Visit the IKEA exhibition at the heart of Dubai Design Week, inspiring celebration and play

Dubai, UAE, November 22, 2017:  IKEA, the much-loved Swedish home furnishing retailer, has created a grand exhibition, inspired by a magical playhouse fantasia, which is now open to the public at Dubai Design District. Kicking off Dubai Design Week on November 14th and open until November 25th, visitors will be taken on a journey from wishing trees to topsy turvy illusions. 

Whether children or adults, IKEA wants to remind the nation of the little things in life that matter, that  good things can happen if you say yes to more fun! IKEA recently conducted its third global Play Report, exploring the importance of play for adults as well as children. The findings showed that play is a tool for people to sustain a healthy life, giving them room to be more creative and happier. But people have also expressed that modern-day life is quick to steer people away from play and that it feels socially unacceptable to embrace a playful mind-set. IKEA wants to encourage you to make room this winter for more moments of celebration and play, and explore the child within. 

Vinod Jayan, Managing Director– IKEA UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman said, “We’re excited to be a part of Dubai Design Week for yet another year, with a spectacular installation that will bring the elements of celebration and play together. We want to shed more light on celebrating the smaller things, having a playful everyday life, and creating a healthy and happy life at home. We hope people will enjoy what we have created and that it inspires people to do just that.” 

As part of the installation, IKEA is showcasing some of its exclusive collections including YPPERLIG, a collaboration between IKEA and HAY, a contemporary yet ageless collection, one that stands out from the crowd, just like the pieces themselves. By combining materials, colours, and production techniques, YPPERLIG is a collection of the beauty of basics adapted to modern needs and wants. 

Additionally, IKEA is also showcasing a very exclusive piece, the DELAKTIG, a modular bed and sofa that was born from the collaboration of IKEA and designer, Tom Dixon. It 'explores notions of adaptability and future-proofing', Tom sees the bed as an open-source 'platform for living' that can be transformed through third-party add-ons.

Lastly, IKEA is exhibiting a creatively modern concept at the d3 exhibition, The Nature hub, a spherical garden that enables people to grown their own food locally in a beautiful and sustainable manner. Visitors will be invited to step inside and experience the multitude of herbs and plants, and envision a future where food is produced in a sustainable way. IKEA’s Copenhagen-based innovation lab SPACE10 teamed up with architects Sine Lindholm and Mads-Ulrik Husum, to design and create this garden structure. All that’s needed to build the structure is 17 sheets of plywood, a hammer and a laser cutter. The DIY aspect is likely to appeal to the growing tribe of homebodies, who delight in making, modifying and assembling things for their living spaces.