The term “sustainable” has felt overused throughout the years. The term has become so overused in fashion, architecture, manufacturing, and design as a philosophy, a way of life, and a methodology that it has turned the necessity for sustainability into an impenetrable cliché.
But it’s encouraging to see that the idea of sustainability feels real at the seventh Dubai Design Week. Through the projection of regional and international designers into actual settings, the festival has discovered a method to highlight how sustainability can be a part of our lives in real, practical, and aesthetically appealing ways.
Design with Impact is the theme for this year’s Dubai Design Week, one of the biggest trade shows of its kind in the Middle East. The theme gets to the point rather than elaborating on what sustainability means locally or globally and how to practically apply it to daily life.
One of the first open events held in Dubai after the UAE lifted nearly all COVID-19 restrictions took place in conjunction with Cop27. The Dubai Design District was bustling with visitors interacting with installations and examining how sustainable design can be implemented both locally and globally through a variety of mediums.
The expansive pavilion sculpture by US architecture company OBMI in the central courtyard is a must-see installation. The mangrove forests, a key component of the UAE’s natural ecosystem and heritage, have been transformed by OBMI into a vast floating canopy that is exquisitely handmade from natural materials and bears the name Once Upon a Forest.
The protective canopy is built of net mesh and bamboo bracing and provides shade and a place for people to gather while also celebrating the mangrove ecology of the UAE. The pavilion also features an integrated audio-visual immersive experience that takes visitors on a journey while educating them about the value of the ecosystem of mangrove forests.
Al Gargoor, created by Bahraini architect Sara Alrayyes, is another work that recycles materials while incorporating elements of antiquity. The project investigates how ancient fishing nets made of gargoor, might be upcycled into furniture and lanterns. It’s incredible how a substance steeped in the region’s history of pearling and fishing can be made to appear stylish and timeless.
The furniture pieces were low to the ground, facing each other, and their expansive, inviting silhouettes were modeled after traditional majlis seats. With its beach-white color and hollow inside, the material has been created to appear airy but is surprisingly strong and comfy.
Dubai Design District is currently hosting Dubai Design Week through Sunday. The event is free and open to the public.