# The Souk

Dubai Design Week. Dubai, UAE, 2019. Design: Collaborative Architecture.

Selected as the winner of Dubai Design Week’s 2019 installation program, The Souk reimagines the traditional Middle Eastern bazaar as a contemporary public realm. Three identical timber pavilions form an interconnected cluster around a shared square, creating an urban microcosm where commerce, social exchange, and collective activity shape the spatial experience.

## Key facts

- Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Client: Dubai Design Week
- Typology: Pavilion, Temporary architecture
- Status: Competition winner (unbuilt)
- Year: 2019
- Area: 125 m²
- Consultants: Web Structures (structure); Bo Steiber Lighting Design (lighting)
- 2 days planned assembly on site
- Winner Dubai Design Week 2019 installation program

## Geometry, joinery, and prefabrication

Derived from the decagon, a recurring figure in Islamic geometric patterns, the design translates a two-dimensional motif into a three-dimensional timber structure. Vertically layered decagonal elements create a dynamic spatial composition that reveals the structural, material, and expressive possibilities of architectural timber joinery. Despite its apparent complexity, the system was conceived for straightforward fabrication: the pavilion was designed for complete prefabrication and on-site assembly within two days. Although selected as the winning proposal, the installation remained unbuilt due to logistical and scheduling constraints following the competition.

## Awards and shortlists

- 2019: Dubai Design Week installation program, Winner

## In print

- 2019 Dec: Architecture + Design

## Online

- 2019 Aug: e-architect (https://www.e-architect.co.uk/dubai/timber-pavilion-dubai-design-week-2019)
- 2020: ArchiDiaries (https://www.archidiaries.com/the-souk-collaborative-architecture/)
- —: LinkedIn: Decoding the Pattern, The Souk, Dubai (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/decoding-pattern-souk-dubai-mujib-ahmed)

## Credit for publications

The Souk, Dubai. Design: Collaborative Architecture (https://collaborativearchitecture.com/work/the-souk/)

Page: https://collaborativearchitecture.com/work/the-souk/