‘The entire city as a stage for design?’ Design-Busan 2026 Week

[Financial News] A large-scale event is being organized that will use Busan as a stage for design, with 15 universities and 133 companies from 11 countries around the world taking part.
Busan City announced on the 2nd that it will hold the Design-Busan 2026 Week event from the 5th to the 15th.

The event, themed ‘Sea, People, Environment,’ will be held across six districts of Busan, which will serve as hubs: Gangseo District, Dong District, Busanjin District, Dongnae District, Suyeong District and Haeundae District. The official number of participants, including citizens, university students and designers, is 331.
At Dongil Rubber Belt Co., Ltd.’s Dongnae Factory in Suan-dong, Dongnae District, Busan, where the opening ceremony will be held, a ‘Design Theme Pavilion’ featuring industrial heritage and discarded materials will be in operation. The former rubber-products factory has been turned into an exhibition space where visitors can encounter art and design.
The opening exhibition, themed ‘From waste to wonder,’ will showcase works made using materials left at the factory, including rebar, scrap rubber, discarded fishing nets and Styrofoam. It will also feature ‘My Bear,’ a large polar bear sculpture by artist Byun Dae-yong that stands at least 4 meters tall. Through works that make use of discarded materials and an old space, visitors can reflect on environmental issues.
Programs will also give university students, citizens and travelers the chance to experience design firsthand. A ‘Global Collaboration Workshop’ will be held at F1963 in Suyeong District, where university students from nine countries will develop designs for everyday needs, such as mobility services for older adults and sustainable beach furniture. Winning works from the international design award ‘DBEW 2026’ will also be exhibited at the Domestic Terminal Art Hall at Gimhae International Airport.
A ‘Design Summit’ and a ‘Design Hackathon’ will also be held to discuss the city’s future through design and seek ways to solve Busan’s urban problems. At the Design Summit on the 9th, five experts from three countries will discuss the role of design in cities and in culture, industry and policy. At the Design Hackathon on the 11th, 110 people in 10 teams will develop design ideas to address Busan’s urban problems, drawing on their own experiences and perspectives.
Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “Busan’s sea, factories, streets and everyday life each hold their own stories and possibilities.” He added, “I hope this event will be an opportunity to rediscover that value, for everyone to enjoy design and for us to shape the city’s future together.”

[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter