DUBAI: The Middle East’s leading design fair will present this year’s edition in a digital and physical format from Dubai. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle Downtown Design, which has been held for eight years, has announced that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 fair, to be staged from Nov. 9-14, will bring the industry together across both platforms. “The recent pandemic has offered the design industry an opportunity to pause and rethink its approach,” Pratyush Sarup, head of programming, Downtown Design, told Arab News. He said: “How do we design more resilient spaces and communities? How can we offer elevated experiences? How can material and tech innovations guide those experiences? What is our relationship to our built and unbuilt environment? How can our work positively impact the lives of the end user?” The new hybrid format will feature a conception exhibition for regional architects and interior designers, a digital fair, an online talks program and tailor-made physical brand experiences. The hybrid format will be presented within the Design Quarter at Dubai Design District (d3) across all six days of Dubai Design Week. At the heart of this year’s event will be the conceptual exhibition, “The Shape of Things to Come,” which will invite the region’s architects and interior designers to imagine how we will work, live and play in a post-pandemic world. Creatives will be selected from an open call after which selected concepts will be presented as a multi-media exhibition with the mission of presenting progressive design thinking from the Middle East region. “The recent global events have impacted us all and design fairs are no exception. Which is why I am extremely excited for Downtown Design’s innovative response,” said David G. Daniels, director of architecture, SSH, one of the region’s leading design firms. “With this new format, the event leverages its platform to explore positive solutions which I hope will help to resolve the numerous scenarios that we are all faced with.” The digital fair will present a showcase of works providing design professionals, lovers and collectors with the opportunity to discover the latest collections, designs and trends. The digital edition will also include country pavilions as well as a range of ways for design professionals in the region to raise their profile both regionally and internationally. On the physical side, Downtown Design will also curate pop-up installations, capsule showcases and also creative collaborations in the d3 Quarter in collaboration with Dubai Design Week. The fair’s well-regarded talks program, which has traditionally flown in design professionals from around the world, will be held this year online and will feature regional and international experts discussing the emergence of a new value system as a result of the pandemic crisis.