Design Shanghai, Asia’s largest and most influential design fair, this year presents a new addition to its event portfolio: Design Shenzhen. 

Harnessing the city’s incredible energy, Design Shenzhen will host over 200 curated brands tailored to architects, interior designers, property developers and the design-savvy public. Shenzhen will become the third city to host Asia's leading design exhibition and will be the largest curated event of its kind ever seen in the city. 

The event will take place from the 27th February - 2 March 2023, at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center (SZCEC), an architectural landmark of Shenzhen in the heart of the city.

Home to the biggest architecture and design, cultural and creative communities in China, Shenzhen is a hub of cutting edge and future-focused innovation. Dubbed the "Silicon Valley of China", Shenzhen is home to leading tech company HQs, alongside vibrant art, culture and design businesses and institutions. 

Shenzhen’s energy can be witnessed in real time through the huge concentration of landmark architectural projects that have been built by prominent international and Chinese architectural firms.

The city, once a fishing town in South China’s Guangdong province, is one of China’s best known economic miracles of the past 40 years. Design Shenzhen will bring new perspectives to design in China, creating a focal point for brands and designers within China’s most successful and fast expanding commercial and geographic region. 

The show will provide a journey into the future, spotlighting cutting-edge design and technology through global product launches, immersive installations, feature areas and a talks programme that will be led by minds shaping the future of design.

"Our aim for Design Shenzhen is to launch an exhibition in the Greater Bay Area that has an impact within Asia and on the international stage. As China's first 'City of Design' designated by UNESCO, Shenzhen is undoubtedly the best place to host the cutting-edge design event. The first 'Design Shenzhen' will continue the professionalism of our series of exhibitions. As a brand-new exhibition, we invite industry pioneers in the fields of design, culture, creativity, etc., and look forward to bringing the vitality of design to Shenzhen this December," said Raymond Wang, Show Director of Design Shenzhen.

Design Shenzhen’s Features strive to partner with leading design and creative studios, luxury fashion brands and influential media titles to create unique and thought provoking experiences. Expect trend forecasts, one-off installations, stand-out projects and collaborations, that will encourage people to engage and question their understanding of design and the possibilities within this field.

2023 Features & Installations Highlights:

Audi - As the event’s exclusive top-tier partner, Audi will showcase its vision for premium mobility in China’s Greater Bay Area. Audi’s exhibit will immerse visitors in a world of forward-thinking technology, design aesthetics and sustainability solutions embodied in the RS e-tron GT.

Sony Design will make its debut in China at Design Shenzhen with an exhibition titled "Nature. Resonance”. “Nature. Resonance” spotlights Sony's cutting-edge technology to present their thinking and practice in sustainable development.

Good Design Select: Curated by Industrial designer Xiaoxi Shi in a collaboration with G-MARK JAPAN GOOD DESIGN AWARD this section will present dozens of cutting edge award-winning designs to Shenzhen, reflecting comprehensive design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries and society.

WAD, the special exhibition "Back to the Oasis · Back to the Oasis" curated by Gaetano Scintilla, an Italian designer who is known as the "Godfather of Colour", will present to the public the "post-tech" era.

WellConnect

WellConnect is curated by Design Shenzhen, DavidHugh and Li Zhefeng, and will focus on new ways of living in forward-thinking home and work spaces, exploring the human connection to technology and presenting innovative lighting solutions for health and wellbeing. A "meditation cave" will be built to create a sensory journey of sound and light."

Future Home is set to be one of the largest features of the show, with leaders from Shenzhen in the fields of interior design, home design, industrial design, art and graphic design coming together to create a heuristic future home space in a conceptual, cross-border and diversified way.

Neooold is curated by industrial designer Min Chen. It proposes the idea of breaking the boundaries of design, art and craftsmanship, and merging them into an innovative creation. This year’s theme is “Have a Cup of Tea”- exploring the profound tea culture found in both China and the UK.

Yum Ziya, Chief Experience Officer

Yum Ziya, is the first Virtual Human that was released by the designer toy brand Underverse. Yum Ziya will be the Chief Experience Officer of Design Shenzhen 2023.

Yum Ziya, the Chief Experience Officer of Design Shenzhen 2023

The Design Shanghai Forum

The Design Shanghai Forum programme has carved a reputation as the leading global platform for design thought leadership, hosting presentations from world-renowned designers, such as Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Paola Navone, Tom Dixon and Chi Wing Lo. 

Design Shenzhen will build on this platform to shine a light on the unique environment of Shenzhen, focusing on more forward-thinking design topics and the adoption of technologies in the design industry. Sponsored by PPG and Duravit, the 2023 Design Shenzhen Forum invites over 40 prestigious architects, designers and tastemakers to share their insights around the forum theme "Regenerative Design – Design for Wellbeing: Humanity, Sustainability, Technology".

"Our homes, workplaces and public spaces must give us value, authenticity and belonging. The products that we create and use must express the permanence and nobility of craft and craftsmanship, while we discover new materials and technologies that assure our renewed connection to each other, to the community and to the natural world," Aidan Walker, Design Shenzhen Forum Programme Director.

"Specifically for Shenzhen, technology capital of China, if not the world, this brings the digital world into full focus. At the same time as we regenerate our natural environment, our buildings, our cities and our sense of ourselves, digital technology opens new horizons and proposes new ways of living. The challenge is to ensure that both this digital process and the natural one are aligned," Walker added.

Speakers from 2023 Design Forum

Please find 2023 Design Forum Highlights here.

Building on the reputation of Design Shanghai, Asia’s leading design event, known for presenting thought provoking designs and forum discussions from and international talents across a global design stage, Design Shenzhen is a new regional design event that is set to be the most extensive curated event ever presented in the city. 

Design Shenzhen expects to welcome over 50,000 high-end trade visitors, leading architects, interior designers, influential property developers from the Greater Bay Area, China’s elite professional buyers and specifiers, key decision makers from the private and public sectors, and affluent design aware consumers.

Event facts

Event name: Design Shenzhen

Theme 2023: Regenerative Design – Design for Wellbeing: Humanity, Sustainability, Technology

Location: Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center at Futian District, Shenzhen, China.

Date: 27th February - 2 March 2023

To see more, visit Design Shenzhen's website. Register to the event here. 

All images courtesy of Design Shenzhen. 

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