FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS

It’s a short step from doing things bureaucratically to chilling out completely! This truism, which could just as well be interpreted as a reference to the festival organization (but no – it isn’t), is much more a description of the experience of visitors as they immersed themselves in the 2020 festival. Because, by establishing its geographical centerpiece – the Festival Headquarters – in the Amtshaus in Theresienbadgasse, VIENNA DESIGN WEEK positioned itself not only close to what is probably Vienna’s oldest existing bathing establishment, but also inside one of Vienna City Council’s former administrative buildings. And the occasional queue certainly formed in front of the festival building – not, however, because of some missing stamp or signature but, rather, because of the limit on visitor numbers. In line with the corona regulations, the festival fans were counted and only allowed to enter – wearing a mask of course – as permitted by the official restrictions. However, thanks to the exemplary behavior of both the team and our guests, these new Amtshaus procedures worked perfectly. For ten days, two stories of the previously unassuming, but thoroughly charming building were flooded with a selection of high-quality design projects. With its proximity to Meidlinger Hauptstraße and the metro, the historical location, in which Maria Theresia built an exclusive spa for the imperial family in the 18th century, offered a fitting platform for VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. From here, visitors were able to dive (immerse themselves) into not only the City Full of Design and its Focus District, but also the special feature of 2020, our Virtual Festival Headquarters. Splash!