Dubai Design Week: More than just a pretty face

Dubai can go big. Very big, in fact. Taller, glitzier, more spectacular – the city has long since turned superlatives into a discipline of its own. The twelfth edition of Dubai Design Week, held from 3 to 8 November, proved that things can also be a little more subtle. Although ‘subtle’ is relative here. Naturally.

In the Dubai Design District, international luxury brands met young designers, traditional craft techniques met experimental architecture, and some rather good ideas met some rather big stages. Over 20 installations transformed the district into a playground for anyone who prefers to experience design rather than just look at it.

Haute couture meets horsepower.
Particularly impressive: the collaboration between BMW Middle East and the Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali. For the installation A Tribute to Dedication, the fashion designer translated his signature work with layers of fabric into the space. Transparent panels of muslin and organza formed an architectural installation surrounding the new BMW 7 Series. Haute couture and automotive design? They go together surprisingly well.

Things were a little less restrained at Veuve Clicquot. The British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori transformed the champagne house’s lounge, under the title Chasing the Sun, into a colourful world of graphic patterns and sculptural forms. A rather convincing demonstration that good design can simply be fun.

And then there’s Buccellati. In collaboration with the British artist Luke Edward Hall, the Italian luxury brand Aquae Mirabiles has created an imaginative presentation centred on water, mythology and its own silverwork. Somewhere between an ancient dream world and contemporary design imagination.

Less bling. More ideas.
The fact that Dubai Design Week is capable of far more than spectacular brand presentations was demonstrated by Three Gardens and a Room by NAO Architects. The Dubai-based architectural practice transformed part of the Design District into three small gardens with a shared focal point, using curved walls, desert trees, colour and shade. A surprisingly tranquil spot amidst glass façades and the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Japanese firms Nikken Sekkei and SOBOKUYA also adopted a completely different pace with CHATAI 2.0. Their timber structure combined traditional Japanese carpentry with spaces for tea ceremonies, calligraphy and ikebana. This was complemented by a path featuring 88 wind chimes.

Perhaps that is precisely what makes this Design Week so appealing: it brings together grand productions and small, clever details. And it shows that the most exciting ideas do not necessarily have to be the loudest.

Not even in Dubai.