(Philadelphia, PA) – September 26, 2024 – The 20th iteration of the DesignPhiladelphia Festival runs October 1-13 with hubs at Cherry Street Pier and the Center for DesignPhiladelphia. Anchored by Thomas Jefferson University (Jefferson) as presenting sponsor, the 2024 Festival will be a healthy mix of emerging and veteran designers showcasing cutting-edge innovation and celebrating the strength and vitality of the local design community.
“This year is extra special for us.” says Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director of DesignPhiladelphia and AIA Philadelphia, “This year we are reflecting on our past 20 years by sharing reflections from some of the founders and early-year participants about the importance of being the first design festival of its kind in the country and what the festival could and should become in the future. In addition – we have an unbelievable opportunity to bring the Beaux Arts Ball back in honor of our 20th Anniversary at Lynnewood Hall on November 2, 2024. I can think of no better way to bring the past, present and future of design in Philadelphia together for an exclusive party at the famed Widener estate, Lynnewood Hall.” More information about the Beaux Arts Ball can be found here.
The action begins with the FREE Kickoff Celebration at Cherry Street Pier on October 1st from 5:30 - 9:00 PM. Programming continues through October 13 with a variety of workshops, talks, tours, and open houses planned throughout the city. The special Beaux Arts Ball event will be held on November 2, 2024, outside the festival dates. You can check out the complete schedule on DesignPhiladelphia.org.
Come get a first look at the immersive installations by Jefferson University, Temple University Tyler School of Art and Design, Hoffman Design Group, AIA Philadelphia, and more. Register for this event here.
This year's exhibition showcases the varied backgrounds of Philadelphia streetwear designers and their work. Local designers include All Caps Studios, Paratodo Co. and Chez Rein.
These installations and exhibitions display the talent of Philadelphia’s only public high school and student work from their Digital Media Production, Graphic Design, Film, Video, and Fashion programs.
The Thomas Jefferson University College of Architecture and the Built Environment presents solutions for tomorrow’s most pressing problems: urbanization, public health, environment, and climate change from The Smart and Healthy Cities Studio. The studio is conceived as an aggregator and facilitator of trans-disciplinary research and education across multiple disciplines.
Step into vignettes featuring design legends like the Eames Lounge, Barcelona Chair, and Bumper Chairs, curated by Philly’s top design firms.
SITTING STILL (Gina Angelone, 2024) is a documentary film that sees the world through the eyes of Laurie Olin, a gregarious and irreverent urban visionary whose humanist approach to design has helped define the modern-day city. The film gives voice to the environmental and social concerns that have driven Olin's vision for over 50 years and affected our collective humanity. SITTING STILL also features architectural visionaries Frank Gehry and Billie Tsien, and esteemed landscape designer and artist, Walter Hood, among others.
CADO Market is a celebration of Black creativity and a platform for growth, all captured in a marketplace experience.
This year, CADO Market plans to draw inspiration from the historic Colored Mechanics Fair, honoring the creativity and entrepreneurship of Black artisans, designers, and inventors. Our marketplace offers a curated selection of products spanning home decor, clothing, art, jewelry, and more, each crafted with skill and passion. In addition to a marketplace experience - we'll be hosting a day of programming including panels, fireside chats and workshops, all centering the Black artisan experience.
Saatva, the Smarter Luxury Sleep Company, invites you to a special breakfast-in-bed event and conversation on at its Pennsylvania flagship.
Join Alison Barretta, celebrated Sleep Writer and Mattress Reviewer, and Kerry Offsey, Design Director at Hines Collective, for a conversation about the concept and design of Saatva’s first Pennsylvania retail location. Over breakfast, learn more about how the original online mattress industry disruptor reimagined its digital presence specifically for the Rittenhouse Square retail location. Post-conversation, immerse yourself in a Saatva-exclusive relaxation soundscape courtesy of BetterSleep while enjoying rejuvenating mini-facials from Glowbar and LED-treatments courtesy of iRestore.
Kids Fest is a weekend of hands-on experiences to entertain and inspire the youngest designers in your life. With workshops and events by Reach Cyber, Pals Socks, stick-lets, and the DesignPhiladelphia’s very own Wondering Studio featuring lessons in Architecture and Design Education — you won’t want to miss this exciting weekend-long festival within the Festival.
Join us to learn about modern furniture building in this hands on workshop. We'll start with a short talk about design and modern fabrication techniques and an assembly demo.
Then you will create a custom table of your own design. Mixing and matching pre-cut parts, you’ll learn the basics of mortise and tennon joinery, gluing, clamping and assembling.
This is a great way to get your feet wet if you’ve never tried woodworking before. You’ll leave with a lot of know how, bragging rights and a unique custom made ply wood table to show off or give someone.
Presented by Visit Philadelphia, this conversation is going to invite everyone in the room to think big about what is possible in the places we interact with daily – and why it matters. Joining us for this conversation is David Vega-Barachowitz of WXY Studio in New York City, NY, Kelly Edwards, Manager of Real Estate Operations, SEPTA; and Nate Hommel, Director of Design and Planning, University City District.
Thomas Jefferson University College of Architecture and the Built Environment Professors Andrew Hart and Grace Ong Yan with students Polina Filipova, Leila Moutawakil, Anita Esin and alumnus Elena Nestico who form an interdisciplinary research and design group for critical community engagement, “Collective,” present “REDEMPTION in light,” an installation honoring the African American history of Huntington in Long Island, New York.
Join J2 in collaboration with Exit Design for a lively presentation and discussion about the future of Philadelphia. Four creative catalysts from our city will present bold ideas that will bring art forward, present the future of equitable and joyful public spaces and the events in store for our 250th anniversary celebration of America in Philadelphia.
Join us during DesignPhiladelphia, as radiantHUE® celebrates 7 years of shaping vibrant brands with a dynamic brand launch that champions creativity, culture, and purpose-led design.
The event will feature a dynamic panel discussion led by industry experts, where we’ll dive into what it means to create culturally relevant and inclusive brands, and exclusive branded activations, allowing guests to interact with radiantHUE’s vision for creative, culturally mindful brand experiences.
More details and a full Festival Event schedule are available here. https://festival.designphiladelphia.org/pages/designphiladelphia-2.
DesignPhiladelphia champions a vibrant design community, committed to excellence, inclusivity, and connections from K through career. With a focus on multidisciplinary design education, an annual festival, and public programs, DesignPhiladelphia aims to create economic opportunities in underserved communities, support the region's design industry, and position Philadelphia as a global hub of design excellence.
The DesignPhiladelphia Festival is the oldest design event of its kind in the country and annually showcases the work of practicing architects, designers, and creative professionals. Experience design in unexpected ways through more than 100 exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations, tours, talks, and events held in venues across the city. Learn about wide-ranging topics, including architecture, urban planning, landscape, graphic, multimedia, product, furniture design, fashion, and the like. For more information on planning an event, sponsoring, advertising, or attending the Festival, visit designphiladelphia.org.
For media inquiries, contact Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director at rebecca@aiaphila.org, (215) 569 3186.
About DesignPhiladelphia Community
We foster a vibrant design community from K through Career committed to excellence, inclusivity and connections. As an invaluable partner in Philadelphia’s progress we do that through multidisciplinary design education, our annual festival, and public programs about design.
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- Rebecca Johnson
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Executive Director
AIA Philadelphia | DesignPhiladelphia - rebecca@aiaphila.org
- 2152669235