Our highlights from the Zurich Design Weeks 2025

From 4 to 14 September 2025, Zurich Design Weeks 2025 transformed the city on the Limmat into a vibrant hub of innovation, creativity, and exchange. With over 40 locations, interactive offerings and exhibitions, the festival has become a major event for design enthusiasts.

Design is more than just forming and shaping – it is an expression of cultural identity, individual narratives, and a response to social issues. Many exhibitions impressively reflected how design conveys values, tells stories, and opens up new perspectives. And all this with a special focus on the role of Switzerland as a design nation.

Re/​Flexion – in the mirror of time

Design meets the hustle and bustle of the train station: right in Zurich’s Central Station, the Soeder Store surprised visitors with a genuine design highlight. The traditional manufacturer Ruckstuhl brought back iconic designs by Trix & Robert Haussmann. Freshly interpreted and with a clear message. Sustainability can look spectacular. Immediately on entry, the large, round carpet in a black and white pleated design by the name of STRIPE caught everyone’s eye. A statement piece and the centrepiece of the COLLECTION TRIX & ROBERT HAUSSMANN by Ruckstuhl. This collection is a first, as it is the first in the world in which the top layer consists of 60% recycled wool. The material comes from high-quality, end-of-life garments such as fine winter coats, giving them a second life as design objects. Each carpet also comes with a digital product passport from World of Pi, which provides transparency concerning its origin. The collection was created in close cooperation with Trix Haussmann and Edition‑H – a perfect interplay of craftsmanship, design history, and forward thinking.

The Zurich-based architect and design duo Trix and Robert Haussmann are among the most influential figures in the Swiss architecture and design scene. With their Manierismo Critico (critical questioning of the familiar), they have broken with conventions through playful seriousness and subtle humour, leaving a lasting mark. With the Shopville and the daCapo Bar in Zurich Central Station, the visionary couple has given the city striking landmarks, and with the Kronenhalle Bar, they have shaped its cultural memory.

Susanne Bartsch – Transformation!

Style icon, party queen, and visionary of the New York club scene. For over four decades, Susanne Bartsch has shaped nightlife in the metropolis. Born in Switzerland, she found her artistic home in London in the 1970s, inspired by punk, New Romantics, and the counterculture of the time. Based in New York since 1981, the Swiss artist is committed to promoting diversity in everyday life; combining fashion, club culture, and performance. Her unmistakable style and imagination continue to influence underground fashion and contemporary club culture to this day.

The exhibition at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich follows the theme of a night out. From the transformation in front of the mirror to the grand entrance at the club. On display are iconic outfits from Susanne Bartsch’s personal collection, complemented by creations from artist friends, spanning the entire cosmos of different looks, from Baroque to Cybergoth and Club Kids to Anime.

Exhibition to run until 7 December 2025

Seitz x Monocle – Modern Swiss craftsmanship

The small yet exquisite exhibition by furniture manufacturer Seitz fitted perfectly into the setting of the Monocle Café. Neutral colours and a sophisticated, timeless design conveyed a pleasant feeling of being at home. Functional minimalism in its purest form. On closer inspection, it was immediately apparent that some of the furniture had been created in collaboration with the well-known Swiss brand Appenzeller Gurt. For example, the metal fittings on the sideboard featured the typical Alpine cattle drive motifs.

‘Swiss craftsmanship has always been synonymous with precision and honesty,’ affirms Seitz co-founder Rob van Wyen. ​‘We are building on this – and at the same time asking ourselves how design can be responsible today: creating furniture that is transparent, ethical, and durable (slow furniture).’ A clear commitment to Swiss quality and a slower way of life is a philosophy shared by Monocle, whose platforms and real-world spaces champion timeless design and functional manufacturing.

Josephine – design to sit on

The newly developed Pancha barbecue station from Autz + Herrmann was supposed to be the star of every garden party. But then their long-standing partners came up with an idea. The architects Baier Bischofberger designed an installation that is more than just outdoor furniture: an interplay of shapes and colours that invites you to rediscover outdoor living. At the heart of the design are the Monohocker Solo – weatherproof sculptures made of powder-coated aluminium that can be used as stools or side tables. Their graphic designs are reminiscent of the iconic façades that the two architects have already implemented in numerous projects. Architecture you can touch in your own garden. The result: practical splashes of colour that transform any terrace into a small design stage and are perfect for anyone who not only wants to use their garden, but also wants to showcase it.

Museum of the Future – Out of the display case

A chair that you are no longer allowed to sit on, or a marionette hanging silently from its strings. Many exciting objects are difficult to exhibit in a museum: they cannot be transported or have even been lost. Some are too large, some too delicate, while others cannot be touched or moved for conservation reasons. What possibilities do digital technologies offer when it comes to bringing such objects to life?

On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich is looking to the future and is keen to involve the public with interactive stations and participatory projects. The result is 17 experiments that transform the exhibition space into a laboratory of the future. Whether deciphering ancient writings, engaging in digital dialogue with the avatars of artist Fred Schneckenburger’s stick puppets, viewing twelve native insect species with the aid of 3D scans, or viewing the world’s largest panoramic image depicting the Battle of Murten in the late 19th century – the exhibition explores the potential of digitalisation and AI for the museum of tomorrow.

In today’s increasingly digital world, is there still a need for the physical premises of the museum? ​“The success of museums on an international level shows that people want real life. Contact with someone you can talk to and share your own stories,” confirms Christian Brändle, director of the Museum of Design Zurich and curator of the Museum of the Future exhibition. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Exhibition from 29 August 2025 to 1 February 2026.

Magic Drawing – Hermès Suisse x Agnes & Anthony

The Hermès shop windows on Paradeplatz were once again a real eye-catcher this year. The multimedia installation by Brussels-based creative duo Agnes & Anthony created a multi-layered narrative centred on an artist and his imagination. Where is the fine line between reality and fantasy?

In a whirlwind of colours, the story unfolded on paper across the frames of two windows. In the middle sat a passionate animation artist, eagerly drawing at his desk. Frame by frame, the drawings came to life and surrounded him. Elements and figures, everything was in motion. In the second part, the artist himself became a character in his own fictional story. For this special exhibition, every part of the set was made of paper, featuring hand-drawn details and textures created using coloured pencils. The animation was also drawn frame by frame to remain true to the story.

Don’t miss a thing — we’ll keep you up to date!

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