Deadline: 20-Jul-2025
The Dubai Design Week is pleased to announce the return of Urban Commissions, its annual competition that offers the opportunity to develop outdoor infrastructure in the public domain for Dubai Design District.
Beyond the physical design, proposals should incorporate opportunities for community-led activities and adaptable programming, drawing from the social and cultural role of the historic courtyard as an urban infrastructure. The selected proposal will have the opportunity to closely collaborate with the Dubai Design Week team to implement these activities.
Theme
- This year’s Urban Commissions theme, ‘Courtyard’, explores its role as a communal urban infrastructure across local and global architectural, urban planning and public practices.
Prize Information
- The winning proposal will be granted a production budget of AED 120,000 for project development, technical plans, renders, production and installation.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must:
- Be able to confirm ownership of all relevant intellectual property rights associated with the submission
- Be available for virtual calls with the Dubai Design Week team
- Be present in Dubai to oversee the production and installation of the proposal
- The proposal must:
- Demonstrate an evident relationship to the theme
- Adhere to a responsible design approach, taking into account sustainable use of materials and production processes, construction, installation and operational processes
- Incorporate suitable materials for outdoor use, taking into consideration the year-round weather conditions in Dubai
- Weight of the final installation must be less than 350kg per square metre
- Be produced entirely or partially in the UAE
- Adhere to a well-defined timeline for production with the installation ready for the opening of Dubai Design Week scheduled on 4 November 2025
Selection Criteria
- The winning design will be selected by a jury panel of experts in the design field. The panelists will grade proposals based on the predefined criteria, originality of the design and relevance to the competition’s theme.
Application Requirements
- Proposal concept statement
- Portfolio of previous works and CV
- Proposal image references and renders
- Use of materials
- Approximate cost to produce and install the proposal
- Dimensions, space and technical requirements
- Timeline of project completion.
For more information, visit Dubai Design Week.