Florence Design Week returns from April 22 to May 1 – by Ellen Miller
by 
Writer
This April 22 to May 1, Florence Design Week returns to the city for an in-depth look at lifestyle and design from an international perspective.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the city’s focus on design and the theme of the week will center around making design a significant aspect of life, not just a profession.
The city is a perfect setting for design, as Florence is full of ancient architecture and monuments, art and antiques.
The official title for the week is “Beyond Design,” the goal of the week being to foster a discussion about the future of design and its influence in other spheres of life.
Previous editions have included “fdw says hello,” “Design for,” “Connecting time,” and “Crossing People.” The events during the week will take place in significant buildings across the city, such as libraries, historical palaces, villas and grand hotels.
Specific venues for the 2014 edition include the National Library, the Archivio di Stato, Opera del Duomo museum, Borghese palace and the Hotel Minerva.
Thirty-five events, conferences, seminars and workshops will occur during the week to achieve the goal of creating a design dialogue.
Representatives from Moscow Design Week, St.
Petersburg Design Week, London Design Week, Melbourne Design Week and countries including Brazil, Romania, Spain, Poland and Mexico, among others, have been invited to ensure that worldwide views are represented.
Six primary categories are represented during Florence Design week, which include visual design, industrial design, interior design, architecture, fashion and food and music design, though the categories may be a little broader given the year’s theme.
International companies, schools and other groups are welcome to take part in Florence Design Week.
For the average spectator, there will be no shortage of events to attend, including design-focused apertivos and lectures.
Some designers will also have their work on display around the city, making it a great opportunity to see what is trending in the design world.
Given the week’s wide theme, this year’s edition of Florence Design Week promises to interest any passerby into taking another glimpse into how design impacts their own life.
