Promotion: 2024 marks the 11th edition of Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading design fair, with this year’s edition focusing on new and emerging talent making its mark in the region.
Taking place from 6 to 9 November 2024 at the Waterfront Terrace, Downtown Design is the anchor event of Dubai Design Week, which is billed as the region’s most important creative festival.
The event invites visitors to explore furniture, accessories, lighting and textile products, allowing emerging names to sit alongside more established brands from the international design industry, with a programme of installations, pop-ups, talks and workshops.
“Our programme for the 2024 edition of Downtown Design brings together a global showcase of vibrant design perspectives, from high-calibre regional and international brands, and the cutting-edge line-up of engaging creative pop-ups, keynote talks and panel discussions,” said Downtown Design director Mette Degn-Christensen.
“The fair remains a centre point of the design industry in the Middle East, and our annual programme continues to foster positive change and growth for our community across the region, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global hub for creativity and design,” Degn-Christensen continued.
Downtown Design will showcase products by over 300 international design brands, including Audo Copenhagen, B&B Italia, Kartell, Ross Lovegrove and Beit Collective, among others.
Bespoke lighting manufacturer Lasvit, sustainable surface company Cosentino, Czech lighting brand Precosia and London design studio Haberdashery are also part of the lineup.
Poltrona Frau will exhibit collaborations with Faye Toogood, Draga & Aurel and Sebastian Herkner, while Tashkeel returns with the annual Tanween Design Programme, promoting sustainable design in the United Arab Emirates.
Highlights for 2024 include a large-scale floral installation by Duch artist Linda Nieuwstad, handcrafted from recycled materials including truck tarpaulins, wool blankets and construction sheeting.
Plus, there will be an outdoor pavilion by Dubai-based architecture and interior design studio Bone, made entirely from prefabricated earth blocks in collaboration with Spanish Fetdeterra, specialists in rammed-earth architecture.
Meanwhile, Veuve Cliquot has teamed up with Marcel Poulain to create the Sun Club lounge and terrace, and hand-painted wallpaper brand De Gournay is set to stage a pop-up events space.
Also on the agenda is the UAE Designer Exhibition 5.0, displaying the work of 30 emerging local creatives exploring the theme of comfort and function.
Presented by Dhow Architectural Solutions Group, The Conran Shop will make its debut at Downtown Design with a showcase of contemporary designs across furniture, lighting and home accessories, marking its online launch in the United Arab Emirates.
Running alongside Downtown Design, Editions is a limited-edition art and design fair, featuring the work of more than 50 galleries, collectives and design studios, exhibiting photography, prints and ceramics.
Taking place at The Forum, the fair’s various exhibitions and installations will be complemented by a series of live talks, panel discussions, keynotes and masterclasses by a lineup of designers and industry professionals.
This year, key speakers include architect and designer India Mahdavii, who will host the opening keynote, sharing her insights into multicultural design and the idea of the fusion of identities in contemporary space.
Other prominent speakers set to give speeches include Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh and Eames Demetrios, the grandson of Charles and Ray Eames.
Designed by Beirut-born interior designer Thomas Trad, The Forum was intended to evoke minimalist, Japanese-inspired aesthetics.
To view more about Downtown Design 2024 visit its website.
Downtown Design takes place from 6 to 9 November 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Downtown Design as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
