Bend in Dubai: A Recap
Today is the last day of Downtown Design, and we thought we would give you a little Dubai recap. From the architecture here in the city to the Dubai Design Week festivities, this week has been chalk full of design. No matter what you've heard Dubai does not disappoint. It all started on the drive into the airport.
We've heard many descriptions of Dubai over the years. Everything from, it's like Las Vegas on steroids, or it's a city like Miami but with money. Nothing can really prepare you for what you are going to encounter coming here though. Being huge design and architecture buffs, we were pretty excited to see and experience the tallest building in the world, The Burj Khalifa. What we were ready for is the rest of the skyline that surrounds it. Each and ever building is completely different from the next. Each one has it's own personally and artistic value. It's a truly remarkable thing to see and at times feels like you are on another planet. It's awe inspiring at times and an idea that we wish more cities would take stock in.
After spending a couple of morning doing some urban exploring, it was time to start the show. Downtown Design is a trade show that we have wanted to be a part of for a while. It has always seemed like a well curated group of design companies and we are happy to say it was just that. It all takes place in what is known as the Dubai Design District. The Dubai Design District or D3 is a new development just outside of downtown but in the middle of the desert for all intents and purposes. There are 10 buildings currently but having reviewed the future plans, D3 will truly become a design city over the next couple of years. There are showrooms representing everything from furniture and art to fashion and more brands coming in all the time.
The show was in a modern tent on the other side of the parking lot from D3. There were exhibitors from all over the globe. Big companies like Herman Miller and Swarovski, sitting right next to small Icelandic and Turkish brands made for a really interesting critique and view on global design. We were very happy to be in the mix of such an intereting story. Pair all of that with the Design Week presentations and art installations and we were kids in a candy store for the whole week. You can see all of our coverage on on both our official Instagram account @BENDGOODS and some of our brand discoveries on @SEEK2BORIGINAL.
Well that is our Dubai experience in a nut shell. Whether you're a city person or not, we highly recommend you take a trip here if you get a chance. The people are so warm and welcoming and lets be honest, the cars at the valet at the Dubai Mall, the biggest mall in the world, are worth the trip. Until next time, we'll see you next week back at the Bend House!
