Dubai Design Week: Major architectural players moving to Dubai

Dubai Design District. October 2016. Provided by d3.

Four of the world’s most prestigious architecture firms will open offices in Dubai Design District (d3) this year. Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid Architects, Foster + Partners and Benoy are collectively responsible for redefining modern architecture, creating some of the world’s most spectacular and innovative buildings.

Their move to Dubai signals d3’s emergence as a global design hub and also announcement a revival in fortunes for the global architecture industry. Since launching in April 2013, d3 has attracted a diverse portfolio of architectural firms and industry professionals including a number of large and medium sized companies like RMJM, SSH and Viktor Udzenija, Wanders Wagner and Grimshaw Architects.

According to the MENA Design Outlook Study, a project commissioned by the Dubai Design and Fashion Council and supported by d3, the region’s architecture market is expanding at a faster pace than the global industry.

Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer at d3, said: ‘We are extremely proud that Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid Architects, Foster + Partners and Benoy have chosen to make d3 their new home. 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.”