®identity ISSUE 139

YEAR THIRTEEN

APRIL 2015

A MOTIVATE PUBLICATION

DHS 20.00 RO 2.00 BD 2.00 QR 20.00 SR 20.00 KD 1.50Archi-technical: the fabric of design today

d3: the world’s newest design hubEco-edge - today, tomorrow and beyondInsider stories: interiors that speak volumes

The Middle East’s architecture, design, interiors + property magazine

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APRIL 2015

DESIGN@LARGE

Designed for design

The region’s first master planned hub dedicated to the design community, Dubai Design District – or d3 – is taking shape.

TEXT: CATHERINE BELBIN

The pioneering two-square-kilometre project features architecture by Fosters+Partners and Woods Bagot, with regional design firm Amana taking the role of main site contractor.

Located opposite Downtown Dubai and Business Bay, the d3 free zone business park is under construction and the first occupants are expected to move in later this year. d3, like other dedicated free trade zones such as Dubai Media City and Knowledge Village, is conceived to bring like-minded industries together.

The opening of d3 during the UAE government’s ‘Year of Innovation 2015’ campaign shows that that the creative industries – along with the retailing and marketing of design, fashion and luxury goods – are increasingly respected as being significant to the development of the country’s non-oil-based economy.

D3 masterplan

Dubai Design District Phase One building façade

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This mixed-use development, which will include commercial, retail, residential, F&B and leisure facilities, is part of the Tecom Investments portfolio, led by Dr Amina Al Rustamani, Group CEO, TECOM Investments. Dr Al Rustamani is keen to develop a world-class community that engages, nurtures and promotes local, regional and global design talent in all its facets. “The goal for d3 is to create a lively space for the kind of credible, cutting-edge creative events more often fund in London, New York, Paris and Milan,” she explains.

The first phase of d3 encompasses 11 buildings (under construction) containing retail and office space, providing facilities for some 10,000 design and creative professionals.

Empower, the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has recently completed the connection of Phase One to d3’s cooling network, providing services with a capacity of 10,000 refrigerated tonnes (RT). The Dhs750 million contract to provide d3 with district cooling will see Empower ultimately provide the free zone with cooling capacity of 120,000 RT.

“As d3 realises its dream of incubating the region’s most creative minds, we at Empower are proud to participate in realising the goal of developing a one-of-a-kind dedicated design

With momentum running high following the highly successful 4th edition of Design Days Dubai and Art Dubai, d3 will be presenting a special ‘Meet d3’ open weekend, from 2 to 4 April, to introduce the project.

During the three-day event a number of personalities from the local and international design scene will be taking part in the numerous activities and presentations. Pop-soul singer John Newman, famed for his single Love Me Again, will be headline performer for the free concert on the opening day.

DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

Dynamic furniture designer Khalid Shafar will be presenting a custom-designed furniture collection alongside works from Magis provided by Mohsin Jawaheri’s Superstudio.

International lighting brand Lasvit will, for the first time in the region, undertake glass-blowing workshops as an introduction to the process of transforming raw glass into design lighting.

Installations will include ‘Wink Space’ by Masakazu Shirane + Saya Miyazaki and the mysterious walk-through ‘Project Lines’ by Lebanese architects Ghaith & Jad. Artist and designer Ebon Heath, meanwhile, will reveal a unique typographic installation.

The opening day will also see internationally recognised innovator and street artist Mr Brainwash – known for pushing the boundaries of pop culture on the streets – will host a talk on his challenges and experiences in design.

Li Edelkoort, of leading global trend agency Edelkoort, will share insights into how design thinking and trend forecasting influence the directions the industry takes with product development.

CUISINE

Building on the strong foundations of art, design and music, The food and beverage (F&B) component of the event has been curated to include pop-up offerings from some of Dubai’s leading independent f+b concepts, many of whom will be showcasing for the first time outside of their permanent venues.

Award-winning restaurateur Mourad ‘Momo’ Mazouz, best known for his quirky restaurants in Mall of the Emirates and The Beach JBR, will collaborate with pop artist

Meet d3

Hassan Hajjaj to deliver a whimsical pop-up eatery decked out with his trademark eclectic style of recycled North African and Middle Eastern objects. British culinary duo Bompas & Parr, renowned for staging unusual culinary events – including architectural jelly banquets and multisensory fireworks – is set to offer a bespoke experience with The Chewing Gum Factory.

FASHION

As an insight into the world of design and technology, threeASFOUR from New York – famous for dressing celebrities such as Björk and Yoko Ono – will present an immersive multimedia presentation of its latest collection.

Faux Consultancy, meanwhile, will bring together a unique fashion and retail concept.

Supported by the Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC), an historical narrative of the evolution of Emirati dress will be told through an exhibition curated by Anthropology of Design and drawing on Dr Reem El Mutwalli’s book Sultani: Traditions Renewed. A panel discussion on this topic will be held on 4 April.

The d3 event will also include the launch of a collaborative experimental project by Bint Thani x Inter | Act, including the first ever 3D-printed dress made in Dubai, at the Not Just A Label (NJAL) retail space.

With over 18,000 designers in over 100 countries globally, NJAL is considered to be a global authority on discovering and nurturing emerging fashion talent. The organisation’s Stefan Siegel will give a talk on creative entrepreneurship on the last day of the event.

Multi-brand concept Resid3nt is to be shown by BRAG. It will feature the work of over 27 designers, including d3 residents bil 3rabi, Rula Galayini, Kage, Nathalie Trad, AOD and FMM by Fatma Al Mulla. ID

destination,” says Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO Empower. “For such a significant project like d3, district cooling is the right cooling solution that matches with the original concept of a dedicated design destination, the first of its kind in the region.”

According to the development’s timeline, Phase Two – which will be directed at the creative community – will come online by 2017.

The third phase of the custom-built development will feature the Creekside promenade. Running alongside 1.8 kilometres of the Creek, it will include design hotels, restaurants and boutiques and is expected to be live from 2018.

d3 is part of an independent, business-friendly regulatory scheme operating under the umbrella of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (DTMFZA), with a dedicated focus on developing the emirate’s fashion, design and luxury sectors.

When completed, it will include 11 free trade and non-free trade business centres. In a bid to ignite creativity and foster investment the scheme offers 100 per cent foreign ownership, full repatriation of profits and capital, and a legal framework targeted at start-ups.

Dr Al Rustamani’s keenness to develop a specialised community in Dubai reflects the growing importance of the fashion, luxury goods and interior sector.

Over 55 per cent of the leading international brands already have a presence in the Dubai market. Retail sales in the UAE are growing exponentially and are this year expected to reach Dhs151 billion.

Chalhoub – one of the region’s biggest retail groups, which represents some of the biggest names in fashion and design from Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Tod’s to Baccarat and Kartell – will be the first tenant in the business park. The company, which employed over 11,000 people across 14 counties and has some 600 retail outlets, will occupy two of the first buildings in Phase One. “We will shortly be announcing a list of other retailer groups moving into d3,” Dr Al Rustamani adds.

The development also has a small area of purpose-designed spaces, featuring offices created from container units (similar to the new Boxpark retail space on Al Wasl Road). The d3 marketing team will soon move into their temporary offices in the d3 container park, which is expected to attract young designers and entrepreneurs who require smaller, less expensive space from which to develop their creative talents.

Designed by Khalid Shafar, CITY’s Bench, a 4.68meter outdoor bench made from thermally-modified American ash devloped in collaboration with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and d3.

D3 Phase One takes shape.

Renderings of the custom designed zone.