Raffles Hotel

Istanbul

PRECIOSA GULF FZCO

ce 2407, Jebel Ali Free Zone,
P. O. Box 18185, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
P + 971 4 884 8234 | F + 971 4 884 8235 | E sales@gulf.preciosa.com

www.preciosalighting.com
 CONTENTS

August 2015
VOLUME 11 ISSUE 8

8 12 8 DESIGN UPDATE
Japanese architect Sui Fujimoto
will take a centre stage in the
keynote session at the Design-
MENA Summit 2015. Read more
design news

10 DESIGN UPDATE
Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid
tower in Abu Dhabi is awarded
the best Tall Building in the
MENA region. The grand tower
will be judged in November in
Chicago, as one of four regional
winners for the best tall building
worldwide We keep you updated
on 3D printing trends and ask
whether this will affect the design
industry in the region

14 INTERVIEW
The Catch, the Act, the Vii...
designers Ceebo Shah and
Khalid Sharan talk about their
recent interior design projects,
their work philosophy and share
their dream to design a first
boutique hotel in Dubai

24 DESIGN TIPS
Ayman Jaber, communications
manager at Lacasa Architects
& Engineering Consultants
shares his inbound marketing
techniques for the most effective
way to reach a target audience

26 OPINION
Asil Adil Al Baghdadi, professor
of the Interior and Architecture

14
Department at the Univeristy
of Sharjah writes about how
the interior design industry can
support academia

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 3

CONTENTS

28 SPA DESIGN
The global wellness tourism
sector is set to grow to $675bn
as early as 2017. Industry
professionals from the Middle
East share their views about
future spa developments, current
trends in the region and the
importance of using sustainable
and eco-friendly products

38 CASE STUDY 28 38
Tucked away on the seventh
floor of the Conrad hotel, the Vii
lounge, designed by Creative
Clinic, is the newest addition to
Dubai’s night life

44 CASE STUDY
Studio EM redesignes the
Candylicious, the world’s largest
candy store at the Dubai Mall
and evokes memories of family
outings to the fairground

50 CID AWARDS 2015

With the CID Awards approaching
fast, it is time to look back at
last year’s winning projects and
to meet the judges who will be
evaluating the nominations

60 INTERVIEW
CID talks to Gavin Munro, a
British furniture designer who
grows young trees into furniture.
Munro’s first chairs will be ready
for sale globally in 2017 at a cost
of $3,000 apiece

63 SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD

KNOW
An in-depth look at lighting

44
suppliers you should lnow,
including Accoulite, Future
Designs, Alger, Zumtobel,
Preciosa and KNY

4 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

COMMENT

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Dubai
Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030
Web: www.itp.com
Offices in Dubai & London

,73%86,1(6638%/,6+,1*
&(2 Walid Akawi
0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRUNeil Davies

E
0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRU,73%XVLQHVVKaram Awad
'HSXW\0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRU Matthew Southwell
ver since I set foot in this region, I’ve been hear- 'HSXW\0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRU,73'LJLWDO Husni Khuffash
*URXS(GLWRULDO'LUHFWRU Greg Wilson
ing how Dubai is one of the greatest cosmopoli- (GLWRULDO'LUHFWRURobert Willock
tan centres of the world. Attracting thousands *URXS3XEOLVKLQJ'LUHFWRU Ian Stokes

of us to its shores each month, it doesn’t take (',725,$/

much to realize that it’s also the city of great contrast (GLWRUMarina Mrdjen-Petrovic
Tel: +971 4 444 3130 email: marina.petrovic@itp.com
as modernity collides with traditional Arabic heritage.
(GLWRU'HVLJQ0(1$FRP Aidan Imanova
The idea of “keeping it local” is not a new one, nor is it Tel: +971 4 444 3497 email: aidan.imanova@itp.com
strange to other communities worldwide that are des- $'9(57,6,1*
perately struggling to preserve the elements of the history of their everyday life. How- 6DOHV0DQDJHU Teri Clarke
Tel: +971 4 444 3679 email: teri.clarke@itp.com
ever, Middle Eastern heritage, in all of its richness, stands alone against hundreds of
national identities and cultural habits that we all brought along in our suitcases. 21/,1($'9(57,6,1*
'LUHFWRU Peter Conmy
And when it comes to local design, all of us can pitch in with some support. 'LJLWDO3XEOLVKLQJ'LUHFWRU Ahmad Bashour
With the title of editor of Commercial Interior Design comes the responsibility Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com

of acknowledging creativity, embracing innovation, disapproving imitation, and 678',2

above all respecting difference - objectively and accurately, without getting over- +HDGRI'HVLJQ Daniel Prescott
6HQLRU'HVLJQHU Genaro Santos
excited about it.
3+272*5$3+<
Designers Khalid Sharan and Ceebo Shah take great pride in their interiors
+HDGRI3KRWRJUDSK\Patrick Littlejohn
being designed in-house and customised by local craftsmen. Labelled “Made 6HQLRU3KRWRJUDSKHUVRajesh Raghav, Efraim Evidor
6WDII3KRWRJUDSKHUV Lester Apuntar, George Dipin,
INFABULOUS$UBAItSOMEMAYjNDTHEIRPOP INFUSEDPIECESOVERTHETOPBUTIT Aasiya Jagdeesh, Ruel Pableo, Ausra Osipaviciute, Kate Lewis
would be “fabulous” to see more designers follow the path of Zaha Hadid, Karim 352'8&7,21 ',675,%87,21
Rashid, Khalid Shafar, Nanu Al-Hamad, Nayef Francis, Mohammad Ghaderi… *URXS3URGXFWLRQ 'LVWULEXWLRQ'LUHFWRU Kyle Smith
3URGXFWLRQ0DQDJHU Basel Al Kassem
'HSXW\3URGXFWLRQ0DQDJHU Nelly Mendes
“If you're young and talented, it's like you have wings.” 'LVWULEXWLRQ([HFXWLYH Nada Al Alami

Haruki Murakami &,5&8/$7,21

+HDGRI&LUFXODWLRQ 'DWDEDVH Gaurav Gulati

3HARANAND3HAHRECALLHOWCHALLENGINGITISTOMAKETHATjRSTSTEPINTHEIRCA 0$5.(7,1*

reers when no one knows you and everyone questions your talent and capabilities. +HDGRI0DUNHWLQJ Daniel Fewtrell
(YHQWV0DQDJHU Michelle Meyrick
It is crucial to expose interior design students to industry and get them 0DUNHWLQJ0DQDJHU Dominic Clerici

involved in real-life projects as early as possible. How business can support aca- ,73*5283
demia and vice versa is one of the questions posed by Asil Al Baghdadi, a lecturer &KDLUPDQ Andrew Neil
0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRU Robert Serafin
at the Interior Architecture & Design Department of University of Sharjah (read on )LQDQFH'LUHFWRU Toby Jay Spencer-Davies
%RDUGRI'LUHFWRUV Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Mary Serafin,
page 26). She has just waved goodbye to a new generation of future designers. Rob Corder
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An ITP Business Publication August Vol. 11 Issue 08

Spa wars Design Tips

THE NEXT
GENERATION
INBOUND
MARKETING
TECHNIQUES The Catch, a new restaurant part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An
in Dubai, designed by exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.
Creative Clinic

Receive CID every month. To subscribe, please visit:

www.itp.com/subscriptions Published by and © 2015 ITP Business
An ITP Business Publication

Show (p)reviews
DUBAI DESIGN WEEK
MAISON&OBJET PARIS
INDEX AND WORKSPACE
July Vol. 11 Issue 07

or download the free CID APPANDBETHEjRSTTOREAD Publishing, a division of the ITP

the latest issue on your mobile device.
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6 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

L E D L I G H T I N G S P E C I A L I S T

FUTURE DESIGNS IS A TRUSTED PARTNER OF ACOULITE

DUBAI OFFICE HEADQUARTERS LONDON OFFICE

Office 4C Level 4 The Lighthouse Unit 401, Wharfside Point South
Union National Bank Building Fircroft Way 4 Preston Road
Khalid Bin Waleed Street Edenbridge London E14 9EL
Bur Dubai Kent LDN +44 (0)20 7515 3763
PO Box 71074 TN8 6EJ info@futuredesigns.EI
DUB + 971 4 3858199 HQ +44 (0)1732 867420 futuredesignsEI
DESIGN UPDATE

Sou Fujimoto is
keynote speaker
at DesignMENA
Summit 2015
UAE: The keynote speech at the third DesignMENA Summit
will be delivered by internationally acclaimed Japanese
architect Sou Fujimoto. The title of Fujimoto’s address will
be: "Between Nature and Architecture".
f)PERCEIVETHAT$UBAIISWHEREYOUjNDTHEFOREMOST
architecture of our time. It is a place, which integrates
tradition and revolution to a high dimension. I would like
to experience not only its architecture but also its people,
urban-ness, culture and energy,” said Fujimoto.
Fujimoto was named by the Wall Street Journal as the
Architectural Innovator of the Year in 2014. He established
Sou Fujimoto Architects in 2000. In 2013 he became the
youngest architect to accept the invitation to design the
annual summer pavilion for the Serpentine (pictured) in
London. His most important works include the Musashino
Art University Museum & Library, Final Wooden House and
the Japan Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia.
The designMENA Summit will take place on Tuesday, 8
December in Dubai.

Grohe teams up with

AUD design students
UAE: As part of its design series program, German manufac-
turer of sanitary fittings Grohe completed design initiation
sessions in the American University of Dubai (AUD) and
l’Académie libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA) university. The
sessions introduced Grohe’s latest innovations in terms of
quality, technology and design within the bathroom and
kitchen industry.
Attending senior students from the interior design and archi-
tecture departments had the opportunity to discover latest
Green light for Abu Dhabi's trends in preparation for the design series workshop in the
autumn semester.

Reem Mall concept

UAE: Concept plans for the $1bn Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi have been given the
green light by local planners. The planned entertainment, dining and shopping
DESTINATIONHASTAKENASIGNIjCANTSTEPFORWARDAFTER!BU$HABI5RBAN0LANNING
Council (UPC) granted its approval for the initial design.
!RCHITECTjRMS24+,AND$EWANAREONBOARDWITHTHEPROJECTWHICHALSO
involves retail specialists MSquared. The Concept Planning Report agreement
paves the way for the Enabling Works Permit, also issued by the UPC, which will
allow for construction to commence this year.
Reem Mall is developed by the National Real Estate Company in partnership with
United Projects for Aviation Services Company and will consist of around 450
stores including 85 food and beverage outlets.

8 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 DESIGN UPDATE

Humanspace
moves to a bigger
showroom
UAE: (UMANSPACE/FjCE&URNISHINGISMOVINGTOABIGGER
SHOWROOMIN-EDIA/NE4OWERIN$UBAI-EDIA#ITYFROM
THEBEGINNINGOF!UGUST,IAM+INGMANAGINGDIRECTORAT
Humanspace, says there will be more products and brands
ONDISPLAYATTHENEWSQFTSHOWROOM
f/URAIMISTOGIVEAMOREENRICHINGEXPERIENCETOOUR
CLIENTSBUTALSOTOPROVIDEASPACEFORDESIGNERSANDARCHI-
tects to use our showroom as their temporary workspace
ANDUTILISETHEAVAILABLELITERATUREANDSAMPLESOFPRODUCTS
TOINCORPORATEINTHEIRDESIGN4HISYEARHASBEENVERY
PRODUCTIVEASWEACHIEVED)3/CERTIjCATIONANDWE
Dubai wall beds push out WEREABLETOWINSOMEGREATPROJECTSSUCHASTHE#HANEL
HEADQUARTERS%TIHAD!IRWAYSOFjCESIN-ASDAR#ITY!3'#

across the Middle East HEADQUARTERS&LY$UBAIOFjCESASWELLASACCOUNTSFOR

2%'53SERVICEDOFjCESTHROUGHOUT-IDDLE%ASTAND.ORTH
UAE: As property prices continue to rise and people embrace apartment liv- !FRICANREGIONtEXPLAINS+ING
INGPROPERTYDEVELOPERSARETRYINGTOjNDWAYTOINCLUDEASMANYFUNCTIONS f/URCOMPANYVISIONISTOBEAONESTOPSOLUTIONPROVIDERFOR
INTOASLITTLESPACEASPOSSIBLE!FTERBRINGINGTHECONCEPTOF-URPHYSWALL ALLOURCLIENTSFURNITUREREQUIREMENTS
BEDSINTO$UBAIBACKIN#ASA %LANFURNITUREMANUFACTURERISNOWPUSH- BEITAMULTISTORIEDPROJECTORFEW
INGOUTACROSSTHEREGION)THASRECENTLYSETUPANOFjCEIN/MANANDISNOW OFFTHESHELFSPECIALITEMS4O
LOOKINGFORRETAILDEALERSIN3AUDI!RABIAAND1ATAR achieve this, we are always on
f 7ITHANEXPANSIONOFHOTELSANDHOTELSERVICEDAPARTMENTSINPARTICULARWE THEOUTLOOKFORNEWDESIGN
ARENOWGETTINGALOTOFINQUIRIESFROM1ATAR4HEHOTELAPARTMENTSAREGETTING ANDPRODUCTS4HISYEAR
smaller and developers and hotels operators want to utilise space as much WEHAVEADDED.ARBUTAS
as possible. With the wall beds, hotel developers are obviously saving money AND0EDRALITOOURSUP-
ASTHEYAREGETTINGAKINGSIZEBEDASOFASHELVESANDATABLE…ALLINONEt PLIERPORTFOLIOt
EXPLAINS2ATNA3HARMAFOUNDEROF#ASA %LAN (UMANSPACE/FjCE
4HE#ASA %LANLIBRARYBEDTAKESUPMOFkOORSPACEINAROOMWHENCLOSED &URNISHINGWILLBE
ANDGIVESMOFEXTRASTORAGESPACE organising a launch
!CCORDINGTO3HARMATHESEWALLUNITSFEATUREPROPERBEDSWITHHOTEL QUALITY PARTYIN/CTOBER
MATTRESSESANDFOLDUPINTOTHEWALLLEAVINGADDITIONALSPACETOMOVE where its guest
AROUND4HEYCANHAVEEXTRASHELVINGANDSTORAGEBUILTWITHINANDAROUND 4HE+OOPCHAIRDESIGNEDBY+ARIM speaker will be
THEMORCANHAVEASOFAATTACHEDWHICHREMAINSUNDERTHEBEDWHENOPENED 2ASHIDFOR-ARTELAAVAILABLEAT 0HILIP2OSSAUTHOR
Humanspace
ANDMAKESTHESPACEINTOALIVINGROOM4HEMECHANISMSFORTHEBEDSARE consultant and com-
imported while the wood work is custom made and designed by Casa-Elan to mentator specialising in
jTSDIFFERENTCLIENTSNEEDS THEFUTUREOFWORK

3AUDI'RAND-OSQUEEXPANSIONPLANSANNOUNCED
KSA:3AUDI!RABIAS+ING3ALMANHASLAUNCHEDjVELARGEPROJECTSAS
PARTOFTHETHIRDPHASEOFEXPANSIONFORTHE'RAND-OSQUEIN-AKKAH
INCLUDINGTHE+ING!BDULLAH%XPANSION3TRUCTURECOURTYARDSTUNNELS
BUILDINGSFORSERVICEFACILITIESANDTHEjRSTRINGROAD
!CCORDINGTOTHE3AUDI0RESS!GENCYTHEEXPANSIONWILLINCLUDEHAOF
DEVELOPMENTCAPABLEOFHOSTINGMILLIONWORSHIPPERSWITHGATES
ATTHEGROUNDkOORSURROUNDINGTHEEXPANSIONBUILDING4HECURRENT
EXPANSIONOFTHE'RAND-OSQUELAUNCHEDBYTHELATE+ING!BDULLAHIN
ISESTIMATEDTOCOSTBN32BN ANDTHETHIRDEXPANSION
plan is set to surpass that.

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 9

DESIGN UPDATE
Burj Mohammed Bin
Rashid tower named
best tall building
THE GRAND TOWER WILL ALSO BE JUDGED IN
NOVEMBER IN CHICAGO, AS ONE OF FOUR REGIONAL
WINNERS FOR THE BEST TALL BUILDING WORLDWIDE
UAE: The Burj Mohammed Bin
Rashid tower in Abu Dhabi, was
awarded the best Tall Building
Award for the Middle East and
Africa region by the Council on
Tall Building and Urban Habitat
(CTBUH). The tower, designed
by Foster + Partners, will also be
judged in November at the Awards
Symposium in Chicago, as one of
four regional winners for the 2015
best tall building worldwide.
Other regional winners are One
World Trade Center in New York as
According to CTBUH, this year’s
selection was the most com-
petitive yet, with winners selected
from a pool of 123 entries, rep-
resenting a total of 33 countries,
which is up nearly 40% from 2014.
The CTBUH Awards are an inde-
pendent review of new projects,
judged by a panel of experts. They
aspire to provide a comprehensive
view of these important structures,
while advocating for improve-
ments in every aspect of perfor-
mance, including those that have
!MERICASjNALIST"OSCO6ERTICALE
IN-ILANASAjNALISTFROM%UROPE
and CapitaGreen in Singapore is
AjNALISTREPRESENTING!SIAAND
Bin Rashid tower in Abu Dhabi
Australasia.
One World Trade Center in New York CapitaGreen in Singapore
"OSCO6ERTICALEIN-ILAN
10 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
the greatest positive effect on the
people who use these buildings
and the cities they inhabit.
The Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid
Tower is located in the heart of
Abu Dhabi at the site of the old
Central Market. The tower’s central
location provides residents with
easy access to major points of
interest, including the nearby mall
at the World Trade Centre and the
Corniche, a waterfront promenade.
As part of the larger World Trade
Centre complex, Burj Mohammed
Bin Rashid Tower is just one ele-
ment of a 700,000m2 mixed-use
development, which includes an
OFjCEBUILDINGANDAHOTEL4HE
site also includes a traditional
souk, seven levels of retail in the
podium, a green roof above the
market and a bridge system link-
ing these areas.
4HETOWERISINTENDEDTOjT
within its desert context. A smooth
ANDREkECTIVEFACADEISDESIGNED
to require minimal maintenance in
such a dusty environment. Mean-
while, layers of internal shading
control an unwanted heat gain.
The exterior envelope of the tower
undulates in waves as it wraps
around the core.
www.designmena.com
 More information is available at
www.gira.com/sa
hgschmitz.de

Luxurious elegance

Gira Esprit
Aluminium bright gold

The anodised aluminium frames

of the Gira Esprit switch range
stand out for their elegant shape,
technically precise and high
quality workmanship, and unique
surface finish. They are scratch-
resistant, fingerprint-resistant, and
have a cool, satin feel. The subtly
grained structure of the aluminium
frame underlines the high-quality
appearance.

Their shimmering, bright gold

colour blends perfectly into a
classic, luxurious living ambiance.
The elegant colour tone creates
an eye-catching luxury frame.

Illustration above:
Gira Esprit aluminium bright gold,
switch in pure white glossy

Illustration below:
Gira Esprit aluminium bright gold,
socket outlet in pure white glossy
DESIGN UPDATE

3D printing:
Opportunities
and limitations

PRINTED LAYER-BY-LAYER, THE WORLD’S FIRST FULLY FUNCTIONAL 3D PRINTED OFFICE WILL BE IN
DUBAI AND CID EXPLORES HOW WILL IT IMPACT THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN

UAE: After Dubai revealed its plans their projects to remote areas THAT$PRINTINGISALREADYINNOVAT- forms chosen suggest the use of
TOCREATETHEWORLDSjRSTFULLYFUNC- where traditional construction INGTHEWORKINGPROCESSINMANY prefabricated (moulded) construc-
tional 3D printed building, dubbed TECHNIQUESPROVECHALLENGINGt jELDSINCLUDINGARCHITECTURE TIONMETHODOLOGY4HISMIGHT
f4HE/FjCEtALTERNATIVEMETHODS explains Andrew Elias, Group CEO “The big advantage of 3D printing be due to the limitations of the
of construction have become a OF$UBAI BASED+ELE#ONTRACTING is that one can create complex TECHNOLOGYYETITWOULDHAVEBEEN
focus in the Middle East, with 3D- “If buildings are suited to the forms and pieces because the nice to be closer to the concept of
PRINTINGTECHNOLOGYATTHEFORE Middle Eastern climate and can entire building process is auto- DPRINTINGWHICHALLOWSUNIQUE
Dubai’s 3D structure will be ap- withstand the environmental MATED)TALLOWSALSOAPRODUCTION NON REPETITIVEANDFREEFORMSt
PROXIMATELYSQFTINSIZEAND extremes, then this will herald the UPONDEMANDWHICHAVOIDSANY SAYS-EYERHANS
WILLBEPRINTEDLAYER BY LAYERUSING start of a new wave of innovative ISSUESRELATEDTOSTOCtEXPLAINS 4HE/FjCEISTHEjRSTMAJOR
AFTTALL$PRINTERTHENASSEM- $PRINTEDLOW RISEBUILDINGS) -EYERHANS initiative of the Museum of the Fu-
bled on site in Dubai in just a few believe that the Saudi market in “Limitations of 3D printing lie TURELAUNCHEDEARLIERTHISYEARBY
WEEKS!LLINTERIORFURNITUREDETAIL- particular is among those with the INTHEMONO MATERIALTECHNIQUEl ((3HEIKH-OHAMMAD"IN2ASHID
ing and structural components most potential for this method of THISISAKEYFACTORINARCHITECTURE !L-AKTOUM4HE$PRINTED
will also be built using 3D printing CONSTRUCTIONDUETOTHETYPESAND where multiple components are BUILDINGWILLACTASTHETEMPORARY
TECHNOLOGYCOMBININGAMIXTUREOF SIZESOFDEVELOPMENTSASWELLAS assembled with different mate- HEADQUARTERSFORTHESTAFFOFTHE
Special Reinforced Concrete (SRC), THECOUNTRYLANDSCAPEtHEADDED rial characteristics to compile a Museum of the Future while the
'LASS&IBRE2EINFORCED'YPSUM 3D printing has been cited to jNISHEDPRODUCT&OREXAMPLE permanent museum is being built
(GRG) and Fibre Reinforced Plastic have numerous advantages in the the framework of the chair gives ANDEXPECTEDTOBEOPENIN
&20 4HISCOMBINATIONWILLMAKE CONSTRUCTIONjELDINCLUDINGFASTER STABILITYTHEUPHOLSTERYMAKESIT The building will be located in
it the most advanced 3D printed construction, lower labour costs soft and the fabric gives the touch the heart of Dubai with the inten-
structure ever built on this scale ANDLESSWATERPRODUCTION/NCE ANDCOLOUR(ENCE)ASSUMETHAT TIONTOBRINGTOGETHERCOMMUNITY
ANDTHEjRSTTOBEPUTINTOACTUAL THE$TECHNOLOGYADVANCESTHE QUITEASUBSTANTIALAMOUNTOF members and experts through a
USE QUESTIONSISHOWWILLITIMPACTTHE work in this project comprises as- MIXOFPUBLICEVENTS4HESPACEIS
“This modern and new method jELDOFARCHITECTUREANDINTERIOR sembling elements and integrating OPENANDkEXIBLEALLOWINGFORA
OFCONSTRUCTIONWILLPROVIDEAVERY design? 3D printed features and common RANGEOFUSES)TWILLALSOFEATUREA
attractive solution to construction !NDRE-EYERHANS$UBAI BASED BUILDINGMATERIALS SMALLDIGITALFABRICATIONFACILITYAND
companies who wish to extend architect and designer, explains On an architectural level, the A$PRINTINGEXHIBITIONSPACE

12 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 EDITOR'S PICKS

EDITOR’S PICKS
TO READ: Retail Architecture S-XXL TECTUS®
by Jons Messedat the adjustable
The newest book by Jons Messedat, the
well-known German architect and industrial
concealed door hinge.
designer, provides an overview of current
developments in different dimensions of
international retail architecture – from
innovative supermarkets to new commercial
concepts. Expert contributions and
interviews provide background knowledge
about conception, planning, execution and
operation. This book is a practical guide
with examples for project developers as
well as architects and interior designers.

TO SURF: www.abigailahern.com
!BIGAIL!HERNISANINkUENTIAL
tastemaker and is highly acclaimed for
her trendsetting designs. Her London
store has been voted one of the coolest
places to shop by Elle Decoration and
HERBLOGISONEOFTHEMOSTINkUENTIAL
interiors blogs in the UK.

g high load capacities

TO FOLLOW: @SAHARG up to 300 kg
g maintenance-free slide
Lebanese interior designer Sahar Ghazale generously shares her bearing technology
passion for architecture, design, luxury and food. Her blog covers g three-dimensional
EVERYTHINGTHATADDSJOYANDREjNEMENTTOOURDAILYLIVESANDHER adjustability
)NSTAGRAMPROjLE SAHARGISjLLEDWITHBEAUTIFULIMAGESOFARCHI- g opening angle 180°
tecture, interiors, furniture pieces and some delicious food.
g wide variety of finishes
g UL listed and Exova
Warringtonfire approved
WHEN YOU’RE model versions

CRITICISED g for high performance doors

and doors with excess widths
FOR SOMETHING
IT’S BEST TO SIMONSWERK Middle East
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
WAIT TWO OR THREE YEARS Fon: +971-4-8857050

AND SEE
+971-4-3625652
Fax: +971-4-3908935
www.simonswerk.ae

Gae Aulenti
www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 13
INTERVIEW

14 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com


Pushing the
boundaries
DE SIGNERS CEEBO SHAH AND KHALID SHAR AN TALK TO
M ARIN A MRDJEN - PE T ROVIC ABOUT T HEIR UPCOMING
PROJEC T S AND SHA RE T HEIR DRE A M TO DE SIGN A F IRST
BOUT IQUE HOT EL IN DUBAI
D
ubai-based studio Creative
Clinic, led by the interior
design duo Ceebo Shah and
Khalid Sharan, prides itself
in its distinct designs by combining
sophistication with a nod of whimsy
ANDQUIRKINESS)NTHEPASTjVEYEARS
the two worked side-by-side on some
popular venues in the region and
together dream of designing their very
own boutique hotel in Dubai. Sticking
to their vision - never to be mundane
Shah and Sharan say they would love
to be recognized as the “guys who are
trying to pioneer designs that push the
1 boundaries”.
Ceebo Shah and f7EWOULDLIKETOBEIDENTIjEDBY
Khalid Sharan our work that is quirky and different
www.designmena.com
from what you would normally see. The
key is to stand out in a good way and
in a way that is fresh to the eye. It’s all
about adding a nice twist to the design
whether through the use of colours or
materials,” explains Sharan.
Educated in Switzerland, Sharan
started his career in luxury manage-
ment, designing concepts for hotels
and high-end luxury brands in Miami
and Palm Beach, Florida. Moving to
Dubai in 2006, he started his own
hospitality consultancy business main-
taining strong ties between the UAE,
Kuwait and Jordan.
“On the other hand, our designs are
AREkECTIONOFOURPERSONALITIES"OTH
Ceebo and I are energetic, outgoing
INTERVIEW
and very brave and we have guts to go
with very strong statements. We con-
stantly keep reinventing our designs.
We create most of the artwork, sculp-
tures and fun furniture that we use in
our concept.”
Raised in California with a back-
ground in international business and
fine arts, Shah moved to the Middle
East in 2003, successfully merging
his passion for design, fashion and
the arts into his design practice.
Shah adds that they draw power from
their shared vision, stimulating each
other’s creativity.
“We design places that we would
want to go to. We travel a lot and are al-
ways checking out different venues and
Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 15
INTERVIEW
we try to infuse those experiences in
all of our designs. I feel a certain sense
of accomplishment because most of
the venues in Dubai that we designed
became really successful. Also, people
“Just trust us” is what they would usu-
ally tell the client, and Shah adds that
When it comes so far it has worked for them.
to design, we are f7ELIKETOGOPERCENTEXTREME
constantly pushing with all of our designs. Our clients
started to recognise our design style
and lots of people are calling us and
asking whether we designed a certain
place. So, it’s kind of leaving your sig-
nature around the city,” says Shah.
Maintaining that quirky individuality
seems to be crucial for both of them.
the boundaries, but WOULDSAY@7OWBUTTHISISTOOMUCH
Luckily, most of the time, they end up
at the same time liking it and so far it has worked for us.
we are pushing our If clients want something new, differ-
clients out of their ent and a bit edgy, they would come
comfort zone. to us. Fortunately, we have come to a
POINTTOTAKEONTHEPROJECTSTHATREALLY
But, instead of ordering “the cool stuff”
and design products online, Sharan
and Shah have chosen a harder way –
they produce every piece of furniture
in house.
“To keep that essential originality in
2 our work, we believe that everything
The Catch, a seafood has to be customised and created
restaurant, features SPECIjCALLYFORTHEPROJECT7ETRYTO
concrete, brick and produce everything in house by using
copper walls, large craftsmen from this region. There is
bronze pillars and nothing easier than going online and
industrial fans ordering the best products from Italy
16 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
or a bunch of ready-made items, but
that would make us personal shop-
PERS7EHAVEAMAZINGCRAFTSMENHERE
and they are not utilised properly,”
explains Sharan.
7ITHTHEIRCONCEPTSSOMETIMESBEING
a bit “over the top”, Shah admits often
they have to scale it back. The tricky
part is to convince the client that their
eccentric design will look as good in
real life as on a paper or renderings.
EXCITEUStSAYS3HAHf7HENITCOMES
to design, we are constantly pushing
the boundaries, but at the same time
we are pushing our clients out of their
comfort zone. Experienced clients that
HAVEALREADYWORKEDONDIFFERENTPROJ-
ects and venues are trained to think
from an outsider’s perspective, while
THECLIENTSTHATAREDOINGSOFORTHEjRST
time are much more personal with their
approach and design taste.”
Commenting on interiors around the
UAE, the design duo notices that Dubai
www.designmena.com
 INTERVIEW

is now setting the standards in design

and is no longer a destination that is
simply keeping up.
“Initially, Dubai was all about the
expensive interiors, glamour and
luxury. Many venues made it big, but
they stayed very safe when it came to
design. The only two options that we
could see around the city were ultra-
modern, business looking and polished
interiors versus arabesque and old-
looking Arabian interiors. Eventually,
3 people got tired of it. People in this
With their concepts community are well educated; they’ve 3

sometimes being travelled around the world and they’ve

“over the top”, Shah seen it all, so it makes it harder to im-
admits often they press them. They want something real
have to scale them and authentic, where they can be casu-
back al, have a great meal or a drink, where
4 they can enjoy listening to music. The
Residential property word ‘luxury’ is not anymore a synonym
in Emirates Hill for ‘bling-bling’ and expensive, it is all
about the experience. Luxury now is
5 personal experience and guests want
Designers say the to feel something different.”
word ‘luxury’ is The beach club Blue Marlin Ibiza was
not a synonym for ONEOFTHEVERYjRSTPROJECTSSIGNEDBY
expensive, it is more this design duo. Located on the beach
4
about the experience of Ghantoot Al Jazira Island hotel, a

major challenge was to create a place

that people would feel is worth driving
45 minutes to, and of course, to come
back again.
“Blue Marlin Ibiza is a beautiful
indoor-outdoor beach club and today
one of the most successful clubs in the
UAE. We had so much fun working on
4 it and the challenge was recreating an
existing lounge area into something
special,” explains Shah.
Another popular place “healed”
by Creative Clinic is The Act. The all
in one theatre, restaurant and night-
CLUBISLOCATEDONTHENDkOOROF
Shangri-La hotel in Dubai. Overlooking
bejewelled chandeliers, the small bar
upstairs caters to those dining in the
velvet-curtained balcony booths while
downstairs, dinner unfolds in spacious
U-booths and table sets. With some
peculiar artwork and unusual installa-
tions scattered around the place, every
corner tells a different story.
“We didn’t want to design a place
5 that looked or felt themed after an old

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 17

INTERVIEW

6
All of their furniture
is labelled ‘Made in
fabulous Dubai’
7
To create an authentic
experience for the
Act, designers have
used reclaimed wood
FORTHEkOORINGAND
real antique furniture

theatre. In order to create an authentic

experience that felt real, we used
RECLAIMEDWOODFORTHEkOORINGAND
real antique furniture. We travelled a
lot and handpicked every single chan-
delier to create that feeling. I like mix-
ing senses of an old boudoir theatre
from France and an opera in Vienna
or Broadway with a “speakeasy” New
York vibe. In all of our designs we are
focusing on details and it is usually
something that you wouldn’t see the
jRSTTIMEYOUVISITTHEPLACE7HEREVER
your eye hits, it should see something
different,” states Sharan.
Their most recent project is a
seafood restaurant, The Catch at the
Fairmont Dubai. Inspired by the Catch
.9#AkAGSHIPVENUEINATRENDSETTING
area known as Manhattan’s Meatpack-
7
ing District, the Dubai branch features

18 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 Image © Lester Ali

Image © Lester Ali

Image © Lester Ali

Middle East Design. American Hardwood.

Dubai based design practice Anarchitect use American white oak to help evoke a Scandinavian freshness coupled
with a New England crafted quality at No.57 Boutique Cafe.

Architects and designers all over the world have embraced American hardwoods for the range of colours,
grains and textures they offer, as well as for their consistency in grade, quality and supply and their
sustainable credentials.

For more information visit www.americanhardwood.org

Follow us on fti
INTERVIEW

concrete, brick and copper walls, large

bronze pillars, industrial fans and black
ANDWHITEGEOMETRICkOORING
“The Meatpacking District is one of
the oldest industrial areas that’s been
AHOMETOALOTOFPOPULARRESTAURANTS
Our challenge was to convert this
modern and glam looking touch that
Fairmont has into this old warehouse
FEELANDLOOK/NCEYOUWALKINYOU
are literally transported out of Dubai to
ANOLDRUNDOWNFACTORY7ECREATEDA
8 two-meter industrial fan that rotates,
Blue Marlin Ibiza so guests can have a glimpse of the
is both an indoor- KITCHENTOOtSAYS3HARAN
outdoor beach club The pair is currently working on
interiors for two offices in Dubai
9 $ESIGN$ISTRICT6INTAGE0ERSIANRUGS
With some their signature chandeliers, an open
peculiar artwork kitchenette that looks like a bar
and installations area… Obviously, you cannot help but
scattered around the wonder what the employees will say
Act, every corner tells once they walk into the office imag-
8
a different story INEDBYTHESEGUYS

20 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

INTERVIEW

10
MADE IN FABULOUS DUBAI

Ceebo Shah and Khalid Sharan

say that there is a big gap in
UIJTNBSLFUgBTZPVDBOOPUkOE
distinctively designed pieces that
are reasonably priced”.
“We have our own manufacturing
facility and all of our products
are labelled ‘Made in fabulous
Dubai’ and we really take pride in
that. We try to push the fact that
it is home-grown furniture. On
the practical side, the ability to
customise all the furniture is also
a great solution for our clients.
It’s made here and available
here, so clients don’t have to wait
for the next shipment and they
IBWFGVMMDPOUSPMBOElFYJCJMJUZ
“The whole design scene here 11
is still more focussed on talents
from Europe and Asia, and not
focusing enough on regional
designers. While the design

DPNNVOJUZJTEFkOJUFMZHSPXJOH
and evolving, for young start-ups
it is not very easy to be noticed
“The clients are letting us to do it
our way and that is why we decided to
DESIGNTHETWOOFjCESIN@D)TWILLBE
ANOFjCESPACETHATDOESNTLOOKLIKEAN
OFjCESPACE)TWILLBEFUNANDBEAUTI-
%GYPTvWITHALLTHESEPROJECTSLINEDUP
THEREISSTILLONECLASSIjEDASADREAM
THEIRVERYOWNBOUTIQUEHOTELIN$UBAI
“Our dream is to design eventually
OUROWNBOUTIQUEHOTELANDWEARENE-
in a market like this. Now that we FULYETFUNCTIONALCOMFORTABLEAND GOTIATINGWITHINVESTORS!LOTOFYOUNG 10, 11
have passed that stage, I would jNANCIALLYFEASIBLE7EWANTPEOPLE PEOPLEWHOARECOMINGTOTHECITY Creative clinic
be more than happy if we can WHOWORKTHERETOALWAYSREMEMBERUS PREFERTOSTAYINAWELL
DESIGNEDSPACE designed the entire
start helping talent from this WITHASMILE7EWANTTOCREATEAPLACE WHERETHEYCANHANGOUTINALOBBYAS PROJECTFORTHE"LUE
regions whether by consulting THATWILLALMOSTFEELLIKEHOMETHAT OPPOSEDTOABORINGANDCONVENTIONAL -ARLIN)BIZAINCLUDING
them or by taking interns. This THEYWILLBEEXCITEDTOGOTOANDNOT EXECUTIVEHOTEL0EOPLEARECOMINGTO all of the furniture and
region has talent that can really RUSHTOLEAVEATjVEt ENJOY$UBAIANDHAVEFUNYETTHEREIS SPECIALCOLLECTIONOF
make an impact worldwide, if 3HOPSINTHENEWSHOPPINGCENTRE NOTONEEDGYANDFUNKYHOTELHEREAS CUSHIONSEXCLUSIVE
nurtured properly.” 4HE-ALLIN*UMEIRAHOFjCESINDPROJ- you would see them in London, New to the venue, which
ECTSIN1ATAR3AUDI!RABIA+UWAITAND 9ORKOR-IAMItCONCLUDES3HAH PEOPLECANBUYTHERE

22 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 Das Licht.

Starbrick design by Olafur Eliasson

www.starbrick.info

www.zumtobel.ae
DESIGN TIPS

Three
inbound marketing
techniques every
designer should use
AYM AN JABER, COMMUNIC ATIONS M ANAGER AT L AC A SA ARCHITECTS &
ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, SHARES HIS INBOUND M ARKE TING STR ATEGIES
FOR THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO RE ACH A TARGE T AUDIENCE

I
nbound marketing is a more subtle ap-
proach in communication. It refers to a set
OFINITIATIVESTAKENBYjRMSTOBRINGCLIENTS
in, rather than go out and appeal to pros-
pects. Unlike an outbound strategy, inbound ini-
GENERATING
tiatives do not include direct mail, cold-calling,
or any other “pushy” approaches. The key to a
successful inbound strategy is maintaining a
strong industry presence and communicat-
ing the right message. Aside from the channel
mix, inbound and outbound strategies differ in
communication. The way the message is crafted
makes all the difference. An outbound message
will focus on telling the audience what to do;
click here, learn more, contact us, visit our web-
site... On the other hand, an inbound approach
will highlight the company positive attributes,
skills and expertise and then allow the audience
to make the decision.
While widely successful within the consumer
products market, outbound marketing does not
belong in the design and architecture industry.
4HEjRSTTHINGONEMUSTLOOKATWHENCREATING
a marketing strategy is the audience. Within
this industry, designers and architects target
property developers seeking the expertise
TOTRANSLATETHEIRIDEASINTOPROjT
developments.
Looking at property developers in the MENA
region, it can be deduced that they are savvy,
decisive and logical businessmen. They are the
alpha males who can't be force-fed sales jargon
and advertising material.

24 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 DESIGN TIPS

found, supports SEO ranking and provides all the

EDITOR RECOMMENDS: FOUR USEFUL INBOUND MARKETING RESOURCES information a prospective client needs. The page
SHOULDHIGHLIGHTALLAREASOFEXPERTISEASWELLAS
1. HubSpot Academy Offers in-person awards won and other recognitions. By adding a
training where you can learn from
inbound experts, as well as face-to-face
support so you can have a single point of
contact that understands your business
BOEDBOIFMQZPVXJUITQFDJkDQSPCMFNT
www.hubspot.com
SPECIjCGROUPSANDPARTICIPATEINDIS-
2. Moz Learning Resources Industry
experts offer their advice and insights
about SEO and online marketing skills.
Their online courses are for beginners
and veterans alike.
www.moz.com
3. Inbound.org A community for profes-
sionals to share and discuss the
latest ideas and best practice with the
inbound marketing community, with
their feedback and questions sections.
www.inbound.org
4. Content Marketing Institute Full of
practical and how-to guidance. You
XJMMBMTPkOEJOTJHIUBOEBEWJDFGSPN
experts, and an active community for
discussing the advances that are mov-
ing the industry forward.
www.contentmarketinginstitute.com
Designers and architects must communicate
THEIRACHIEVEMENTSANDEXPERTISEBYUTILISING
inbound techniques and allowing their target
audience to discover, analyse and consequently
approach them. To guarantee success, the in-
BOUNDSTRATEGYMUSTINTEGRATEONLINEANDOFkINE
channels simultaneously to reach the target
audience anywhere they happen to be.
1. Search engine optimisation
SEO is one of the major principal inbound
marketing approaches. The optimisation allows
ones website to sit atop the search engine re-
sults page and be easily found by any property
developer sourcing designers and architects for
ATENDERINVITATION4HEjRMMUSTENSURETHATITS
website is user-friendly and contains all neces-
the website to show up in relevant searches.
The website can be in the form of a portfolio,
case-studies highlighting how projects were ap-
proached, an in the press page showcasing rec-
ognition, as well as any awards won. The most
important aspect of a designer website is the
look and feel. A website must be well-designed,
INVITINGANDINSPIRINGANDITMUSTREkECTTHE
jRMeSEXPERTISEANDCREATIVECAPABILITIES
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the go-to B2B networking platform for
architects and designers. The array of sales tools
available allow one to form and foster relation-
ships with key clients. Inbound communication
ON,INKED)NCANBEEXECUTEDBYOPTIMISING
the company page, using employees as brand
SHOWCASEPAGETHEjRMISALSOABLETODISPLAY
its portfolio in a more subtle manner.
The second step is using employees to act as
brand ambassadors. All team members should
clearly list their designations alongside the
company name as well as their current positions.
The employees must then be encouraged to join
INDUSTRY
cussions and other forms of thought-leadership
initiates to display their knowledge.
The last step is creating a content plan with an
inbound communication approach. The idea is to
showcase talent through completed projects and
industry recognitions. In order to ensure that the
right person sees those company updates, one
must target the appropriate audience. LinkedIn
allows advertisers to target their audience by
location, industry, job title and seniority level.
3. Branded content
The term refers to an advertising medium that
blurs the line between conventional advertis-
ing and editorial content. The content can be
used across all types of platforms online and
OFkINE4HEIDEABEHINDTHISINBOUNDAPPROACH
is to showcase skills and achievement through
editorial content in the form of interviews or
case studies. Practically speaking, advertorials
published in industry publications are the best
FORMSOFBRANDEDCONTENTASTHEYPROMOTEjRMS
without the need for overt marketing. Prospec-
tive clients are able to learn about the designer
capabilities on their own and then approach
them. Branded content can also be promoted
via channels such as Facebook, Instagram and
LinkedIn. The key here is to ensure that pushy
calls-to-action are avoided.
An outbound
message fo-
cusses on telling the
audience what to do,
while an inbound ap-
proach highlights the
company's positive
SARYINFORMATIONTOSHOWCASEITSEXPERTISE
but also that it uses the appropriate keyword
ambassadors and creating a complementary
content plan.
attributes
DENSITYANDOTHERSIGNIjCANTTAGSTHATWILLALLOW A well-optimised company page is easily

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 25

OPINION

How can
interior design
industry support
academia
BY A SIL ADIL AL BAGHDADI, LECT URER
AT INTERIOR ARCHITECT URE AND DESIGN
DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSIT Y OF SHARJAH

T
he design industry today demands the development of new ways of
collaboration between academia and business. Hence, it is crucial
to expose interior design students to industry and to have them ac-
quire knowledge of the required tasks and scope of real life interior
design work in order to prepare them for future professional roles.
An interior designer’s job scope is not limited merely to decoration. It
involves a complexity of tasks and processes of work within interior environ-
MENTSINCLUDINGTHECONSTRUCTIONANDCOMPLETIONOFTHEjNISHINGPHASE

University of Sharjah
Interior design graduates

Asil Adil Al Baghdadi

26 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 OPINION

of projects. So allowing students to have These results can be achieved through a

the right level of knowledge as expected by
industry while understanding project needs
and technicalities is a must to meet any future
client’s requirements.
Finding suitable internship opportunities
can be tricky for some students. However,
with the help of an academic advisor the right
placement can usually be arranged. Over the
years, there have been companies that have
shown consistent interest in training students
and we have been able to rely on them to
accommodate those students struggling to
locate the right company.
In my experience, many interior design
companies are interested in training students
and getting them involved in real-life projects.
That said, there are still some companies that
shy away from accepting interns for different
reasons, including lack of time to take care
of the students or simply not caring about
‘giving back’.
It is really important that companies
embrace the point of view that training the
future generation is of mutual interest, and
understand that it will contribute to a better
profession, generally speaking.
There are still some
companies that shy
away from accepting interns
for different reasons,
including lack of time to
take care of the students
or simply not caring about
‘giving back’
The main aims of collaboration are to
provide academics with professional tools for
teaching and to deliver courses to students
that aim to raise their awareness of the oppor-
tunities as well as the challenges of a career
in the design industry. Cooperation between
universities and the interior design industry
can facilitate the transfer of knowledge and
even stimulate the production of new knowl-
edge and technology as a result of exposing
students to real projects with real clients in
real life.
series of interior design realistic problem-
solving activities with a particular focus on
REkECTINGONHOWEACHTASKWASPERFORMED
under the guiding principles of teamwork
and team review. Teamwork is increasingly
important within higher education, not only
because of employers demand it, but also for
pragmatic reasons due to the increase in the
intake of design students.
There is a wide-ranging body of research
on teamwork – both from clinical psychology
ANDjELDWORKINEDUCATIONlPREMISEDON
theoretical underpinnings, which show that
groups can provide a powerful context for
learning.This in turn suggests that the devel-
opment of teamwork is well worth supporting
and fostering.
The purpose of vocational higher educa-
tion is to equip graduates to deal with the
demands of a rapidly changing working
environment. Collaboration between the
interior design industry and higher education
through internship programmes is a good way
to bridge the divide – provided that students
spend enough time in their internships to be
able to gain the expected expertise.

ANNU
AL SU
PPLEM
ENT

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SPA DESIGN

28 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 SPA DESIGN

INDUST RY E XPERT S SHARE T HEIR VIE WS ABOUT T HE F UT URE OF SPA

DE VELOPMENT S, CURRENT T RENDS IN T HE REGION AND WORLDWIDE AND
T HE IMP ORTANCE OF USING SUSTAIN ABLE AND ECO - F RIENDLY PRODUC T S

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 29

SPA DESIGN
2 1
T
he global wellness industry
is a $3.4 trillion market or 3.4
times larger than the world-
wide pharmaceutical industry,
according to the Global Wellness Insti-
tute (GWI) report. Subsequently, the
number of spas worldwide increased
from 71,762 in 2007 to 105,591 today.
And while Europe and North America
dominate this market, the number
of spas in the Middle East and North
Africa tripled during this period.
GWI’s report also shows that MENA
is the second fastest growing region
in the world for spas and the countries
with the largest growth are Morocco,
the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
With Expo 2020 on the horizon
1 ANDTHEEXPECTEDINkUXOFMILLION
Spa design by tourists, UAE hoteliers are now getting
the Wellness even more creative in the competition
to capture the market. Considering that
2 wellness tourists spend, on average,
Thermal spa interior 130% more than the average global
by Barr+Wray tourist, quality spa design is a guaran-
30 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
teed way to improve a hotel’s standing
in the market.
Commenting on new spa develop-
ments in the Middle East, Graeme
Banks, design director at Barr+Wray,
notices that there is a continuous
necessity to create that unique experi-
ence, not only to attract more guests,
but to compete in a saturated spa
marketplace.
“We are currently witnessing the
inclusion of extensive wet facilities
designed in a much more social way.
The selective spa guest is now look-
ing for a mix of quiet relaxing spaces
with communal facilities for interact-
ing. We also see family and kids spas
becoming more popular, allowing
parents the best of both worlds –
spa and family time.”
Banks further explains that for suc-
cessful spa creation, clients should
consider three important components
to the spa design process — opera-
tional design, interior design and engi-
neering/technical design.
“To have one without the other
leaves a gap in the process, which of-
ten results in issues during design and
most importantly throughout construc-
tion. Many clients do not appreciate
that the three elements are essential
to creating a facility that not only offers
the client a 5 star experience, which is
now expected by discerning spa-goer,
but one that is also aesthetically , op-
erationally and technically successful
ANDPROjTABLE-ANYHOTELOPERATORS
who have invested time and money in
developing their own spa brand, vision
and design and construction standards
appreciate the necessity for specialist
spa design companies who can inter-
pret their brief and provide all three
components,” says Banks.
Spas may still be seen as silent sanc-
tuaries or escapes from modern and
busy lives, but Banks believes that in
the future technology will play an even
bigger part within spa design. Interac-
www.designmena.com
ccreators

CREATORS OF WELLBEING AND RELAXATION

Interior Design I Engineering Design IWŽŽůнdŚĞƌŵĂů/ŶƐƚĂůůĂƟŽŶI Maintenance

Middle East + Asia UK + Europe ƐŝĂWĂĐŝĮĐ

Barr + Wray Dubai Barr + Wray Barr + Wray Hong Kong
T: + 971 4320 6440 T: + 44 141 882 9991 T: + 852 2214 8833
E: sales@barrandwray.com E: sales@barrandwray.com E: sales@barrandwray.com

www.barrandwray.com
SPA DESIGN

tive walls on which guests can custom-

ise the scene to their preference, or
wearable gadgets, which can monitor
and guide guests through the spa giv-
INGjRSTHANDDATATOTHEIRTHERAPISTWILL
be incorporated in designs.
When developing a spa concept, Lou-
ise Pitt, marketing and CRM manager
at Geberit, points out that it is crucial
to consider every aspect of the visitor's
experience in the design — peace and
serenity, relaxation and rejuvenation.
She says: “For this acoustics need to
be a top priority of the designer. The
correct use of acoustic materials and
4
the correct installation ensures the
visitor's experience is not disturbed
by unwanted airborne or solid borne expansions and ways of integrating When it comes to the Middle East re-
sounds. In order to keep the spa fresh upcoming treatments and technolo- gion and its demands on spa design, all
and up to date, the designer will also gies should be considered in order to agree that it is necessary to incorporate
need to consider a long lasting design keep a spa up-to-date with develop- local customs and traditional Arabic
3 THEMETHATALSOALLOWSFORkEXIBILITYFOR ments and trends. Also, it should be therapies along with all the traditional
Relaxation zone possible renovations and updates.” integrative with the hotel theme and treatments one has come to expect in
designed by Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO of the Well- spirit, it should not be an isolated today’s spa retreat.
Barr+Wray ness shares the opinion that design island so it is not seen as an unreach- Graeme Banks from Barr+Wray com-
should always follow function, but that able experience only available to a ments: “Spas are similar around the
4 nowadays many spas are designed few. Finally, in this fast-paced society, world, but we need to be extremely
Indoor/outdoor spa without taking into consideration how it is tremendously important to think aware of the Middle East local culture.
designed by the they will work for guests and staff. ahead how to move forward in the We must consider gender separation
Wellness “When designing a spa, future future,” explains Ibrahim. in most of the key areas. This has to

32 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

SPA DESIGN
be carefully considered in terms of
the budget and space available. The
answer is not always just to design du-
plicates of each area but by considering
THEJOURNEYANDTHEOPERATIONALkOW
you can design the spa in a way that
will capitalise on the space, meet legal
requirements, create an amazing guest
experience and maximise the revenue
for the operator.”
Barr+Wray has just completed
the design for the St Regis Spa in Al
Habtoor City, Jumeirah Saadiyat Island
2ESORTIN!BU$HABIANDjNISHEDTHE
refurbishment of Talise Madinat Jume-
riah in Dubai. It is currently working on
5 star projects in Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
When taking about trends in the
region, all share the opinion that
sustainability and eco-friendly prod-
5 ucts are essential for spa design.
Rathan accessories by Louise Pitt from Geberit says: “Our
Bagnodesign PRODUCTSARETHEjRSTCHOICEFORARCHI-
6 tects, designers and planners being
Geberit provides high- innovative, durable and ecologically
Geberit recently supplied several
important projects, such as The Four
Seasons Sowwah Island in Abu Dhabi,
Hilton in Dubai, Al Hayat Palace in
Riyadh, Anantara Resort in Oman and
Kempinski Hotel in Muscat.
“Continuously optimising and extend-
ing the product range is crucial for future
success in the region. New and further
developments of the traditional product
lines are still at the forefront; however,
the trend towards more comfortable
bathrooms places new demands on
sanitary technology. In accordance
with changing customer demands, the
aesthetics and attractiveness of the
products is playing an increasingly
important role. Design innovations have
become more important, along with
technical innovations, and have become
a cornerstone of product development,”
says Pitt.
The Wellness is currently working
on over 30 projects around the MENA
region, including the Viceroy hotel on
Palm Jumeirah, RAK Khatt Hot Springs
end sanitary solutions EFjCIENTPROVIDINGHIGH
ENDSANITARY in Ras al-Khaimah, Four Seasons in
7 solutions. The durability of materials Abu Dhabi, Ritz Carlton and Fairmont
Corner bathtub and systems and the economical use in Egypt, Kempinski hotels in Riyadh
solutions for OFRESOURCESPLAYASIGNIjCANTROLETO and Jeddah, as well as Al Messila
residential bathrooms shape the quality of leisure environ- Resort in Qatar. 5
by Bagnodesign ments.” When specifying materials, Ibrahim

7
6

34 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

CoeLux®
Experience the Sky
Let’s get back in touch with nature!
CoeLux® is the only technology able to reproduce natural light in indoor environments,
positively impacting the patients sense of wellbeing. CoeLux® creates the optical mechanisms
and phenomena which govern light in nature and in particular, the interaction between light
created by the sun and the earth’s atmosphere.
The unique CoeLux® systems is bought to the gulf region by Acoulite LLC, a specialist lighting
and acoustics solutions company established in Dubai.

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SPA DESIGN

He adds: “It is also very useful to now incoporating the similiar trends into
use recycled materials in the interior RESIDENTIALBATHROOMSASWELL
design works and to minimize the use Bagnodesign has recently intro-
OFMATERIALSTHATARENOTRECYCLABLE
Recycled wood, aluminium and glass
can easily be used in a spa in addition
LIKERETREAT4HECOL-
to the electrical items, which should
ALLBEENERGYSTARRATED4HEWATER
usage and reducing the general energy
CONSUMPTIONWITHINASPAISEXTREMELY
important and this can be achieved by
reducing the heat up times of a steam
ROOMANDENSURINGTHATTHEHUMIDIjER
is running on a specially programmed
mode ensure it will only use water and
ELECTRICITYWHENITISNEEDEDt
Ibrahim concludes that people are
becoming more health conscious, which
leads to a closer collaboration between
8
DUCED7ELLNESSARANGEOFLUXURIOUS
accessories to transform any bath-
ROOMINTOASPA
lection includes a range of whirlpools
in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit
ANYBATHROOMSPACE
From the inset bathtub complete with
LED lights and spa jets, big enough to
share, through to the Quart Corner bath-
TUBTHATCANBEjTTEDWITHACHOICEOF
whirlpool systems and is ideal for more
COMPACTSPACES4HECOLLECTIONALSO
includes steam rooms in varying sizes
with touchscreen controls, chromo-
therapy lighting, aromatherapy units
ANDAUDIOSYSTEMS
SPASANDHEALTHCARE4HEREFOREITISVERY 7ITHTHEjNISHINGTOUCHESBEINGAN
likely that spas will continue to increase all-important part of creating a comfort-
8 agrees it is always favourable that THEIRROLEWITHINTHEWELLNESSINDUSTRY ABLEBATHINGEXPERIENCETHISCOLLECTION
Hotel bathroom those are picked from green companies /NTHEOTHERHANDRELAXINGANDHEAL- also includes a range of rattan acces-
featuring Geberit and manufacturers of furniture, water ing retreats are not just limited to hotels sories, from laundry baskets to a cotton
products jXTURESANDSANITARYITEMS and we see that many designers are WOOLHOLDERANDATOWELBASKET

36 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 The World’s Finest Water Features

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CASE STUDY

Urban
retreat
T UCKED AWAY ON T HE SE VENT H F LOOR OF T HE
CONR AD HOT EL , VII IS WHERE DUBAI'S URBAN
SK Y LINE MEE T S A GREEN GARDEN

WORDS by Marina Mrdjen-Petrovic

PHOTOGRAPHY by Ajith Kumar Narendra Kumar

38 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 CASE STUDY

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 39

CASE STUDY
S
urrounded by sleek glass-
and-steel skyscrapers, Vii,
the terrace bar and lounge
LOCATEDONTHESEVENTHkOOR
of the Conrad Hotel, is the newest
1 addition to Dubai’s nightlife scene.
Vii terrace The design studio Creative Clinic
was commissioned by the owner to
2 transform this plain looking rooftop,
The bar visually spread across 370m2, into a modern
divides the place into and welcoming retreat.
three separate zones Designers Ceebo Shah and Khalid
40 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
Sharan talked to CID about the key
points of inspiration behind its design.
As they explained, the philosophy
behind the design was to create an
intimate space – a sanctuary away
from the hustle and bustle of the busy
city life.
“We were challenged with a very
plain looking terrace surrounded by
skyscrapers and lots of concrete. The
jRSTIDEATHATCAMETOOURMINDSWAS
to create a secret garden in the city
that is both functional and aestheti-
cally pleasing. Since the terrace itself
has a long and rectangular shape, we
had to create zones that would visually
break this boring corridor,” explains
Ceebo Shah.
The bar area, positioned in the
middle and sheltered within a canopy
of leaves, visually divides the place
into three different zones. Besides the
greenery, the design team opted for
teak wood coverings, which provide a
www.designmena.com
 DELIVERING LONG TERM VALUE
Integrating design and performance

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please visit www.sasintgroup.com, call us on +971 (0)4 885 5545 or email us info@sasint.ae
manufacturing world-class interiors
CASE STUDY

modern but also a more natural look.

By mixing various old furniture pieces
such as vintage crystal chandeliers,
chairs and mirrors against sleek
surfaces, the designers have created a
balance of old meets new.
“Besides the arch, we’ve also added
3 a green wall that we’ve accented with
Crystal chandeliers vintage mirrors. In all of our designs,
and modern curved we like mixing elements of different
sofas work well eras with modern pieces and making
together for this venue them belong. We have customised
some signature chairs for Vii. We didn’t
4 want to label them in any obvious
The green grass wall way, so we designed individual coats
is accented with of arms, which were printed on the
4
vintage mirrors fabrics. Many guests probably will not

42 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 CASE STUDY

NOTICETHEMTHEjRSTTIMETHEYVISITt
SAYS3HARAN
One of the main features is a
BAROQUECHAIRCOVEREDWITHARTIjCIAL
green grass that sits at the entrance
AGAINSTTHETEAKWOODWALL!S3HARAN
5 explains, the chair was handpicked
WAYTOBLENDTHISAWKWARDCOMBINA-
TIONINAMORENATURALWAY
We were “We created this facade of wooden
challenged with rings that start large and keep getting
a very plain looking smaller and smaller until the last one
meets the size of the entrance door,
terrace surrounded by LIKEIN!LICEIN7ONDERLAND7HENLOOK-
Designers opted for from a vintage market in Istanbul and skyscrapers and lots INGFROMTHEOUTSIDEYOUWOULDNEVER
teak wood coverings, BROUGHTTO$UBAI)NITIALLYITWASNT of concrete think this was a defect in the actual
which provide a part of the original design, but was VENUE)NAWAYTHETUNNELISINVITING
modern and more ADDEDASALAST
MINUTETOUCH the guests to walk through it and get
natural look “The hand crafted chair is over IT4HECHAIRWASNOTPARTOFTHEDESIGN INTOTHISUNEXPECTEDSECRETGARDENt
6 YEARSOLDANDTHEGOLDFOILONTHE ANDYETITBECAMETHEMAINFEATUREt Just before reaching the peak of
A vintage armchair WOODENFRAMEISOFITSORIGINALDESIGN SAYS3HAH summer, Vii has been covered with
COVEREDWITHARTIjCIAL 4HEFRAMESTAYEDUNTOUCHEDANDWE 3INCETHEENTRANCETOTHETERRACEHAS ATRANSPARENTACRYLICROOFSOGUESTS
grass is the main COVEREDITWITHARTIjCIALGRASSSOIT a small door and the opening corridor CANENJOYTHEVIEWOFTHECITYINSIDEA
feature looks like the grass is growing out of is much wider, the duo had to think of COOLEDANDSHELTEREDGREENHOUSE

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 43

CASE STUDY

Sweet
nostalgia
ST UDIO EM REDE SIGNS T HE
C ANDY LICIOUS, T HE WORLD’S
L ARGE ST C ANDY STORE , AT
T HE DUBAI M ALL AND E VOKE S
MEMORIE S OF FA MILY OUT INGS
TO T HE FAIRGROUND

44 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 CASE STUDY

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 45

CASE STUDY

I
n the winter of 2013, the retail
giant Alabbar Enterprises ap-
proached Studio EM to redesign
its Candylicious store at The Dubai
Mall. For Dubai-born designer Emma
Stinson and her design team, this was
a dream come true.
ADDINGAMEZZANINEkOORTOTHESTORE
taking one of the world’s largest candy
stores from 10,000sq ft to 12,000sq ft.
"The extra 2,000sq ft is now home
to Partylicious, a private party area for
candy themed parties within the store. It
is rare for any retailer to have a mezzanine
ated with the fairground and used them
as the main focal point of the store,
allowing us to then build the rest of the
design around them.
Ï/URWALLINTHEOFjCEWASFULLOF
THINGSTHATjRSTPOPPEDINTOTHEMINDS
of our design team, such as bright
“As retail designers we always held kOORAPPROVEDIN$UBAI)NFACT)CANNOT lights, carousels, blinking signage,
the original Candylicious store in high even think of another store that has one colours, big-top tents, candy swirls,
regard, but having the chance to rede- that isn’t used for storage. It took a long LOLLYPOPSCANDYkOSSTHEWALTZER
sign the store from top to bottom was an time to have the mezzanine approved and fairground games… Using all of these
opportunity that we jumped at. As this in turn, built, which meant that we had to ideas we began building the design from
was a renovation, we had to return the have a phased opening of the store.” the bottom up, literally.
site to a complete shell and core status.
In essence, this meant redesigning and
building the store from scratch.
1 "The most progressive element of the
The world’s largest whole project was the client, who trust-
candy store spreads ed our creativity and abilities enough to
over 12,000sq ft give us carte blanche to create the store
our way,” explains Kristian Stinson, co-
2 founder of Studio EM.
Candy swirl pattern The client had two major requirements
ONTHEkOORGIVESA lTHEjRSTBEINGTHATTHESTOREHADTO
fun and interactive kOWANDTHESECONDTHATITNEEDEDTOBE
element that children bigger, but within the same walls.
love to follow around “By the end of the project we had
the store achieved the latter quite comfortably by
46 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
4OFULjLTHEBRIEFOFCREATINGAkOW
Emma Stinson, creative director, identi-
jEDTHATTHESTOREDESIGNNEEDEDTOTELL
a story and take the customer on a jour-
ney. The brainstorming process began
with a key target in mind – to develop a
concept or a theme that would appeal to
both adults and children.
“Our brainstorming took us to the
fairground where the nostalgia of eating
candy and being with our families came
to the fore. This evocative trip down
memory lane was the catalyst for our
concept design, and immediately we
developed key design elements associ-
"Our senior designer, Nicola Moore,
came up with an idea to play with the
NOTIONOFCANDYSWIRLSBYCREATINGAkOOR
PATTERNTHATAIDEDBOTHCUSTOMERkOW
and acted as our visual representation
of candy lollipops. She created the de-
sign and the graphic, which we then had
SDS Smartcrete install as a Seamless
Epoxy Resin,” says Stinson.
This design touch gave the store de-
sign a real 360-degree feel and created
a fun and interactive element that the
children love to follow around the store.
After this element was created, the
store began to take shape quite quickly.
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CASE STUDY

Using the carousel as inspiration, the 3

DON’T DISTURB THE SHARKS team created a cash counter that was
circular and allowed for much more ef-
Working on this site brought
quite a few challenges for the
Studio EM design team. Some
they had encountered with
LOVED
previous projects, but one in
particular was very unusual.
jCIENTCUSTOMERkOWBUTALSOGAVETHE
designers a chance to create a statement
piece at the heart of the store.
f/NCEWEADDEDTHISTOTHEMUCH
and adored Candylicious Airplane and
Candylicious Tree we had succeeded in
“We wanted to design a store
front that was 'on-brand' – very
colourful, vibrant and theatrical,"
says Kristian Stinson. "However,
we faced the strangest of obsta-
cles in how we could do that and
not cause distress to the sharks
opposite the store. Yes, you heard
it right. As the store is directly op-
posite the Dubai Mall Aquarium we
had to be mindful of creating a de-
sign that wouldn’t cause distress
SATISFYINGONEOFOUROWNINTERNALBRIEFS
to create exciting photo opportunities for
VISITORSTOTHESTORE7ETOOKTHEIDEAOF
PHOTOOPPORTUNITIESONESTEPFURTHERBY
CREATINGASTAGINGAREAATTHEBACKOFTHE
STORETHATALLOWSFORSEASONALORFESTIVAL
BASEDPHOTOOPPORTUNITIES!PHOTOBOOTH
is another fairground inspired idea that
ALLOWSTHEVISITORSTOTAKESOMETREASURED
MEMORIESAWAYWITHTHEMONCETHEYLEAVE “Once we had the main design
the store. features inserted in the store we
"At the front of the store we assisted in STARTEDPLACINGTHEMORESUBTLEDESIGN
to the marine life in the aquarium, THEADDITIONOFACONCESSIONWHICHMARKS elements such as the Candy Floss
TQFDJkDBMMZJOSFMBUJPOUPUIFVTFPG 3PUN#ANDYSjRSTSTOREINTHE-IDDLE%AST #ARTTHEeBIGTOPeMERCHANDISINGTENTS
lighting and signage.” WITHTHEDESIGNBEINGCONCEPTUALIZEDBY the fairground lighting-inspired store
Data Nature Associates in London. signage and the waltzer/teacup-style
SEATINGBOOTHSWITHINTHE0ARTYLICIOUS
AREATONAMEBUTAFEWtADDS3TINSON
4 "YTHEENDOFTHEPROJECTBOTHTHE
CLIENTAND3TUDIO%-DESIGNTEAMFELT
THATTHEYHADDELIVEREDAPROJECTTHAT
FULjLLEDTHEORIGINALBRIEFBUTMOST
importantly that they created a place
THATCONNECTSBOTHADULTSANDCHILDREN
to the world of candy.
f#ANDYLICIOUSBEINGANICONICBRAND
INTHEMARKETALWAYSSTRIVESTOOFFEREX-
citing, unique shopping experiences for
OURCUSTOMERSÏSAYS-OUZA-OHAMED
!LABBAR#%/OF!LABBAR%NTERPRISESÏ)T
HASBEENjVEYEARSSINCE#ANDYLICIOUS
OPENEDITSDOORANDWEWANTEDTOTAKE
MAXIMUMADVANTAGEOFTHESCHEDULED
STORERENOVATIONlNOTONLYTOGIVE
FRESHNESSBUTALSOTOADDMOREEXCITING
ELEMENTSWITHINTHESTORE7EAIMTO
engage with our customers’ emotions as 3
THEYWALKINTOOURSPACE Partylicious area
Ï7EKNOWWEVEDONEOURJOBWELL is located on a
WHENOURCUSTOMERSASSOCIATEWALKING MEZZANINEkOOR
into Candylicious with words such as
eNOSTALGIAe3TUDIO%-HASTRANSLATED 4
OURVISIONANDTHROUGHTHEREDESIGNOF Bright yellow, green
#ANDYLICIOUSASSISTEDUSINTAKINGOUR and purple were
PHYSICALRETAILSTORETOTHENEXTLEVELAND added to the scheme
transforming it into a destination rather to offer a splash of
THANJUSTANOTHERCANDYSTOREt colour

48 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

CID AWARDS - MEET THE JUDGES

CID Awards 2015:

Meet the Judges
AS THE 9TH EDITION OF THE CID AWARDS FAST
APPROACHES, MEET OUR JUDGES AND LOOK BACK AT
SOME OF THE WINNING DESIGNS FROM 2014

PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS SOCIAL MEDIA

PARTNER

50 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com


S
et for September 16th at the
JW Marriott Marquis hotel, the
9th edition of the CID Awards
is just around the corner. In
the previous issue, we introduced you to
the CID Awards sponsors and now mov-
ing to the next stage, it is time to meet
our judges and to take a look at some
of the winning designs from last year’s
event. All of them set new limits and
higher standards in the region’s interior
design community.
The judging panel will provide unique
perspectives from various angles in the
industry. We have an eclectic mix of indi-
viduals from different parts of the indus-
PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS
www.designmena.com
try, from architects to lighting designers
and academics, all of whom will focus
their expertise on the projects submitted
for the awards.Our star-studded panel
of judges includes: Andre C Meyerhans,
head of Andre C. Meyerhans Architects;
Hani Fallaha, designer and partner at
LOCI Architects+Design; Matteo Bianchi,
director of Matteo Bianchi Studio; Sergio
Padula, technical director at iGuzzini;
Rue Kothari, fair director of Downtown
Design; Maria Mortera, professor at the
College of Architect, Art and Design at
the American University of Sharjah; as
well as Linda Merieau, executive director
of Association of Professional Interior
SILVER SPONSORS
CID AWARDS - MEET THE JUDGES
Designers (APID).
In the following weeks, they will be go-
ing through every single entry to decide
winners in 16 categories for individuals
and projects that push the boundaries
beyond ordinary. We asked some of
our judges what they’re most looking
forward to.
As the deadline to submit nominations
is now past, the CID editorial team would
like to thank everyone who has entered.
We wish you all the best and if you
would like to enquire about booking a
table please contact michelle.meyrick@
itp.com and teri.clarke@itp.com for
sponsorship opportunities.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PARTNER
Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 51
CID AWARDS - MEET THE JUDGES

-ATTHEO"IANCHI

M
atteo Bianchi is an inter- He explained that design in the
national interior designer region is “growing up” and adopting a
based in London where MOREMINIMALISTAESTHETICLETTINGGO
he has lead his success- OFPREVIOUSLYIDEALIZEDOSTENTATIOUS
FULDESIGNjRM-ATTEO"IANCHI3TUDIO kARES
since 2006. Bianchi has big hopes for the sub-
"ORNIN6ENICE"IANCHISTUDIEDAT MISSIONSEXPLAININGTHATHEWILLBE
THE5NIVERSITYOFTHE!RTS#HELSEAIN WATCHINGOUTFORfINSPIRINGCREATIVE
London- where he is currently teaching. ANDWELLTHOUGHT OUTPROJECTSt"IAN
He has been previously been a cover CHIWASPARTOFTHISYEARSLISTOFSPEAK
STAROF#OMMERCIAL)NTERIOR$ESIGNAND ERSAT).$%8SHARINGHISINSIGHTSON
displayed a deep knowledge of the THEUPCOMINGINTERIORDESIGNTRENDS
SHIFTINTASTEINTHE-IDDLE%AST for 2016.

2UE+OTHARI

C
URRENTLYFAIRDIRECTOROF$OWN f)jRSTHADTHEOPPORTUNITYTOJUDGE
TOWN$ESIGN2UE+OTHARIHAS THESEAWARDSBACKINANDWAS
built up considerable local IMPRESSEDWITHBOTHCREATIVITYAND
KNOWLEDGEHAVINGLIVEDFOR AMBITIONSOFTHEPROJECTSEVENBACK
MORETHANADECADEINTHE5!%!SFOR THENtSHESAID
MEREDITORINCHIEFOF(ARPERS"AZAAR f)HAVEAFEELINGTHATWITHTHE
)NTERIORSMAGAZINE+OTHARIPOSSESSES ever-increasing opportunities and chal-
ACOMBINATIONOFREGIONALINSIGHTINTO LENGESTHATTHISMARKETPRESENTSTHAT
the industry as well as a passion for )WILLBESEEINGASUBSTANTIALEVOLUTION
DESIGN3ECONDTIMEJUDGEOFTHE#OM INTHESTANDARDOFSUBMISSIONSWHICH
MERCIAL)NTERIOR$ESIGN!WARDS+OTHARI MAKESMEVERYFORTUNATETOBEPARTOF
has a keen eye for design. THISYEARSJUDGINGPROCESSt

-ARIA-ORTERA

M
ARIA-ORTERAIS!SSISTANT MENT-ORTERAHOLDSA-ASTERSIN
0ROFESSORATTHE#OLLEGE !RCHITECTUREFROMTHE5NIVERSITYOF
OF!RCHITECTURE!RTAND #ALIFORNIA,OS!NGELES
$ESIGNATTHE!MERICAN #OMMENTINGONJUDGINGTHISYEARS
5NIVERSITYIN3HARJAH!53 -ORTERA
has worked as a design consultant for
luxury and corporate retails brands in
3AN&RANCISCOAND,OS!NGELES
Her areas of research revolve around
THEEMPOWERMENTOFINDIVIDUALS
through design and the built environ-
PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS
52 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
#OMMERCIAL)NTERIOR$ESIGN!WARDS
-ORTERASAIDf)AMLOOKINGFORWARDTO
working with a talented group of de-
SIGNPROFESSIONALS)AMALSOEXCITED
TOSEEWHATTHEREGIONSBESTINTERIORS
have to offer.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
PARTNER
www.designmena.com
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CID AWARDS - MEET THE JUDGES

Sergio Padula Andre C Meyerhans

S A
ergio Padula is technical ndre C Meyerhans leads his
DIRECTORAT)TALIANLIGHTING $UBAI BASEDSTUDIO!NDRE
MANUFACTURERjRMI'UZZINI C Meyerhans Architecture +
A love affair with light $ESIGN(AVINGWONANUM
started during his time at Politecnico ber of awards for various regional
di Milano where Padula was mentored PROJECTSSUCHASTHE.EW'ARHOUD
by Piero Castiglioni. "RIDGEIN$UBAIAND!L.ADI4OWER
0ADULAHASSPOKENATVARIOUSCONFER -EYERHANSPREVIOUSLYWORKEDFOR
ences and participated in several initia- star architect Santiago Calatrava. He
tives throughout the region, including has also created brand architecture
,IGHT)NSIGHT!RABIAAT,IGHT-IDDLE%AST FOR!LFRED$UNHILL#ARTIER(UGO
).$%8ANDTHE!RCHITECTURAL,IGHTING#ONFERENCEIN1ATAR!SADESIGNER Boss and Christian LaCroix. He holds a Masters in Architecture from
his practice is promoting an eco-sustainable approach and is essentially THE3WISS&EDERAL)NSTITUTEOF4ECHNOLOGYANDAN-"!FROM,ONDON
led by simplicity and functionality. Business School. Andre is also a member of the Swiss Society of En-
f#ONSIDERINGTHEFACTTHATTHE#)$!WARDSAREAMONGTHEMOST GINEERSAND!RCHITECTS4HEARCHITECTSTATEDTHATHEWILLBELOOKING
ESTABLISHEDANDSOPHISTICATEDDESIGNAWARDSINTHEREGION)EXPECT ATSPECIjCPRINCIPLESWHENJUDGINGTHESUBMISSIONS
TOSEEPLENTYOFOUTOFTHEBOXANDCUTTING EDGEPROJECTSFOCUSEDON f#OMPETITIONHASBECOMESTIFFERINTHEMARKETTHEREFOREDESIGN
innovation and sustainability in both the public and the private sec- has to become more authentic, genuine and stringent.”
TORS)CONSIDERCRITICALFORDESIGNERSTOPAYGREATATTENTIONTOTHELOCAL (ESTRESSEDANIMPORTANCEOFKEEPINGALOCALIDENTITYTHATSTRIKES
CULTUREANDENVIRONMENTTHEYAREWORKINGINtHESAID a balance between commercial and design considerations.

Hani Fallaha Linda Merieau

H W
ani Fallaha is designer and ith over 25 years of ex-
PARTNERAT$UBAI BASED perience in the private
STUDIO,/#)!RCHITECTURE and public sectors,
$ESIGNWHERETHEjRM Linda Merieau holds a
focuses on a contextual approach to wealth of experience in communica-
design solutions. Fallaha was educated tions, cross sector partnerships and
at the Architectural Association School management. Her career spans the
of Architecture where he graduated private sector, international organiza-
WITHHONOURSANDRECEIVEDTHE2)"! TIONSANDNOT FOR PROjTENTITIES)N
President’s medal for the best design November 2013, she was appointed
PROJECT(EISAVISITINGCRITICATTHE as executive director by the Board
!MERICAN5NIVERSITYOF3HARJAH0RIORTOSETTINGUP,/#)&ALLAHAWORKED OFTHE!SSOCIATIONOF0ROFESSIONAL)NTERIOR$ESIGNERSTOOVERSEE
at an international design practice for seven years where he led and THERENEWALOFTHISSOCIETY)N!PRILSHEINSTIGATEDAPROJECT
DELIVEREDANUMBEROFHIGHPROjLEPROJECTS&ALLAHAEXPLAINEDHIS to support young professional women in the UAE through a career
expectations for this year’s submissions. As context is very important, MENTORINGPROGRAM 4HE,).+WHICHSHECONTINUESTOLEADTODAY
HECOMMENTEDf)WILLBELOOKINGFORWARDTODESIGNSTHATRELATETOA She commented: “Outstanding interior designs are celebrated each
PROJECTSPLACEANDIMMEDIATECONTEXT$ESIGNSTHATARENOTIMPORTED YEARATTHE#)$!WARDSANDSHOULDBENOLESSEXCITING'IVENTHE
but grown from the site’s culture, tradition and history as well as its CURRENTDYNAMISMINTHEINDUSTRY)WOULDEXPECTTOWITNESSALOTOF
climatic and geographical context.” innovative approaches within all categories.”

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INTERVIEW

A new branch of
furniture design
CID TALK S TO GAVIN MUNRO, A BRIT ISH F URNIT URE
DE SIGNER WHO GROWS YOUNG T REE S INTO CHAIRS

T
hroughout history, many great
inventions were doubted,
dismissed and ridiculed at their
time –and for Gavin Munro, a
British designer and carpenter, it is no
different. On his farm north of Derby
in England, he doesn’t just grow oak,
ash and willow trees, he actually grows
to understand the beauty of changing
nature more subtly to get the objects
In a way, this is we want – in this case art and furniture.
like an organic 3D Lots of folk too, especially those living in
printer that uses air, cities, appear to love the idea of working
in an outdoor factory with birds and
soil and sunshine as its BEESkYINGAROUNDTHEPRODUCTIONLINES
source materials. While we still only have prototypes
furniture. Taking a radical stance on the
way he produces the furniture, Munro
has a rather unconventional idea of
1 growing trees around special plastic
Gavin Munro moulds that will shape them over the
years into strong chairs, light shades
geometric pendant lamps and mirrors
frames are currently expected for re-
lease late Spring 2016. At the beginning,
ACTUALLYjNISHEDSEEINGANDESPECIALLY
touching the clean geometric outer
jNISHCONTRASTINGWITHTHEROUGHERBARK
seems to bring about the best reaction,”
says Munro.
The chairs are still growing now,
2 and mirror frames without any joints.
3,000 trees very The Full Grown project has taken nine
neatly planted on YEARSALREADYANDTHEjRSTCHAIRSWILL
a 2.5-acre site be ready for sale globally in 2017 at a
cost of about $3,000 apiece, while the
60 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
Munro admits, he had every reaction
imaginable - including lots of laughing.
“ Now that we have a fully functioning
furniture orchard, people are consider-
ably more interested and most seem
BUTWHENHARVESTEDANDjNISHED
Munro expects them to be not just fully
functional and ergonomic but grafted
into one solid piece without the joints
that only ever loosen over time. With
www.designmena.com
 INTERVIEW

care, he hopes these pieces will last 2

for hundreds of years. But, how does it

actually work?
“In essence it is an incredibly simple
art. You start by training and pruning
young tree branches as they grow over
specially made formers. At certain
points we then graft them together so
that the object grows into one solid
piece. In a way, this is like an organic 3D
printer that uses air, soil and sunshine
as its source materials. After it’s grown
into the shape we want, we continue to
care for and nurture the tree, while it
thickens and matures, before harvest- 3 4

ing it and then letting it season and

dry. It’s then a matter of planning and
jNISHINGTOSHOWOFFTHEWOODANDGRAIN
inside,” explains Munro.
Munro is only making 50 or so pieces
per year, but for every 100 trees he
grows, there are 1,000 branches he
needs to care for and 10,000 shoots he
has to prune at the right time. The whole
process to grow a chair takes between
four and eight years.
“While there is the regular joy of
seeing birds and beasties living in our
production rows, most of the tasks I
do on an average day won’t come to
fruition until several years later. That’s
quite hard to live with – especially as
it’s taken nine years already and we’re IS THIS CRUEL TO THE TREES?
STILLAYEARORTWOAWAYFROMTHEjRST
substantial harvest. Thankfully proto- “We think this method is kinder and less wasteful than planting a plantation
types and early pieces are starting to PGUSFFT
HSPXJOHGPSBTQFDJkFEMJGFUJNF
UIFODIPQQJOHEPXO
MFBWJOHBO
come online but still, it’s a hefty act of VODBSFEGPS
DMFBSFEBSFB
XJUIBMMUIFBEEJUJPOBMQSPCMFNTMJLFEFTFSUJkDB-
FAITH)TSCERTAINLYNOTINSTANTGRATIjCA- tion. It’s estimated, from early calculations, that we use about 25% of the
tion,” admits Munro. FOFSHZOFFEFEUPQSPEVDFBXPPEFODIBJSXJUIDPOWFOUJPOBMNFBOT"T
4HEjRSTSEEDWASSOWNWHENAS
a young boy playing in the garden, he
BOEUIJOHTBSFDPOTUBOUMZDIBOHJOHJO
noticed an overgrown bonsai tree had
uTBZT.VOSP
the distinct appearance of a chair. It
was an image that stayed in his mind
for 25 years. At home to England in
early 2006, he had a generous offer of
some land for growing the experimental
prototypes.
f4HEjRSTYEARWENTWELLBUTTHE
trees needed more light. We moved to
a bigger spot and spent a few weeks
3 preparing the ground for thirty neatly
Trees grow around planted trees for chairs and tables.
special plastic moulds Two days after planting, cows from the
4 farm next door escaped and trampled
An example of everything.”
Munro's chairs It’s in Munro’s mother-in-law’s garden
www.designmena.com
the items take some time to grow, we are currently looking at designs and
NFUIPETXFIBWFEFWFMPQFEGVSUIFS
UIJTlFEHMJOHQSPEVDUJPONFUIPE
THATTHEjRSTGROUPOFWILLOWTREES
started to look really like chairs in 2010.
f4HEjRSTBREAKTHROUGHWASREALISING
that you can’t force the trees – a tor-
tured branch just dies and other pops up
elsewhere. This was fortunate, because
two years earlier we had planted 3,000
trees very neatly on a 2.5-acre site. Pro-
duction began in earnest in late 2011.”
The Full Grown has roughly 30 pre-
orders so far, a third from local people
who’ve visited the site and the rest from
all over the world, including the United
States, France and the Far East.
“Most people are primarily interested
in having a unique art piece grown for
them in England although many are
keen on the environmental as well as
THEAESTHETICBENEjTSOFOURPRODUCTION
METHODS7HENWEHAVEOURjRSTHAR-
vest of chairs, we’ll put a few aside for
exhibitions and charity auctions before
offering out the rest to those who pre-
ordered early,” concludes Munro.
Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 61
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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
T
he future development of
society in both developed
countries and emerging
economies are closely tied
up with the ability to effectively
light cities, homes, schools and
recreation areas. The latest report
released by the International
Energy Agency shows that lighting
represents almost 20% of global
electricity consumption.To raise
global awareness of how light-
based technologies can provide
sustainable solutions to worldwide
challenges in energy, education,
agriculture, communications and
health, the United Nations General
Assembly proclaimed 2015 as the
International Year of Light (IYL).
4HANKSTOITSROLEASANOFjCIAL
sponsor of the UNESCO IYL,
www.designmena.com
LIGHTING
Light Middle East 2015 is set to
open with a greater global focus.
The lighting exhibition will take
place from 6-8 October at the
Dubai International Convention
and Exhibition Centre and is a
sponsor for the IYL in the same
year that marks the 1000th
anniversary of the seven volume
treatise on optics by Arab scientist
Ibn al-Haytham.
Born in 968 in present day Iraq,
Ibn al-Haytham was a pioneering
SCIENTIjCTHINKERWHOMADE
important contributions to the
understanding of vision, optics
ANDLIGHT(ISIDEASINkUENCED
European scholars including those
of the Renaissance.
“It’s a privilege for Light
Middle East to partner with such
SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
ANINTERNATIONALLYSIGNIjCANT
occasion such as the UNESCO IYL,
as we draw on Ibn al-Haytham’s
example and shine new light on
cooperation and sustainability,”
said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of
Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the
organiser of Light Middle East.
According to Pauwels, there
are several significant trends
that are shaping the current
lighting market.
He says: “The biggest trend
is the ongoing shift toward
MOREENERGYEFjCIENTAND
environmentally friendly lighting
solutions, particularly in the GCC,
where governments are leading
the way with the implementation
of LEED compliant and Green
Building codes. This will increase
Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015
demand for LEDs, which are now
a driving force in architectural
lighting in the Middle East. As
a result, the regional market
is becoming more and more
important for Europe’s foremost
lighting manufacturers.
“From a lighting design
perspective, perhaps the most
pleasing trend is that the market is
NOWCOMBININGENERGYEFjCIENCY
and environmental friendliness
with aesthetics and as a result,
there are some spectacular
lighting projects in the region that
are truly world-class.”
With lighting being such a
SIGNIjCANTPARTOFTHEINTERIOR
design sector, Commercial
Interior Design speaks to lighting
suppliers you should know.
63
SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Future Designs
Future Designs has become an
industry expert in the commercial
use of LED and is instrumental in
advising consulting engineers,
architects, designers and end-user
clients about the advantages and
BENEjTSOF,%$COMMERCIALLIGHTING
solutions in aesthetic, environmen-
TALANDjNANCIALAREAS
The advent of LED within lighting
jXTURESREPRESENTSAGREATERLEAP
than that of moving from incandes-
CENTLAMPSTOkUORESCENTINTHE
SANDS4HEREDUCTIONIN
carbon usage, not just in operat-
ing LED but in the manufacturing
process and disposing of the used
components, will play a major part
EFjCIENCYINTHE5!%SENDS
INTHISOVERTHEYEARSTOCOME
As a progressive organisation,
Future Designs has taken a more
watchful and diligent approach
to its research and development
Acoulite
Established in Dubai in 2005,
Acoulite is a lighting and
acoustics solutions company
with business extending to
Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Saudi
PROGRAMMES4HEBUSINESSHAS
Lantern by Future Designs
partnered with Osram, Tridonic
and Philips, three of the biggest
component providers in the world,
TOTESTANDDEVELOPPRODUCTS
Future Design aims to ensure its
LED portfolio of products meets and
surpasses industry standards and
has the required after sales backup
ANDCARE
As a leading innovator, Future
Designs hosts forums with select
groups of professionals that
represent different aspects of
the property industry (end users,
M&E, architects and designers) to
continue to discuss the current and switch to LED lighting in the GCC “The government push for
future use of LED, to ensure that its region and feels that the region has ENERGY
advantages in terms of cost, carbon the advantage of learning from the a clear message to businesses, and
reduction, design capabilities and mistakes of the early-adopters in soon LED will become the product
ease of maintenance are being fully %UROPE OFCHOICEFORALLASPECTSOFLIGHTINGt
EXPLOITEDBYORGANISATIONS David Clements, managing direc-
Future Designs also supports the tor of Future Designs says:
Samantec featuring Lincor by Zumbtobel
and represents a broad spectrum
OFTHELIGHTINGINDUSTRY
Some recent additions to its
portfolio include Hidden from
Mizar Lighting, Santfrom Halla,
!RABIAAND+UALA,UMPUR4ODAY
operations are managed by more
THANEMPLOYEES
Acoulite comprises a dedicated
team of designers, engineers,
technicians and project managers,
and a proven track record of
delivering the best lighting design
and acoustic solutions from
CONCEPTTOCOMPLETION
Acoulite has provided lighting
solutions for HSBC, Etihad
Airways, Zuma, Mint Leaf, Al
Manzil hotel, Dubai Festival City –
Dubai and Doha, Al Wasl Mall, Yas
Marina circuit and Prime Hospital
TONAMEAFEW
Acoulite is constantly
researching and reviewing the
marketplace to insure it has
access to the best and most
innovative products for its clients
64 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
Exemplar from Future Designs and
#UBIS3FROM,IGHTNET
One of the newcomers
to Acoulite is CoeLux, an
optical system based on
NANOTECHNOLOGYTHATARTIjCIALLY
reproduces the natural light
and visual appearance of the
SUNANDSKY#OE,UXOFFERSA
breakthrough opportunity for
indoor architecture by creating
THESENSATIONOFINjNITESPACE
CoeLux offers a truly innovative
VY Capital, Dubai
alternative to daylight within FEATURING5NDABY
spaces otherwise impossible for Halla
NATURALLIGHTTOREACH
Acoulite will provide residential, healthcare and decorative and custom lighting
commercial and technical support HOSPITALITYSECTORS is showcased, illustrating the
in the GCC, educating key sectors Some Acoulite brands can be depth and mix of its capability in
about this distinctive system found at The Furniture Practice, delivering exciting and functional
and its myriad of potential Media One Tower in Dubai Media PRODUCTS
applications across the retail, City, where a mix of architectural,
www.designmena.com

Alger-Triton International
Tell us about your company
Alger-Triton International is a man-
ufacturer of contract hospitality
lighting for luxury hotels, resorts,
casinos, spas, mansions and
luxury yachts. An American-based
company with headquarters in
Culver City, California, it also has
OFjCESWORLDWIDE
What are your latest products?
Natural quartz is a material that
has been quite popular in many
of our newest installations. We
have also integrated LED technol-
ogy into the design development
OFMANYOFOURjXTURES3TAYING
on the forefront of this technol-
ogy allows us to share our new
design approach with our clients
and open the door to more
creative and innovative ways of
SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
What projects have you been
involved in?
Having a global presence allows
us to accept projects in unique
situations within many different
countries all over the world. For
instance, most recently, we manu-
factured and installed custom light
jXTURESFOR0/#RUISES"RITANNIA
ship in the Monfalcone shipyard
in Italy.
What key challenges did they must be hand measured down
present? to the millimetre to guarantee a
As with any cruise ship or luxury completely straight connection. The
yacht installation, there are key impact is that this process takes
challenges that will be faced versus longer than simply using a level.
a dry land install. Fixtures cannot
simply be mounted and a level 8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV
used to ensure the chandeliers Kens Gourgue (representative)
hang plumb. The ship still moves Tel: +971 4 447 2324
even when it is docked and when kens@kensandcompany.com
illumination.
Zumtobel
Tell us about your company
Zumtobel is a leading international
supplier of integral lighting solu-
tions and provides a wide range
of high-quality luminaires and
INSTALLINGEACHANDEVERYjXTURE WWW.ALGER-TRITON.COM
What projects have you been
involved in?
We provided lighting solutions for
3IEMENS(EADQUARTERSIN-ASDAR
City, Museum of Islamic Art in
lighting management systems for $OHA1ATAR!LMAZBY-OMO
the most varied application areas restaurant in Dubai as well as Wa- Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar
of professional interior lighting, DAD3AID+HOURY3TUDENT#ENTER
INCLUDINGOFjCESANDEDUCATIONAL in Beirut.
facilities; presentation and retail;
hotels and wellness; health and
care; art and culture; façade and
architecture; as well as industry
3%15%.#%SINGLE,%$LUMINAIRE
What key challenges did they
present?
In order to achieve the LEED
and engineering. 0LATINUMCERTIjCATION3IEMENS
headquarters was designed to
What are your latest products? use 45% less energy than typical
Sequence from Zumtobel has buildings. The architects were
recently won the “Red Dot: Best challenged to help reduce energy
of the Best” title. The jury singled demand by 65% and water con-
out the LED pendant and surface- sumption by 50%. Zumtobel was
mounted luminaire for brilliant de- able to support this design vision
sign and lighting quality, crowning WITHANENERGY
EFjCIENTLIGHTING subdivided into permanent and 8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV
it the best product in the Light and solution. temporary exhibition rooms. The Zumtobel Lighting
Luminaires category. INTRO LED The key challenge working on the focus was on fully automatic spot- Al Quoz Industrial Area 1
spotlight system and AXON LED Museum of Islamic Art was that light control, so we added special Tel: +971 4 3404646
pendant luminaire both picked up no daylight enters the spaciously BUILT
INACTUATORSTOTHE3TARkEX info@zumtobel.ae
Red Dot Product Design Awards. designed galleries, which are spotlights. WWW.ZUMTOBEL.AE

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 65

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Preciosa
Tell us about your company
Preciosa Lighting is a leader in
decorative lighting solutions and
crystal installations for the most
prestigious luxury interiors world-
wide. The centuries-long tradition
of Bohemian crystal and glass, to-
gether with cutting-edge technolo-
gies, innovations and eco-friendly
lighting sources, wins the hearts of
design devotees internationally.
What are your latest products?
Preciosa Lighting introduced its
latest design concepts during the
Milan Design Week 2015. The
Crystal Fortune Concept installation
made its debut at the Euroluce
exhibition as a part of the iSaloni
trade show. Mercury and Venus,
new chandeliers designed by
world-renowned Czech artist Rony
Plesl, were among the most suc-
cessful concepts. Plesl has given
its basic elements new expression,
creating a strong visual connection
between past and present.
Huda Lighting
Tell us about your company
Huda Lighting was established in
2000 in Beirut, Lebanon to sup-
ply complete lighting solutions
for projects of any type and size.
Huda Lighting offers the world’s
leading lighting brands to sat-
isfy client’s designs and ideas.
Currently, Huda Lighting has
grown to seven branches across
the Middle East with two retail
showrooms in Dubai and Jeddah.
Huda Lighting’s success depends
on having a team of highly
QUALIjEDLIGHTINGSPECIALISTSWHO
are client-oriented and ensure
customer satisfaction.
What are your recent projects?
Some of Huda Lighting’s recently
completed projects range from
commercial projects to public
venues, as well as residential
villas. More projects recently
66 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
0RECIOSAALSOINTRODUCEDITSjRST
lifestyle collection, Solitaires, a
SERIESOFNEWLIGHTjTTINGSDESIGNED
for contemporary tastes. These
pieces were created in co-operation
with prominent Czech designers
including Eva Eisler, Jakub Berdych,
Jan Vacek and Martin Smid, based
in Bohemia’s Crystal Valley –
“the cradle of Czech glass”.
What projects have you been
involved in?
Our production extends back to
1724, and since then we have
supplied our lighting products to
almost every country in the world. York, exquisite Peninsula Hotel in edge of the possible. It is a never-
Most recently in the Middle East, 0ARISAND2AFkES(OTELAND2ESI- ending and challenging process,
we have completed some amazing dences in Jakarta. but we love it!
decorative lighting experiences at
the Sheraton Doha Resort & Con- What key challenges did they 8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV
vention Hotel, Taj Hotel in Business present? PRECIOSA GULF FZCO
Bay, Hilton Suites in Mecca and It is in our company DNA continu- P. O. Box 18185, Jebel Ali Free Zone,
Sheraton Mall of the Emirates. ously to create spectacular designs, Dubai, UAE
!FEWSIGNIjCANTHOTELPROJECTS exploring and developing new tech- Tel: +971 4 884 8234
worldwide include the Rainbow nologies and coming up with unique INFO@PRECIOSA.COM
Room in the Rockefeller Center New solutions, which are often on the WWW.PRECIOSALIGHTING.COM
King Abdul Aziz Flyover Bridge, Riyadh
completed by Huda Lighting
include: Level the Galleria Mall,
Abu Dhabi; Fitness One (VEGA)
Gym, Amman; Rosewood Hotel,
Abu Dhabi; Four Seasons Hotel,
Dubai; and Hilton Hotel, Mecca.
What are your best selling
products?
Each product is unique in its own
way. Depending on the project
requirements Huda Lighting
guarantees to supply the most
suitable products from its diverse
range of brands. The brands at industry and we are enthusiastic 8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV
Huda are high-end and include about taking part in the upcoming (UDA,IGHTINGHASSEVENOFjCES
names such as Lucent, ACDC, XAL, projects for Dubai’s Expo 2020. in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut and
Osram, Arcluce, UFO, NJO, Iguzzini We also look for combining the Doha. Dubai showroom is located
and KKDC. jNESTTRADITIONSANDCRAFTSIN"O- on Umm Suqeim Road, Al Quoz
hemian glassmaking with world- and Jeddah showroom is located
What are you most looking class research and development on Prince Sultan Street at Al
forward to in this year? facilities for design, engineering, Masarrah Plaza. You can also
The Huda Lighting team is always lighting technology, and metal jNDUSON&ACEBOOKAND,INKED)N
up to date with the trends in the manufacturing, all under one roof. with Huda.
www.designmena.com
 SETTING THE
BENCHMARK FOR
THE MIDDLE EAST
ARCHITECTURE SECTOR
Wednesday 25th
NOMINATION
November 2015 DEADLINE:
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
International Financial Centre
WEDNESDAY 7TH
OCTOBER
Mark the date for the
8th annual Middle East
Architect Awards!
Do not miss the social event of the year for
the architect community in the Middle East.

FOR SPONSORSHIP
Teri Clarke GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSOR SOCIAL MEDIA PARTNER
Senior Sales Manager
T: +971 4 444 3679 M: +971 50 451 2932
E: teri.clarke@itp.com

FOR NOMINATIONS
Nick Ames
CATEGORY SPONSORS MEDIA PARTNERS
Editor
T: +971 4 444 3255
E: nick.ames@itp.com

FOR TABLE BOOKINGS AND

OTHER ENQUIRIES
Michelle Meyrick
Events Manager
T: +971 4 444 3328
E: michelle.meyrick@itp.com www.designmena.com/meaa
AMERICAN HARDWOOD EXPORT COUNCIL

Red elm adds warmth

to Melun’s music school

AMERICAN RED ELM GIVES A WARM TOUCH TO A NEW MUSIC AND DANCE SCHOOL
LOCATED IN MELUN, A SOUTH-EASTERN SUBURB OF PARIS

L
ocated at a major crossroads
within the city, Melun’s Music
and dance school is part of a
wider urban regeneration project.
‘The Two Muses’ as the new building is
called brought together the existing mu-
sic and dance schools, which were in two
separate locations. Since 42 percent of
the city’s social housing is located in the
mark in a somewhat loose urban fabric
made up of public open spaces and a
range of different buildings. The building
is very striking from the outside because
of the contrasting materials used on the
external walls.
“Between the elegant restraint of its
dark brick walls and the rich aspect of its
copper alloy cladding, the design inten-
formance hall, but here the busy grain
patterns run vertically and contrast with
THEPLAINDARKGREYSTONEWAREkOORING
The attention to detail is expressed again
in the building’s internal signposting,
which is made up of icons engraved into
blocks of American red elm.
f4HISISTHEjRSTTIMETHATWEHAVE
SPECIjEDTHISWOODSPECIESANDWE
VICINITYOFTHENEWBUILDINGCITYOFjCIAL
chose this location to encourage children
from low income families to discover
music and dance.
The taller building on the west side
1 houses the multipurpose performance
Dark bricks were used hall while the slightly lower east wing
on the external walls houses a number of classrooms, practice
tion is to make it look like a music box
whose walls are punctuated by a variety
of openings,” explains Olivier Souquet.
From the main entrance one enters
into a central hallway that connects
the two separate wings of the building.
The extensive horizontal vein patterns
of crown cut American red elm veneer
AREVERYSATISjEDWITHTHETEXTUREAND
warm tones it creates in the music
school as well as its interlocking grain
which is clearly visible,” comments
Olivier Souquet.
On the other side of the entrance
hall, a wide gallery runs through the
east wing of the building. A long, solid
2 ROOMSTHESCHOOLSOFjCESASWELLAS are highlighted across the main recep- oak bench provides a seating area for
The school secretariat recording studios. tion desk. parents while a row of furniture units
features a wide The architects François Defrain and American red elm also features on visually separates the administrative
wooden window Olivier Souquet sought to create a land- the double doors leading into the per- OFjCESONTHELEFTSIDEOFTHEGALLERY

68 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 AMERICAN HARDWOOD EXPORT COUNCIL

2 4

from the practice rooms on the right. work or the gently pummeled surfaces of
From the main gallery, small passage- copper alloy cladding, all these features
ways lead to further practice rooms CONjRMTHATTHEARCHITECTURALEFFECTOF
with double door systems reserved for this building derives from the know-how
louder musical activities. of the craftsmen who have skillfully
The school secretariat features a shaped the materials.
splayed wooden window with a large
window ledge to write on which is beauti-
fully crafted in American red elm. All the
doors inside the building have laminated
This is the first
American red elm facing, as well as the time that we
door frames which are set in to give have specified this
volume and mass. wood species and we
To create rhythm and variety the archi-
tects alternated different shades of white
are very satisfied with
and grey wall coatings between the door- the texture and warm
ways with full-height wood paneling in tones it creates in the
!MERICANREDELMCROWNCUTVENEERjXED music school
on MDF panels in certain wall sections.
5
!LLTHEDOORSONTHEjRSTkOORHAVE
laminate facing in American red elm.
The two dance rooms have tall ceilings
and full height windows to provide AMERICAN RED ELM
plenty of natural daylight. The larger 3
of the two rooms has a Junkers oak Red elm has a greyish white to light brown narrow sapwood, with The doors have
PARQUETkOORWITHWIDESTRIPSANDAN heartwood that is reddish brown to dark brown in color. The grain can be laminate facing in
OILEDjNISH4HISFA¦ADEOFTHEjRSTkOOR straight, but is often interlocked. The wood has a coarse texture. Elm is American red elm
is slightly set back from the street which moderately heavy, hard and stiff with excellent bending and shock resis- 4
allows one of the dance rooms to give UBODF*UJTEJGkDVMUUPTQMJUCFDBVTFPGJUTJOUFSMPDLFEHSBJO3FEFMNHSPXT Architects used Red
on to a roof terrace. in the Eastern to Midwest USA. Due to the impact of Dutch elm disease, red elm for wall coverings
&ROMTHEjNEBESPOKEJOINERYIN elm has limited availability in both lumber and veneer. 5
American red elm to the detailed brick- Photo: Hervé Abbadie

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 69

PRODUCTS

New on the market

THE RED DEVIL

The Red Devil chair, designed by Danish architect Carsten Buhl for
Skipper furniture, is more than a chair – it looks like a modern day
THRONE)NSPIREDBY3TANLEY+UBRICKSSCI jEPICf!3PACE
/DYSSEYtTHISFUTURISTICPIECEHADITSPREMIEREAT.EO#ONIN
Chicago. Buhl describes The Red Devil as a piece of graphic furniture
rousing the fantasy. The chair inspires a creative and futuristic
interior and is offered in a variety of fabric and leather qualities
and a number of colours such as yellow, green, blue, grey and pink.
Skippers’ The Red Devil and other sofas and chairs are distributed by
!L &UTTAIM)NTERIORSTHROUGHOUTTHE5!%

AL-FUTTAIM INTERIORS
TEL: + 971 4 263 3106
www.alfuttaiminteriors.com

70 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 PRODUCTS

GREENWALL 2.0
After months of designing,
experimenting and testing,
Acoustic Factory created the Gre-
ENWALLTHEjRSTNATURALGREEN
wall with actual acoustic absorp-
tion. The Greenwall is mainte-
nance free, easy to install and
everyone can personally design
their own solution by combining
three different moss panels. The
moss panels (80 x 80 cm) each
have an MDF base with a 60mm
ACOUSTICLAYEROFNATURALjBRES
4HISLAYERISjNISHEDWITHTHEREAL
mosses, each of which are glued
TOTHENATURALjBRES

ACOUSTIC FACTORY
TEL: +31 88 012 0400
WWW.ACOUSTICFACTORY.COM

THE BOLE

The Bole, designed by Tania

da Cruz, is both a stool and
side table in one, made out
of expanded cork, which
has minimum impact on the
environment. Expanded cork is
100% natural and recyclable,
has good acoustic and isolating
qualities and is lightweight.
Cork is an eco-friendly solution
for furniture production. It is
possible to strip cork trees
every nine years. The cork will
grow back on the trees, which
will live for approximately 100
years. In the expanding process
the cork becomes more volu-
minous , meaning less cork is
required to be used.

DEVORM
TEL: +31 313 696158
WWW.DEVORM.NL

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 71

PRODUCTS

THE MARQUEE

)NkUENCEDBYTHESYMMETRICAL
SHAPESTYPICALLYFOUNDINDECO
INSPIREDARCHITECTURETHE-ARQUEE
COLLECTIONBY3TACY'ARCIAHIGH
LIGHTSHARD EDGEDANDGEOMETRIC
SHAPESWITHARANGEOFDISTINCTIVE
DESIGNSTHATEMBRACEACOSMOPOLI
TANCHIC!VAILABLEINPATTERNS
-ARQUEESPANSFROMRICHTEALSAND
BLUESTODEEPGOLDSANDGREYS

DURKAN
TEL: 1-888-740-6936
www.durkan.com

COPYCAT

!FTERTHESUCCESSHEACHIEVED
WITHHIS)#,IGHTSFAMILY,ONDON
DESIGNER-ICHAEL!NASTASSIADES
jNDSFURTHERINSPIRATIONINTHE
SPHEREANDCREATES#OPYCATNOW
AVAILABLEAT&LOSSTORES!TABLE
LAMPPROVIDINGDIFFUSEDLIGHT
#OPYCATISMADEOFTWOTOUCHING
SPHERESTHATHOLDEACHOTHERUP
INASUBTLEBALANCE4HESMALLER
SPHEREAVAILABLEINSEVERAL
jNISHESSUCHASGALVANIZED+
GOLDPOLISHEDALUMINIUMBLACK
NICKELORCOPPERHIDESAN,%$
SOURCETHATRADIATESALIGHTING
BEAMINSIDETHEGLASSSPHERE
THUSDELIVERINGASMOOTHAND
UNIFORMLIGHT

&,/3
4%,
WWWkOSCOM

72 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

 PRODUCTS

THE UNFORGOT TEN

Designed by Australian designer and artist Penelope Forlano, the Unforgotten table is a
furniture piece that challenges conventional furniture design as purely functional and mass-
produced impersonal work that once old is discarded or loses value. The Unforgotten table
is however as functional as it is meaningful and built to age well.
f2EkECTINGMYDOCTORALRESEARCHINTOHOWWECREATEANDMAINTAINASTRONGATTACHMENTTO
objects over time, the Unforgotten is actually an assemblage of memory, time and history
through digital fabrication. This furniture is conceived as a future family heirloom. It is
about remembrance and family and is custom-designed for each individual. The customised
ENGRAVINGSREkECTMEANINGFULFAMILYPOSSESSIONSSTORIESEVENTSANDPLACES&ORTHIS
client, the engravings are replicated from disparate objects kept hidden for over 60 years
in a small box so as not to be damaged through the passage of time. Hand-made silk lace,
hand-written poetry and hand-drawn diagrams of embroidery yet to be completed are
engraved onto the surface. Now visible and textured, these engraved representations allow
the precious objects to be effectively seen and touched every day, without fear of damage to
the original,” explains Forlano.

FORLANO DESIGN
TEL: +61 423 006 062
WWW.FORLANODESIGN.COM

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | AUGUST 2015 73

 PRODUCTS

Product of the month

MAGISTR AL CHEST

Artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz continues his investigation within

the boundaries of art and design. The Magistral Chest, made out of bamboo
and hardwood maple, slides open to reveal its hidden interiors designed to
contain personal valuables. More than 10.000 corn dog skewers conform the
outer shell, which when closed resembles a sea urchin. The chest looks like
it cannot be opened, thus protects its interiors from the interest of external
viewers.
4HESKEWERSTOOKATEAMOFFOURPEOPLEOVERjVEWEEKSTOjTINPLACEjN-
ishing the 16 weeks of total woodwork required to fabricate the piece. Includ-
INGTHESKETCHINGDEVELOPMENTANDjNALBLUEPRINTS%RRAZURIZCALCULATESTHE
whole project took almost eight months. The Magistral Chest was presented
at Cristina Grajales Gallery as part of a series of different cabinets.

SEBASTIAN ERRAZURIZ
www.meetsebastian.com
info@meetsebastian.com

74 AUGUST 2015 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

UnitedOfficesys Creation is our passion

Furniture from: Japan, Malaysia,

France, China, Thailand, Korea,
Germany, Italy, and U.S.A
Office furniture, Seating solutions, Workstations,Furniture projects,
Interior fitout, Laminate floorings, Corporate gifts, Corporate art and Sculpture
P.O Box: 127415, Zabeel Road, Karama, Dubai, U.A.E, T: +971 4 3370131, 3370268,