czech design week 2025 bridges tradition, technology, and craft in prague’s historic venues

CZECH DESIGN WEEK 2025 RETURNED FOR ITS 12TH EDITION

From September 11-14, 2025, Prague has once again transformed into a vibrant, city-wide gallery, celebrating the 12th edition of Czech Design Week. By situating the works of the newest generation of designers and artists within the capital’s most iconic cultural landmarks, the event created a unique dialogue between past and present. The festival’s core message — that contemporary design thrives on collaboration between tradition and technology — was further underscored by the involvement of its general partner, Xiaomi. Their engagement challenges the notion that tradition and innovation are mutually exclusive.

all images courtesy of Czech Design Week, image © Václav Záhorský

HISTORIC VENUES AS A CANVAS FOR CONTEMPORARY CREATIVITY

The festival’s main stage was the functionalist Mánes Gallery, a 1930s architectural gem that hosts around a hundred exhibitors. This historic space becomes a canvas for a broad survey of contemporary design, from glass and porcelain to fashion and technology. It’s here that emerging talents from Czech and Slovak academies were displayed alongside established studios and global brands like Italian lighting pioneer Artemide and technology leaders Xiaomi and SONY. 

Just a short walk away, the baroque Clam-Gallas Palace offered a more intimate and experimental experience. As the home of the third edition of the New Generation exhibition, the palace hosted nearly thirty artists who deliberately blur the lines between design and fine art. Curated by Anna Pulkertová and Lukáš Pipek, the show featured prominent figures like photographer Marie Tomanová, painter Matyáš Maláč, and sculptor Magdalena Roztočilová. The palace also hosted solo exhibitions by young artists who embody this unique hybrid practice, including Pavlína Šváchová, František Jungvirt, and Jiří Bartoš, proving that Prague’s historic heart is a fertile ground for artistic exploration.

Clam-Gallas Pallace | image © Anna Pleslová

CZECH DESIGN AWARD 2025 FOCUSES ON TRADITION

The festival culminated with the Czech Design Award: Ploom Edition, which focuses on the theme of Tradition. The four winning projects demonstrate how Czech and Slovak designers are reinterpreting cultural and craft heritage to address urgent social and lifestyle questions. The winners include Adam Veselý’s knitted helmet for cochlear implant users, Adéla Lakomá’s engraved glass inspired by folk lace, Dveperly’s porcelain boxes that revisit the archetype of the soup tureen, and Studio Licht’s modular furniture reviving the forgotten tradition of home bars. The festival demonstrated to an international audience why Czech design, rooted in craft, rich in experimentation, and open to dialogue, deserves attention far beyond its borders.

photographs by Marie Tomanová, objects by Jakub Sojka, vase in the background by Karolína Kučerová | image © Anna Pleslová

Aeolia collection by Tomáš Kučera | image © Václav Záhorský

exhibition of selected works at Clam-Gallas | image © Anna Pleslová

paintings by Matyáš Maláč, vases on pedestals by Filip Hrubý, glass objects by Anna Martinková, sculpture in the fireplace by Tereza Štětinová | image © Anna Pleslová

exhibition Mimo formát by Pavlína Šváchová | image © Anna Pleslová

SkyDrift Exhibition by František Jungvirt (vase) and Jiří Bartoš | image © Anna Pleslová

Frantisek Jungvit x Cafe Slavia during Czech Design Week | image © Anna Pleslová

project info:

name: Czech Design Week | @czechdesignweek

location: Prague, Czech Republic
date: September 11-14, 2025

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