On Oct. 10th, Shanghai Design Week 2014 officially started. As part of the theme exhibition area-Italy Exhibition Area, Shanghai & Florence, Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center appeared in this event on invitation and attracted wide attention.
In Feb. 2010, Shanghai successfully joined UNESCO “Creative City” Network and became the 7th city granted the title “City of Design” by the organization. To further integrate social creative design resources, enhance Shanghai’s international influence and popularity as a “City of Design”, after successfully holding Shanghai Design Week 2012 and Shanghai Design Week 2013, Shanghai Design Week 2014 started in Shanghai Exhibition Center. Sponsored by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Casermatization, UNESCO “Creative City” (Shanghai) Promotion Office, organized by Shanghai Promotion Center for City of Design, with “Guidance of Design, Integrated Development” as theme, this event was made up of three parts, i.e., “Main Exhibition, Forums and Series Activities”.
Opening Exhibition “Italian Architects in Shanghai and East China” was a main part of Italy Exhibition Area’s activities. Chen Yuehua, Deputy Director of Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Office, Deputy Director of Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Steering Group’s Office and Inspector of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Casermatization, and Ms. Cristina Giachi, Deputy Mayor of Florence, gave opening speeches for the opening exhibition. In their speeches, both the two expressed their hopes for the cooperation between Shanghai and Florence. Shanghai & Florence, Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center was a firm step made by Shanghai and Florence, China and Italy in design and cultural exchange.
Since Florence Base officially started operation on March 25th 2014, it had made important contributions to Sino-Italian design and cultural exchange. The center had joined hands with Polimoda Institute of Fashion Design and Marketing and Tongji University in Shanghai to carry out international exchanges and training for enterprises, in order to speed up the cultivation of design talents and train a domestic leading creative fashion talent reserve team for enterprises through the instructions of world-class fashion designers. So far, 12 domestic organizations and enterprises have settled in Florence Base.
Full of fashion and design senses, Italy Exhibition Area undoubtedly was the most popular exhibition area in the whole International Pavilion. It attracted many designers and media to stop for admiration. The front of the booth of Shanghai & Florence, Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center (Florence Base) was crowded with people. Domestic and overseas famous architectural designers showed deep interest in the center. Deputy Mayor of Florence and the Director of Economy and Tourism Promotion Bureau of Florence took a group photo in front of the booth with great interest to mark the occasion.
