About the festival

The first edition of Rohan Design District took place from 12 to 14 September 2024 in Prague’s Karlín district and along Rohanské nábřeží. Already in its first year the festival showed that there is strong interest in an open festival dedicated to architecture, design and urban development.

More than 1,000 visitors attended the festival and 42 participants joined the programme – from architectural studios and development companies to design showrooms. With the support of 25 partners, it was possible to prepare a programme featuring more than 80 events.

The programme included lectures and discussions with personalities from architecture, design and development. On the main stage in the Danube House building, speakers included Eva Jiřičná and Carlo Berarducci.

The festival also opened architecture to the wider public through guided tours of buildings in Karlín and the surrounding area. Visitors explored projects such as the Fragment building, the Rustonka office complex, the HolKa Footbridge and the River Garden buildings. The programme also included a tour of the Sekyra Group headquarters designed by AI Design.

The programme was complemented by showroom presentations, workshops and additional gatherings organised by participating brands and studios.

The second edition took place from 5 to 7 June 2025 and further developed the festival concept. The main stage was located in the Amazon Court building.

The programme was opened by Serge Borenstein. Other speakers included Christian Sieger, David Musil from Penta Real Estate, Karel Kadlec from Aston Martin Prague, and designers Rony Plesl, Kateřina Handlová and Elis Monsport.

One of the main highlights of the festival was the exhibition Křehký svět (Fragile World), curated by Jiří Pelcl. The exhibition presented prominent figures of contemporary Czech design and glassmaking, including Jan Plecháč, Lukáš Novák, František Jungvirt, Lucie Koldová, Jiří Krejčiřík and Lada Semecká.

The programme also included an open-air cinema, a music concert and a boat cruise. Compared to the first edition, the guided tours were expanded to include locations such as the DOCK complex and Karlín Theatre. Showrooms around Rohan organised their own programmes, inviting both the public and their partners and clients. The festival concluded informally by the HolKa footbridge with a barbecue hosted by František Kšána and the team from Naše maso.

In 2026, Rohan Design District returned to Karlín and the Rohanské nábřeží waterfront for its third edition, further establishing itself as a key event on Prague’s architecture and design calendar. Over the course of three festival days, it presented more than 70 events, bringing together architecture, design, art, and public space.

A new addition to the third edition was the opening evening held at the historic Invalidovna, featuring internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind as the keynote guest. The evening also marked the first ceremonial launch of the Czech Architecture 2024–2025 Yearbook, which will become a regular part of the festival in the years to come.

The festival’s main programme culminated on Saturday at Spojka Karlín. The main stage welcomed speakers from CHYBIK + KRISTOF, CMC ARCHITECTS, SOA Architects and UPSTRUCTURE, while a panel discussion organised in collaboration with ELLE Decoration explored contemporary interior design.

Guided architectural tours once again proved to be among the festival’s most popular events. Visitors had the opportunity to explore buildings, architectural studios and showrooms that are not usually open to the public, with most tours fully booked before the festival even began. At the same time, dozens of showrooms and festival partners prepared their own programmes for both the general public and industry professionals.

The exhibition programme featured an outdoor presentation of the Czech Architecture 2024–2025 Yearbook near the HolKa footbridge, as well as the exhibition Winter Games of Images II. at Nile House. As in previous years, selected exhibitions remained open even after the festival had ended.

This year’s festival may be over, but preparations for the next edition are already underway. We are gathering feedback, developing new formats, reaching out to partners, and gradually shaping a programme that will return to Karlín and the Rohanské nábřeží waterfront next year.

Thank you for being part of this year’s festival. We look forward to sharing more about what we’re preparing for Rohan Design District 2027 in the months ahead.