At COP28, held in Dubai in recent weeks, the organization Art Jameel, unveiled a sustainable and immersive ecotone pavilion entitled Tarabot: Weaving a Living Forum. Designed by Beirut-based architect Adib Dada of theOtherDada studio, the project is the centerpiece of larger programming at the city’s Jameel Arts Centre and was officially unveiled to the public on December 7, 2023.
The modular structure takes shape within the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park, with the intent to host conversations, presentations and community programs during and after the conclusion of the global conference. According to the designer, the small architecture acts as an infraspecies ecotone, an area where two biological communities meet and integrate, hosting a shared space between humans and other species and organisms. Specifically, the architect used modular components and nested cones made of sustainable materials from local sources, including clay, mycelium, date palm waste, and recycled fabric.
After de-installation, the pavilion's modular components will be reused for cultivation, while the structure will take on new life as an underwater habitat for corals and fish, connecting life on land to life underwater. Also inside the Tarabot Pavilion during COP28 is a series of artworks created by Dubai-based multidisciplinary artist Solimar Miller in response to the impact of urbanization on the environment.
