Staged at the Jax District creative hub – a series of former industrial warehouses converted into exhibition spaces, art and design studios and galleries – Downtown Design Riyadh brought together over 40 local and international brands, with an emphasis on regional designers and special collaborations.
As Saudi Arabia continues to grow and expand at a time of rapid change, the country is becoming a formidable player on the design scene, with a unique style that pushes the boundaries of reinventing heritage, using natural materials and soft earthy palettes.
Here are eight highlights from the fair’s inaugural edition.
‘Raha’ table by Naif Altabai for Designed in Saudi
(Image credit: Designed in Saudi)
This minimalist coffee table designed by Saudi designer Naif Altabai is crafted as part of the Designed in Saudi platform – an initiative led by the Architecture and Design Commission that supports emerging local designers. Inspired by the grinding stone tool, the table features a base made of mahogany wood slices, with each slice crafted at a different angle to mimic the natural protrusions of stone. The table is topped with circular marble plates, reflecting the grinding effects seen on a millstone, complete with a central pivot point at the top and hidden rotation mechanism for adaptable use.
‘Moon Vignettes’ by Babnimnim Design Studio for Cosentino
(Image credit: Cosentino)
‘Moon Vignettes’ is an immersive, tactile installation created by Kuwait-based Babnimnim Design Studio (BNN) for Spanish architectural surfaces specialist Cosentino. Incorporating a desert-inspired colour palette and the raw beauty of the region’s landscape, the installation is a contemporary reinterpretation of The Moon Gate, a mystical architectural element of eastern origin. Symbolic of the cyclical nature of life, the abstracted moon gates in the installation allude to the circular nature of Cosentino’s sustainable surfaces Silestone and Dekton – the brand’s large-format hero materials that seamlessly clad everything from the walls to the flooring, now shown as building blocks rather than simply cladding.
‘Talisman 14’ by Apparatus for Collectional
(Image credit: Collectional)
Echoing the mysticism of ancient relics and the precision of contemporary craft, ‘Talisman 14’ by New York-based studio Apparatus, for the UAE’s Collectional gallery, stands as a luminous tribute to ritual and refinement. Inspired by the ornamental richness of the ancient Persian city of Persepolis, the chandelier combines hand-patinated brass with semi-precious stones like agate, desert jasper and white jade, each carefully set using fluted brass pins along a leather-bound armature. The sculptural chandelier echoes Saudi’s design aesthetics, especially those inspired by ancient architectural features.
‘Private’ collection by Dastaangoi
(Image credit: Dastaangoi)
Dubai-based home fragrance brand Dastaangoi, known for celebrating the aromatic heritage of the Middle East and South Asia, unveils a new collection created especially for the Saudi market. Rooted in a love for regional art, storytelling, and tradition, Dastaangoi’s new collection is crafted using regional materials such as marble and onyx, known for their beauty and deep historical resonance, making each piece unique. These stones, once used to build palaces, mosques, and gardens across the Islamic world, now become sculptural vessels for their candles. Scents include orange blossom from Damascus to Bedouin oud and rose from Makkah, capturing fragrances that unlock nostalgic memories for many in the region.
‘Noorah’ carpet by Iwan Maktabi X Blu Architects
(Image credit: Iwan Maktabi X Blu Architects)
Lebanese carpet creator Iwan Maktabi has teamed up with Yasser Kaaki of Blu Architects and Mansoojat Foundation to develop the ‘Libas’ collection. The series of artistic carpets pays homage to Saudi Arabia’s rich textile heritage and traditional garments, many of which are no longer worn by modern society, yet continue to be deeply cherished within local communities. The ‘Noorah’ carpet, a stunning black, pink and orange wall-hanging piece, is inspired by the Mutaffat Thobe, a Najd traditional costume of Saudi Arabia, here reinterpreting the cuts, patterns, colour codes and decorative embroidery found on the clothing into the carpet designs.
‘Lampada Stele’ by Arnaldo Pomodoro for Venini
(Image credit: Venini)
‘Lampada Stele’ is a collection of lamps designed by Italy’s Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2002 for Venini, whose great complexity had prevented its production until now. The work reinterprets archaic monuments through an abstract and contemporary language, transformed into a luminous work that combines sculptural bronze with the transparency of Venini glass. The light, diffused by the sandblasted surface, creates a beautiful ambient glow, with a triangular pattern decorating the glass stele (or pillar) that echoes ancient architecture.
‘Enlace’ by Trame X Aranda/Lasch and Maison Louis Drucker
(Image credit: TRAME)
This new project presented by Moroccan-born, Paris-based Trame in collaboration with Aranda/Lasch and Maison Louis Ducker is an innovative collection of generative bistro-style chairs. Reimagining the iconic Parisian cane café chair, the project weaves together algorithmic design – inspired by symmetry, tessellation and infinite repetition found in Islamic geometric ornament – and French heritage craftsmanship. Through a simple app, people can design a custom chair, using the algorithm developed by Aranda/Lasch, which generates unique digital patterns and colours that are hand-woven by Maison Ducker’s master artisans. The project, which exemplifies the intersections of craft and technology, offers a fresh take on a timeless piece of furniture.
‘Desert Drop’ by Karim+Elias
(Image credit: Karim+Elias)
Lebanese duo Karim+Elias (Karim Tamerji and Elias El Hage) presented the ‘Desert Drop’ coffee table at the fair, which explores the elemental relationship between sand and glass. Created from UAE sand using the pair’s signature rammed-earth technique, the table features a melted sheet of glass formed on top of the three desert rock ‘drops’, meant to mimic the fluid-like characteristics and colour of oasis waters. A series of matching wall lights and vases has also been released, made from the same sand-based material, with pastel blue and pink versions, instead of the natural sandy tones, also available.
