Romanian Design Week 2025, organized by The Institute and presented by UniCredit Bank, concluded after ten days in which Bucharest transformed into a dynamic ecosystem of design and ideas that challenged how we understand our city and imagine its future. This was complex, energetic, and highly collaborative edition, shaped by the contributions of more than 2,000 people – from The Institute's organizing team, curators, designers, and architects to institutional and commercial partners, embassies, cultural institutes and organizations, vendors, suppliers, volunteers, and organizers of over 140 satellite events.
More than 30,000 visitors joined the RDW exhibitions and events – an audience without whom the festival's energy and impact would not have been the same. The audience became a vital part of this network, actively participating in a festival that placed collaboration at the heart of every initiative – from co-curated exhibitions with organizations across Romania and Europe to citywide events that extended far beyond the festival's central venues.
Design Lived in the City: 6 Curatorial Formats, 3 Central Venues, Hundreds of Ideas
The central venues of this year's edition were the former Cina Restaurant, the National Museum of Art of Romania (MNAR), and Casa Fratelli, complemented by a widespread network of satellite locations throughout Bucharest.
Between May 16 and 25, more than 150 organizations from Romania and abroad contributed to the festival, and visitors engaged with six distinct curatorial formats: RDW Exhibitions, RDW Design Flags, RDW & the City, RDW Design GO!, RDW Young Design, and Architecture's Night In.
RDW Exhibitions
Held at the former Cina Restaurant, MNAR, and Casa Fratelli, the ten exhibitions were set in collaboration with creative organizations from across the country. Highlights included:
- Sustainable Bucharest (Anuala de Arhitectura Bucuresti & OAR Bucuresti)
- Woven Secrets (FABER)
-10 Years of Beta (Timisoara Architecture Biennale)
- ABCDG (Local Design Circle)
- The New Middle Ages (Transylvanian Design Week)
- From Craft to Sound (Romanian Association of Luthiers), supported by Rompetrol
- Design with Purpose (Dacia Design Studio)
- Balance. Eliza Yokina X La Centrala (In Context Art Association)
-A fashion selection from Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week Spring 2025
- Fratelli XX, an installation by Mihai Popescu Studio
Six Romanian brands – ASKIA, Meze Audio, Optimef, Lunet, MINDTHEGAP, and Atelier Kairos – also showcased product and industrial design collections. RDW Exhibitions was presented by Rompetrol and co-produced by the City Hall of Bucharest through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest.
RDW Design Flags
This international format, presented by Purcari, featured 12 exhibitions developed with embassies and cultural institutes, including the Embassy of Denmark, Embassy of Spain, Instituto Cervantes, Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Italy & Italian Cultural Institute, Liszt Institute, Czech Centre, French Institute, Austrian National Tourist Office, Artcor (Moldova), Project1, Intro & Vitra, and Retros Gallery.
RDW & the City
Four public design interventions transformed Calea Victoriei into an open-air design path. Installations by Studio An-An, BAZA. Deschidem orasul (in collaboration with Lodz Design Festival – part of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025), OAR Brasov-Covasna-Harghita, and ASAP Romania & De-a Arhitectura became some of the most photographed moments of the edition.
RDW Design GO!
With over 140 independently organized events – from exhibitions, openings, and guided tours to fairs, parties, and open studios – this format invited the public to explore Bucharest personally and spontaneously. RDW Design GO! activated the city beyond the central zones, encouraging the discovery of emerging ideas, spaces, and communities.
Architecture's Night In
Over 22 architecture studios in Bucharest opened their doors to the public as part of Architecture's Night In – one of the festival's most anticipated events. Visitors had the chance to discover the creative spaces where the city's shaping ideas are born, engage directly with architects, and gain insights into their work processes in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere—the nighttime route featured talks, exhibitions, installations, and unique moments hosted by each participating studio.
RDW Young Design
This dedicated platform for emerging designers featured 31 young creatives selected from the DIPLOMA Show 2024, presenting bold, fresh ideas and perspectives. Presented by UniCredit Bank and supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute and Pepsi, the partner of creative energy, RDW Young Design has become a powerful launchpad for the next generation of Romanian creatives.
Exceptional Experiences at the Former Cina Restaurant
- Regina Maria 30, a special collection by Saddo and Alina Gavrila-Bortun, accompanied by a memory game activation;
- Design Lounge by Promenada Mall București & Mega Mall, part of the "It's Not Goodbye, It's Rock It Later" campaign by Electric Castle x NEPI Rockcastle;
- Loc de Design by Mega Mall, installation by Alina Marinescu
- Raffaello by Mia Peculiar – White Collection, a poetic fashion interpretation of femininity and elegance;
- People of RDW, portraits by Andreea Retinschi, and a visual intervention by Ramona Bizbac, supported by Pepsi;
- Seletti Sensorium Piazza by IQOS, a multisensory installation previously showcased at Milan Design Week.
In its final weekend, Seletti Sensorium Piazza hosted community evenings:
- Thursday: Italian Vibes @RDW with Maurice Munteanu
- Friday: RDW Party powered by IQOS, DJ set by Moss Farai
- Saturday: Closing night with DU MAD & Corvin x Buniku – a final celebration in one of the festival's most iconic spaces
Design Tomorrow Today: A Theme About Cities, Communities, and Futures
Under the theme “Design Tomorrow Today” RDW 2025 took on the role of catalyst – inviting ideas that challenge how we live, build, and interact with the city. This was an edition rooted in participation and community – where design became the common language of a society in motion: curious, open, and engaged.
Romanian Design Week 2025 was made possible by the involvement of more than 2,000 contributors and over 30,000 visitors, who transformed this edition into a collective experience born from shared enthusiasm and collaboration.
A Festival About the City, Community, and the Future – Built Together, Experienced Together
The 13th edition of Romanian Design Week, the leading multidisciplinary festival dedicated to the creative industries, was a collective effort driven by collaboration and shared energy. Each format was co-curated with national and international partners, reaffirming RDW's position as a platform for dialogue around key contemporary themes: sustainability, inclusion, urban regeneration, collective memory, and innovation.
"Romanian Design Week 2025 is our first edition entirely co-created with other organizations – grounded in the belief that the world of tomorrow must be built together, starting today. We're committed to continuing this collaborative path and reinforcing the bonds within the Romanian creative industries, proving that collective action drives more ambitious projects, stronger communities, and greater visibility – locally and internationally," says Raluca Mirel, Project Director, Romanian Design Week.
A Collective Project, Backed by a Wide Community
The participants and partners of RDW reflect its collaborative ethos, supporting local creativity and international exchange – from leading partner UniCredit Bank to the support provided by the Ministry of Culture, the City Hall of Bucharest through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the City Hall of Sector 1, and the active involvement of private sector brands such as IQOS, Rompetrol, Mega Mall, Promenada Mall București, NEPI Rockcastle, Rețeaua de Sănătate Regina Maria, Pepsi, Purcari, Kozel, Raffaello, and 5 to go—RDW 2025 stands as a collective effort to redefine how design connects people, spaces, and ideas.
More information is available on the festival's official website, Facebook and Instagram.
Romanian Design Week is part of the international World Design Weeks network.
Romanian Design Week is a project by The Institute.
Presented by: UniCredit Bank
Cultural project funded by: Ministry of Culture
With the support of the City Hall of Bucharest through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest
Cultural partner: Romanian Cultural Institute
Partners: IQOS, Rompetrol, Mega Mall, Promenada Mall București, NEPI Rockcastle, Rețeaua de Sănătate Regina Maria, Pepsi, Purcari, Kozel, Raffaello
Supported by: City Hall of Sector 1
Exhibition partners: Ordinul Arhitecților din România – Filiala Teritorială București, Anuala de Arhitectură București, Faber, Beta – Bienala de Arhitectură din Timișoara, Asociația Artiștilor Lutieri din România, Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week, Ordinul Arhitecților din România – Filiala Teritorială Timiș, Local Design Circle, Transylvanian Design Week, Ordinul Arhitecților din România – Filiala Brașov-Covasna-Harghita, Human ± Nature Co-lab, BAZA. Deschidem Orașul, Studio An-An, Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark, Embassy of Spain, Instituto Cervantes, French Institute of Romania, Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center Bucharest, Embassy of Sweden, Austrian National Tourist Office, Czech Center Bucharest, Embassy of Italy, Italian Cultural Institute, Italian Trade Agency, ARTCOR, Project1, Intro & Vitra, Retros Gallery, Fratelli XX, MNAR - National Art Museum of Romania
Strategic media partners: PRO TV, Kiss FM, Euromedia, YOOH
Media partners: Radio România Cultural, Igloo, Haute Culture, Revista BIZ, Revista Zeppelin, Molecule F, Designist, Modernism, feeder.ro, munteanurecomandă.ro, Propagarta, Revista Atelierul, IQads, RADOR, Agerpres, Zile și Nopți, Spotmedia, PRwave, Glamour, The Woman, Happening, Arthood, Metropolis, ALIST Magazine, Dreamingof.net, Les Dedans, RIDA Magazine
Communication partner: 5 to go
Creative team: Claudia Draghia, Sebastian Pren
Advertising campaign: Gavrilă & Asociații
Exhibition design for CINA & RDW & The City: Atilla Kim Architects
Digital partners: Land of Web
Ticketing partner: Entertix
Monitoring partner: MediaTrust
About The Institute
The Institute aims to support Romania's modernization by promoting the cultural and creative industries and civil society. With over 25 years of experience, The Institute has built a community of entrepreneurs, professionals, and audiences passionate about Romania's creative industries. It supports the community's interests in state institutions and international organizations, helping develop a strong infrastructure for creative entrepreneurship nationally and internationally. It is the founder of Romanian Design Week, DIPLOMA Show, Civil Society Gala, Internetics, Cartierul Creativ, combinat.ro, and the initiator of ASAP Romania.
About UniCredit Bank
UniCredit Bank is part of UniCredit, a successful pan-European commercial bank offering integrated Corporate and Investment Banking services through a unique network spanning Western, Central, and Eastern Europe. In Romania, the group includes UniCredit Bank, UniCredit Consumer Financing, UniCredit Leasing Corporation, UniCredit Insurance Broker, UniCredit Leasing Fleet Management, and UniCredit Services.