Rijeka – CITY OF TEXTURES

Workshop

14th edition
200 design students + young professionals
15 projects

Rijeka || Croatia

03/08 – 17/08 2025

MEDS is an international network connecting young professionals and students through workshops and events. It promotes design’s positive societal impact, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and offers designers a platform to build connections, unlock potential, and apply their talents outside the faculty.

ABOUT RIJEKA

Rijeka is the third-largest city in Croatia, situated in the country’s western region. It lies on the northern shore of Rijeka Bay, which is part of the larger Kvarner Bay in the Adriatic Sea. It is a city where creativity and innovation have long been intertwined with production, spanning from traditional workshops to large-scale factories. Its rich industrial heritage offers a valuable opportunity for appreciation and recognition.

Originally known to the Romans as Tarsatica, Rijeka’s roots trace back to antiquity. It gained prominence as a strategic port under the Frankopan and Zrinski families in the medieval era. Declared a free port in the 18th century during the Habsburg period, it thrived as an industrial and commercial hub, experiencing rapid growth in the 19th century with the rise of shipbuilding and manufacturing.

Rijeka was designated the European Capital of Culture for 2020, celebrating its unique heritage and role as a bridge between Central Europe and the Mediterranean.

RIJEKA-CITY OF TEXTURES

Rijeka, with its rich history and vibrant present, is a city shaped by industrial grit, shimmering waters, creativity, and the echoes of human stories. Together, these elements weave the true essence of the city: a dynamic mosaic of shifting textures.

Four central stories define the city’s collective memory, each contributing to its layered identity: interplay, overlap, conflict, fusion, prevalence, and vibration between these narratives create an unexpected scenario.

Its textures are not merely seen or touched; they are experienced and felt, making Rijeka a city that lingers in memory.

MEDS has the opportunity to become a layer itself, traversing these textures and contributing to Rijeka’s ongoing story.

Rijeka is a city where layers of time, influences, and cultures intertwine through its streets, traditions, and interactions.
A city of interconnected stories and contradictions, united in harmony and coexisting together in different times.

Rijeka is a city where water gives life, even shaping its name. For years, the people have relied on this connection, making it a link for encounters, exchanges, and boundaries. The river, streams, canal, and abundant rainfall define the city’s rhythm, carrying a forgotten power of a siren’s call.

Rijeka is a city where the themes of ideas and innovation have always been linked to production, from manufactories to factories. Its rich industrial heritage leaves room for its appreciation, new development and opportunities, breathing life into the gritty textures of steel beams and weathered walls.

Rijeka, with its rich blend of cultural influences, fosters a vibrant scene of innovation and creativity. Its determined spirit drives creation, serving as a generator of urban activity and leaving its mark on the streets. The city acts as a living workshop and a center of cultural energy that sparks imagination ever-evolving and pulsating with energy.