Istanbul Design Week opens

ISTANBUL

Istanbul Design Week is being held around the theme of ‘Design and City’ this year. Workshops and special events are presented over the course of the IDW’s five days.

Istanbul’s major design event, Istanbul Design Week (IDW), opened on Nov. 27 at Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park, hosting leading designers.

The IDW is being organized for the first time this year in a place different to the city’s iconic Galata Bridge, having hosted a total of 4,200 products by 350 designers and companies since 2005.
Workshops and special events are presented over the course of the IDW’s five days, showcasing the latest trends in design, fashion, science, architecture and technology.

This year IDW is being held around the theme of “Design and City.” Within the scope of the event, designs with Finnea Award, which is given in Finland to the best designs and best designs, as well as unique glass and mug collections of Polish designers, are being displayed.

The IDW also continues supporting young designers and new companies founded by young designers such as Flaxx, Flat Craftwork, Derin Design, Ron Tasarım and Naif Design.

The founding partner of Dream Design Factory, which organizes the event, IDW director Professor Esra Ekmekçi said the main purpose of the project was to create an international platform.

“We want Turkish designers to have a place in this platform. I give importance especially to two projects in IDW this year. Firstly, it is the 600th year of Turkey-Poland relations this year, which is why we are displaying a Polish glass exhibit, featuring life in Poland in the 20th and 21st centuries. Helsinki was the World Design Capital in 2012, and Istanbul has the same goal for 2018. We have brought over all the designs that were made in Helsinki in 2012 to Istanbul. The second project is an exhibition that gives opportunities to young designers. We call it the ‘Istanbul Spirit,’” she said.

Another partner of Dream Design Factory, Arhan Kayar, said they had been organizing the IDW since 2005. “This is a platform that brings together design and city. This is not a standard fair but is has exhibitions, workshops and conferences. National and international designers come together in this platform,” Kayar said.

Kayar said the event had been organized with the support of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and daily Hürriyet. “We usually organize this event every year in September, but this year it is in November because we wanted to organize it simultaneously with the Istanbul Innovation Week. Our goal is to strengthen Istanbul’s design platform in the international arena. We discuss all sides of design in this event,” he said.

Designers meet at Martı Hotel

Martı Istanbul Hotel is one of the sponsors of the IDW. The hotel will host the closing ceremony of the IDW with a party titled “Design in the City.” The party will be organized on Nov. 30, the closing day of the event, at BRASS Restaurant&Bar at 10 p.m. The leading names of Istanbul’s culture, arts, design and business world will come together in the party, which will be hosted by Martı Hotel Enterprises Executive Board member Mine Narin.

Projects

An exhibition titled “No Borders,” created by eight young people, graduates of Britain’s most famous art and design university, Royal College of Art; the projects of the world’s leading 15 architecture schools; awarded creations of famous Turkish designers like Aziz Sarıyer, Can Yalman, Koray Özgen, and Red Bull cabinets designed by 10 surprise names for Istanbul’s leading venues are among the other projects of this year’s IDW.

Renowned speakers

This year, IDW is hosting the world’s leading names to speak at the event. Among them are Swiss Design Consultant Pierre Keller, famous Swiss industrial designer Alfredo Haberli, the founder and designer of Nooka watches Matthew Waldman, the head of Irish CCAE Cork Architecture Faculty Jason O’Shaughnessy, Bosnian fasion designer Anastasia Su, architect Martin Lesjak and Finnish Arni Aromaa.