Eight countries, 3,000 kilometres and some of Europe’s most exciting architecture and design destinations along a single route. HELLO WOOD’s new project, the HOLY CUBE RALLY, is not a traditional road trip, but a mobile cultural expedition where the Bauhaus, Brutalism, contemporary art and mountain switchbacks all become part of the same journey.
HELLO WOOD’s new project connects iconic architectural sites, contemporary art spaces and lesser-known cultural destinations across eight countries and approximately 3,000 kilometres. The HOLY CUBE RALLY, however, is not a classic road trip: it is more of a mobile, community-driven discovery platform, where the route is at least as important as the destination itself. The programme brings together locations that might not initially appear in the same guidebook: CERN’s particle accelerator, the brutal concrete mass of Vienna’s Wotruba Church, the Bauhaus heritage of Dessau, Basel’s Vitra Campus, or the worlds of the Venice Architecture Biennale and the Art Biennale. According to the organisers, alongside major, canonical architectural destinations, more hidden buildings, art installations and alternative cultural spaces will also feature along the route.
One of the most interesting elements of the concept is precisely this selection: rather than presenting a single architectural era or style, the rally connects places of different scales and characters. From the iconic heritage of Modernism and Brutalist architecture to contemporary art, a lot fits into the journey, while the route itself also becomes part of the programme. Travelling through Alpine switchbacks, mountain roads, lakes and Czech rock cities, participants are not simply getting from one point to another: throughout the journey, the cultural and natural environment is constantly changing.
From this perspective, the format of the HOLY CUBE RALLY is closer to a travelling festival or a themed expedition than to a traditional car race. Over eight days, participants will travel through eight countries, while taking on various creative tasks and challenges. There is, of course, something at stake at the end of the point-collecting process – the team with the most points will receive the Holy Cube Trophy – but according to the organisers, the focus is not on speed, but on discovery and connection. “Our goal is not speed, but connection. We wanted to create a platform where creative thinkers who are passionate about design, architecture and art can find inspiration and build a community through a shared adventure,” says Sári Németh, the programme director.
One of the starting points of the rally is the cube itself, which serves simultaneously as a basic geometric form, a spatial point of departure and an abstract system in architecture and design. The Holy Cube is therefore not merely a trophy or a visual motif, but also the conceptual framework of the project: a simple form from which countless spatial and cultural routes can emerge. According to the organisers, participants do not need a special car to join the programme, and they can explore the route at their own pace. The idea is rather that design and architecture should not exist exclusively in exhibition spaces, conferences or festivals, but also as part of travel, encounters and shared experiences.
The HOLY CUBE RALLY thus sketches out the image of a European road trip where the cultural landscape itself becomes the programme: a church, a campus, a concrete building or a contemporary installation can be just as much a part of the journey as a mountain switchback or a spontaneous stop. The only question is who will collect the most points by the end – and who will take home the most inspiration. The HOLY CUBE RALLY covers eight countries and approximately 3,000 kilometres over eight days. Participants with an interest in design, architecture, art and cars are welcome to join the programme.
Holy Cube Rally: 3–11. October 2026. , web | Facebook | Instagram