Dedicated to architecture, the 2040: d3 Architecture Exhibition, aimed at gathering Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai and regionally based architecture firms, studios and visionary architects, who are practicing in the MENA region, around a central theme by making d3 the launchpad of their proposals and ideas.

Projects by firms and architects, envisioning the future of the built-space inspired by their direct environments, cultural contexts and accumulated experience of working in the region were presented in the exhibition using innovative mediums and formats in a multi-dimensional space at the heart of d3.

Plans of mega cities are being set today and construction is underway, how are those future living spaces planned and are they human-centered? Architects engaged critically and creatively with concepts and notions of sustainability, locality, contextualization and how they are transforming the next 20 years of the region through the urban development of the cities and the role of architects to anticipate those future changes and set the foundations today.

The exhibition was divided into four main themes, in accordance with the goals of “The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan” for a sustainable urban development. At the heart of the proposals, architects were invited to contribute to their vision of enhancing people's happiness and quality of life while investigating four themes in-depth: Mobility and Transportation, Public and Recreational Spaces, Accessibility to Infrastructure & Eco-Tourism.

Curating architects were Beyrac Architects, Dabbagh Architects, RMJM Dubai, Tariq Khayyat Design Partners (TKDP), with participations and collaborations from a variety of stakeholders in the architecture and urban planning domain including: American University of Sharjah (AUS), Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), Mobility in Chain, AESG, FUTURE\CITY, DesertINK Architects, XArchitects, Grimshaw Architects and MEAN* Middle East Architecture Network.