Frankfurt to become Germany's first World Design Capital in 2026

Frankfurt has reason to celebrate: it has been chosen as Germany’s first World Design Capital in 2026 – under the motto ​‘Design for Democracy’ and with the active involvement of its citizens.

Frankfurt am Main, mid-November: ​‘Mainhattan’ is in the starting blocks for the World Design Capital 2026 programme marathon. The general mindset: Yes, we care. Putting things into perspective and daring to come up with innovative solutions. All of this is typical of the future design capital of the world (or more precisely: for the FrankfurtRhineMain region), which will replace San Diego and Tijuana as World Design Capitals at the beginning of the year and which rightly lays claim to being a city in constant change. The recently completed Quartier FOUR, a complex of four high-rise buildings designed by renowned Dutch architect Ben van Berkel, is currently being celebrated as the new heart of the city. Once again, the focus is on the seamless intertwining of living, working, culture, and consumption. This is something of a tradition at WDC 26.

Speaking of tradition: it is no coincidence that the bar in the Kimpton hotel, located in one of the Quartier FOUR high-rise towers, goes by the name ​‘MAY’ and showcases the Bauhaus style. It is a tribute to Ernst May, the architect who shaped the avant-garde face of Frankfurt a hundred years ago with his ​‘Frankfurt style’. Chronically overshadowed by the Bauhaus cover stars that are Dessau and Weimar, this Frankfurt heritage is long overdue some appreciation. The new World Design Capital is also taking this into account.

Pacesetter with a fitted kitchen

The timing of the completion of the new city centre is perfect – it ties in with the urban planning considerations that made architectural and design history in the form of ​‘Das Neue Frankfurt’ (The New Frankfurt). In 2025, this programme celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 1925, the city launched a social housing and planning project that produced 12,000 comfortable, affordable apartments within five years: featuring balconies or roof terraces, central heating, bathrooms, toilets and the legendary Frankfurt kitchen. Public buildings, green spaces and industrial facilities such as the power station and wholesale market hall cemented Frankfurt’s reputation as a modern metropolis.

And now, the timing is once again right: architects around the world are focusing on co-living and transforming cities into villages. The view of public space has changed. With the future venues of the WDC 26 and the motto ​‘Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life’, it is clear that FrankfurtMainRhine is on the right track. Social design – from Eindhoven to Milan – is shaping the contemporary concept of design: the focus is less on objects and more on services, spaces, and their visual identities.

From a human perspective

When the Viennese architect Schütte-Lihotzky developed the Frankfurt kitchen, the main focus was on making housework more efficient and enhancing the role of women – an early example of social design. The human perspective, which focuses on the living conditions of Otto and Ottilie Normalverbraucher, continues to shape the design of the city and its surroundings to this day. Most of the residential buildings, housing estates, and public buildings of New Frankfurt are still in use.

The view from above: Frankfurt Airport

Changing trains, connecting flights, looking down at the Frankfurter Kreuz disappearing in the high fog – this is just as much a part of Frankfurt. The airport remains Germany’s most important hub and Europe’s largest cargo airport. Money flows through ​‘Mainhattan’, with its unique German skyline that towers up to 300 metres high marking its role as a trade fair venue, banking city and transport hub – as a place of future markets in IT, finance and pharmaceuticals. At the same time, FrankfurtRhineMain is a centre for the creative industries: a dense network of design and architecture firms, universities, agencies, museums, theatres and studios. Greater Frankfurt includes the Städelschule, the Goethe University, the Buchmesse (Book Fair), the Daimler Design Centre, the Offenbach Innovation Campus, the BDA, Braun Design, and the Deutscher Design Club (German Design Club). More than ever, the magic word is: networking.

Future-oriented events

A workshop with a display window, a real-life laboratory for forward-looking ideas – this is how the organisers describe World Design Capital 2026. Their goal: to strengthen democracy – which finds itself under pressure – through active participation. As the world capital of design, Frankfurt is focusing on participation; over 1,000 proposals were submitted in the open call in 2024. At the same time, WDC FrankfurtMainRhein is an invitation to a big party celebrating diverse design highlights: Luminale, Young Talent Design Campus, Future Festival – Festival Hub is the Museum of Applied Arts. Established events such as the Museumsuferfest and Maifestspiele are also taking advantage.

In early summer 2026, the region will become an international stage: for nine days, visionary design from right here will meet inspiration from all over the world. Open studios and encounters, forward-looking locations, and iconic spaces will become venues for urban metamorphosis. Particularly influential: the ten-day Open Design Week FrankfurtRhineMain in June and the Month of Design in August. The centrepiece of this month of events are the World Design Street Festivals, which will transform urban neighbourhoods into lively creative spaces over three weekends.

Stay up-to-date

The programme for the World Design Capital 2026 is constantly evolving. Check out the current planning status at: wdc2026​.org

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