Valencia, Spain: World Design Capital

Every two years, the World Design Organization bestows the title of World Design Capital on a different city, an honor that falls on Valencia, Spain, in 2022. Over a hundred events have been planned including speeches, conventions, and exhibits. The culminating events are the back-to-back World Design Festival and Disseny Week beginning in late September, but there are plenty of other activities happening throughout the year, making it easier than ever to explore and discover the city's design spirit.

For instance, check out El Garaje Foodie, a design-focused former mechanic where classic vehicles have been converted into food trucks. This and many other places with a design bend are all conveniently consolidated on the Mapa del Disseny, a city map that highlights every design attraction in Valencia from official exhibitions to flashy street art.

One of the most eye-catching neighborhoods of Valencia is The City of Arts and Sciences, a collection of buildings that include an opera house and the Oceanogràfic, Europe's biggest aquarium. These neo-futuristic edifices are the signature of the world-famous architect Santiago Calatrava, whose weirdly organic designs often look like the bleached skeletons of intergalactic whales.

While Calatrava might just be the most famous designer to ever come out of Valencia, the city’s rich artistic heritage doesn’t stop there. Known for its graphic design, colorful ceramics, modernist architecture, and urban planning, Valencia is also home to future-forward companies such as Zeleros, which is currently developing a sustainable "hyperloop" transit system. At the same time, a cultural calendar chock full of age-old festivals provides creative outlets that draw in visitors in droves.

Another claim to fame predating Calatrava is Valencia’s ceramics, especially the Nolla Mosaics. These were one of the most prominent decorative elements of Spanish modernist architecture and were adopted around the world in cities like Lisbon, Buenos Aires, and Santiago de Cuba. In the city itself, look for these mosaics at City Hall, the Teatro Principal, the Post Office building, and the Central Market, or even on numerous facades in the Cabanyal neighborhood. There is also a dedicated app, NollaMap, to find these, but you might as well leave your phone in your pocket and discover all of Valencia’s little design treasures on a serendipitous stroll.

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