RDW2024: Hundreds of Design, Architecture, and Illustration Projects in the Cina Restaurant Building and Over 130 Related Events Throughout Bucharest

Until June 2nd, Bucharest becomes the epicenter of creativity with the 12th edition of Romanian Design Week (RDW). Organized by The Institute, presented by UniCredit Bank and funded by the Ministry of Culture, RDW transforms Bucharest into a city of discoveries and unique experiences, bringing together designers and architects worldwide. RDW unlocks the city with multiple exhibitions available to the public in the iconic former CINA restaurant building (Benjamin Franklin 10), along with 130 related events taking place across Bucharest.

The central space of the festival, the former CINA restaurant building, hosts hundreds of design, illustration, and architecture projects, immersive installations, and a concept store with local and international design. The venue will also host weekend parties during the festival. For the 12th edition of RDW, the courtyard of the former CINA restaurant has been transformed into a friendly space called CINA Garden, where visitors can relax and socialize in a creative and positive environment. Access to CINA Garden is free, offering an ideal place to enjoy the festival’s vibrant atmosphere.

With a selection of projects in fields such as architecture, interior design, graphics, fashion, and more, the RDW Exhibition features over 200 innovative projects. From revolutionary concepts to visionary design objects, the exhibition hosts projects that explore new frontiers and redefine standards in the creative industry.

RDW Design Flags returns this year to the Romanian Design Week program, bringing to the public a series of exhibitions, projects, and creatives relevant in their fields, internationally, from Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, and Moldova. Developed alongside cultural institutes, embassies, and cultural-creative organizations and supported by Château Purcari, RDW Design Flags highlights the contributions of designers and architects worldwide in nine distinct exhibitions. The RDW Design Flags format serves as a connector between the local and international architecture and design landscapes, offering a variety of themes, approaches, and representations of design and architecture, from sustainable products and services, photography, traditions, and contemporary technologies, to studies related to urban living.

Moreover, the festival offers a dedicated space for young talented designers. RDW Young Design, a format supported by Rompetrol and the Romanian Cultural Institute, brings together a selection of projects reflecting the visions and passions of the new generation of creators, encouraging dialogue between them and the public. The exhibition focuses on the authors of the projects, giving the public a perspective on the creative spirit of the next generation of Romanian designers and architects. In this regard, the selection includes projects from the fields of architecture, interior design, graphic design, fashion design, graphics, and product design, selected by a creative board of over 70 professionals at the most recent edition of the DIPLOMA Show festival.

Additionally, the CINA building hosts the RDW Concept Store, an innovative space created with the support of Mega Mall and Promenada. RDW Concept Store offers an unconventional environment for displaying local and international design products from nine different brands. The store is animated by capsule presences that bring the latest collections of renowned designers, artists, and illustrators to the public’s attention. The product selection is made in collaboration with brands such as AlbAlb, Librăriile Humanitas & Takumi, Ototo, Viscri 32, Assamblage, Giometria, Șurașușara, and Molecule F. RDW Concept Store offers visitors the opportunity to discover and purchase unique items created by Romanian and international designers and to participate in various curated events, meetings with designers, tastings, and product presentations.

In this context, on Friday, May 31st, from 7:00 PM, the RDW Concept Store will host “The Night We Meet – Story Goes On – by Createur 5 D’Emotions”. The olfactory installation will be present at Romanian Design Week and represents the continuation of a project launched two years ago at Bucharest National Theatre through an experiment of visual and olfactory art. This time, Createur 5 D’Emotions joins the RDW team in an attempt to create a sensory “dark room” that will transport the public into the fantastic world of artistic perfumery.

RDW Experience by IQOS is the newest format in the RDW program and will encourage visitors to enjoy the festival vibe through a series of experiences developed especially for them. The immersive installation “SynergyX”, created by Adrian Damian and IQOS, is the result of the intertwining of art, technology, and human connection, offering the public a multi-sensory experience. With the help of tactile interaction, visitors will experience this week a symphony of dynamically generated images and sounds from their collective contribution. Access to the installation is exclusively reserved for persons over 18 years old.

The highlight of the festival program, RDW Social, supported by IQOS, Kozel, and Château Purcari, brings together the creative community in a series of parties and special events, from openings and musical surprises to social gatherings. RDW Social creates the perfect atmosphere for networking and socializing, and this year, in the last festival weekend (June 1-2), visitors are invited to join a series of live acts, parties, and concerts signed by Jazz in the Park, with guests such as Sugar – MeloMelanj, Moonlight Breakfast, and Mădălina Pavăl Orchestra. All events take place at the CINA venue, and their full program can be consulted here or in the RDW app, available in the App Store or Google Play.

Romanian Design Week opens the city: 130 events throughout the city, masterclasses, and the Night of Architecture Studios

The series of RDW Talks masterclasses, supported by Globalworth and the Bucharest City Hall, through the Expo Arte Cultural Center, took place on the first day of the festival, at the National University of Arts Bucharest and the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, offering the public new perspectives on the evolution of creative industries. The program included presentations by renowned professionals such as Alexander Manu, Yuko Shimizu, Matthias Hillner, Maria Surducan, Raymond Bobar, Stella Nicolakaki, and Martina Muzi, exploring contemporary themes related to architecture and design both locally and globally.

An original RDW format, Night of Architecture Studios, supported by Cemacon, will take place on Thursday, May 30th, and will open the doors of over 25 offices and workspaces of industry specialists. The Night of Architecture Studios thus offers the public the opportunity to discover the backstage secrets of prestigious architecture studios in Bucharest. Details about the program and the studios that can be visited for one night, between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM, can be found here.

At the same time, RDW Design GO!, the festival’s satellite event format, presents the most extensive program of all RDW editions so far. The organizers of the events in this format propose varied leisure experiences: from exhibitions and presentations to workshops, guided tours, open doors, fairs, parties, and space launches throughout Bucharest. The complete program can be consulted here.

The theme of this year’s Edition: Unlock the City

The 2024 edition of Romanian Design Week aims to investigate methods through which creativity and innovation can shape the cities of the future, contributing to the exploration of Bucharest and discovering its potential, the city’s creative spaces, and the cultural organizations or projects that animate and define them.

The nine formats thus offer Bucharesters the opportunity to explore and experience the city’s creative diversity. Through them, Romanian Design Week aims to create a dynamic urban environment full of opportunities for exploration and interaction.

Program and access

Romanian Design Week 2024 takes place from May 24 to June 2 and can be visited Monday to Friday, between 12:00 PM and 10:00 PM, and on weekends, between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM. Tickets for Romanian Design Week 2024 can be purchased from the official website. Students and pensioners have free access, and UniCredit Mastercard cardholders receive a 50% discount on ticket purchases.

Romanian Design Week is a project by The Institute, presented by UniCredit Bank, and funded by the Ministry of Culture. For more details please check the website, Facebook and Instagram.

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