The 2016 design exhibition takes place at the Amman Electricity Hangar in Ras El Ain. Designed and curated by architect Sahel Al Hiyari, the exhibition showcases original work by local and regional designers. The exhibition focuses on ideas of locality, challenging our understanding of design and its ability to push the boundaries of material, scale, form and function.

Located in the Jordan Museum, the MakerSpace is a forward-looking celebration of the Maker Movement. Visitors are invited to explore and interact with the modern tools and methods of creation, including digital fabrication technology, 3D printers, audio-visual devices and advanced robotics. These are situated alongside the museum’s collection of ancient tools, creating a juxtaposition that helps shed light on the evolution of innovation.

The Raghadan Tourist Terminal transforms into a social space exploring the importance of craft in issues of empowerment, self-expression and storytelling. Curated by architect Dina Haddadin, this exhibition offers a holistic link between culture, heritage and contemporary craft through a series of pop-up shops, demonstration booths, design installations and a local food component.

To support local talent, Amman Design Week has prepared an exciting entertainment schedule offering live performances featuring local musicians and tunes featuring various local talents who will be performing as part of the social space created for the Crafts District.

MADAFA stems from the belief that design should be experienced through all five senses. Set within the winding pathway between Al Hussein Cultural Center and Greater Amman Municipality, MADAFA is a social space and pavilion curated by Arini and designed by architects Rasem Kamaland and Saja Nashashibi. The pavilion is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional space for the reception of visitors.

This pop-up eatery encompasses a contemporary kitchen where chefs prepare an interesting array of locally inspired dishes.

Food makers cook on site from scratch, bringing people closer to the process and the craft of food preparation, highlighting their cultural identity.

​Combining design exhibitions and dining experiences, The Cart celebrates emerging artisanal food businesses and small scale producers to cater for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

Learn the basics of papermaking using natural, local materials and the traditional techniques of the craftswomen of Iraq al Amir. Participants will experiment with fallen palm leaves, grass, flowers, sumac, red henna, saffron, rose leaves, paprika, tea and local coffee.

The seminar will adopt an engaging rapport with the students, presenting them with a model of a green home in addition to relevant illustrations and devices. The seminar will expose children in Jordan to concepts of design and the function of architecture through the craftsmanship embodied in the model.

Design is all about creating alternatives. A timeless vision is one that is big enough for the future we are moving into. It is a vision that represents a place, not a point, and allows enough space to hit the target. This workshop will answer: What vision do I need in today’s world? How do I make my vision resilient? What makes a vision compelling?

We surround ourselves with products that are mostly static, while in nature everything always moves. In this workshop participants learn from low-tech, craftsmanship techniques and understand how to use them for creating a dynamic design – creating an evolution out of the static and towards fluid motion.