Dubai positions itself as a design hub

In an age where design thinking has become integral to almost all aspects of everyday life — from architecture to clothing to interiors to media to technology to representations in the digital world to food, and so on — Dubai's ambition to establish itself as a strategic hub for art, design and culture is an extremely judicious move on its part.  

The city's annual art fair, Art Dubai, launched in 2007, is now recognised for its position on the roster of leading art fairs globally. The city has activated itself as a hub of contemporary global design, most significantly perhaps through the Dubai Design Week. Both these endeavours fall under the larger umbrella of a single organisation: the Art Dubai Group. 

In June 2013, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum first announced plans for d3 (Dubai Design District). The district was launched in April 2015, and later that year became the host and partner of the first Dubai Design Week in October. This year, in its third iteration, Dubai Design Week seems to have moved in leaps and bounds towards its aim of not only establishing "the city as the regional capital for design, but also as a global meeting point for the international design community." d3 is now home to a thriving population of restaurants and cafes, design stores, studios and offices, thus establishing a growing community of design thinkers. The principal trade fair, Downtown Design, is held under the patronage of the Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, which is also the lead supporter of Dubai Design Week. Initiated in 2013, Downtown Design is a key project of Dubai Design Week. This year, showcasing over 150 carefully selected local and international brands, the fair also boasts its position as the only such platform in the Middle Eastern region with a focus on quality, original contemporary design. 

Abwab (meaning 'doors' in Arabic) is  dedicated to the showcase of the best design from the MENASA region. This year, exhibiting the work of over 45 designers representing 15 countries, Abwab expands into its own pavilion designed by architectural firm Fahed + Architects. Constructed from discarded bedsprings sourced from waste management company B'eeah's, the temporary pavilion forms a mesh that is light and airy and yet strong — an ephemeral copper structure that is evocative of the clouds and cotton candy, of coral and the rolling of ocean waves.  

Abwab showcases some beautiful and innovative designs, such as the exquisite metal cast bowls by Kuwaiti designer Kawther Al Saffar, whose techniques of pouring, plating and cutting are developed in collaborative experimentation with the metal craftsmen; or Lebanon-based Rana Hazim's serene spiral booths, which offer the potential for a moment of privacy within the fervour of urban landscapes. 

Also at Abwab is Karachi-based Coalesce Design studio, with their Ralli chair, made from polished shisham wood that plays with staining in the creation of patterns inspired by the traditional patchwork textiles after which it is named. 

A largely outdoor component of the design week programming, the installations are spread through d3; this year it hosts 10+ such site specific interventions. Within this, Coalesce's revolving Lattoo stools are interactive and fun, inviting viewers to sit and take a spin. Other installations include those by Swarovski, Paula Zucotti, and the indoor kinetic light installation Silent Call by Dubai based Khalid Shafar (with Lasvit), drawing upon the mosque as the 'crown of Islamic architecture' and the beauty of the call to prayer. 

The Global Grad Show is dedicated to showcasing the research-based design talent from institutions around the world — several from this year's edition focused on design solutions geared towards the growing global refugee crisis. The show has this year also grown to twice its size, with more than 92 universities participating globally. 

Perhaps one of the most poignant and poetic projects is the Iconic City exhibition, an annual spotlight on a regional city. Curated by Maghreb/Morocco-based Salma Lahlou, Iconic City: Loading Casa focuses on the city of Casablanca.  Lahlou says she broke the project into five elements: the geographic, social, cultural, philosophical and historical, which when combined form a 'habitus' which signifies its 'transhumance', or how the city has grown over time from a small village of approximately 50 acres to its current 160,000 acres, and from a population of just 20,000 to its present 5 million inhabitants. Seeking to grasp at the identity of the city of Casablanca through its architecture, cinema, music, visual art and culture, this project is also witness to the mutability of the city and its amnesiac memory. 

By arrangement with the Dawn