Walk through Three Gardens and a Room
The winner of Urban Commissions 2026 comes from NAO Architects, the practice founded by Reem Nassour. Three Gardens and a Room arranges gardens around a shared space, exploring the atmospheres created by planting, shade and filtered light.
The value of such a project emerges as you move through it. We suggest paying attention to the transitions: where your gaze pauses, where you would choose to sit and how light changes your perception of materials.
Look at how things are made
With CHATAI 2.0, Nikken Sekkei and SOBOKUYA will present a timber structure combining Japanese craftsmanship with places to gather. L’ÉCOLE, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, will show an exhibition examining experimental research into goldsmithing techniques from the Second Iron Age.
Both invite a slower approach: look closely at the construction, read the explanations and consider how an object or space is made. This route may also appeal to visitors whose usual interest in design begins with furniture or jewellery.
Give each stop enough time
As opening day approaches, selecting a few projects around personal interests is a useful way to plan. Spending time inside one installation can reveal more than a quick succession of stops across an entire programme.
Check the organiser’s programme and the arrangements for individual activities before visiting. Downtown Design runs from 4 to 8 November, so its dates differ from those of the festival — an important distinction when planning to include both.
Our approach is to consider what each project offers to experience, make and pass on. Written on 1 November, this is a selection ahead of opening, not an account of a visit already made.
Will you be in Dubai during design week? Share your dates and interests with ABJ to discuss transport and itinerary planning.
ABJ concierge services · Contact ABJOfficial sources
Sources checked on 1 November 2026.
Dubai Design Week — 2026 programmeUrban Commissions — Three Gardens and a RoomDubai Design Week — plan your visit