Cité du design
Cité du design is a French EPCC in Saint-Étienne operating the Ésadse design school, the Galerie nationale du design, and applied design research, publicly funded by Saint-Étienne Métropole, the Ministry of Culture, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSaint Etienne, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Cité du design does
Cité du design is a French Établissement public de coopération culturelle (EPCC) located in Saint-Étienne, combining a design school, national exhibition spaces, and applied design research under a single publicly chartered entity. Formally established in 2010 on a former industrial brownfield site, the 14,000 m² campus hosts the Ésadse (École supérieure d'art et design de Saint-Étienne), which delivers DNA and DNSEP national diplomas from preparatory class through post-master research programs including Local Tools (design and industry) and Azimuts (graphic design and editorial forms). The institution educates 400+ students with 60 active professional teachers and operates two research units with five teams, supporting a curriculum that spans Objet, Public(s), Graphismes et Images, Création numérique, and ACDC_espaces specializations.
The institution's product portfolio centers on three exhibition spaces: the Galerie nationale du design (France's first national gallery dedicated to public design collections, opened June 10, 2026, co-managed with MAMC+), La Platine (contemporary creation), and La Cabane (free children's design workshop). Supporting resources include a specialized médiathèque of 41,000+ documents, a matériauthèque of 3,500 material samples, and six technical workshops. The institution also organizes the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne and runs post-master research programs pairing young designers with industrial partners (Cetim, Weiss, Rondino, Sculpteo).
Revenue is predominantly public-sector, drawing from Saint-Étienne Métropole, the French Ministry of Culture (DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, supplemented by ticket sales (2 euros launch rate), guided visits (5 euros), modest post-master tuition (521 euros/year), an e-boutique, and partnership contributions. Go-to-market is event-driven through exhibitions, the biennale, educational programs, and the Jazz à Vienne pedagogical partnership, with a network of 55 international partner schools enabling student exchange and double-degree programs. The EPCC is led by Director General Éric Jourdan and presided over by Yannis Bekhti, with Olivier Peyricot directing research and Aurélie Voltz directing the Galerie nationale du design and MAMC+.
Cité du design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cité du design
- Legal name
- EPCC Cité du design – École supérieure d'art et design de Saint-Étienne
- Website
- https://citedudesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Cité du design is a French EPCC in Saint-Étienne operating the Ésadse design school, the Galerie nationale du design, and applied design research, publicly funded by Saint-Étienne Métropole, the Ministry of Culture, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cité du design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art and Design Education and Cultural Institution
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Architectural Services (54131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Cité du design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Etienne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cité du design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Public Cultural Institution Funding: As an EPCC (Établissement public de coopération culturelle), Cité du design receives public funding from Saint-Étienne Métropole, the French Ministry of Culture, and regional government. Additional revenue comes from ticket sales, the e-boutique, partnership contributions, and educational program fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | General admission with launch rate |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Free admission |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Family/guided visit package |
| Subscription | Annual | Post-master Research tuition |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cité du design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cité du design is a French public cultural cooperation establishment (EPCC) that operates a higher education design school (Ésadse) offering national art and design degrees (DNA, DNSEP) and post-master research programs, alongside public exhibition spaces including the Galerie nationale du design (France's first national design gallery), La Platine, and La Cabane. The institution runs design research through its GRAD units, maintains specialized educational resources (Médiathèque, matériauthèque, technical workshops), and hosts the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne.
Product overview
Cité du design is an EPCC (Établissement public de coopération culturelle) in Saint-Étienne, France, combining a cultural institution with a design school (Ésadse). Its portfolio includes three main exhibition spaces: La Galerie nationale du design (France's first national design gallery, opened June 2026), La Platine (contemporary creation), and La Cabane (children's workshop). The institution houses Ésadse, a top-10 French design school offering DNA and DNSEP degrees from preparatory class through post-master research programs (Local Tools, Azimuts). Supporting resources include the Médiathèque (41,000+ documents), Matériauthèque (3,500+ samples), and six technical workshops. Cité du design also organizes the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne and runs pedagogical partnerships with external organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- La Platine: Seasonal cultural exhibition space within the Cité du design presenting contemporary creation through exhibitions featuring emerging designers, students, and projects linked to industry and territories.
- La Cabane
- Galerie nationale du design
Products and services
- Galerie nationale du design France's first national gallery dedicated to design, showcasing public collections of design through rotating exhibitions curated by invited commissioners. Open to the general public at €2 launch rate.
- La Platine
Companies that use Cité du design
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cité du design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cité du design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Galerie nationale du design Partners (Centre Pompidou, Cnap, MAMC+, Musée des Arts Décoratifs Bordeaux, Frac Grand Large)coreThe Galerie nationale du design is co-porté by EPCC Cité du design – Ésad Saint-Étienne and MAMC+, developed in close partnership with Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) as founding member, Centre Pompidou as exceptional partner, and other major French cultural institutions contributing to public design collections.
- Saint-Étienne MétropolecoreMain public funder of the Cité du design and Galerie nationale du design. Provides ongoing financial support and strategic alignment with regional development goals.
- Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la Culture)coreNational government ministry providing cultural funding and oversight for the EPCC and its educational programs.
- UNESCO Creative Cities NetworkflagshipSaint-Étienne is the only French city designated as a UNESCO Creative Design City, part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. This designation validates the city's commitment to design as a driver of sustainable urban development.
- Jazz à Vienne FestivalflagshipFor the 4th consecutive year, Jazz à Vienne collaborates with ESAD Saint-Étienne through Cybèle Production, giving 3rd-year design students creative carte blanche on the theme 'Habiller la ville' (Dressing the city) for the 2026 festival edition (June 25 - July 11). Three student projects were selected for realization and public display.
- Cybèle ProductionflagshipCultural production company that facilitates the partnership between Jazz à Vienne and ESAD Saint-Étienne, coordinating student projects for urban installations and creative interventions.
- Cetim (Centre technique des industries mécaniques)coreTechnical center for mechanical industries partnering with the 2nd promotion of the post-master Local Tools program (2026-2028). Cetim brings 1,100+ experts including engineers and technicians supporting industrial transformation and ecological transition.
- WeisscoreChocolate manufacturer founded in Saint-Étienne in 1882 and partner of the 2nd Local Tools promotion (2026-2028). Design and innovation are part of Weiss's DNA; the company was founding partner of Cité du design in 2009 and has received the Palme d'Or de l'Artisanat de Tradition in 2025.
- RondinocoreWood equipment manufacturer with 140 years of know-how, 90 employees, and 3 production sites. Partner of the 1st Local Tools promotion (2024-2026) collaborating on design-industry research.
- Sculpteocore3D printing service provider created in 2009, became part of BASF in 2019, offering prototyping and series production using various additive manufacturing technologies. Partner of the 1st Local Tools promotion.
- ESAT de menuiserie de Saint-Maurice l'ExilminorVocational workshop that constructed wooden structures for the Jazz à Vienne student installations project.
- 55 International Partner SchoolsflagshipApproximately 55 schools and universities worldwide with exchange and double-degree agreements, enabling international mobility for students and collaborative academic projects.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cité du design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Centre Pompidou: France's leading modern and contemporary art institution and founding partner of the Galerie nationale du design. A much larger incumbent whose collection loans, curatorial network and brand materially shape Cité du design's programming.
- Vitra Design Museum: Internationally renowned private design museum with strong industrial-partner collaborations (Vitra) and exhibitions on design history — a comparable institutional model pairing design museum programming with industry partnership.
- Design Museum London: Major dedicated international design museum with comparable 'design as national cultural asset' positioning, exhibition programming and educational mission — a benchmark peer for the Galerie nationale du design's role.
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: The only US national museum dedicated to design, with a public design collection mandate analogous to the Galerie nationale du design — a relevant international benchmark for a state-backed national design institution.
Direct peers
- ENSAD Paris (École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs): Top French public art and design school offering DNA/DNSEP degrees, post-master research and exhibition programming — a directly comparable national-scale peer in curriculum, degree structure and research output.
- ENSCI Les Ateliers: France's leading industrial design school (Paris), operating under a similar 'design & industry' mandate and a comparable post-master / research structure, making it the closest functional peer to Cité du design's Local Tools program.
- MAMC+ Saint-Étienne: Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole, co-managing the Galerie nationale du design with Cité du design. Operates as a public modern/contemporary art museum in the same city and ecosystem, sharing audiences, partners and infrastructure.
- Royal College of Art: World-leading postgraduate university for art and design in London with comparable top-tier global design school rankings, design research centers, and industry partnership programs — a benchmark international peer for Esadse's research and degree offerings.
- ESAD de Reims: École Supérieure d'Art et de Design de Reims is a French public art and design school with the same ESAD designation, comparable curricula (DNA/DNSEP), and a comparable mix of education, exhibitions and post-master research — the closest structural peer to Ésadse.
- ESAD de Grenoble: French public art and design school within the same ESAD network as Ésadse, with comparable DNA/DNSEP degree structure, research units and exhibition programming — a regional peer in the French public design education landscape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cité du design social profiles
Digital presenceCité du design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cité du design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Cité du design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cité du design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cité du design
What does Cité du design do?
Cité du design is a French public cultural cooperation establishment (EPCC) that operates a higher education design school (Ésadse) offering national art and design degrees (DNA, DNSEP) and post-master research programs, alongside public exhibition spaces including the Galerie nationale du design (France's first national design gallery), La Platine, and La Cabane. The institution runs design research through its GRAD units, maintains specialized educational resources (Médiathèque, matériauthèque, technical workshops), and hosts the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne.
Is Cité du design a public or private company?
Cité du design is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Cité du design founded?
Cité du design was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cité du design based?
Cité du design is headquartered in Saint Etienne, France, in the Europe region.
How does Cité du design make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Cultural Institution Funding.
Who are Cité du design's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Centre Pompidou, Vitra Design Museum, Design Museum London and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Direct peers are ENSAD Paris (École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs), ENSCI Les Ateliers, MAMC+ Saint-Étienne, Royal College of Art, ESAD de Reims and ESAD de Grenoble.
Does Cité du design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cité du design.
What industry is Cité du design in?
Cité du design's product category is Art and Design Education and Cultural Institution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAJAG, Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions), with a secondary code of BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 7121.