The Metropolitan Design Week (MDW) is the inaugural edition of an initiative dedicated to design, architecture, the city, and people who co-create it. For five days, the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (GZM) will become a space for meetings, exhibitions, and debates. We will also be there to discuss how design shapes our everyday lives.
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Metropolitan Design Week
Supporting the Integration of Creative Communities
The theme of this year's edition is "Let's Get to Know Each Other!". The main goal of the event is to integrate creative communities, designers, businesses, and residents of the region, sparking dialogue around the impact of design on our shared environments and the future of the Metropolia. The festival’s programme—featuring open studios, architectural walks, and inspiring exhibitions such as "Well-Designed"—will take place across many cities in the GZM, with the evocative Ruins of the Victoria Theatre in Gliwice serving as the central hub.
As the Creative Industries Institute, we support such initiatives with immense enthusiasm, firmly believing that an open dialogue on design is vital to regional development. Naturally, we will be there—our design expert, Dorota Stępniak, will participate in the closing panel discussion, “Do we need another design event?” (September 20, 19:00).
Design is a dialogue, which is why bringing people together is essential for its growth. In this case, meeting within the Metropolia allows us to understand the challenges, plans, and hopes that will lay the groundwork for a better future.
Join us in uncovering the design together- something that often goes unnoticed in our daily lives, yet which shapes our everyday experiences. See you at the Metropolitan Design Week!
Organizational Information
Dates: September 16–20, 2026
Locations: Gliwice (Festival Hub: Ruins of the Victoria Theatre) & the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (GZM)
Discover the full schedule and event details here.
The event is co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage as part of the Creative Industries Institute's “Development of Creative Sectors” programme.