For the first time, the second edition of the DesignBlok Talks conference will span two days this year. On October 6 and 7, 2026, as part of the Prague international design festival DesignBlok, more than 40 Czech and international architects, designers, and other experts will present and discuss this year’s central festival theme—light. The conference will take place in the historic central hall of the Industrial Palace (Průmyslový palác) at the Prague Exhibition Grounds (Výstaviště Praha), marking the very first event to be held there following its extensive reconstruction. DesignBlok Talks is being organized by DesignBlok in collaboration with the world’s most-read design portal, Dezeen, and the Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (CAMP, Prague Institute of Planning and Development).
The DesignBlok Talks conference was created in response to the need for a deeper professional dialogue on topics that shape the present and future of design, architecture, and related fields. Since its inception, it has become an important platform for architects, designers, interior designers, developers, manufacturers, journalists, and curators to meet, forming an integral part of Professionals’ Day and other professional programming at DesignBlok. Following last year’s success, it is naturally growing this year—expanding into a two-day format and moving to the newly reopened Industrial Palace.
Three Program Blocks Across Design and Architecture
The program will offer three thematic sections: Future of Design, Future of Architecture, and Future of Living. Tuesday will be dedicated to design and architecture, while Wednesday’s program will focus on the home and furniture. The Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (CAMP) is the partner for the architecture section. Lectures and discussions will be held in both Czech and English.
The dramatic concept of the conference is spearheaded by Danica Kovářová, DesignBlok’s Programme Manager, who is responsible for the program’s structure and the selection of speakers. “Within the three main program blocks—Future of Design, Future of Architecture, and Future of Living—I structured the conference dramaturgically to reflect the theme of light in its various practical, theoretical, and metaphysical meanings. Light is, first and foremost, a thing—a source, a luminaire and its glow, often also a reflection. It is what we see, but also what we cannot see because of it; what remains behind a diffusion screen, in the shadow, or entirely invisible. Light is also a carrier of emotion and, above all, an element that changes our perspective on things. Whether we are talking about a bright future, a spark of an idea, or the ignition of an original vision. It represents the clarity of things and thoughts, though this coin simultaneously has a flip side—darkness, without which light would make no sense. And finally, light is hope. So let the DesignBlok Talks conference enlighten us!” says Danica Kovářová.
The conference will kick off with the Future of Design block, which will spotlight materials, production, authorship, and know-how. Through the themes of light, glass, innovation, and brand building, it will connect designers, manufacturers, and companies that shape the current landscape of craft and industry. The subsequent Future of Architecture series of lectures and discussions will focus on the city in transition—how is Prague transforming amidst its history, development projects, and contemporary lifestyles? In these lectures, light emerges as a tool for atmosphere, safety, orientation, and the city’s identity after dark. This block gives a platform to architects, municipal institutions, and developers, asking how to design a city that is not only new but also comprehensible and livable. Wednesday’s Future of Living block will shift to the realm of the everyday: to the home, emotions, color, light, furniture, and atmosphere. Representatives of the most prominent global design retailers in the country will explore how a spatial experience is created and how taste is born.
Global Figures of Design and Architecture on One Stage
Prominent figures of Czech and global architecture and design will present on a stage designed by leading Czech scenographer Marek Cpin. The international program will feature appearances by the architectural icon of minimalism Claudio Silvestrin, designers Sebastian Herkner, Laurids Gallée, and Daniel Rybakken, interior architect Christophe Delcourt, Magis CEO Alberto Perazza, cultural visionary Stanley Wong, Pascale Mussard Siegrist (a prominent figure of the Hermès family and founder of the Petit h project), Dutch color expert Judith van Vliet, and journalist, curator, and former director of the Stockholm Furniture Fair Hanna Nova Beatrice. The Czech scene will be represented by studio Dechem, Jakub Berdych Karpelis, Maxim Velčovský, Kateřina Handlová, Jan Plecháč, Lucie Koldová, Václav Mlynář, representatives of companies such as Bomma, Brokis, Lasvit, Stopka, Ravak, Konsepti, and Vitra, along with this year’s Czech Grand Design Hall of Fame laureate Eva Eisler.
One of the special guests at this year’s DesignBlok will be British designer Lee Broom, who will bring the monumental light installation BEACON to Prague, created in collaboration with the Czech brand Brokis. Following its premiere in London and presentation at Milan Design Week, the installation will be introduced to the Czech public for the first time this year at Jan Palach Square in front of the Rudolfinum.
“For me, light has always encompassed far more aspects than just the practical one. It has the ability to transform the way we perceive a space and how we feel within it. I am interested in the emotional impact of light and how it can create moments of joy, reflection, and wonder—much like art. With the Beacon project, I wanted to explore light on a larger, public scale and create a piece that not only illuminates its surroundings but also brings a shared experience to everyone who encounters it,” explains Lee Broom.
The conference will be hosted by, among others, Dezeen’s Editor-in-Chief Max Fraser, who is also the president of the DesignBlok Awards jury, and Ben Hobson, journalist and co-director of Dezeen. The complete program and additional speaker names will be published on the festival’s website in the coming weeks.
Guided Tours of the Reconstructed Industrial Palace
DesignBlok’s return to the restored Industrial Palace will be complemented by an opportunity to explore this iconic building up close. The Prague Exhibition Grounds is preparing a series of guided tours for the public. “The reopening of the Industrial Palace is an exceptionally powerful moment for us. We are all the more thrilled that the very first event to take place here will be DesignBlok. However, we also want the general public to enjoy the restored palace. Therefore, in cooperation with Prague City Tourism, we are preparing a series of guided tours led by accredited guides, which will allow people to peek into the story of this extraordinary reconstruction and into places that have been inaccessible for many years,” comments Tomáš Hübl, Chairman of the Board of the Prague Exhibition Grounds. From September 25 to October 12, approximately fifty tours with discounted admission will take place as part of the palace’s opening, each with a capacity of 30 people. Registration will launch in the coming days via the Prague City Tourism website, and the latest information will be available on the Exhibition Grounds website.
Part of the Program for Professionals
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, following the conclusion of the DesignBlok Talks program, Professionals’ Day will commence—a traditional DesignBlok preview dedicated to the professional public. Attendees will be able to view all festival locations and curated exhibitions before they open to the general public, personally meet more than two hundred designers and representatives of studios and brands, and establish new professional contacts. A DesignBlok Talks ticket also includes accreditation for Professionals’ Day.
Tickets
Tickets for DesignBlok Talks are sold in a discounted combination with a festival pass for the entire DesignBlok. During the first wave of presale, the ticket costs 1,900 CZK (2,400 CZK after August 1, 2026, and 2,800 CZK on-site). A VIP option is also available for 5,400 CZK (5,900 CZK after August 1, 2026, and 6,400 CZK on-site), which additionally includes entry to the VIP Networking Lounge with all-day refreshments, access to the VIP Lounge in the Trade Fair Palace and the Prague Castle Riding School, two tickets to the festival’s opening ceremony with a welcome drink, and reserved seating at the Diploma Selection fashion shows and the DesignBlok Stage. The number of presale tickets is limited.
DesignBlok, the international design and fashion festival, celebrates its 28th edition this year under the theme of Light. The festival will be open to the public from October 7 to 11, 2026, at several key locations: the Trade Fair Palace of the National Gallery Prague, the Prague Castle Riding School, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, and the Industrial Palace at the Prague Exhibition Grounds. It is complemented by dozens of showrooms and galleries across Prague.
Tickets are available on presale at designblok.cz.
