Vienna: A melting pot where tradition and innovation come together

The Vienna Tourist Board hosted a press conference during the Dubai Design Week, the annual week-long festival celebrating design and creativity in the UAE and beyond, to shed light on Vienna’s century-old role as a melting pot for all things creative

During the press conference, renowned Viennese designer Barbara Palatin-Doyle from Studio Palatin, who is also a participant at the Dubai Design Week, shared her finest handcrafting techniques and delved into details about Vienna’s role as a source of inspiration that grew her career

The city has long been a center for design. Vienna had made the transition from its imperial past to classical modernity by 1900. Ever since then, Viennese designers have been known for their distinct creativity in multiple areas

During the press conference, Matthias Schwindl, media relations manager at Vienna Tourist Board, said: “In Vienna, tradition and innovation come together beautifully in design. And it can be experienced in everything from fashion to jewellery and interior design. We are really excited for this year’s Dubai Design Week programme as it introduces an eclectic mix of designers and ideas from which stems thoughtful cultural innovation and broadened horizons. It is playing a hugely important role in promoting a culture of diverse creativity”

In recent years, Viennese designers have developed their own unmistakable styles. Vienna’s credentials as a creative center are easy to see. This applies just as much to fashion and jewelry as it does to accessories, interior design, and architecture. To this day, as in the past, the architecture of most of Vienna’s shops, hotels, and institutions is nothing short of impressive

The beauty and creativity of Vienna come to stark focus in the weeks leading up to Christmas. During this time, the streets of the city are washed in a sea of lights that illuminate everything. The dazzling sparkle is not limited to the Advent markets but covers more than 30 shopping streets of Vienna which shine in festive splendor every evening until January 10th. The lights are switched on for the first time in November every year

A total of almost 200 kilometers of cable is laid every year to power more than 2.2 million points of light for the city’s impressive Christmas lighting. Most of these use LED technology, instead of incandescent bulbs, to reduce electricity costs by 80 percent, making the entire operation sustainable

The city offers a variety of exciting things to do during the winter season such as skating at Vienna’s Ice World on Rathausplatz, exploring the Children’s Museum Schloss Schönbrunn, conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in the House of Music, and more. “The beauty of Vienna lies in its year-round availability of a huge variety of activities to indulge in, especially during the winter season. There is so much to discover for both the young and the old, and we look forward to welcoming you to this beautiful city that we call home,” Schwindl added