WDC 2016 Events
International Signature Evenrs Through its four iterations to date, the World Design Capital initiative has accumulated many success stories and achievements. In 2016, as part of our contribution to the WDC legacy, Taipei will stage a series of WDC signature events, including the New Year’s Eve of Design, the Design Gala, the International Design House Exhibition, the International Design Policy Conference, the International Design Week Forum, the Network of Cities Meeting, and finally the Convocation Ceremony. (The first signature event, the WDC Signing Ceremony, was held on 28 March 2014.) A major theme of all of these international events will be Taipei’s local character and design power, which will be presented to the world in a refined and cosmopolitan style, showcasing Taipei’s characteristics and aspirations as an “Adaptive City.” We will also join with private-sector design organizations, design schools, enterprises, NPOs, NGOs and the international design community to put on events such as exhibitions, workshops, lectures, design tours, open studio programs and more. Throughout 2016 a succession of activities large and small will be happening all over Taipei, like little sparks of experimentation, not only in formal venues but also in places such as coffee shops, MRT stations or any street corner, turning Taipei into a garden of design for the delight of visitors and residents alike. WDC New Year’s Eve of Design We open WDC Taipei 2016 with A New Year’s Eve celebration at the Citizen Square, where we will host a concert of well-known musical artists, a “Light Up the World Design Capital”ceremony which includes a firework show that announces the coming of 2016 and the year of WDC events to come. This year’s event will kick-off Taipei’s tenure as World Design Capital® 2016 with a bang Taipei’s “New Year’s Eve of Design” will coincide with the beginning of the city’s tenure as World Design Capital® (WDC) 2016, which will launch via an official ceremony gathering Icsid representatives and local Taipei officials at the Citizen Square in front of the Taipei City Hall at 11 pm on December 31st, 2016. Visitors will be treated to an artistically thrilling fireworks display along with an international stage show featuring lighting and audiovisual effects injected with design! Taipei, Taiwan – December 24th, 2015 – Rated one of CNN’s top cities in which to spend New Year’s Eve, Taipei is annually flooded with foreign visitors who come to view the spectacular fireworks show at the Taipei 101 skyscraper. This year’s event will coincide with the launch of Taipei’s tenure as World Design Capital® (WDC) 2016, which is primed to charge the festivities with new design thinking. Here are some ways visitors can get the most out of a trip and make their New Year’s visit to “the Adaptive City,” Taipei truly “new”: Make new friends at “New Year’s Eve of Design“ Held in unison with the launch of WDC Taipei 2016, this year’s fireworks show will explode with an even more artistically thrilling display along with an international stage show featuring lighting and audiovisual effects injected with design. Also, a special ceremony will welcome international and local officials to the stage ahead of the countdown to usher in the new year of WDC Taipei 2016. Just make sure to secure a good seat in advance. Location: No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City (map) How to get there: Taipei MRT Red Line to Taipei World Trade Center station Visit Songshan Cultural & Creative Park An abandoned cigarette factory dating to the Japanese occupation of Taiwan now renovated and repurposed into an art park, Songshan Cultural & Creative Park houses ongoing exhibitions, the Taiwan Design Museum, and much more. The park is just another stunning example of Taipei’s dynamic urban regeneration, one of the key missions of WDC Taipei 2016. Location: No. 133, Guangfu S Rd Xinyi District, Taipei City (map) How to get there: Taipei MRT Blue Line to Taipei City Hall or Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall stations Explore Taipei’s creative cuisine In terms of Taipei’s world-renown cuisine, “local” does not in any way equal lacking in creativity. A stroll through the Raohe Street Tourist Night Market will expose visitors to the full gamut of Taiwanese culinary ingenuity. The idea of food design was taken to the extreme at the recent WDC Taipei 2016-organized EATTAIPEI show at Tent London 2016, during which Taipei designers narrated the story of their city to visitors through a series of thematically crafted dishes. Location: Raohe Street Tourist Night Market, Section 4, Bade Rd, Songshan District (map) How to get there: Taipei MRT Green Line to Songshan Station Take a riverside tour via YouBike Taipei’s YouBike public bicycle sharing system is one of the best ways to see this exceedingly cycle-friendly city. Take a ride along Taipei’s Dajia Riverside Park or GuTing Riverside Park and stop to browse scenic design spots in the neighborhood, such as the secluded Treasure Hill Artist Village, a former housing community reconfigured into a winding artists’ retreat. The hi-tech YouBike system is just one example of how Taipei is adapting to challenges such as ecological sustainability and smart living, two areas that will be actively addressed during WDC Taipei 2016. Location: Treasure Hill Artist Village, No. 2, Alley 14, Ln. 230 Dingzhou Rd. Sec. 3, Taipei (map) How to get there: Taipei MRT Red Line to Gongguan Station Visit a museum, in a new way Taipei remains a premier destination for art lovers ranging from the classical to the contemporary. In cooperation with WDC Taipei 2016, some of Taipei’s leading museums (such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei) will host a series of activities including pop-up galleries at Dajia Riverside Park, all night art film marathons, and 24 hour opening times. One of the most unique events will be the 2016 Taipei Break-Of-Dawn Concert held on January 1st – 3rd of 2016 to welcome the New Year with citizens from all over Taipei. Location: Dajia Riverside Park (map) How to get there: Taipei MRT Red Line to Yuanshan Station, bus transfer 102, 103 to No.9 water gate Dajia Elementary School stop 3/18 International Design Solution Design Gala An award ceremony will be held for the World Design Impact Prize and the Special Award of the Golden Pin Design Award – Social Design to convey the message of the importance of design to the environment, society and urban development. TAIPEI, Taiwan , Mar. 18, 2016 — At an International Design Gala held tonight, Friday, March 18, 2016, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Taipei–a stunning red-carpet design showcase that is part of the year-long World Design Capital® (WDC) Taipei 2016 program–Warka Water, a unique water catchment system championed by Italian design studio Architecture and Vision, beat out two other social enterprise projects to be awarded the World Design Impact Prize (WDIP) 2015-2016. 5% Design Action, a Taiwan-based think tank composed of hundreds of design professionals that use 5% of their time to tackle social issues, was also named winner of Special Award for Social Design of the Golden Pin Design Award. Founded by Dreamvok, the initiative has drawn participation from leading global companies like HTC, ASUS, and BENQ. An initiative of the International Council of Societies for Industrial Design (Icsid), the WDIP (http://worlddesignimpact.org/) recognizes and encourages industrial design driven projects that benefit society and reflect the expanded field of industrial design. The Special Award for Social Design of the Golden Pin Design Award was born from a collaboration between Taiwan’s premier design award, the Golden Pin Design Award (http://www.goldenpin.org.tw/en/), and World Design Capital Taipei 2016, and promotes the use of design to solve social problems or challenges and create a more liveable city. At the WDC Taipei 2016 Gala, representatives from Warka Water and 5% Design Action were presented with a trophy exclusively designed by celebrated Taiwanese designer Kevin Yu-Jui Chou (KEV Design). At a press conference following the ceremony, Esosa Precious Desperts, Textile Designer, and Arturo Vittori, Co-Founder and Director, both from Warka Water, said they will be reaching out to new parts of the world and despite encountering new problems, the philosophy behind their project will allow them to adapt. Kevin Yang and Mia Chen of 5% Design Action said that the driving idea behind their project is to get around problems and such as how busy people are or how limited resources are, and find ways to work together on solutions. Other finalists in the running for the two awards included HappyTap by WaterSHED in Southeast Asia and RE:BUILD by Pilosio Building Peace Foundation, both selected for WDIP 2015-2016. Jing Si Multi-purpose Foldable Bed by Jing Si Publications, MOXOR by CHIC DESIGN, and Polar Animals Blanket Set by DA.AI Technology, all projects from Taiwan, were among the Golden Pin Design Award social design prize finalists. “I hope World Design Capital can assist with the development of design and innovation in Taipei and make Taipei a better city. This is the first WDC in the Chinese-speaking world. In order to change Taipei, we must change the culture first. Last but not least, design makes Taipei a better city,” says Ko Wen-Je, Mayor of Taipei. The WDC Taipei 2016 International Design Gala held tonight in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s stunning Grand Ballroom, was attended by more than 500 design and business luminaries from around the globe, including Dr. Pei-ni Beatrice Hsieh, Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs of the Taipei City Government; Dr. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, President of International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID); Shikuan Chen, Board Member of ICSID and Vice president of Compal IDD; Cristiano Ceccato, Associate Director of Zaha Hadid Architects; and numerous representatives from Foreign Trade Offices in Taiwan. “Through the two themes of Adaptive City and Design in Motion, Taipei City is looking to build a more livable city and Icsid are excited to be on this journey with you. Your efforts throughout this year will leave a design legacy that will last in Taipei long after 2016,” said Prof. Mugendi M’Rithaa, President of Icsid’s Board of Directors. The event is the second in a series of International Signature Events that are set to define the WDC Taipei 2016 year. An extensive series of public Local and Supporting Events run alongside these Signature offerings. 10/13-10/30 International Design House Exhibition According to a UN estimate, 9.7 billion people will become urbanized by the year 2050, which will come with the associated foreseeable challenges. With that in mind, we will invite cities across the world to take part in this exhibition, to showcase the influence of design on urban life and real life examples of solutions to social problems. In addition, the underpinnings of design process and practice will be used to vividly recount how Taipei as a city has developed. Mayors and their representatives from cities worldwide will be invited to explore the issues they face in urban development, discuss how they use design-based methods to resolve such issues, and explain their visions for the future development of their cities. The meeting will provide a platform for urban development policymakers to exchange views, and will connect cities together in an urban development design network. 10/15-16 International Design Policy Conference Experts in policy making, industry and academia from design driven cities around the world will particicipate in this international conference and discuss cases and examples where design policies have changed their city. 10/17-18 International Design Week Forum We will invite representatives from design weeks world wide to join us here in Taipei, with the Forum opening withthe particular way that each city developed, followed by sharing of experiences and insights on current trends in design, and how we can ignite the creative economy of a city and thus create urban brands of the future. 12/21 Convocation Ceremony In this ceremony, we present the achievements of WDC Taipei 2016, and officially hand over the honor of hosting next WDC in 2018 to Mexico City.
WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL TAIPEI 2016 GALA- ANNOUNCE WORLD DESIGN IMPACT PRIZE 2015-2016 AND Taiwan’s first Special Award for Social Design of the Golden Pin Design Award
Local Events
International Design Open Call Projects
By embedding design thinking and involving citizens in the design process,the World Design Capital (WDC) Taipei 2016 calls for proposals for collaborative projects. The proposed projects should be collaborations between local and international teams to resolve Taipei’s various urban issues with innovative and practical designs.
WDC2016 Design Support Project
Set up in 2013, this project is the first government funded program to emphasize“transforming the city through design”. It hopes to create even more projects that will have an impact through social design and urban transformation.
2016 Taipei Design，Action! 
The event aims to enhance citizens’ participation and knowledge of design activities, and will include new store signs, reconstructed menus, designers’story booths, design in schools, and collaboration with community stores.
3/12-4/10 Design Solution： Swedish Design For 170 Years
Since 1845, with the establishment of the first association of crafts and design (Svensk Form, the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design), Sweden has ambitiously aimed to become a global design center. This exhibition will introduce Swedish design thinking, and show know-how of building connections among design, industry and consumers. The exhibition will lead the audience to think about how to make commitments to society through design in their daily lives.
4/20-4/24 Creative Expo Taiwan 2016 
Creative Expo Taiwan (CET) is a triple-venue exposition held concurrently in Huashan, Songshan and the Expo Dome, where we integrate resources in space, talent, markets, brands and services. In connection with neighboring vendors, stores and activities, the Creative Expo Taiwan 2016 will showcase the Taiwanese lifestyle, conveying the message“the city is the exhibition, the exhibition displays lifestyles.”The Creative Expo Taiwan 2016 will also exhibit the improved and refined lifestyle of the modern Greater Chinese Community.
WDC Taipei 2016 Grounding Program in Design Education ：Joint Exhibition of Creative Thinking 
This will be a showcase of design thinking in educational practices from high school and elementary school students, which will provide residents an opportunity to understand how the city has implemented design thinking into school curriculums. This event will broaden the scope of the core value of WDC into every high school and elementary school campus of Taipei City.
5/13-5/16 The 35th Young Designers’ Exhibition
YODEX (Young Designers’Exhibition) is the world’s largest design exhibition especially oriented to students in Asia. During the 4 days of exhibition, visitors can witness the dynamic power of young designers in various design disciplines, such as fashion design,industrial design, visual communication, interior design, multimedia design. YODEX provides an excellent opportunity for students to interact with one another, and builds a platform for the international exchange of creative ideas.
2016 Taipei Culture Passport
Activities with the aim of upgrading citizens’ cultural knowledge. The Taipei Culture Passport has allowed citizens to explore the city’s unique culture through an extensive selection of fun-packed cultural events, such as urban tours guided by specialists, speeches on life aesthetics, lectures given by experts from different industries, screenings of documentary films, handson workshops, concerts, music performances, tea and coffee, gourmet food, and poetry reading. Taipei City Government hopes that, regardless of whether you are a tourist or a Taipei resident, the activities of Taipei Culture Passport will provide the opportunities to experience a different Taipei.
10/13-10/30 2016 Taiwan Design Expo 
Since 2004, when the Taiwan Design Expo was first held, Taiwan has witnessed the development in the design environment, which has enabled the continued staging of creative exhibitions and activities all over Taiwan. In 2016, Taiwan Design Expo will cooperate with Taipei City to explore the undiscovered features and glamour of developed areas to create a new design movement in the city.
7/9-8/14 “Creative Roughness – Contemporary Israeli Design Exhibition” 
Israel, a far country located at the Middle East, is mysterious and unfamiliar for Taiwanese. Design is the secret key helps them reverse their unfavorable circumstances . The curator, Alon Razgour who has created numerous victories of design exhibits in the world gathers the souls of Israeli culture . He picked the keyword: Material Creativity as the spirit of Creative Roughness – Contemporary Israeli Design Exhibition in World Design Capital Taipei 2016. The showed creations are made by more than 30 Israeli designers who have undergone excellent international collaborations. They transform the real conflicts into design motivations. A great diversity of materials are merged to create impressive designs in numerous fields including industrial design, furniture design, jewelry and fashion design. The transboundary applications of technology and design concepts make Israel have become the leader in medical design and hazard mitigation design. It is a valuable reference for Taiwan. The comprehensive design thinking is also expressed in this event.
![Taiwan.gov.tw [ open a new window]](/images/egov.png)
