Movie: Cyril Zammit of Artwork Dubai explains how the inaugural Dubai Layout Week aims to set up the city as a global design and style centre, in the first film from a series developed by Dezeen for Dubai Design Week.
Cyril Zammit, director of design and style for Artwork Dubai
The first edition of Dubai Style Week ran from 26 to 31 October and showcased operate by creatives from the United Arab Emirates and the surrounding region as properly as a host of worldwide designers and brand names.
“Dubai Design Week is a platform for a great deal of brand new talent from the region and, due to the fact it truly is Dubai, a extremely strong and open exchange platform with the world,” says Zammit in the film, which is the very first in a series filmed in the city.
Truss.T set up by Zeinab Al Hashemi at Dubai Design and style Week 2015
Zammit is director of design and style for Art Dubai, which organised Dubai Style Week.
The event is the organisation’s newest initiative to set up Dubai as a imaginative hub soon after it launched the city’s initial artwork fair in 2007, set up collectible style honest Layout Days Dubai in 2012 and started out trade show Downtown Style in 2013.
Deconstruction Zone set up by Henrique Stabile at Dubai Design and style Week 2015
Zammit says that bringing the global design and style neighborhood together in Dubai for a week every 12 months is an critical way to showcase what the city can provide the style industry.
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“We have this chance here to have a good deal of designers coming from all in excess of the planet to mingle, to meet and uncover,” he says. “When we developed Art Dubai ten years ago, we were opening the door to modern artwork when we created Layout Days Dubai in 2012, we opened the door to modern design and style. For Dubai Layout Week we are opening the doors as nicely.”
Yaroof installation by Aljoud Lootah at Dubai Style Week
Dubai Style Week 2015 showcased regional talent through a series of 13 installations all through the city.
“Nearly half of them are manufactured by designers in the UAE,” Zammit says. “It goes from an set up on the seaside by Aljoud Lootah, then in the city you can see installations in the standard Al Fahidi Historical District.”
Abwab pavilion at Dubai Style Week 2015
Six pavilions from Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian nations were commissioned as element of Dubai Design Week’s Abwab programme.
Abwab pavilion designed by LOCI for Dubai Style Week 2015
Each pavilion was housed in short-term structures designed by Dubai-based architecture studio LOCI, which had been clad in polycarbonate panels filled with sand.
Pakistan Abwab pavilion at Dubai Design Week 2015
“It really is fantastic for the designers from the area to have a window to be exposed and to be seen by worldwide press, but also by their personal peers,” Zammit says.
Downtown Design 2015 trade display at Dubai Layout Week
Trade display Downtown Style also returned for its third edition, presenting a variety of emerging and established global brand names.
The demonstrate integrated 6 stands curated by other design and style weeks from about the globe as component of its Destination programme.
Hello Lumio light by San Francisco designer Max Gunawan at Downtown Design 2015
“We have over 90 brands presenting,” Zammit says. “Due to the fact we truly want to be a discussion platform we have invited 6 design and style weeks from around the planet with three emerging design and style brands, really bringing an element of discovery, which is important.”
International Grad Show at Dubai Design and style Week 2015
Global Grad Display presented graduate function from universities across Europe, America and Asia.
“Ten of the ideal layout universities in the planet are all here showcasing 50 tasks below the exact same roof,” Zammit explains.
First phase of Dubai Layout District
The main Dubai Design Week displays and events have been hosted at Dubai Design and style District, a new improvement by investment firm TECOM aimed at attracting imaginative businesses to Dubai.
Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, chief operating officer of Dubai Design District
“The development fee of the design and style market in the area is double the growth charge of the style sector worldwide,” says Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, chief operating officer for Dubai Style District. “That is an chance for us.”
Visualisation of phase two of Dubai Design and style District by Fosters + Partners
Phase a single of Dubai Layout District was completed this 12 months, whilst the Foster + Partners-made 2nd phase is due to be finished in 2018.
Modelled on the stylish neighbourhoods of New York’s Meatpacking District and east London’s Shoreditch, the advancement will supply workshop and studio area for designers alongside shops and eating places.
Dubai Layout District
“All of that will be in 1 location,” explains Al Shehhi. “Ahead of, if designers had innovative tips they had to travel to Europe or America to do them. But now, they can come to Dubai.”
Ripe Industry at Dubai Style District for Dubai Design and style Week 2015
Zammit believes that, with all the investment getting place behind innovative industries, there is a huge opportunity for designers to settle in Dubai and begin up new businesses.
“The city is very powerful in entrepreneurship, which assists everybody come above here and do something new,” he says. “You can come tomorrow, set up your own enterprise and there you go, you can start. That’s the attractiveness of it.”
Dubai Style District at evening 
