1. Design is the future. That’s a big statement.
Or is it, that the future is currently being
designed by the next generation of
graduates innovating solutions for the
world’s growing list
of economic and environmental
problems? Well, it’s both. As traditional
industries falter, governments are now
investing in the creative economy – and
design is at the heart of this, affecting
change and creating new markets and
products for consumers to become
excited about.
Here in the UAE, we’ve set our sights
on the Expo2020 – a showcase not of our
financial might and appetite for luxury,
but under the theme of Connecting
Minds, Creating the Future – promoting
the democracy of design and focused on
finding sustainable solutions to these
global problems that are best addressed collectively.
Put this in the context of the overarching 2021 Vision for
the UAE, and it’s no pipe dream. The strategy was put in
place to build the infrastructure that will transport us into
the next phase; a modern, greener city that supports the
growing expat population that bring with them the skills and
investment that adds to the value and fabric of daily life.
Living in Dubai, we’re used to the breakneck velocity of
development, driven by the entrepreneurial spirit and
ambition that shapes our ever evolving landscape. Not a day
goes by when we’re not being asked to invest in some new
sustainable residential development, or ride a glass elevator to
the next hotel piercing the sky above the Sheikh Zayed Road.
The difference is that now, far from the rampant expansion
one decade earlier, there is some thought to what we, as
consumers living in the city and seasoned travelers, actually
want to experience. With a glut of five-star experiences
clogging up the city, aka the royal penthouse + exclusive
dining combo, we all long for something softer, a little more
mid-range, accessible and dare I say it – affordable, but
without sacrificing quality, atmosphere and sophistication.
Conscious consumption is what will fuel sustainable
growth and benefit our urban communities. We want a better
quality of living, a more diverse experience, and spaces and
products that truly reflect not just who we are, but who we’re
aspiring to be.
Architects and interior designers are
answering this call, with buildings that serve
all parts of the community – from public and
cultural buildings to three-star design hotels,
live-work units for start-ups, smart energy-
efficient housing and not forgetting the huge
creative community at the Dubai Design
District that will feed our own design
ecosystem from the ground up. And it’s this
cohesion of all the elements that will give rise
to the Dubai of the future.
This is why initiatives like Downtown
Design and the Dubai Design Week are
crucial to our growth. They help to polarise
not only the region’s design community, but
instigate conversations that lead to new ideas,
better solutions and a collective approach that can benefit not
only residents of the city, but the entire Middle East region.
Inspiring some designers to pick up their pencil and start
planning the piece that may hopefully lead to a collection,
andperhaps,maybe…theUAE’sfirsthomegrowncommercial
design brand. Fingers crossed.
C O N S C I O U S
C O N S U M P T I O N
I S W H A T W I L L
F U E L
S U S T A I N A B L E
G R O W T H A N D
B E N E F I T O U R
C O M M U N I T I E S
ALIFEOF
DESIGNDowntown Design Fair Director
Rue Kothari says design is the
response to the question – how do
you want to live?
TREND HUNTER
From left: The
Shell Chair by
Hans J. Wegner;
De Castelli’s
Solometallo by
Nikita Bettoni
Below: Rue
Kothari.
Photography by
Jules Dunne
40 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Interiors Autumn 2016