Prague Designblok: Central Europe’s Largest Design Festival – Has Found Its New Heroes
Prague’s Designblok – the largest design festival in Central Europe – has found its new heroes. The international jury, chaired by Yoko Choy, journalist and curator of the Chinese edition of Wallpaper magazine, awarded projects that are unafraid to go against the tide. Those that don’t seek mere appeal but embody authenticity.
Once again, Designblok proved that Czech design has a powerful and distinctive voice.
“The jury made its decisions based on the authors’ courage to follow their own path despite mainstream trends,” said jury president Yoko Choy. “We looked for projects that are not just visually striking but have an inner conviction and a distinct identity.”
Out of more than a hundred exhibitors, several names and projects stood out, pushing the boundaries of Czech design this year:
The Grand Prix Designblok went to the duo Tereza Sluková and Milan Pekař. Their site-specific installation Orrery at the Queen Anne’s Summer Palace is a poetic dialogue between history, ceramics, and time. The organic forms of the ceramic objects resemble a fragile constellation of planets quietly moving in rhythm with the Renaissance architecture.
The Award for Extraordinary Contribution to World Design was presented to contemporary design legend Patricia Urquiola. The Spanish designer accepted the award in person, and her presence became a symbolic bridge between the Czech and international design scenes.
In the category Best New Designer, the jury recognized Wontek, a brand by Polish designer Stanisław Stupkiewicz, who boldly explores the aesthetic possibilities of 3D printing. Meanwhile, the Best New Product by a Manufacturer title went to Izaak Reich Glassworks and designer Rony Plesl for their Linden glass collection – a masterful example of reviving a two-hundred-year-old tradition.
The Best School Presentation award went to the Ceramics Design Studio from FUD UJEP in Ústí nad Labem. Their exhibition MONUMENT transformed ceramics into a quiet language of memory – each object serving as a personal testimony to what deserves a permanent place in our inner and public space.
For Best Designer Presentation, Tereza Talichová was awarded for her Tititi: Pioneers collection of wooden figures paying tribute to women who made history – activists, artists, and athletes alike.
The Best Manufacturer Presentation was claimed by the legendary brand Merkur, which teamed up with students from the University of Ústí nad Labem. The result is a playful installation for the Designblok for Kids pavilion, proving that even a classic brand can grow alongside a new generation.
The Impact Award – honoring projects with strong social or environmental relevance – was granted to the publication 1318 Minutes in Kutná Hora, capturing one day and night in the historic town through the lens of photographers BoysPlayNice.
This year’s jury, composed of Yoko Choy, architect Bernard Dubois, designer Chris Martin, director Mirkku Kullberg (Kasthall, Paimio Foundation), and Cyril Zammit, founder of Dubai Design Week, praised courage, authenticity, and a sense of functionality.
Designblok 2025 showcased a new generation of designers unafraid to take risks and redefine beauty through authenticity. This year’s winners proved that true innovation lies not in spectacle, but in conviction — in the courage to follow one’s own vision.
