The shape of things to come

For Downtown Design’s ‘The Shape of Things to Come’ exhibition, regional designers and architects imagine how we may experience the built environment in the future, exploring themes such as public space, the environment and community.

Urban activists

Kuwait-and Porto-based Studio Toggle, run by architects Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George, is one of the young practices currently developing a fresh architectural language for the Middle East. In an exclusive interview with identity, the duo discusses how the practice interweaves architecture, urbanism and activism, while staying true to context and the vernacular.

Books

This month’s book selection explores the ability of art and architecture to immortalise the human experience, tackling topics such as race, memory, grief, loss and hope.

An ode to an arch

Lebanese interior architect and product designer Richard Yasmine presented his latest collection, After Ago, at 5VIE D’N’A – a hybrid event in Milan featuring the works of various creatives and artists within a live and virtual setting, with the aim to imagine a better world.

Products

From earthy tones to natural materials and organic shapes, this month’s selection of objects are perfect for summertime day dreams – while some are even good enough to pack for a staycation!

The future of design

Does the cancellation of design fairs due to COVID-19 present a chance to rethink old habits?

id 50

Celebrating contributions to design and architecture across the Middle East and North Africa

NATURAL BEAUTY

The Sri Lankan holiday home blends into its surroundings, offering open spaces that emphasise its tropical landscape

The Mastaba by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

This month we pay tribute to a man simply known as Christo, who alongside his partner Jean-Claude, created large-scale, site-specific installations. Christo passed away earlier this year before realising his dream of creating The Mastaba – a permanent installation planned for the Abu Dhabi desert.

In/animate objects

Houston-based chair stacking artist and photographer Cary Fagan shares the concept behind his first chair design, exclusively with identity

DESIGN FOCUS ESCAPES

Although this summer may not be the one we had hoped for, it has however presented a perfect opportunity to press the pause button and reflect on our physical and mental health. Escape is commonly regarded as a means to turn away from reality, but in our present situation, it is the perfect opportunity to turn inwards. The projects and designs within these 'Escapes' pages present a renewed regard for nature, for the power of story telling and for social consciousness

Valley of inspiration

Mezza House restaurant in Dubai has undergone a contemporary transformation by Roar, inspired by the dramatic landscape of the Yarmouk River Valley – a small but magically diverse ecosystem on the border of Syria and Jordan.

BARE ESSENTIALS

Set along the shore of Egypt’s Red Sea, Common Architecture-designed Casa Cook El Gouna reveals a design that goes back to basics

Books

Exploring the role of race within the built environment, these three books shed light on a topic that deserves urgent reexamining at a critical time for racial justice

The future of design

Does the cancellation of design fairs due to COVID-19 present a chance to rethink old habits?

Valley of inspiration

Mezza House restaurant in Dubai has undergone a contemporary transformation by Roar, inspired by the dramatic landscape of the Yarmouk River Valley – a small but magically diverse ecosystem on the border of Syria and Jordan.

The Mastaba by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

This month we pay tribute to a man simply known as Christo, who alongside his partner Jean-Claude, created large-scale, site-specific installations. Christo passed away earlier this year before realising his dream of creating The Mastaba – a permanent installation planned for the Abu Dhabi desert.

In/animate objects

Houston-based chair stacking artist and photographer Cary Fagan shares the concept behind his first chair design, exclusively with identity

id 50

Celebrating contributions to design and architecture across the Middle East and North Africa

Products

From earthy tones to natural materials and organic shapes, this month’s selection of objects are perfect for summertime day dreams – while some are even good enough to pack for a staycation!

ESCAPE IS A GOOD STORY

We all love a good story and often, design is used to deliver just that.

NATURAL BEAUTY

The Sri Lankan holiday home blends into its surroundings, offering open spaces that emphasise its tropical landscape

BARE ESSENTIALS

Set along the shore of Egypt’s Red Sea, Common Architecture-designed Casa Cook El Gouna reveals a design that goes back to basics

Preserving the past

Traditional Bahraini houses in the pearling city of Muharraq are being preserved in an effort to protect the area’s architectural and cultural heritage while allowing residents to reconnect with their past and forge a promising future

Human touch

VSHD Design has completed the interiors for a new residential property in Dubai that aims to make its residents as comfortable in the lobby as in their living rooms

Chasing the sun

The languages of nature and architecture intersect with the newly completed Villa Chams by Carl Gerges Architects in Baalbek, Lebanon

X Architects' desert resort in Saudi Arabia

Dubai-based architecture practice X-Architects has won a competition to design a desert resort in Saudi Arabia inspired by the landscape of the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter.

Sustainability

Architect and designer Agata Kurzela looks at various materials available on the market that could contribute to creating a sustainably-conscious kitchen space

Common language

UAE-based Studio D04 is on a mission to create a contemporary architectural language that will help define the future of tradition in the Gulf