From 13 to 16 May 2026, the inaugural edition of Global Design Forum Istanbul takes place, marking the first time the London Design Festival’s flagship platform for global discourse expands its footprint to the banks of the Bosphorus.

Presented in collaboration with the strategic creative platform People Places Ideas (PPI), the Forum is set to transform İstanbul into a vibrant stage for creativity. This four-day event is not just a series of talks; it is a citywide celebration comprising public installations, digital storytelling, and high-level debate, all rooted in the city’s rich heritage and contemporary dynamism.

Istanbul: The Ultimate Design Hub

Istanbul, a metropolis of 15 million people bridging two continents, provides a backdrop like no other. As a city where ancient craftsmanship meets cutting-edge innovation, its creative economy is a powerhouse. According to UNESCO, the sector employs over 140,000 professionals and generates a staggering 74.5% of Türkiye’s creative turnover.

With 27 university design programs and over 20 international design events annually, İstanbul has firmly established itself as a regional hub. Global Design Forum İstanbul leverages this unique position, reestablishing the city as a gateway between East and West and a vital platform for design exchange.

Visionary Leadership: The Creative Minds Behind the Forum

The event is led by Melek Zeynep Bulut, serving as the Artistic Director. Bulut oversees the creative ideation and programming, ensuring the forum celebrates the specific idiosyncrasies and creative energy of İstanbul. She works alongside Ben Evans, Co-Founder and Chairman of the London Design Festival & Global Design Forum.

The intellectual heart of the event – the discussion program – is curated by Beatrice Galilee, the Forum Content Advisor. Galilee has introduced the theme “Worlds in Contact,” which explores the material, political, and bodily collisions that occur when different worlds meet.

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The Four Pillars: A Program Built on Meaning

The Forum is structured around four core principles that guide the audience through the city’s creative landscape:

Discussion: “Worlds in Contact” at Hagia Irene

The centerpiece of the event is two days of curated keynotes and panels (14-15 May) held in the historic courtyard of Hagia Irene, within the Topkapı Palace Complex.

Day One: Thursday, 14 May

• Worlds in Contact: A rapid sequence of provocations from architects and designers from Thailand, Mexico, and Europe, exploring how design can share authorship with ecosystems and non-human minds.
• Liam Young’s Planet City: A radical film and performance piece that imagines the entire human population living in one hyper-dense city, allowing the rest of the planet to rewild.
• In Conversation: Tom Dixon & Lina Ghotmeh: A rare dialogue between industry icon Tom Dixon and award-winning Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh on sustainability, materiality, and sustaining a practice through change.
• Keynote: Hussein Chalayan: The legendary designer reflects on his rigorous practice at the intersection of fashion and technology.

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Day Two: Friday, 15 May

• In Conversation: Lesley Lokko: One of the most influential voices in architecture discusses the colonial structures within the industry and what architecture owes to those it has historically excluded.
• Keynote: Marina Tabassum: Based in the climate-vulnerable Bengal delta, Tabassum will close the forum by asking the ultimate question: What are we actually designing for?

Placemaking: “Praise of Transience”

Curated by Melek Zeynep Bulut, this pillar features public installations that challenge the idea of architecture as a permanent object.

• Pavilion of the Moment: Designed by Waugh Thistleton Architects using slender pine boards, this timber structure abstracts the geometry of Hagia Irene. It is lightweight, demountable, and designed to be experienced as something temporal and rhythmic.
• NUN Architecture’s Talk Space: An experiential space designed specifically for the forum’s sessions in the Hagia Irene courtyard.

Storytelling: The “İstanbullar” Creative Archive

To connect the global audience with the city’s pulse, the Forum presents İstanbullar, a dynamic digital map spotlighting 40 creative people, places, and ideas. Highlights include:

• Barın Han: The studio of calligrapher Emin Barın, where traditional bookbinding is still practiced.
• Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum: A contemporary “floating box” structure covering 6th-century Roman mosaics.
• Zeyrek Çinili Hamam: A 500-year-old Mimar Sinan bathhouse that now hosts a museum and contemporary art in a Byzantine cistern.
• Şehrin Panoları: An online project archiving the unique, identity-defining signboards of the city.

Rethinking: The Yedikule Garden Competition

The event will conclude with the launch of an international design competition for the Yedikule district. This project aims to revive the area through contemporary garden and lighting design, engaging future generations in the preservation and evolution of their urban environment.

A Global Gathering of Minds

The Forum will convene over 30 leading international voices. The roster of delegates includes:

• Architects & Designers: Ma Yansong, Boonserm Premthada, Florian Idenburg, Alper Derinboğaz, Melike Altınışık, Han Tümertekin, and Stephen Burks.
• Thinkers & Curators: Beatrice Leanza, Suhair Khan, James Bridle, Beral Madra, and Olaf Grawert.
• Creative Pioneers: Cooking Sections (Alon Schwabe & Daniel Fernández Pascual), Fernando Laposse, and many more.

Global Design Forum: Design as a Shared Language

Global Design Forum İstanbul is more than a conference; it is a multi-voiced gathering and a platform for research. By using design as a shared language for soft power and collaboration, it positions Istanbul not just as a host, but as a leader in the global creative sector.

Global Design Forum İstanbul | 13 – 16 May 2026 | Topkapi Palace Complex | Istanbul

Two Days of Discussion: 14-15 May, 2026 at Hagia Irene, Topkapi Complex Palace