The Forum



The Forum, Downtown Design Dubai 2025
Photography: Rami Mansour 

Revisiting the traditional typology of a speaking space, the Downtown Design Forum radically transforms the stage into a  landscape where speakers and guests inhabit the same ground for truly open conversation. The architectural environment is defined by organic, topographical forms and hand-applied tactile materials informed by natural terrains, creating a sensory sanctuary for dialogue amidst the high energy of the fair. Tracing the creative flow through a reverse journey, the project documents the transition from a finished landscape of vibrant encounters back to its raw, skeletal inception. It is a celebration of the moments when bodies and space finally infuse—capturing the textures, colors, friendships, and sensory surprises that define the life of a project from its final "pause" back to its first spark.