Dubai: Curated in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and supported by Dubai Culture, Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading fair for high-quality and contemporary design, returns from November 9 – 12. It will once again take place in its purpose-built venue on the waterfront terrace at Dubai Design District (d3), a regional hub for art, design, fashion and architecture.
Downtown Design 2022 will be the fair’s most elevated experience to date, reflecting Dubai’s ever-growing economy and its incredibly strong influence on the success of the region’s burgeoning design industry. This year is set to be a showcase of excellence, with internationally renowned brands and country-specific presentations from discerning manufacturers, studios and individual designers, all with a mission to further their awareness during the region’s leading design event. Downtown Design 2022 will attract a wide segment of high-calibre B2B and B2C audiences across the region’s design communities and industries, including architects and interior designers, developers and hospitality operators, HNWIs and collectors, and design enthusiasts.
The fair will welcome a range of internationally renowned brands, such as Poliform, which will be showcasing its stand-out, contemporary designs with its inimitable Italian style; iGuzzini, an international leader in the field of structural lighting; Minotti, presented by Aati, showcasing its timeless collections; Cosentino, which will produce a creative concept by RSP Architects; award-winning carpet makers Jaipur Rugs; pioneers in the field of architectural lighting, Lutron; Huda Lighting, which will stage an immersive, multi-brand exhibit featuring globally renowned brands; and Purity, which is launching a new contemporary brand by Jwana Hamdan; and Studio Nada Debs, showcasing a celebration of 20 years devoted to craftsmanship.
Visitors to this year’s fair can discover a range of collaborations by some of the world’s most esteemed and sought-after designers, including; cc-tapis presented by Iwan Maktabi, premiering Duccio Maria Gambi’s latest collection globally; VitrA in collaboration with iconic designer Tom Dixon showcasing its innovative one-of-a-kind bathroom experiences; RAK Ceramics in collaboration with Elie Saab returning to Downtown Design with its latest collection; and Lasvit with bespoke lighting sculptures created by collaborators, such as Yabu Pushelberg, among many others.
Downtown Editions, the fair’s boutique section dedicated to limited-edition and bespoke design, offering a platform for individual designers and studios, galleries and collectives from the region and beyond, will this year include Parisian design gallery Anne Jacquemin Sablon, which will bring pieces by interior designer Tristan Auer, among others, known for his emotional interiors that mix inspiration from the baroque and contemporary periods and Dubai-based Syrian brand ARE.
Downtown Editions has served as an instrumental platform for designers to gain visibility and engage with international and regional buyers and collectors. This year, the platform will feature works from around the globe —an aspect that reflects Dubai’s increasingly cosmopolitan and international character.
The Forum at Downtown Design will host a series of compelling live talks and discussions between leading regional and international architects and interior and product designers, featuring a range of topics from changing industry dynamics, behaviours and opportunities. Keynotes will be given by high-profile international speakers, including multi-award-winning British designer Kelly Hoppen CBE; Florence-based Duccio Maria Gambi, who creates sought-after and highly collectable furniture; and Kuwaiti architect Jassim AlSaddah, all of whom will be sharing their insights on pressing topics from across the industry.
Khadija Al Bastaki, Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), said, “With its status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design, Dubai’s profile and role in the global design sector continues to go from strength to strength. Much-anticipated events like Downtown Design certainly play a fundamental role in elevating this profile and showcasing the wealth of creative talent in our district and the wider region. We at Dubai Design District (d3) are proud to be a strategic partner for this prestigious event; we look forward to welcoming the international design community to our d3 creative ecosystem and seeing Dubai’s design narrative flourish further and rethink the regular.”
Mette Degn-Christensen, Director of Downtown Design, said: “This year, we set a precedent for Dubai’s ever-growing design and architecture community. Drawing on contemporary designs with international and regional industry leaders, we look forward to yet again providing a platform for exceptional talent. With a full programme of installations, exhibitions, talks and activations, Downtown Design 2022 will fulfil its mission to create a premium and didactic experience for this year’s visitors”.
Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, affirmed the importance of this prominent event within Dubai Design Week and Dubai Culture’s keenness to be one of its lead supporters; this comes as part of the Authority’s responsibility to support talents and help elevate their creativity to the highest positions. He said: “At Dubai Culture, we are working toward building a vibrant, sustainable and competitive creative sector in global forums, in line with our strategic roadmap, and we are also seeking to cement the emirate’s position as a global capital for design and creative industries in general. Through this pioneering exhibition, we are providing an ideal platform to embrace the creativity of our designers and highlight their work and creatively present it to global audiences, especially as the exhibition includes a special platform to showcase the creative designs of Emirati and UAE-based talents, which we are proud of and always committed to supporting.”
Downtown Design industry show Downtown Design industry show Downtown Design industry show
Highlight features of the 2022 fair’s programme include a pop-up concept by Veuve Clicquot, celebrating its 250-year anniversary by engaging visitors with events, creative experiences and large-scale installations, from an immersive new-media installation to a modular installation created of rammed earth, using sand from the UAE and staged by Lebanese multidisciplinary design duo Karim Tamerji and Elias El Hage, with the support of House of Today.
