Introduction

The Design Biennale Zurich is a dynamic platform that showcases innovative approaches to design across disciplines, emphasizing the role of design in addressing complex contemporary challenges. Established in 2017, the biennale brings together designers, architects, technologists, and thinkers from Switzerland and around the world to explore how design can shape and respond to social, environmental, and technological transformations.

Unlike traditional design exhibitions that focus primarily on aesthetics or consumer products, the Design Biennale Zurich emphasizes process-oriented, research-based, and collaborative design practices. The biennale utilizes multiple venues throughout Zurich, creating a distributed exhibition format that engages with the city's rich design heritage while activating diverse spaces from established cultural institutions to the historical Old Botanical Garden, which serves as the main venue.

Cross-Disciplinary Future-Oriented Participatory Experimental

In the News

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The Material Revolution: How Zurich's Design Biennale Is Redefining Sustainable Production

In the dimly lit hall of a repurposed industrial building in Zurich West, a strange forest has taken root. Towering fungal structures stretch toward the ceiling, their surfaces simultaneously alien and familiar—at once biological and manufactured. This uncanny installation, part of the 2023 Design Biennale Zurich, represents a watershed moment in material innovation: the structures are grown, not built, using mycelium composites that could replace conventional building materials. Visitors touch the surfaces in wonder, whispering questions about strength, durability, and biodegradability.

This scene encapsulates the quiet revolution that has been building over the five editions of the Design Biennale Zurich since its inception in 2017. What began as a modest showcase for Swiss design innovation has evolved into one of Europe's most important laboratories for sustainable material futures, challenging conventional manufacturing processes and reimagining what design means in an age of climate crisis and resource depletion.

"We don't need more stuff," explains Nina Paim, Artistic Director for the upcoming 2025 edition. "What we need are fundamentally different relationships with materials, production, and consumption. The material revolution isn't just about finding eco-friendly alternatives—it's about questioning the entire paradigm of how and why we make things."

This revolution has been building steadily through each edition of the biennale. The inaugural 2017 event, themed "Hello Future," laid the groundwork with speculative projects examining how digitalization was transforming design. By the third edition in 2021, the focus had sharpened considerably, with "Resilient Systems" exploring circular economies and regenerative design in the wake of the global pandemic. The 2023 event, themed "SHIFT," pushed further into material innovation with fifteen interactive installations examining transformations across scales—from molecular to planetary.

What distinguishes Zurich's approach from other design exhibitions is its emphasis on process over product. Visitors don't just see finished objects; they witness ongoing experiments, participate in material testing, and engage with designers during active research. "It's a living laboratory," says materials researcher Björn Steinar Blumenstein, who will serve as a curator for the 2025 edition. "We're moving away from the idea of the designer as someone who creates beautiful things toward seeing design as a methodology for tackling complex problems."

This shift reflects Zurich's unique position at the intersection of Switzerland's industrial heritage, world-class research institutions, and evolving sustainability policies. The city has become a nexus for "deep tech" material innovations—those requiring significant scientific advancement and often lengthy development periods before commercial application.

In the 2023 edition, visitors encountered "Ice Formwork," a project exploring ice as a temporary molding material for concrete structures, eliminating the waste typically generated by traditional wooden forms. Nearby, Laurent Hermann Progin demonstrated furniture pieces grown from agricultural waste and mycelium, while the collective Tanski/KOSMOS presented a living installation that harnessed microorganisms to purify water while generating energy.

These projects represent what Vera Sacchetti, a regular contributor to the biennale's curatorial team, calls "critical materiality"—a design approach that examines not only a material's physical properties but also its social, political, and environmental implications. "Every material has a story and a politics," she explains. "When you work with a petroleum-based plastic, you're engaging with a specific global supply chain, power dynamics, and ecological consequences. The same is true for alternative materials, which come with their own complexities."

The biennale's focus on materials coincides with Switzerland's ambitious sustainability goals, including becoming climate-neutral by 2050. In response, many Swiss companies are rethinking their material choices and production methods, creating a fertile ground for the kinds of experimental approaches showcased at the biennale.

This alignment between creative exploration and industrial application is particularly evident in the biennale's relationship with the Swiss materials library Material Archive, which documents and preserves material knowledge. Since 2021, the biennale has contributed annually to this growing repository, ensuring that experimental materials and processes are documented for future designers and researchers.

Looking ahead to the 2025 edition, themed "Designing Transitions: Pathways to Sustainable Futures," Artistic Director Nina Paim envisions an even more ambitious exploration of alternative materials and production methods. "We're bringing together designers, scientists, practitioners from the global south, and indigenous knowledge-keepers to create a truly pluralistic vision of material futures," she says. "This isn't just about finding substitutes for problematic materials; it's about fundamentally rethinking our relationship with the material world."

The 2025 edition will expand the biennale's geographic scope, engaging with design traditions and material innovations from beyond Europe. This global perspective is crucial, Paim argues, because the material challenges we face are planetary in scale. "We can't solve these problems from a Swiss or European perspective alone," she emphasizes. "We need to understand how materials are understood, used, and innovated across different cultures and contexts."

As preparations for the fifth edition continue, the Design Biennale Zurich stands at a critical juncture. What began as a showcase for Swiss design has evolved into an international platform for reimagining the material basis of our designed world. In the process, it has helped transform Zurich into a hub for sustainable material innovation and redefined what a design exhibition can be—not merely a display of beautiful objects, but a laboratory for the future.

When visitors enter the Old Botanical Garden in September 2025, they will encounter not just a series of provocative installations, but an invitation to participate in a profound material rethinking. Through workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on experimentation, they will join designers in asking: How might we design with rather than against natural systems? How can we create materials that regenerate rather than deplete? And ultimately, how can we transition from an extractive material culture to one of stewardship and care?

In answering these questions, the Design Biennale Zurich has become more than an exhibition—it's a catalyst for the material revolution our planet urgently needs.

Sources & Further Reading

Artistic Vision & Themes

Each edition of the Design Biennale Zurich develops around a central theme that reflects pressing contemporary issues while encouraging speculative thinking about possible futures. These thematic frameworks invite participants to consider design not merely as a tool for problem-solving but as a critical practice that questions assumptions, challenges conventions, and imagines alternative possibilities.

The biennale consistently explores the relationship between human and non-human systems, examining how design mediates our interactions with technology, environment, and each other. Recent editions have investigated themes such as digital sovereignty, circular economies, urban resilience, and the ethics of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. This approach positions design at the intersection of multiple disciplines, fostering dialogue between diverse fields including engineering, art, social sciences, and policy.

The upcoming 5th edition in 2025, themed "Designing Transitions: Pathways to Sustainable Futures," will examine how design can facilitate and shape transitions toward more equitable and ecologically sustainable systems across scales—from individual behaviors to organizational practices to societal infrastructures. A particular focus will be placed on collaborative approaches that bridge disciplinary boundaries and engage diverse stakeholders in co-creating transition pathways.

History & Legacy

The Design Biennale Zurich emerged from Switzerland's rich tradition of design excellence while responding to contemporary shifts in design practice. Founded in 2017 through a collaboration between the Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), and the Swiss Design Association, the biennale builds upon Switzerland's renowned legacy in graphic design, typography, product design, and architecture while embracing emerging fields and experimental approaches.

The biennale positions itself within Zurich's vibrant design ecosystem, which includes prominent educational institutions, design studios, technology companies, and cultural organizations. This context has shaped the biennale's distinctive character—combining Swiss precision and craftsmanship with innovation and critical inquiry.

2017

Inaugural edition focused on "Hello Future" with 35 participating designers at six locations throughout Zurich

2019

Second edition explored "Data Materialities" across 12 venues throughout Zurich

2021

Third edition examined "Resilient Systems" with hybrid physical and digital format

2023

Fourth edition "SHIFT" featured 15 interactive installations at the Old Botanical Garden UZH

2025

Fifth edition will focus on "Designing Transitions" with expanded international participation

From the Art World

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Design Disciplines

The Design Biennale Zurich embraces a broad spectrum of design disciplines, from traditional fields to emerging practices. This cross-disciplinary approach reflects the increasingly blurred boundaries between design categories and acknowledges the complex, systemic nature of contemporary challenges that require integrated design thinking.

Digital & Interactive

UX/UI, apps, websites, digital products

Product Design

Furniture, objects, industrial design

Communication

Graphic design, typography, visual identity

Spatial Design

Architecture, interiors, urban planning

System & Service

Service design, systems thinking, infrastructures

Material Research

New materials, sustainability, fabrication

Collaborative Workshops

A central component of the Design Biennale Zurich is its comprehensive workshop program, which creates opportunities for hands-on engagement with design processes and methodologies. These workshops range from technical skill-building sessions to speculative design exercises, allowing participants of all ages and backgrounds to experience design thinking firsthand.

Workshop leaders include both established designers and emerging talents, creating a dynamic exchange of knowledge and perspectives. Many workshops are developed in collaboration with educational institutions, community organizations, and industry partners, ensuring relevance to diverse audiences and real-world contexts.

Video Experience

Explore the innovative installations and experimental designs of the Design Biennale Zurich through this immersive video tour showcasing past exhibitions and creative processes.

Video: Design Biennale Zurich Exhibition Tour | Watch on YouTube

Venue Locations

The Design Biennale Zurich centers around the Old Botanical Garden of the University of Zurich as its main venue, with satellite exhibitions and events spread across the city's vibrant design districts.

  • Main Venue: Old Botanical Garden UZH - Pelikanstrasse 40, 8001 Zurich
  • Museum für Gestaltung - Ausstellungsstrasse 60, 8005 Zurich
  • Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) - Toni-Areal, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, 8005 Zurich
  • Impact Hub Zurich - Sihlquai 131, 8005 Zurich
  • Freitag Flagship Store - Geroldstrasse 17, 8005 Zurich
  • Kunsthalle Zurich - Limmatstrasse 270, 8005 Zurich

Zurich Design Districts

Explore Zurich's creative neighborhoods with our insider's guide to the city's design hotspots, from former industrial zones reborn as creative hubs to historic districts with rich cultural heritage.

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Zurich West (Kreis 5)

Former industrial area turned creative district

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Im Viadukt

Design shops under railway arches

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Europaallee

New creative district near main station

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Kreis 4

Multicultural hub with design cafés

Design Must-Sees

  • 📍 Freitag Tower: Iconic flagship store made from shipping containers showcasing upcycled bags from truck tarps
  • 📍 Museum für Gestaltung: Switzerland's leading design museum with collections spanning furniture, graphic design, and craft
  • 📍 Frau Gerolds Garten: Urban garden with designer shops in repurposed shipping containers
  • 📍 Die Macherei: Creative collective in Europaallee where local designers showcase "Made in Zurich" products

Getting Around

Zurich's efficient public transport system makes exploring design districts easy. Purchase a ZVV day pass for unlimited travel on trams, buses, and trains. Most design attractions are within walking distance of tram stops. For a design-focused experience, take the "Made in Zurich" guided tour offered by Zurich Tourism.