The World Design Summit Organization (WDSO) is proud to announce that Alejandro Aravena, currently the foremost figure in the world of architecture, will be among the keynote speakers of this major event that will bring together thousands of professionals in Montreal, from October 16-25.

This audacious Chilean architect’s work was honoured in many prestigious ways, over the course of the last year. Winner of the prestigious 2016 Pritzker Prize, the most important international award in the field of architecture, director of the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, he was also named on the New York Times’ list of “28 creative geniuses who defined culture in 2016”. Innovative, focused on social issues, promoter of new collaborative approaches, this Chilean architect has made his mark through projects of all types and scales that aim at improving the conditions of the less privileged, and at providing answers to the great challenges of the 21^st Century, notably on the environmental front. This architect “who deepens our understanding of what is truly great design”, as Tom Pritzker presented him when awarding the 2016 Prize, is sure to generate lots of hype and bustle!

Earlier in December, the Summit also announced the presence of Belinda Tato and Jan Gehl among its keynote speakers, with more announcements to come very soon.

The world of design is ready to assemble!

Beyond its prestigious keynote speakers, the Summit will also be showcasing a vast and diverse program. The enthusiasm generated all over the world by the first call for proposals is a clear indicator of the event’s unique character, with 335 people or groups from forty countries (half from outside Canada) having set in submissions. And there’s plenty more to come, since the second call for proposals, open to professionals of all six major design disciplines (architecture, graphic design, urban design, interior design, landscape architecture, industrial design) will be launched very soon.

About the Summit

The World Design Summit – Montreal 2017 is an unprecedented international gathering of diverse disciplines with a common focus: how design can shape the future. Montréal will host design professionals, government and business leaders, industry representatives, media and NGOs from around the world. For 10 days, attendees will come together to transcend silos, foster cooperation and enhance professional development. More than a mere celebration of design, the Summit will demonstrate the tremendous power of design to create viable solutions to global social, economic, cultural and environmental challenges.

To find out more about the Summit, go to www.worlddesignsummit.com, and register to the newsletter to find out all the details.