The presentations of Open Studios are among the programme items most alluring to the audience during the series of events offered by Budapest Design Week between 6 and 15 October. Visitors to the selected seventeen workshops may gain an insight into the design and often even the manufacturing processes, and they may see for themselves how designers and design studios are more and more prepared to receive their interested visitors.

In 2017, as many as seventeen open studios are included in the programmes of Budapest Design Week. In addition to classic areas like industrial design, graphics, clothes design or interior design, visitors may find other fields to explore, such as service design, interactive design, food design, social design and more.

“As organisers of Budapest Design Week, we inspire workshops that join the programmes of Open Studios each year to offer unique programmes and actively involve visitors in the demonstration of their respective practical methods and artist’s credos, instead of just opening up their working premises to visitors,” says project manager of Budapest Design Week Judit Osvárt.

The Open Studios programme allows a glimpse into BORD Architectural Studio’s plans that are “hidden in the drawer” for now but were by no means meant to be kept there. Also the architects at 81font Architecture & Design will speak of architecture, more specifically about designing interiors for bars and restaurants.

A unique programme will be available for visitors at Hello Wood, which is famous for its wooden installations, as well as at the Contemporary Architecture Centre, which accommodates a number of emerging designers in their community offices.

Those interested in heavier industrial operations may view a car and motorcycle exhibition along with a presentation of motorcycle building given jointly with the team of NEUGA in the factory yard of interior and installation designer Industreal. Production of beautiful mosaic tiles and cement tiles can be witnessed at iamart (pronounced as yamart) Cement Tile Manufacture. Visitors to FabLab will similarly be greeted by noises of tools and machines, where 3D printers and CNC machines produce the designed forms. Visitors may also be involved in direct experiences offered by Cellux Group, a prominent team doing service design and organising riveting workshops in general.

Those interested in the process of preparing stationery and writing utensils may view the various phases of how unique notebooks are traditionally crafted at DOT for You, while VLMI Produktív will let visitors in on the wonderful world of book binding, among others.

This year, multiple recycling workshops will be open to visitors, who may look into the process of design-aware recycling at Printa or Paper Up!, and more. Although Erika Rejka does not work with waste, she also applies an innovative way of material use, demonstrating through her own works what can be made of ceramics, other than the obvious objects.

Those interested in the culture of clothing will also find a competent guide. Visitors are welcome for interactive professional presentations at OST, a streetwear designer stressing eastern European identity, at Lucky Shepherd, which is proficient at compiling multi-brand shop selections, at Pici and the City, which is known for designing and finely producing baby and kid clothing, as well as in the workshop of Zsófi Hidasi, who evokes summer beaches on her bags.

“Looking at the participants of Open Studios and the programmes offered by them, as well as the events of the whole week, we can state that the actors in the design scene and the representatives of brands are increasingly conscious in putting the opportunity to appear in Design Week on their respective annual agendas,” says dr. Viktor Łuszcz, President of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office sponsoring and patronising the series of events of Budapest Design Week.

Mr Łuszcz adds that “it is a distinct tendency that an increasing number of for-profit businesses and specific business projects take part in the Open Studios event and offer programmes that coherently match the product, activity and future goal of the business, whereas a few years ago only primarily individual creators or designer groups tended to participate in Budapest Design Week.”

The studios provide not only programmes but also marketing communication tools, including corporate brochures, leaflets to visitors, and are not afraid to present their new products or test their latest ideas by involving their interested audience.

Going through all the participating studios is not at all a hopeless enterprise once it is thoroughly planned. In addition to the programme brochure distributed from 20 September by the organisers in 20,000 copies at hundreds of points all over the city, the website of Budapest Design Week also provides information about the exact visiting times for and surprises offered by each workshop participating in the Open Studios programme.

It is worth reviewing the selection of available creators well in advance, as some programmes are subject to registration, given that actual workshops open their doors and show their tools in operation in a safe environment.

Source: Budapest Design Week