Exploring the three creative districts of Cairo Design Week 2025
Cairo Design Week 2025 stretches across the city this November, turning its three official districts, Heliopolis, Zamalek, and Downtown, into open-air showcases of creativity, culture and design. Each district offers its own perspective, inviting visitors to explore Cairo through architecture, art and technology.
Heliopolis - Second Skin
Heliopolis sits at the heart of this year’s edition, where Art Deco and Neo-Islamic buildings frame contemporary installations and exhibitions. The district’s overarching theme, “Second Skin,” is a thoughtful exploration of texture, memory and the layered identity of Cairo. Alongside its architectural charm, Heliopolis also serves as a major innovation hub where Ghurnata Palace will host the Fashion Design District, led by stylist Mai Galal with Maison Pyramide, spotlighting designers working at the intersection of fashion, culture and visual expression.
Showland introduces the Makerspace Exhibition for the first time, a hands-on destination for universities, startups, workshops and experimental design practices. Presented by Creative Districts in collaboration with Studio 34 and curated by Base Studios, it’s where visitors can meet emerging talents and discover prototypes.
Zamalek - In Between Islands
Across the Nile, Zamalek offers a sanctuary of calm and experimentation. Under the theme “In Between Islands,” curated by architect and creative director Hala Saleh, the district invites visitors to observe and connect with design on a more intimate level. Iconic venues such as Aisha Fahmy Palace, the Islamic Ceramic Museum and the Greater Cairo Library host immersive exhibitions within the district, exploring design as the interplay between sound and silence, movement and stillness, tradition and innovation. Zamalek focuses on sensory experiences, spaces that spark curiosity, encourage conversation and remind visitors that innovation can be subtle, personal and emotionally resonant.
Downtown - Toward a More Human Design Language
Downtown is a living laboratory for empathy and context, celebrating history with intention. Curated by Karim Mekhtigian, the district’s theme, “Toward a More Human Design Language,” examines how design can respond ethically and emotionally to the layered realities of urban life. From the restored Tamara Building to hidden courtyards and rooftops, the district will celebrate continuity over reinvention, a reflection on how design’s greatest power lies in its ability to care, listen, and connect.
Expressing his excitement Hisham Mahdy, CEO of Cairo Design Week, said, “Each district tells a different story but together they form one citywide experience, a living portrait of Cairo’s creative spirit. Cairo Design Week has always been about more than exhibitions; it’s about creating spaces for dialogue, connection, and visibility. This year, we invite people to see Cairo differently, to feel its pulse, its rhythm, its layers. Because in design, as in life, visibility begins with presence.”
Together, the three districts shape a citywide experience that highlights Cairo’s imagination, history and evolving creative voice.
Visit: cairodesignweek.net
Mariam Khawer is a Dubai-based writer and PR professional whose work spans food, art, and travel across the region. When she isn’t chasing deadlines, she’s likely at a gallery opening, testing out a new restaurant, piecing together one of her mixed-media art projects or at home with her four cats, who keep her on her toes.
