downtown design curates bespoke exhibition for dubai design week 2018

entertaining over 230 events, dubai design week 2018 is set to be the middle east’s biggest and best creative festival to date. with that being said, the downtown design fair will once again be its highlight exhibition. the sixth edition of the fair will also feature a significant growth, expanding in size by 20% with more 175 exhibitors.

located on the d3 waterfront throughout dubai design week, downtown design 2018 is open from 13 – 16 november.

wiener GTV design targa collection by gamfratesi design
(main image: baxter at downtown design 2018)
all images courtesy of dubai design week

rue kothari, fair director at downtown design, says: ‘our sixth edition is the most ambitious to date with more than 65 new brands, the inaugural showcase of downtown editions and large-scale installations, debuting at the fair. delivering a unique experience, award-winning architects H+A have master-planned the fair around the theme of ‘liveable cities’; new fair features will include bespoke café concepts, a pop-up retail destination, indoor landscapes and activations on the waterfront terrace. this new blueprint coupled with a fresh creative direction will mark a new phase of growth and success for the fair.‘

marset dipping light by jordi canudas

new for 2018, downtown design introduces a curated ‘downtown editions’ section, which is dedicated to bespoke and limited edition designs. from emerging creatives to brands, the curation showcases the best of small production products but at a large exhibition. exhibited works will range from high-end manufactured furniture to handmade objects.

artemide yansi lamp collection by neri & hu

the fair itself will once again be a destination for international trade professionals and enthusiasts to discover contemporary design. established brands, including cc-tapis, herman miller and marset, will be back on show whilst others, such as arper, artemide and cassina, will be exhibiting for the first time.

matteo brioni capitals collection designed by studio irvine

the platform also aims to help the region’s creative talents grow by exhibiting and promoting their work, and also inspiring visitors. 40 regional designers will be on show at downtown design. highlights will include ‘the foundry’ by UAE design studio tinkah’s ramel collection of ceramics, sharjah-based 1971 design space’s arabian pop-up majlis designed by alia mazrooei, and albal design studio’s floating light installation – called ‘flow’ – in collaboration with lasvit.

poltrona frau group
image courtesy of natelee cocks

confirming dubai as the design capital of the middle east, downtown design also welcomes a high-profile yet free-to-attend talks program. the series of discussions features two highlight events: marc ange, ini archibong, matthew mccormick and martyn lawrence bullard reflecting upon the importance of diversity and inclusion in design; and dara towhibi, partner of foster + partners, tariq khayyat, head of middle east at zaha hadid architects, and matthew utley, associate principal at grimshaw architects, explain how practices respond to unique demands of emerging markets.

herman miller club house