Democratic design at DXBDW
Urban Commissions asked UAE talent to create public furnishings.
Urban Commissions is a Dubai Design Week initiative that presents an annual opportunity for designers living in the UAE to produce an urban furniture product, unveiled at Dubai Design Week and installed permanently at d3. The 3 finalists: Davide Antonante, Khalid Al-Tamimi and Idil Kantarci.
For edition 4.0 the challenge designers need to respond to was ‘Water Feature’. Dubai is synonymous with water, the shoreline that extends along the length of the city, the Dubai Creek, the mammoth Dubai Water Canal project, the Dubai Fountains, and is rooted in its culture of giving as the refrigerated potable water cabins outside of private residences for passersby who require thirsts be quenched.
‘Fayyd’, which means overflown, is a concept fountain that aims to create a dynamic water sculpture. Inspired by the Japanese Shishi Odoishi fountains, it aims to capture the qualities of the bamboo fountains by recreating the natural sound of cascading water. The steel frames carry small lily-like pods through which water flows. Two out of the four pods act like seesaws when emptied and filled.
Davide Antonante – Tree of Life
Made to celebrate the vitality of Dubai, the ‘Tree of Life’ is a modular installation abstracting the city landscape as 5 towers ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 meter in height. The colorful stacked beads represent the diversity of people and culture in Dubai. Each totem acts as a misting device that doubles as a circular bench at the base.
Idil Kantarci – Seamless Blossom
Historically, beneath the Ghaf Tree is where bedouins rest due to their cool seamless leaves providing shade. Today, Dubai Design District (d3) is a destination for today’s nomads of emerging designers. ‘Seamless Blossom’ intends to invite users into a multi-sensory moment inspired from the heritage of Dubai. The form of the base comes from Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve’s topography. The vertical sculptural elements emerge out of the existing waterhole locations in the Dubai Desert and spray out the mist to create a hovering canopy, similar to that of the Ghaf Tree.
When: Today!
Where: Dubai Design District(d3), Between Buildings 2 & 3
The Latest
Step inside Kiyoshi Dubai
Japanese craft meets contemporary design at Kiyoshi designed by Mahsa Gholizadeh
The AlUla Artist Residency Programme Returns for its Second Edition
The Design Residency programme 2025 also coincides with the Year of Handicrafts as designated by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture.
For Music Lovers
The interiors of the Backstage Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden echo the feeling of being behind the scenes at a great performance – rich in texture, layered in story and always with music in the background
A Taste of Tradition
Intimate, artistic and unforgettable, The Mellah Hotel is nestled in the heart of Marrakech's ancient medina, just steps from the magnificent Bahia Palace.
A Dallas Home Where Architecture, Art, and Memory Converge
In a landmark Bud Oglesby-designed building, designer Joshua Rice crafts a warm, quietly powerful residence that honors modernist roots, personal history, and a young collector’s nuanced eye
Restraint meets richness
This apartment designed by Carl Gerges features green hues throughout
A Dose of Culture Without Losing Comfort
BLINK Design Group has drawn deeply from the well of ancient Lingnan culture to craft a design narrative that’s rooted in tradition yet thoroughly modern at Banyan Tree Dongguan Songshan Lake in China
id most wanted: MORPHO chair by Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland, the world-renowned music festival, has collaborated with designer Dieter Vander Velpen and Ethnicraft through its architecture and design studio, Great Library Studio, to create a contemporary Art Nouveau furniture collection
First Armani Beach Villas Launched in Ras Al Khaimah
Giorgio Armani and RAK Properties launch the first Armani-branded villas in the world
6 design-led museums in the UAE
Here are the current and upcoming design-led museums in the UAE that you should know about
What are the bathroom trends in 2025?
Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard unveil a fresh perspective on bathroom design for 2025
identity Design Awards 2025 is now open for submissions
Access our submissions link, criteria, deadlines, and checklist here.