event and origami workshop.