Design Miami, the pedigreed fair of designers, dealers, curators and discerning consumers, moved from the Moore Building last year and into a hip big top fashioned of tent materials.

The Aranda/Lasch-designed structure -- fair organizers call it a temporary monument -- returns for the 2009 edition -- but with a new point of view.

``Last year's design had great presence yet captured an ethereal and delicate quality; it looked like it could drift off into space,'' Ambra Medda, Design Miami's director, says. ``This year's treatment is a striking contrast, with a solid and monumental quality that could trick you into thinking it was made of stone. It's a modern ziggurat: Mesopotamia meets Miami.''

The new facade, set farther back from Northeast 39th Street to make room for an outdoor garden and gallery, is among a number of changes at the fair.

``It was such a big step for us to move, because we had outgrown the Moore Building,'' says Craig Robins, who co-founded and backs the annual event. ``Now, it's a question of refinement -- how to make better use of the space. In the past, we have taken over the Design District; this year most everything will be in one place.''

The international fair showcases limited-edition furnishings and accessories. Running parallel to Art Basel, Design Miami, rises from the intersection of culture and commerce.

In 2008, 24 galleries participated in the fair. This year, 17 galleries are represented along with six special programs or exhibitions. Moreoever, Bisazza and Cappellini, two new showrooms in the Design District, are hosting special exhibitions as part of the event.

Design Miami will also introduce a new feature, Design On/Site, three tightly focused solo exhibits by designers or design studios.

``Quite often, a designer may show one item as part of the gallery's show, and while that piece may be very special, it might not tell you very much about the rest of their world,'' Medda says.

Dutch designer Maarten Baas, 31, will receive the fair's 2009 Designer of the Year award. Baas, whose work includes a collection of charred vintage furnishings, will create an installation at Design Miami and introduce pieces from his new series.

This year's Design Performance features designer and engineer Moritz Waldemeyer who will customize a selection of Gibson guitars with laser lights and Fendi materials. The guitars will then be played in performances by the rock band OK Go.

The popular Design Talks salon series also returns and will focus on the process behind design. Panelists for the three workshops, running Wednesday to Friday, include architects, interior and furniture designers and Christian Louboutin, the French footwear designer whose signature is red soles. Louboutin opened a showroom in the Design District in November.

``We are offering a window into the process of design,'' Robins says. ``So often with art and design, all we see is the end result. You have a much greater appreciation when you understand what it takes for a product or object to come alive.''