Matinée and exhibition opening “70 Years of Design – Masterpieces selected by Peter Zec”
Professional event 5 October 2025 | 11:00 – 13:00 h
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends of the Red Dot Design Museum,
On the occasion of its 70th anniversary, the Red Dot Design Museum is looking back on its eventful history – a story that began in 1955 with the first “Permanent Exhibition of Beautifully Designed Industrial Products” („Ständige Schau formschöner Industrieerzeugnisse“) and culminated in the 2000s with the now internationally renowned Red Dot Design Award.
On 5 October 2025, exactly 70 years after the opening of the first exhibition, we would like to honour this development with a matinée at the Red Dot Design Museum Essen. The event will include the opening of the exhibition “70 Years of Design – Masterpieces selected by Peter Zec”.
About the exhibition
The show brings together products from seven decades that stand for pioneering design and outstanding creative quality. Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, has curated this selection: designs that have accompanied him throughout his life and his work as a design promoter. His commentary and professional insights make the presentation a plea for quality, context and consistency in design.
On display are products from the post-war years, such as Braun Sixtant shaver and the D70 sofa by Tecno, which are exemplary of the design quality of that era. Visitors will also encounter influences from mass culture and history of technology: from the Fiat 500 to the Sony Walkman to the Rubik’s Cube. The exhibition is complemented by technological milestones such as the first Apple iPod and Sony's robotic dog AIBO, as well as design icons from Artemide, Flos, USM Haller, Grohe, Riedel and Alessi.
Matinée and registration
We would be delighted to welcome you on Sunday, 5 October 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Red Dot Design Museum Essen to raise a toast with you to the success story “from industrial design to Red Dot”.
Please register by 19 September 2025 via our » registration portal.
Kind regards,
Vito Oražem
Managing Director Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen
