dubai design district to host foster, calatrava, and ZHA

it has been announced during dubai design week that global architecture firms zaha hadid architects, santiago calatrava, foster + partners, and benoy will all open offices in the city’s dubai design district (d3). the arrivals are expected to take place this year, coinciding with a number of projects currently taking place in the region. santiago calatrava’s dubai observation tower is expected to rise ‘a notch’ above the burj khalifa, while expo dubai 2020 will feature pavilions and permanent structures by the big name firms.

d3 seeks to provide businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals with an engaged and creative community

launched in april 2013, dubai design district (d3) is a destination dedicated to the creative fields. hosting the region’s growing collective of creatives, artists and designers, d3 seeks to provide businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals with a community where they can collaborate, create, and inspire. the district has also become a popular events space, attracting international crowds to a wide range of cultural exhibitions and serving as a design hub for the wider middle east region.

‘we are extremely proud that santiago calatrava, zaha hadid architects, foster + partners and benoy have chosen to make d3 their new home,’ said mohammad saeed al shehhi, d3’s chief operating officer. ‘d3 is fully committed to supporting the development of the region’s design industry and the architecture market is a key component of this. we currently have over 30 architectural practices located at d3 but we are dedicated to ensuring that each and every brand that joins us — ranging from small design start-ups to iconic global brands — is part of a fully-fledged creative community that sits at the heart of our architectural design scene.’

the dubai institute of design and innovation has been conceived by foster + partners

‘as a creative hub for many disciplines, d3 will establish a collective research culture, enabling many different talents and ideas to feed into each other and make the discoveries that will benefit all,’ commented tariq khayyat, head of region for zaha hadid architects. ‘through research and collaboration, we are able to address important issues in a meaningful way that contribute to the development of more ecologically sustainable and inclusive societies. marrying concepts of connectivity and integration with the tremendous advancements in design technologies, material developments and construction practices, ZHA is working with the rich histories and diverse cultures of the region to build its remarkable future.’

‘the emergence of dubai as a global design destination, is exemplified by the success and popularity of d3,’ added gerard evenden, senior executive partner of foster + partners. ‘we have been heavily involved in its conception, through our projects for the creative community and dubai institute of design and innovation (DIDI), and our continued presence in d3 reflects our commitment and belief in dubai as a center for design and innovation.’

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