Dubai Design Week 2023: Architecture & Furniture Highlights

Pavilions from leading architecture studios and designers demonstrated how public structures can make cities greener and protect citizens from harsh outdoor climates.

Lebanese designer Nathalie Harb teamed up with BMW to create Urban Hives, a timber platform that can fit over parked cars to provide a community garden and social hub in urban environments. The structure captures rainwater, enables to grow food locally and reduces the urban heat island effect. The studio aims to integrate solar panels to transform the unit into a charging station for electric vehicles.

Mitigating heat was also a focus for Syria’s Alya Art Studio. It devised the Breeze House, a shaded installation fitted with sheer curtains that blow in the wind to amplify its cooling effect.

Projects also provided shelter for non-human life forms. Dubai-based studio Kattan Design drew inspiration from the region’s pigeon towers (structures that attract birds to harvest fertiliser) to create 3D-printed huts that offer shade for humans and nesting areas for birds. The bird droppings were collected and used as fertiliser for nearby plants.

Projects also championed local resources and their suitability for contemporary architecture and design objects.

Dubai-based studio Mula developed a pavilion made entirely from the local date palm. The ceiling was crafted from mats of woven leaves, and tree-trunk pillars supported the structure, while strips of timber formed the parquet-style flooring and furniture.

Emirati firm Edge Architects similarly created a pavilion made of Desert Board, an engineered construction material derived from upcycled palm fronds. And while not made of palm, the slatted timber structure from Dubai’s Rattha Studio emulated the geometric patterns of palm leaves and could be dismantled and reused in the future.

Local materials also dictated new homeware designs. Emirati designer Majid Al Bastaki devised a bench from a halved palm tree trunk. Dubai-based creative Nella Figueroa’s water jug and cups are made from local ceramics and date seeds and use evaporative cooling to keep water chilled. Meanwhile, London-based designer Aya Moug’s tables propose papyrus pulp as a regional and cost-effective alternative to timber and marble.

This resourceful approach also extended to exhibition design, with Italian studio Iammi creating plinths from bags filled with locally collected desert sand.

Designers also prioritised fun with an array of bold and playful furniture.

Istanbul- and Hong Kong-based studio Yellowdot presented OVA, a series of brightly coloured cabinets upholstered in hand-woven Turkish fabric called kutnu. The padded elements mimic seed clusters and hide the cabinet door to disguise its function.

Elsewhere, Dubai’s Dachach Studio created furniture influenced by regional foods and geography. Its Kuthub Chair, for instance, features gentle curves that resemble sand dunes, while its bulbous Qurs Stool is inspired by traditional agal headwear and African cornmeal dough.

Designs also promoted socialising. Italian-Lebanese studio Jwana Hamdan showcased The Wandering Majlis outdoor range, comprised of cushions and low-profile sofas that recall the gathering spaces of the region’s nomadic desert communities. Elsewhere, Turkey’s Studio Lugo developed a polygonal dining table and swivel armchair to support fluid face-to-face conversation.

This social focus also translated into public projects, with Italian materials company Iris Ceramica creating a 12-metre-long ping-pong table to invite visitors to play against one another.