As part of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025, Romanian Design Week and Łódź Design Festival, present Design is our shared language – a collaborative project that turns public space into a place for conversation, connection, and shared experience.
More than an urban intervention, this initiative celebrates design as a universal language – one that bridges cities, cultures, and communities.
One idea, two installations, two cities, one message
This May, the people of Bucharest and Łódź will encounter an interactive urban intervention designed to bring strangers together and give friends a place to gather in the heart of the two cities. Developed jointly by Romanian and Polish architects, the project embodies a shared message: that public space should play an active role in giving people a sense of belonging, and that such interventions are essential for improving the way residents relate to the cities they live in.
In Bucharest, the installation will be located on Calea Victoriei, an important boulevard that becomes a pedestrian zone on weekends, offering a welcoming setting for interaction and discovery. In Łódź, it will be placed in a revitalized square at the intersection of Ogrodowa and Zachodznia streets — a site that reflects the city’s ongoing urban transformation.
At the heart of Design is our shared language lies the spirit of collaboration. The project is built around three core pillars:
Fostering cross-cultural collaboration
Romanian and Polish architecture studios worked together to co-design an installation for each city, engaging in both virtual and in-person exchanges. This collaborative process allowed for the blending of different creative visions and architectural approaches, highlighting the strength of intercultural cooperation. The two installations that resulted are context aware and site specific with a common message and approach.
Encouraging cultural understanding
Through curated editorial content and informational displays at each installation site, visitors are invited to explore and appreciate the culture, heritage, and urban landscape of the partner city. The project becomes a platform for dialogue and mutual discovery between the two countries.
Reimagining public space
By transforming everyday urban spaces into colorful, dynamic, and interactive environments, the project proves design’s ability to foster spontaneous connections and community engagement. It’s a living example of how thoughtful design can bring cities — and people — closer together.
A design intervention rooted in real urban contexts
While Bucharest grapples with a lack of accessible green and social spaces, Łódź is undergoing a major urban revitalization process. Both cities are in search of public spaces that invite people to gather, interact, and feel part of a community.
More than a creative project – a cultural bridge
As a highlight of the Romania–Poland Cultural Season, this initiative reflects the broader mission of the bilateral program: to strengthen ties between the two countries through art, design, and meaningful collaboration. By inviting citizens to explore another culture in their own city, the project shows how design can break down barriers, spark curiosity, and bring people closer.
In a fast-paced world marked by division and individualism, Design is our shared language reminds us of something essential: good design doesn’t just solve problems – it builds bridges.
The POLAND-ROMANIA Cultural Season 2024-2025 is organised by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, with the support of the Polish Institute in Bucharest, the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Cultural Institute. There are dozens of events during the season, including exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and literary events.