Downtown Design entrance – All photos are courtesy of Dubai Design Week 2024, unless stated otherwise.
Design. From November 5-10, Dubai Design Week 2024, the tenth edition of the Middle East’s leading design festival, showcases over 500 acclaimed and emerging designers, brands and creative leaders from over 40 countries. Our design guide rounds up some of the best exhibitions and installations, starting from the Downtown and the Editions fairs.
‘Enfold Pavilion’ by DEON – Photo by ©DEED STUDIO.
“Sustainable practices and the nuances of vernacular architecture across the region and wider global south take centre stage this year,” says Natasha Carella, Director for Dubai Design Week. The event is curated in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC and supported by Dubai Culture.
Wadi installation by Martin Gallo x Lasvit at Downtown Design 2024 – Image by Lasvit.
Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading contemporary and high-end design fair, returns to the d3 Waterfront Terrace. Thirty emerging UAE-based designers showcase their projects at the 5th edition of the annual UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture and curated by Omar Al Gurg.
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Global design brands, including Haberdashery, Kartell, Veuve Cliquot, and Poltrona Frau, join the show. Hands Carpets launches its first-ever collection in collaboration with Slovenian designer Nika Zupanc. Lasvit presents the cutting-edge glass installation Wadi, a sanctuary of water and peace designed by Martin Gallo and inspired by desert streams. The Designed in Saudi pavilion highlights the Kingdom’s creative talent through the work of nine studios.
Isola Design at Downtown Design Dubai 2024 – Photo by ©Yousef Lamzalzi, courtesy of Isola Design.
Preciosa Lighting fuses artisanal craftsmanship and technology with the immersive Crystal Beat II installation. Isola Design is back with a curated design selection, inviting reflection on design’s role in shaping our collective future.
Editions entrance.
A key highlight of Dubai Design Week 2024 is the debut of the region’s first limited-edition fair. The inaugural Editions Art & Design features over fifty galleries, design studios, and collectives, showcasing contemporary design, photography, prints, ceramics, and works on paper. Dubai-based collectible design brand KAMEH brings limited edition chairs that use artisanal wood-burning techniques, envisioning the essence of a forest within a desert landscape.
‘Sunrise Chair’ by Nian Architects Studio x Blooker Gallery at Downtown Design.
Collective design gallery Blooker exhibits the dawn-inspired Sunrise Chair by Nian Architects Studio. Emirati designer Aljoud Lootah unveils new functional and timeless pieces with a rich palette of textures and materials. The Sharjah-based gallery 1971-Design Space presents a sculptural design concept by Kattan Design that is inspired by the Emirati cultural practice of gathering around a fire pit.
TukTukDum convivial table design by Altqadum at Dubai Design Week 2024.
Taking inspiration from the musical culture of the Gulf, where communities traditionally gather around and accompany musicians, the TukTuKDum table by Oman-based design studio Altqadum invites visitors to become performers and even an integral part of the table itself. The installation won the festival’s 2024 Urban Commissions competition, which tasked creatives to propose innovative community furniture that explores the table beyond its form and as a facilitator of exchange, tradition, and communal experiences.
‘A Present: Absent Mudhif’ installation by Ola Saad Znad – Courtesy of Dubai Design Week.
ABWAB, the word for ‘gate’ in Arabic, is the platform for design talent from the South West Asian and North African regions. This year, practitioners were invited to propose designs focusing on vernacular architecture and how community-centric architectural methods—rooted in local materials and techniques—can intersect with new environments.
‘ReRoot’ installation – Courtesy of Dubai Design Week.
Ola Saad Znad‘s installation highlights the architectural heritage of Iraq’s Marsh Arabs, the inhabitants of the once-thriving Mesopotamian marshlands, who built their homes from locally sourced reeds and mud. Miriam Hillawi Abraham’s installation draws inspiration from the ‘coral stone’ found in early settlements on the East African coast and the UAE. The ReRoot ecological project by Dima Al Srouri, Dalia Hamati, Andy Cartier and Rosa Hamalainen explores emergency housing using palm waste and mycelium, a material derived from fungi.
Photo by ©DEED STUDIO.
DEOND, the studio co-founded by Ross Lovegrove and Ila Colombo, unveils the Enfold Pavilion, an installation crafted from corrugated cardboard featuring an AI-infused ‘second skin’ fabric that responds to the body’s condition. Conceived as a “holistic embrace of body and technology,” the circular structure’s exterior references nature’s rough, spiky seeds. Inside is a soothing alcove. A perforated roof allows natural light to filter through, shifting in intensity as the sun moves across the sky.
Mirage installation by Kristina Saakyan of KS Architects.
Dubai Design Week 2024 features over 30 installations across d3, Dubai Design District, exploring ancient technologies, modern innovations, and materiality. Inspired by desert mirages, Kristina Saakyan of KS Architects used optical glasses to create a visible experience that blends illusion with reality through dynamic light interactions. Dubai-based architectural and interior design studio Bone presents a pavilion made entirely from prefabricated earthblocks.
Iwan Pavillion by Ithra – Photo by Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for Dubai Design Week.
Designed by emerging Saudi architects Abdulqader Alsuwaidan, Nawaf Alghamdi, Hayat Almousa, and Lama Dardas, the Iwan Pavilion by Ithra draws inspiration from Islamic architecture, in particular, Iwan, a distinctive transitional space, and Muqarnas, a form of ornamental decoration.
STOOT pavilion by Oxara x MULA – Photo by Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for Dubai Design Week.
Oxara presents STOOT, an architectural pavilion made of a cement-free, low-carbon binder. The innovative material is poised to redefine residential housing in Dubai and in the UAE. From the Fridge by Studio Shoo is a seating area made entirely from recycled refrigerator parts, demonstrating how discarded materials can be transformed into functional objects.
‘Yalla Tnam’ Jacquard Woven Blanket by Morcos Key at Art Jameel Shop.
The shop of the Art Jameel Art Centre offers commissioned products by regional designers and a dedicated retail space featuring social-impact-driven brands, including MADE 51, a global brand created by the UNHCR – UN Refugee Agency showcasing artisanal homeware and accessories crafted by refugees.
Head to Marketplace to discover local designers, artisans and homegrown small businesses during the weekend. In addition to shopping and dining, the Marketplace also offers a series of workshops, including Arabian Moringa seed planting, upcycling clothing, kids activities, embroidery and henna art, as well as a roster of performances by local musicians and creators.
Palestine Carpet by Dr. Najat Makki x FBMI.
Palestine Carpet is a significant artwork by renowned Emirati visual artist Dr. Najat Makki, created in collaboration with the FBMI – Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative and UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The piece draws inspiration from traditional Palestinian patterns, symbolising cultural identity and resilience. The project contributes to a vital dialogue on cultural preservation and humanitarian aid.
Downtown Design, UAE Designer Exhibition – Courtesy of Dubai Design Week 2024.
‘0.5 EDITIONS SET’ chairs by KAMEH at Editions.
Marketplace at Dubai Design Week 2024.
