The NYCxDESIGN Festival, New York City’s design week, returns May 16–23, 2026. The annual citywide festival highlights hundreds of events, from exhibits to talks to tours, drawing design enthusiasts from around the world. The Festival's trade show, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), will return to the Javits Center from May 17–19 under the theme "Common Ground: A Global Dialogue on Design and Shared Values." For those curious about architecture, interiors, urban design, graphic design, technology x design, industrial and product design—there's plenty to explore throughout the Festival. Below, we've gathered a few highlights to get you started.

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NYCxDESIGN Keynote: An Evening with Santiago and Gabriel Calatrava

Saturday, May 16, 5:30–7:30pm

Enjoy a special conversation with architects Santiago & Gabriel Calatrava at the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine, with an optional Oculus Tour. Set within one of Lower Manhattan’s most significant contemporary landmarks, the discussion offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the project’s designer alongside his son and collaborator, reflecting on architecture, legacy, and the making of civic space. The evening will conclude with a complimentary cocktail reception as architecture, dialogue, and place come together in a truly memorable experience.

The optional, pre-event architectural walking tour provides behind-the-scenes insight into the project’s design, engineering, and construction as a globally recognized transportation hub, as well as its relationship to the Saint Nicholas Church. Throughout the half-hour tour, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and innovations shaping both works before continuing to the keynote conversation nearby.

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NYCxDESIGN Festival Tour: Dwelling and Placemaking in Brownsville

Thursday, May 14, 6:30–8:00pm

How can we enhance streets to make physical and social connections among varying building types? What placemaking approaches can enhance local identity and foster people’s safety, health and wellbeing? Join NYCxDESIGN for a tour of Livonia Ave’s public and affordable housing, highlighting decades of design, connectivity, and placemaking.

Historically characterized by a high concentration of public housing and long associated with socioeconomic violence, Brownsville is emerging as a locus of new affordable housing opportunities and a cultural center characterized by innovation and entrepreneurship. These changes are thanks to many community-driven grassroots efforts as well as public reinvestment. City and local community stakeholders will host an open house and exhibition featuring various community-centered planning, design and placemaking efforts focused on Livonia Avenue in Brownsville. The event will also include a tour of public and affordable housing sites along Livonia Avenue. The aim of the event is to engage neighborhood residents, community organizations, city agencies, and developers in creating a sustainable urban design vision for Livonia Avenue and Brownsville that meets the needs of the neighborhood. The tour’s itinerary will feature Brownsville’s mix of high- and mid-rise public housing, mid-century urban renewal projects, and the growing stock of modern affordable, supportive, and mixed-use developments.

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NYCxDESIGN Festival Tour: Harlem Sculpture Gardens

Sunday, May 17, 1:00–2:30pm

Take a guided walk through Harlem Sculpture Gardens (HSG), a large-scale outdoor exhibition curated to foster joy and beauty throughout West Harlem. Led by Executive Director and Chief Curator Savona Bailey-McClain alongside participating artists, this 1.5-hour tour offers an inside look at the latest edition of HSG, featuring sculpture and design works installed across parks, plazas, and public spaces in the neighborhood. Explore artworks sited in St. Nicholas Park and Jackie Robinson Park, and learn about the curatorial vision, featured artists, and the role of public art in shaping community life in Harlem. Additional HSG locations include Morningside Park, Montefiore Square Park & Plaza, Broadway Malls (148th Street), and Maggie’s Garden.

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NYCxDESIGN Festival Tour: Wagner Park

Tuesday, May 19, 6:00–7:30pm

The rebuilt Wagner Park by Thomas Phifer and Partners and AECOM seamlessly integrates flood resilience and climate adaptation with urban and landscape design. This project highlights how thoughtful urban landscape design can transform public space into a civic centerpiece. Beneath its terraced walkways and sweeping lawn lies an 18-foot flood wall and a 63,000-gallon stormwater cistern—mitigating risk for Lower Manhattan from storm surge and sea level rise while remaining virtually invisible to park visitors. On this tour, visitors will see how infrastructure and landscape can work as one. The project team will share how designers and engineers collaborated to turn flood protection into a civic asset, ensuring Wagner Park remains open, green, and resilient. The park is a key feature of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, which won a 2026 AIANY Design Award in the Urban Design category.

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