Dubai Design Week's annual competition, Urban Commissions, offers the opportunity to develop outdoor infrastructure in the public domain for Dubai Design District.

2026 Open Call: Atmospheres

Architects have long understood that a space is experienced before it isconsciously read. The body registers light, temperature, sound, material andspatial sequence as a kind of primordial language, shaping mood, attentionand behaviour before the mind has formed a judgement. These conditions aregrasped simultaneously and in totality as a lived, physiological encounter withspace that has, across cultures and throughout history, shaped how peoplemove, gather, feel and relate to one another.​

It is in the public realm, shared, contested and inhabited by different bodiesand different needs at once, that atmosphere becomes most consequentialand where the capacity of architecture to shape human experience andcollective life carries most weight.​

Urban Commissions 2026 invites architects, spatial practitioners andinterdisciplinary designers to propose pavilion-scale installations that turnspace into a physical and psychological experience, rendering atmospherevisceral and present.​

Proposals may consider space as performance. Interventions may beprocessional, contemplative or communal, exploring how the deliberateorchestration of spatial conditions can engage the nervous system, influencepatterns of thought, mood and sense of safety, and enable collectiveinhabitation without prescribing how that space is used. The most compellingproposals will operate simultaneously as form, environment and social infrastructure.​

​Production Grant

The winning proposal will be granted a production grant to include project development, technical plans, renders and production and installation.

Submission Process

Applicants are required to complete the submission form below by July 15 2026, which requires providing essential information and the following documents:

  • 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

Selection Process

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.

Criteria & Conditions

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 3 November 2026

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


For enquiries, please contact [email protected].