dutch design week turns eindhoven into a living lab with more than 2,500 designers

"Once an industrial powerhouse humming with Philips factories, the small city in the south Netherlands has reinvented itself as a beacon for ideas in motion - the kind that take shape, question themselves and reshape the world in the process. Every October, Dutch Design Week (DDW) turns the town into a living lab, and this year marks a particularly luminous milestone: its 25th edition."

"The scale alone is impressive, with 350,000 visitors expected and a line-up that ranges from emerging graduates to international names such as HEMA, Hydro and Vattenfall. Yet what truly defines DDW is its energy. It has always blurred the boundaries between exhibition and experiment, turning Eindhoven from a backdrop into a stage where ideas are constantly tested and reimagined. Here, concepts become prototypes and prototypes become provocations."

"As DDW 2025 celebrates its silver anniversary, the event feels anything but nostalgic. Instead, it doubles down on curiosity - on what happens when you mix generations, disciplines and ambitions across a city and call it collaboration. Between 'Grand Projects' towering outdoor installations, 'Forward Furniture''s exploration of collectible design and the next generation's debut in 'Class of 25', among other highlights, this edition promises to be both"

Eindhoven has reinvented itself from an industrial hub into a center for design experimentation and public testing. Every October, Dutch Design Week transforms the city into a living lab; from 18 to 26 October 2025 more than 2,500 designers will occupy 120 venues under the brief 'Past. Present. Possible.' The event expects about 350,000 visitors and showcases participants from emerging graduates to international companies such as HEMA, Hydro and Vattenfall. DDW blurs exhibition and experiment, where concepts become prototypes and prototypes become provocations. The 25th edition emphasizes curiosity, intergenerational and interdisciplinary collaboration, with highlights including Grand Projects, Forward Furniture and Class of 25.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine