Copyright © 2025 Motivate Media Group. All rights reserved.
Shape of Things to Come tasks designers to tackle new modes of living post pandemic
Downtown Design has announced a conceptual design exhibition entitled ‘Shape of Things to Come’ that will showcase projects by designers and architects across the Middle East, tackling progressive ways in which we will live post-COVID 19.

Image courtesy of HA Global.
“The pandemic has challenged long-established models of societal interaction, placing new demands on our built environment,” said a release from Downtown Design, the city’s annual design fair that takes place in conjunction with Dubai Design Week.

Image courtesy of Bone.
Downtown Design has invited the region’s architects and interior designers to conceptualise life in a post-pandemic world, highlighting the design industry’s response to the shifting attitudes towards how people’s engagement with their surroundings.
Participation is open to design professionals and studios based in the Middle East, who are tasked to propose solutions to how design will evolve in the residential, commercial, hospitality and urban spheres.

Images courtesy of SSH
Proposals can be made in any format and those selected will be presented in a physical exhibition during Dubai Design Week within the Design Quarter at Dubai Design District (d3) across all six days and will be complimented with a simultaneous programme of digital panel discussions featuring regional and international experts.

Image courtesy of Jenny Binchy
To find out more about Downtown Design’s open call for architects and interior designers, click here.
Aiming to bring the regional and international industry together, the new hybrid format offers digital and physical platforms, allowing the design and architecture community as well as brands to gain inspiration and insight, network and navigate the new design landscape.

Downtown Design will include a digital fair, allowing design professionals and enthusiasts to discover the latest collections and trends, as well as physical brand activations including pop-up installations and capsule showcases, to creative collaborations – presented within the d3 Quarter in collaboration with Dubai Design Week. Lastly, the fair will host a series of online talks and workshops, featuring regional and international talent.
Designlab Experience turns iconic spaces into living narratives of Emirati culture, luxury, and craftsmanship.
IDST’s design invites exploration with a thoughtful blend of artisanal craftsmanship and contemporary style.
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and KCA International are collaborating to launch this new hotel
Roar crafts the PIF Daycare Centre in Riyadh with a calming, sensory-rich environment where design, nature and childhood development come together.
Brush and Switch by Sans Souci bend light in unexpected ways
We speak to Joanna Varettas, Senior Associate Designer at TGP International on the story of Seed & Bloom – a café designed to nurture connection and community engagement
For this year's Downtown Design, Finasi and Pallavi Dean will unveil a bold new installation that speaks the language of material honesty, exceptional craftsmanship, visionary design, and local identity.
This Palm Jumeirah home proves that luxury can be achieved with intention, rather than scale
Here are snippets from the evening.
You can now choose your favourite project from the identity Design Awards 2025 shortlist
The shortlist is revealed for the interior design categories