Ljubljana hosts DesignEuropa awards as Pet Shell reaches finals

Ljubljana hosted the 10th anniversary of the DesignEuropa awards at Cankarjev dom, marking the city as a center for European design. The event, organized by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), recognized excellence in design across more than 1,600 entries from 52 countries.

Among the finalists was the Slovenian product Pet Shell, developed by Pet Shellter from Vrhnika. The product, designed by Uroš Abram and Petra Novak, is a pet sanctuary intended to reduce stress in domestic animals caused by loud noises such as fireworks and storms. Its spiral shape, inspired by a snail shell, aims to reduce noise by more than half using physical form and specific materials rather than electronics.

Philippe Starck received a special lifetime achievement award during the ceremony, which was attended by Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar. Ljubljana was selected as the host city due to its architectural heritage, specifically the work of Jože Plečnik, and its growing reputation as a creative hub.