Singapore Design Week 2025 Explores 60 Years of Nation-Building Through Design

Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2025 runs from 11 to 21 September and celebrates how design has shaped Singapore over its 60 years of nationhood under the theme “Nation by Design”. Organised by the DesignSingapore Council, the festival will activate four main areas: Bras Basah.Bugis, Marina, Orchard, and the newly added Singapore Science Park.

Festival Commissions and Key Highlights

Unnatural History Museum of Singapore

Curated by Kinetic Singapore at the National Design Centre, this exhibition runs from 11 September to 26 October. It features creative installations such as a six-metre “Merlion fossil”, robotic fauna, hybrid plants, and staged unusual habitats—all designed to provoke thought about Singapore’s resourcefulness.

The Sausage of the Future: Singapore Edition

Presented at the NAFA Fashion Gallery from 11 September to 19 October, this showcase by designer Carolien Niebling reimagines the humble sausage through local food culture and sustainability lenses. Expect models, ingredient visuals and special tasting sessions.

Four Design Districts

Singapore Science Park Design District (Reinvention): First-time district examining the interplay of science, technology and design, with installations by OuterEdit and CapitaLand-backed creators.
Marina Design District (Design for Care): Features accessible spaces like an inclusive indoor playground at Marina Square, and calming pavilions at Millenia Walk and South Beach.
Orchard Design District (Open Design Dialogue): Youth-led installations and brand collaborations along Orchard Road, curated to engage public conversation.
Bras Basah.Bugis: Continues to host key exhibitions, including the Unnatural History Museum and the National Museum-hosted Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION show.

Signature Programmes

Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION Homecoming Showcase (11 Sep–2 Nov, National Museum): A three-part exhibition curated by Tony Chambers, Maria Cristina Didero, and Singaporean Hunn Wai, spotlighting Singapore’s design evolution across 60 years.
Design Futures Forum (17 Sep, Victoria Theatre): A conference on sustainability, care, and emerging tech in design, aligned with SDW’s central theme.
FIND – Design Fair Asia (11–13 Sep, Marina Bay Sands): Features over 300 lifestyle and furniture brands, including the EMERGE showcase of emerging designers.
Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION at National Museum.

Why Families Should Visit

Singapore Design Week 2025 isn’t just for design professionals—it offers lots for families too. Interactive and playful exhibits like the Unnatural History Museum and the Science Park installations offer hands-on fun. The inclusive playground at Marina Square caters especially to children with different needs. Youth-focused spots in Orchard encourage older kids and teens to explore and express their creativity sdw.designsingapore.org.

Families can treat it as a city-wide adventure, visiting different districts over weekends to experience the diversity of Singapore’s design landscape.

Visit Details

Dates: 11–21 September 2025
Locations: Bras Basah.Bugis, Marina, Orchard, Singapore Science Park
More Info: Visit sdw.designsingapore.org for complete schedules and event locations

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Written by

Gio Adriano

Singapore Design Week 2025