From June 24 to July 1, 2025, the “Design Route - Downtown Circuit” will take place. This is an event that celebrates and highlights the city’s design legacy by showcasing its talent, creative goods and services through a series of free activities focused on circulation, exhibition, and reflection.
According to the Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sports—the organizing entity—the event will promote citizen participation over eight days and transform the city center into a living stage for design, fostering intersectoral dialogue within this key sector of Bogotá’s cultural and creative economy.
One of its most outstanding activities will be a creative hackathon to strengthen local identity and propose solutions to urban challenges. With a diverse agenda that includes seven activations, two exhibitions, two academic conferences, a cultural award event, and the participation of 14 institutions and over 15 industry agents, the Design Route will connect design with the city and the people.
Event Schedule
The program will begin on Tuesday, June 24 with the Evaluation of the Cultural Call: Design Hackathon for a 24/7 Bogotá, featuring a panel of experts from the sector, including Natalia Rodríguez, Head of Design and Innovation at iBO – Public Innovation Lab of iTEAM Bogotá; Diego García-Reyes, co-founder of the Prana incubator and Director of the Bogotá Design Festival; and Iván Cortés, Director of the Lápiz de Acero Foundation, along with previously selected collectives and individuals. This activity will take place at El Muelle de FUGA (Calle 10 #3-16), from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
That same day, the Buen Diseño Colombia Award Exhibition will be held, featuring 36 finalists and four winners: Xiclo, PAID, Somos Mhuyscas, and Architectural Concrete Lattice Wall Systems. This activity will take place at NC Diseño (Carrera 5 #26A-70), from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, June 25, the first academic day will begin at the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University - Oval Auditorium, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Topics will include the Buen Diseño Colombia Award, featuring Jaime Franky Rodríguez and the award winners. Other activities will include initiatives such as Crea Colombia, NC Diseño, Diseño Museo Gráfico, and the History of the Bogotá Design Festival, among others. The program will also be held at the Planetarium of Bogotá.
On Thursday, June 26, the second academic session will also take place at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. One of the main topics will be the Lápiz de Acero Award. Iván Cortés, its director, will lead a conversation on the value of design with this year’s winners: Alejandro Rogelis Arquitectura, Andrea Carolina Duarte, Juan Manuel España, and student recipients in the New Talents category. Topics such as global design and public design will also be discussed. At the same time, the Buen Diseño Colombia Award Exhibition will be open to the public at NC Diseño (Carrera 5A #26A-70) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Also on that day, the Academic Design Exhibition will take place at the Bogotá Planetarium. Discover the full event lineup:
Friday, June 27
Buen Diseño Colombia Award Exhibition
Location: NC Diseño – Carrera 5 #26A-70.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Academic Design Exhibition
Outstanding academic projects / Animation and interactive design exhibition.
Location: Planetarium of Bogotá – Calle 26B #5-93.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Design Route: A Walk Through the Lines that Shape the International Center Creative District
Meeting Point: Mile Café - Carrera 7 # 26 - 11.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Tardeando el Centro
More than 25 local businesses, venues, and institutions will offer specialized cultural and commercial experience.
Participants: Emprendimientos locales.
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
National Coffee Day
Six coffee shops will offer unique experiences focused on brewing and tasting, including CatCoffee, Jaguar Coffee, Agüita Negra Café, and Arte y Pasión.
Saturday, June 28
Buen Diseño Colombia Award Exhibition
Location: NC Diseño – Carrera 5 #26A-70.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 29
DC Tour: La Candelaria – Santa Fe. Architecture and Urban Photography Workshop
A practical activity focused on composition, lighting, and observation of the urban environment, while exploring the streets of La Candelaria. Participants will learn to find the extraordinary in the everyday.
Meeting Point: Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Las Aguas (Carrera 2a #18a 68, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, July 1
Buen Diseño Colombia Award Exhibition
Place: NC Diseño – Carrera 5 #26A-70.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Workshop: Accessible AI Design Tools, Conscious Merchandising & Copyright
Includes a section on sustainable fashion.
Place: National Museum of Colombia, 3:00 p.m.
That day will also feature the awards ceremony for the “Design Hackathon for a 24/7 Bogotá,” where the three winners selected by the jury will be announced.
Location: Teresa Cuervo Borda Auditorium, National Museum of Colombia at 5:00 p.m.
More information at https://culturarecreacionydeporte.gov.co/es
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