Downtown Design to dazzle with new additions, local talent

Dubai - Downtown Design's 2017 edition is set to be bigger and better

dubai - Dubai Design Week (DDWDXB) may have started on Monday, but the event's main draw - Downtown Design - starts today at the Dubai Design District (D3). It will be on from November 14 to 17.
In its fifth edition this year, it is the only platform in the Middle East for the region's trade professionals to discover original, high quality design from all over the world.
Growing exponentially in the last five years, the Downtown Design event is now spread over 10,000 sq metres in D3. Out of the 150 participating international brands, 72 are new to the event and the region. Footfall has grown 25 per cent year on year, and with the pre-registrations up by one-third compared to last year, this edition looks set to be the biggest and busiest edition of the fair.
As with any international event in Dubai, there is also a strong emphasis on presenting homegrown talent.
Rue Kothari, the fair director of Downtown Design, said: "Good design is not limited to the interiors sector - it's something that benefits all of our lives, every day. Design is also the foundation of Dubai's growing creative economy; we have seen the key role that design plays in developing an infrastructure and a liveable, innovative community."
Kothari shares her highlights for Downtown Design with Khaleej Times:
1. The look and feel of the new location in D3, right on the waterfront. "As the fair has tripled in size in just three years, we have collaborated with LSD, one of the UAE's leading architecture firms, to redesign our visitor and participant experience, while AAC, the team behind the Lighthouse in D3, have reimagined our on-site café. Visitors to Downtown Design will find reasons to linger for hours and discover both new and established talents," said Kothari. 
2. It celebrates talent from the UAE. Among other homegrown talents, Downtown Design welcomes Sheikha Hind Majid Al Qassimi, whose bespoke porcelain tableware line, Made by Hind, will be gracing the most chic gatherings in the upcoming festive season. 
3. Lighting is a major element of Downtown Design. From dramatic statement pieces to sculptural stand-alones, there are especially compelling collections by Lladro, Belle de Nuit, as well as the new luxury lighting from Czech brand Preciosa. 
4. Sustainability, energy efficiency, and the need for greener design have increasingly found a platform at Downtown Design. In 2017, Downtown Design is being supported by Interface, the world's largest producer of sustainable commercial carpet tiles, and Belgian brand Renson, which creates ventilation and terrace solutions that combat the region's high temperatures. 
5. Get new insights and skills at the event forum. Downtown Design has its ever widest array of talks, workshops, and presentations, covering everything from the importance of design in the UAE's food and beverage sector, to how to create your own robot. Speakers include the designers behind the massive Swarovski installation onsite at D3, Fredrikson Stallard. There's also forum programming on November 15-17. 
sujata@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE