Helsinki Named World Design Capital for 2012

Helsinki will be the World Design Capital of 2012, a title which is designated by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). World Design Capital is a biennial designation conferred to one city at a time for merits in using design as a tool for cultural, social and economic improvement.

Helsinki won the title for 2012 owing to convincing credentials -- design is embedded in life in Helsinki and in Finnish lifestyle overall. The timing is also right, as Helsinki is undergoing a major transformation in its urban structure, population and economy. Helsinki will use the Design Year to develop the city on a large scale.

The theme of Helsinki’s Design Year 2012 is Open Helsinki -- Embedding Design in Life. The theme forms the basis of Helsinki’s ambitious program. The World Design Capital project will bring a large number of design events and a great deal of visibility for the Helsinki region. Program planning for 2012 is underway. There will be major World Design Capital events, organized with ICSID, possibly a Design New Year and design world expo.

There will be a large number of local events. Many cultural institutions in Helsinki are reviewing their 2012 programs with view to the Design Year’s theme and objectives. There will also be satellite events in many countries. The main program items will be published by spring 2011. Helsinki’s predecessors as World Design Capitals are Turin, Italy (Torino, 2008); and the South Korean capital of Seoul (2010).