A suspended grove of bamboo baskets and steel trunks explored the balance between heritage and innovation through light, texture and movement.

Set within the palm-lined courtyard of Dubai Design District, Woven Forest by Designlab Experience unfolded as a sculptural landscape where nature and design intertwined. A constellation of bamboo baskets was suspended above a timber platform, supported by sleek steel trunks that rose like trees to form a woven canopy.

During the day, sunlight filtered through the lattice of the baskets, casting shadows that rippled across the wooden floor and surrounding space. As night fell, the grove transformed through a series of carefully placed uplights that illuminated the canopy from below, turning it into a glowing crown that hovered above the courtyard. This duality of experience—one shaped by nature and the other by illumination—revealed how design could transform with time, mood and atmosphere.

The installation was carefully oriented to respond to its site. Its axis was subtly tilted to align with the natural pedestrian flow and the positioning of nearby palm trees, allowing it to merge seamlessly into its surroundings. Bold red benches were arranged symmetrically along a central pathway, while the subtle rotation of each steel trunk introduced a rhythm that mirrored the balance between architectural precision and natural evolution.

Rooted in Designlab Experience’s regional heritage yet expressed through a contemporary lens, Woven Forest stood as both a meditation and a message: that heritage and innovation were not opposing forces but part of the same creative continuum.

About Designlab Experience:

Designlab Experience is an architecture and creative studio based in Dubai and Riyadh, led by Co-Founders Hibah Albakree and Mootassem El Baba, with Lead Architect and Partner Marwan Maalouf. The studio specialises in transformative architectural and artistic experiences, bringing together a global team of designers, artists, engineers and strategists. Their work spans urban spaces, large-scale installations and immersive environments, pushing the boundaries of design, architecture and technology to create spaces that challenge the familiar and inspire connection.