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To demonstrate its on-going commitment to research and development pairing technology with traditional glass manufacturing methods, Lasvit will present Supernova by Petra Krausova at Downtown Design . The breathtaking Supernova, an interactive glass kinetic sculpture, introduces the future into the present. It magically transforms itself in both time and space, responding to the viewer’s movement by changing its form. The installation is composed of clear glass elements with linear texture that creates fascinating light patterns while moving through various angles.

Congratulations to Californian design and fabrication studio, Galanter & Jones winners of Award for Best Outdoor at the USA's largest design event, Dwell on Design (Los Angles).

As Downtown Design, and indeed the whole Art Dubai Group prepare to move to new offices in Dubai Design District, we are left pondering on the virtues of a healthy, well-designed working environment – one that encourages productivity, connectivity and doesn’t leave you with a bad case of ‘sick building syndrome’. For those of you who’ve found themselves dropping off under the evil yellow glare of a strip fluorescent bulb, or frozen solid at your desk by overenthusiastic AC vents overhead, you’ll be only too aware of the physical effect your workspace can have on you. And as we plunge headlong into the sizzling summer months and spend more time indoors, we increase our exposure to indoor toxins emitted by pollutants inherent in furniture, and a lack of natural sunlight and fresh air.

Downtown Design 2015 exhibitor Hacker Kitchens, the definitive German luxury kitchen company, is celebrating five years in the UAE and a strong 30% year on year growth since its flagship Dubai showroom opened on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Downtown Design will welcome over 40 contract furniture exhibitors to Dubai this October covering a broad product range across lighting, office furniture, flooring, technology and much more. Trends and innovation aside, we ponder what role design plays in creating a high-performance workplace?

GROHE, the world's leading premium brand for sanitary fittings,  announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE ministry body AWQAF and the Minor Affairs Foundation to fit GROHE’s sustainable fittings in the UAE’s first eco-friendly mosque as part of the regional implementation of GROHE’s water sustainability project; The GROHE Green Mosque initiative.

Crafting a blend of two of nature’s most evocative colors finds its expression in Kohler’s newest offering for its Vibrant faucet finishes – Rose Gold. The new finish maintains a balance between luster and allure, conveying softness, refinement and celebration. A faucet in Rose Gold displays a warm sheer and possesses a flawless consistency.

The Norwegian brand for high quality paints Jotun, exhibiting at Downtown Design 2015, introduces 2015 Lady Design Collection which has been carefully crafted by Jotun’s leading style experts and R&D team together with the help of acclaimed Egyptian interior designer Mona Hussein to bring together distinct inspirations for how homes could appear with Lady Design.

Established by Art Dubai Group (ADG) in partnership with d3 (the new Dubai Design District), Dubai Design Week will coincide with Downtown Design, the region’s leading, quality-driven design trade fair. Dubai Design Week will encompass culture, education and entertainment with key initiatives spanning multiple disciplines of design – from graphic and product design to architecture and industrial design. The focus of activity during Dubai Design Week will take place in the newly established d3 which has just completed its first building phase. The district will become a hub for creatives working in the field of design, fashion and luxury.

Scandinavian design from hand-carved and hand-painted reclaimed wood, core leather, traditionally woven craft textiles, 100% linen and timeless patina, which provides unique character – created with a starting point in a masculine universe.

Set to take place from October 26th – 31st under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Dubai Design Week will be an annual citywide event which will place Dubai on the map as the emerging design capital of the world.

We are excited to announce that this year Downtown Design (27–31 October) will be showcasing the work of pioneering young design brands from six other fledgling design-week cities:

As founders of one of the most established and respected boutique firms in the city, architects Abboud Malak and Darine Kakos have lived in the city for 11 years and helped to design and build communities such as DIFC, as well as some of Dubai’s most notable design spots, including the Pavilion. Aside from possessing innate insight into the cultural aesthetic of the city, the team work across residential, retail and commercial spaces and demonstrate a firm commitment to developing their skills with large scale projects.

Its designer, architect Sandra Piesik, presented her ideas to a summit conference held in Mexico during which the world body officially endorsed her approach to building using date palm material – specifically a project in the oasis city of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, which is known as The Sabla, or Food Shelter.

According to Dr Jochen Hahne, President of Wilkhahn, the research findings showed that posture-oriented ergonomic principles were outdated and a new direction for office furniture design was required. ‘Our conclusion and challenge became to teach seating how to walk, in order to bring back more physical activity into office work,’ he says, referring to the resulting Trimension dynamic seating concept, which was applied in the ON chair and engages the similar muscles and movements used when walking. ‘This concept, with its natural three-dimensional movements, stimulates and activates the whole human organism, helping people to feel and work better.’

Awarded the prestigious Cannes Lion Grand Prix for the MegaFaces Pavilion at last year’s Sochi Winter Olympics, and lauded for his landmark Beatbox pavilion at the UK’s Olympic Park, Asif’s larger than life innovations have earned him the title of “London’s anti-starchitect.”

North American success in the Middle East

Home to the world’s largest untapped gas reserves and fourth-biggest oil reserves with a total value of $370 billion, with a population of 77million consumers that have been cut off from the world, - Iran represents the Middle East’s new trade frontier for international brands, who are poised to act the moment sanctions are lifted. But what will be the impact of this?

The potential posed by the number of new projects already in development, including the Dubai Design District, Dubai Expo 2020 and over US$315billion in announced projects to be developed in the region, there are substantial opportunities for brands in the region. By establishing an extensive buyer programme Downtown Design is providing a unique platform for brands to meet the decision makers from these key projects.

Making it the largest and most global to date, the ninth edition of Art Dubai hosted 92 galleries from across 40 countries, presenting 500 artists that attracted more than 25,000 visitors over the four days, with galleries boasting strong sales throughout.

The professional networking and educational associations have over 13,000 members and 33 Chapters around the world, and are dedicated to supporting industry professionals in their career development, and recognizing and rewarding talent. The presentation that has been specially designed for regional professionals is intended to provide crucial insight and learning on the latest innovations in design, with an indepth look at worldwide design trends, leading projects and expert commentary.

Situated in the heart of Dubai, D3 marks the burgeoning of the Middle East’s thriving creative community. From today until the 4th April , as part of the highly anticipated unveiling of the Dubai Design District, the event  “Meet D3” will publically showcase the vision, scope and diversity of the groundbreaking project.

On March 17th, Downtown Design’s Rue Kothari will present a unique talk with designer Nada Debs, to discuss the retrospective exhibition that marks her 10-year anniversary. The installation which will be unveiled at Design Days on March 15, provides fresh perspective on the work which has forged the designers success from East to West. Designdaysdubai.ae

Driving sustainable development across the region are UAE developers, with municipalities setting minimum standards that have to be adhered to – with Dubai and Abu Dhabi establishing the benchmark for the region’s industry.

Managed by sisters Annica and Marie Eklund, the cutting-edge Swedish brand has experienced a stratospheric rise from its origins as a traditional weaving mill to becoming an internationally recognised design brand; collaborating with designers including Jean Nouvel and Cappellini, and providing creative flooring for brands including Armani and Adidas. Their newest collaboration with Missoni, called Zigzag, champions the fashion brand’s iconic chevron graphic; and celebrates the importance of authentic design. The sustainably developed Flow collection, also launched this year, is a result of the brand’s recently commissioned onsite recycling plant that has been established to minimize the brand’s carbon footprint. Bolon.com

Located in a thriving geo-hub and as the only platform for luxury contemporary design in the region, the fair provides brands with many commercial advantages including easy access to buyers and specifiers from MENA’s rapidly expanding list of developments. Our exhibitor offer is structured to deliver value-add benefits from marketing and PR support across multiple communication channels to monthly networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities through our year-round programme of events.

Downtown Design, with its clever mix of good design and culture, brought to Dubai some of the best interior design names, among which Blumohito, was invited to create a stunning installation at the entrance of the exhibition.

The second edition of Downtown Design showcased a multi-faceted programme that linked historical design with the future, global with home-grown, and innovation with imagination. Exhibitor feedback confirmed double the number of business meetings and 60% have already confirmed their attendance at next year’s fair. The packed programme included a stellar line-up of speakers including Mario Bellini, Aric Chen, Giovanna Castiglioni, Claudio Luti and Ab Rogers. We look forward to seeing you again in 2015.

Exhibition highlights included a thoughtfully curated selection of iconic and contemporary design pieces by the world’s most respected brands, a showcase of some of the region’s most talented designers and a special feature dedicated to technological innovations that are changing the way we live.

Congratulations to Axor by Hansgrohe, Comptoir 102, Paola Lenti and the rest of our friends and exhibitors who were selected in their respective categories.

On October 30th at 2:50pm, Sören Strayle, designer of leading kitchen appliances brand Gaggenau, will give us an insight to his “integrated design process”, a concept that combines aesthetics with cutting-edge technology and practicality to create products that are stylish, high-tech and easy to operate.

DG Mosaics was born from a dream, blending creative vision with technological know-how and a 40-year long experience in visual arts. The result was a novel, modern take on the ancient tradition of mosaics. With a vision to free glass mosaics from the usual clichés, DG Mosaics highlight the optical, chromatic and physical features of the miniscule tesserae to allow a limitless range of applications, even in the most challenging contexts.

Among them, acclaimed Italian architect and designer Mario Bellini, Curator of Design and Architecture at Hong Kong’s  M+ museum for Visual Arts Aric Chen, Head of the Royal College of Art's Interior Design Programme, Ab Rogers, and Vice President of the Achille Castiglioni Foundation, Giovanna Castiglioni.

Gravity Sketch was developed in London as a group project between four Innovation Design Engineering students of the RCA and evolved into a tool that can redefine the way a building will be designed in the future. The device uses augmented reality to provide designers and architects with an extraordinary tool that will allow them to view their drawing in 3D. It consists of a pen and a pad that at a first look resembles a digital notepad –however with this one, as you start to draw, objects take shape in front of you. Through the pad controls, you can adjust the plane in which you sketch, giving volume to your creation, which you can see through a pair of augmented reality glasses.

The Silk Leaf will be showcased for the first time in the Middle East during Downtown Design and is perhaps one of the most thrilling technologies that are now being developed. In essence, the synthetic leaf mimes the natural process of photosynthesis, producing oxygen when provided with light and water –just as a natural leaf would. The possible applications are limitless, from the purification of the air in urban environments to the generation of oxygen for spaceships –a prospect that has already sparked the imagination of the project’s designer, who is already dreaming of NASA taking his leaf to outer space.

Stay Plastic gives us a glimpse of what the future of design might look like. Using emerging techniques in 3D printing, Stay Plastic has produced a prototype housing project made 100% from recycled-plastic. 3D printing has generated a lot of buzz during the last years –especially because of the potentiality of printing human organs that can be used for transplants from thin air- yet this is one of the very few projects that have actually been made physical through this technology. The study includes a fascinating transformation of the Eastern Riverside Recycling Centre on the banks of the River Thames, in London. Besides opening new horizons in the way we view the architectural process, Stay Plastic offers an interesting –and much needed- solution for recycling the massive amounts of plastic waste that contaminate 88% of the ocean’s surface, as recent studies have shown.

The Magazine Shop is a first for Dubai – a café specialising in high quality independent magazines, sourcing only the most thought-provoking, inspiring, unique, and beautifully designed magazines from around the world.

This year at Downtown Design, innovation takes center stage as the Royal College of Art (RCA) brings to the UAE for the very first time the three top student projects that are among today’s most promising technological breakthroughs.

Lasvit’s “Alice” mobile glass masterpiece

The Middle East edition of the Bourgie collaborations follows from Kartell’s international initiative to celebrate the iconic lamp’s 10th anniversary, where they invited a few of their renowned designers such as Philippe Starck, Mario Bellini and Patrick Jouin to reinterpret  lamp.

The Musk and Amber and Harper’s Bazaar International Regional Design Exhibition, which will be curated by Lamia Bousnina Ben Ayed, President of Musk & Amber Heritage and co-owner of Musk and Amber Gallery in Tunisia, will feature an exquisite collection of pieces that are exhibited under the same roof for the very first time. Designers from Egypt, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iran and Tunisia will present their personal reinterpretations of Arabic aesthetics, spicing up traditional motifs with a contemporary twist that promises to thrill design connoisseurs from the global design scene.