Downtown Design are excited to announce an exclusive collaboration with Landscape Architecture studio, desert INK.


Downtown Design, d3 waterfront, Dubai Design District (d3)

Downtown Design are excited to announce an exclusive collaboration with Landscape Architecture studio, desert INK. Their diverse range of commissions have often been said to blur the boundary between art, landscape architecture, sculpture and architecture, and we look forward to experiencing desert INK’s latest creation at Downtown Design.

Forming the entrance to the exhibition, the installation will guide visitors into the event via a series of spaces containing perspective art and planting compositions. Managing Director, Duncan Denley comments “the entrance installation is essentially a simple maze through which visitors must pass to enter the exhibition. Unlike any other maze, containment is created using a series of posts wrapped with coloured ribbon. There are also some refreshing bursts of greenery which take visitors by surprise upon entering the experience”. Lead designer, Romit Chakravarty adds “since this is a temporary installation, we ensured that everything used to create the experience will be reused. Nothing goes to waste, so all of the planting will be re-planted on future projects and paving materials collected and stored for future use. It’s actually a very sustainable design in that respect”.

The installation explores a narrative of ‘controlling chaos’, with a tangle of ribbons rebounding through the space before eventually being woven into an ordered grid which forms the maze. Denley concludes “we really want to create excitement in the spaces we create. It’s not enough for a space to simply work; it must amaze, inspire and leave a lasting impression.” At this year’s Downtown Design, desert INK’s installation promises to set the perfect mood for the event, keeping visitors intrigued and providing something to look forward to in years to come.

Visit the desert INK website here