Museum of the Future exhibitions and Expo 2020 Dubai UAE Pavilion up for Dezeen Awards

Three Dubai shows and one spa make the longlist ahead of the celebrated architecture and design ceremony

The colours and materials of the Future Heroes exhibit in the Museum of the Future create an environment that lends itself to thought, innovation and creativity. All photos: Gemma White for The National

Fox, 6, creates drawings using light on the soft walls of the Design Lab.

In the Imagine Lab, 'orbs' are selected from four sense categories and placed into 'flowers' to create interactive images that children can immerse themselves in.

Trainers are on hand to give children different challenges to earn digital badges.

Indiana, 9, gets creative in the Build Lab, where an array of poles and brackets encourage creativity and design, and children are rewarded with a 'rain' shower.

Caspian, 3, builds a tower using the different-sized cork blocks in the area for children aged 3 and under.

From left, Caspian, 3, Fox, 6, and Indiana, 9 outside the Museum of the Future. One of the levels is dedicated to encouraging goal-sharing and innovation among children.

The Rocket Tower and chute proves that the classic children's climbing frame, even with a modern twist, never goes out of date.

The Balance Balloon and in-ground trampoline encourage children to consider how they move in their physicality, as well as navigating mental and creative spaces.

Indiana engages with the 'orbs' and 'flowers' in the Imagine Lab, selecting from the 'See' category.

Four projects in Dubai have been longlisted for the 2022 Dezeen Awards in design.

Two installations at the Museum of the Future ­­— Future Heroes and Journey of the Pioneers — are in the running for the Exhibition Design prize, as is the Land of Dreamers Who Do from the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Meanwhile, Sensasia Stories Spa at the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates is competing in the Architectural Design Lighting category.

The longlist features 290 projects from 36 countries, including Poland, Kuwait, Denmark and Ukraine. The projects are competing in 11 categories.

The two longlisted exhibitions from the Museum of the Future were designed by German company Atelier Bruckner. Land of Dreamers Who Do, on the other hand, was conceived by Dutch design agency Tellart. The three exhibitions are competing against 24 other projects.

Future Heroes is a dedicated space for children aged 4 to 11, which encourages problem-solving, communication and active participation. It is segmented into three main experiences: Imagine, Design and Build.

The exhibition presents its young visitors with surprise missions, inspired by formats found in video games but applied to real-world settings. Players must work together to overcome obstacles, explore areas and reap rewards.

The immersive Journey of the Pioneers imagines the world in 2071. The exhibition is divided into three chapters. It begins at OSS Hope, a space station 600 kilometres above Earth. Visitors can explore the space station, take on missions, invent technologies and explore how the Moon can be used as a source of renewable energy.

The exhibition then leads to the Heal Institute, an organisation founded with the aim of restoring damaged ecosystems. The institute is anchored on an interactive library featuring the DNA of thousands of species. Al Waha is the concluding experience of the exhibition. Described as a sanctuary from digital life, the wellbeing centre presents futuristic meditative techniques using vibrations.

Land of Dreamers Who Do was a centerpiece of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The project presented the country’s history and culture to visitors in a multisensory and immersive exhibition. Divided into six sections, the exhibition told the nation’s story while using cutting-edge projections, sound design, fragrances and scenography.

The lighting at Sensasia Stories Spa was designed by Studio N, which has offices in both the UAE and the UK. The agency designed a lighting palette to complement the spa’s architecture, which was conceived by Dubai-based interior design company Roar.

Dezeen is still in the process of announcing the longlists for its 2022 awards. Earlier this week, Al Wasl Plaza was longlisted in the Cultural Building category of the architecture prize. The magazine said it received 5,400 submissions from 90 countries, a record-breaking number.

Shortlisted projects will be revealed in September. Winners will be unveiled during an awards ceremony in November.

Scroll through the gallery below to see behind the scenes at Al Wasl Plaza