Suomitalo is the vibrant heart of Helsinki Design Week

This year, the main venue of Helsinki Design Week is the historic Suomitalo, located next to the Old Church Park. Designed by Armas Lindgren and Onni Tarjanne, the late Art Nouveau building offers a striking setting for ten days of design festivities, featuring the Designing Happiness exhibition and symposium, discussions, launches, as well as dinner and networking events.

At the heart of Suomitalo is the main exhibition, curated by curator, researcher, and educator Anniina Koivu. Under her direction, the Designing Happiness exhibition explores the question: can happiness be designed? Its starting point is a scientifically studied blend that researchers call the “happiness cocktail” – a formula of four hormones: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, which regulate how our brain and nervous system respond to different stimuli. These hormones are triggered by light, music, exercise, nature, smiles, and laughter – and of course by certain foods such as sugar. Equally, their production is boosted by communal rituals, altruistic acts, and kindness. The exhibition features works by Eero Aarnio, Erwan Bouroullec, Oiva Toikka, Clara von Zweigbergk, and many other leading international and Finnish designers.

To mark its anniversary year, Helsinki Design Week is reviving one of its most popular collaborations. Originally piloted in 2022, the partnership with restaurant Kuurna returns as a pop-up on the top floor of Suomitalo from 10–13 September. The timing could not be more fitting, as Kuurna is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. The pop-up is presented in collaboration with Finnish Design Shop.

Throughout the festival, the fourth floor will host Collusion’s wine bar, complemented by bar bites from Kuurna’s new wine bar, Klaava. The space will also present an exhibition curated by WWW Contemporary, featuring works by Aurea Tanttu, Alves Ludovico, Benjamin Kassinen, Julianna Hyrri, and Linda Linko. The bar has been designed by Lauri Johansson and furnished by Artek.

In addition, Suomitalo will host daily design- and architecture-themed discussions. The Weekly Talks series will explore topics such as new materials, urban development, and multidisciplinary creativity. On Fashion Day, Fashion Community Helsinki will present an intimate salon-style fashion show, while Aalto University’s MA Fashion students will hold a talk on their Kukkapuro design project created from EU-grown cotton. The stage will also feature events such as Ornamo’s Design Dialogues for industry professionals and Toivola Festival’s CIRCLE evening, where six prominent voices from different fields will gather around the same table to discuss life’s big questions — from money, love, and power to beauty and sustainable living.

In addition, Suomitalo will host daily design- and architecture-themed discussions. The Weekly Talks series will explore topics such as new materials, urban development, and multidisciplinary creativity. On Fashion Day, Fashion Community Helsinki will present an intimate salon-style fashion show, while Aalto University’s MA Fashion students will hold a talk on their Kukkapuro design project created from EU-grown cotton.

The stage will also feature events such as Ornamo’s Design Dialogues for industry professionals and Toivola Festival’s CIRCLE evening, where six prominent voices from different fields will gather around the same table to discuss life’s big questions — from money, love, and power to beauty and sustainable living.

Explore the program at Suomitalo.

Photo: Justus Hirvi / HDW