Amman Design Week

Amman Design Week
Name	Amman Design Week
Native name	مهرجان عمّان للتصميم
Established	2016
Frequency	Biennial (since 2016)
Location	Amman, Jordan
Founder	Darat al Funun

Amman Design Week is a biennial design festival held in Amman, bringing together architects, designers, craftsmen, artists, curators, and cultural institutions from across the Middle East, North Africa, and the wider international design community. Launched in 2016 by Darat al Funun in partnership with municipal and cultural stakeholders, the event stages large-scale exhibitions, public installations, workshops, and a design market that link contemporary practices with traditional craftsmanship. The festival situates itself at the intersection of contemporary art, industrial design, architecture, and cultural heritage, engaging institutions, universities, and commercial partners.

Overview

Amman Design Week presents a mix of curated exhibitions, open calls, public programming, and a market platform that foregrounds regional makers and international collaborations. Its flagship components include site-specific public installations that activate urban sites in Amman Governorate, a curated exhibition platform hosted in historic properties tied to organizations such as Darat al Funun, and a marketplace that highlights studios from countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Libya, Algeria, Sudan, Mauritania, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.

History and development

The initiative began under the auspices of Darat al Funun and cultural managers alongside municipal partners in 2016, positioning the festival within Jordan’s cultural revival and urban regeneration agendas linked to historic districts like Jabal Amman, Al Balad (Amman), and Rainbow Street. Early editions featured collaborations with curators and institutions including Design Academy Eindhoven, Royal College of Art, IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, American University of Beirut, and University of Jordan. Subsequent iterations expanded partnerships with international cultural agencies such as the British Council, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and private patrons and foundations including the Anna Lindh Foundation, Prince Claus Fund, Ford Foundation, Al-Mashrabiyya Foundation, and corporate partners from the ADB (Arab Development Bank) and regional banks. The festival evolved strategies to foreground sustainability agenda items reflected in dialogues with UNESCO, UNDP, World Bank, and regional design networks.

Programmes and events

Core programmes have included a curated Main Exhibition, a Downtown Projects strand commissioning temporary public works, a Design Market for craft producers and studios, a Schools and Workshops programme engaging institutions such as Beirut Arab University, Zayed University, King Hussein Business Park, and student collectives from Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons School of Design, and Cooper Hewitt. Public talks and panel series have featured speakers from ArchDaily, Dezeen, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vitra Design Museum, MoMA, and regional media like Al Jazeera culture segments. Collaborative residencies and mentorships have linked makers with organizations such as Crafts Council, Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, and the Arab Image Foundation to support production and research.

Venues and installations

Exhibition sites often span heritage buildings, industrial warehouses, and public squares including Jabal Amman, Amman Citadel, and revitalized market areas in Downtown Amman. Notable site-specific works have engaged urban infrastructure and public space treatment, with commissions executed by studios and collectives affiliated with institutions such as SelgasCano, Office for Metropolitan Architecture, UNStudio, Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Grafton Architects, Herzog & de Meuron, SANAA, Rafael Viñoly Architects, MVRDV, OMA, and prominent regional practices. Installations have addressed materiality from traditional Levantine techniques including mashrabiya and handwoven textile production, through collaborations with master artisans from Madaba, Jerash, and Salt.

Participants and curatorial approach

The festival curates international and regional designers, craft cooperatives, academic programmes, and independent studios, balancing established names and emerging practitioners. Curators have included figures and teams linked to Hanna Fahmy, Marwa Al-Sabouni, Ayse Erkmen, Nasser Golzari, Amale Andraos, Najla El Zein, Rania Ghosn, and institutions such as ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), Salahaddin University, Sharjah Art Foundation, Tate Modern, Kunsthalle Wien, and Centre Pompidou. Selection processes combine invitational commissions and open calls adjudicated by juries drawn from design biennales and major museum curators.

Impact and reception

Critical response has appeared in regional and international outlets including The Guardian, Financial Times, New York Times, Architectural Digest, Wallpaper*, Artnet, Designboom, Dezeen, Domus, Icon, and T Magazine. Coverage highlights the event’s role in promoting craft economies, urban activation, tourism in Jordan, and cross-border professional networks spanning Cairo, Beirut, Damascus, Istanbul, Tehran, Baghdad, Riyadh, Doha, Muscat, Manama, and Amman. Policy discussions have referenced the festival in relation to cultural policy frameworks advanced by ministries such as the Jordanian Ministry of Culture and regional development agencies.

Organisation and funding

The festival is organised by Darat al Funun in collaboration with municipal authorities including Greater Amman Municipality and supported by cultural institutions, international foundations, corporate sponsors, and ticketing and retail partners. Funding mixes public grants, private patronage, sponsorships from regional conglomerates, in-kind services from logistics firms and galleries, and revenue from the Design Market. Strategic partnerships have involved international cultural diplomacy entities including the British Council, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, and philanthropic bodies such as the Prince Claus Fund and Ford Foundation.

Category:Design festivals Category:Culture in Amman Category:Biennial events