Design in the City 2026 | Xuhui District Hotspots, Events & Studio Open Day Revealed

From 5-22nd of March 2026, Design in the City brings design beyond the exhibition halls and into the everyday life of the city. Xuhui District unveils an initial selection of nine curated hotspots and six thematic events, spanning dining, fashion, fragrance and design-led spaces. They explore how design shapes daily rituals, emotional experience and contemporary urban lifestyles. More locations and partner studios will be announced progressively.

 

 

Xuhui District Hotspots Highlights

The event focuses on Creative Encounters, with site recommendations curated by designer Yaotian Zhang as regional ambassadors, revealing a dialogue between heritage and contemporary design.

In Dining Experiences, EAU CAFÉ, BIRD HUT (Zhen Feng Dao) and LA BLEUE translate flavour into spatial language. From EAU CAFÉ’s calm urban retreat, to BIRD HUT’s precision-driven Cantonese roast craftsmanship, and LA BLEUE’s emotionally immersive “blue hour” atmosphere, everyday dining becomes a designed ritual.

The Fashion & Fragrance selection—including HIDEMI, Scent Diary, handhandhand and EMME—positions clothing and scent as emotional media. Through silhouette, colour, scent and tactility, these brands explore memory, self-expression and intimacy in daily life.

Within Design Spaces, 75 Boutique Vintage, Banlan and WS SPACE present furniture, objects and interiors as complete lifestyle narratives. From antique reinterpretation and modern Chinese furniture to Wu Bin’s multi-layered lifestyle complex, design emerges as a system connecting material, space and experience.

 

Studio Open Day

A series of Studio Open Day will open the working environments of leading practices, including July & Partners, Ippolito Fleitz Group, WS SPACE, Order Studio, Nota Architects, Tsing-Tien Making, 485 MetaGalaxy, and Y.AN DESIGN STUDIO offering insight into how design moves from concept to built reality.

Creative hotspots and partners are now being recruited. Join us in shaping Shanghai as a design city.