71401391 commercial interior design 2010 november

An ITP Business Publication | Licensed by Dubai Media City November Vol.6 Issue 11

ICONIC INTERIORS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT INDEX

TrendsWHY ITS TIME TO TURN OUR

BACKS ON BLING

DESIGN

TasmenaUSING DESIGN AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

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FORM FOLLOWS FLOW.dOt, design Wiel Arets Bathroom Culture since 1892 www.laufen.com/middleeast

LAUFEN SHOWROOMS IN THE MIDDLE EASTBahrain: A.J.M. Kooheji Group B.S.C. (c) +97 3 1770 0007 [email protected]

Iran: Farbar +98 21 88 03 6364 [email protected]: Izzat Musa Marji & Sons Co. +962 65 52 02 84 [email protected]

Kuwait: Arte Casa Trading Co. +965 4848 000 [email protected]: Ahmed Mohsin Trading L.L.C. +968 248 17 019 [email protected]

Qatar: M.S.K Building Material +97 44 440 051 [email protected] Arabia: Articasa +96 6 2252 4402 (Jeddah), +96 6 1480 0720 (Riyadh) [email protected]

Syria: Uni Group +96 31 15 32 67 00 [email protected] Arab Emirates: German Home for Bathrooms & Kitchens +971 4 268 9993 [email protected]

Yemen: Abu Al-Rejal Trading Corp. +967 1 272 519 [email protected]

CONTENTS

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 3

November 2010

07 DESIGN UPDATE

TRENDS REPORT

INDUSTRY SPEAK

PROFILE

DESIGNER Q&ACID meets Galal Mahmoud. CASE STUDYInside the Mall of the Emirates’ funky new Fauchon café.

FEATUREHow design can be used as a tool for social change.

DESTINATION FOCUSWhy patience is a virture when you are working in Saudi.

BEST OF INDEXWhat to look out for at the 20th edition of Index.

STUDENT SHOWCASEDesigns by students from the American University of Sharjah.

DESIGNER’S CHOICEEight designers describe their favourite-ever design object.

SUPPLIERS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOWA selection of furniture suppliers that you can’t ignore.

PRODUCTSNew products on the market. CONTRACTSContract tenders in the region, by Ventures Middle East.

OPINIONBy Danny Achkar of Zumtobel.

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DESIGN UPDATE

www.constructionweekonline.com1 AUGUST 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

COMMENT


I t is often noted that the region’s interior design industry lacks cohesion. I would have to agree that there is de -nitely not the same sense of community that one nds in other industries. There is not the same compunction to

meet and discuss and join forces and share ideas. I regularly attend showroom openings and other industry-

related events, and watch as organisers squirm at the terrible turnout. Or walk through the deserted aisles of unsuccessful trade shows, studiously avoiding the desperate gaze of

disappointed exhibitors. For the most part, interior designers seem disinterested in engaging with their peers.

This could easily be put down to the highly competitive nature of the industry. Or perhaps down to the fact that interior designers deal in ideas. That is their cur-rency, and once you start sharing those ideas, you are giving away your greatest resource. Of course, designers are notoriously busy as well. They scarcely have time to get their projects done on time, let alone gallivant around town attending industry events.

But every industry should have a sense of community and, consequently, a sense of responsibility. Designers and architects do not exist in a vacuum. They are responsible for creating the fabric of our urban environment. Call me naïve, but surely that should be a concentrated effort. Surely there should be common aims and aspirations, or at least some level of dialogue between those that are undertaking this most complicated of tasks.

Credit must be given to entities like the Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID), which is striving to bring the industry together through monthly networking events and design-related seminars. Index, too, is trying to create a forum where the design industry can learn, engage and interact.

At present, both entities are also talking about creating more extensive, holistic design events. APID is talking about a Festival of Design, and Index is talking about the creation of ‘a total design week’. The thinking behind both initiatives is sound, although I have to question the wisdom of launching two separate events that will, one assumes, do almost exactly the same thing at almost exactly the same time of year.

I would argue that one, single, concentrated, highly-targeted event, where everybody with a vested interest comes together to celebrate design, would be far more bene cial for the industry at large. Because the idea, surely, is to unite, rather than fragment.

Time to unite

SELINA DENMAN, [email protected]

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An ITP Business Publication | Licensed by Dubai Media City November Vol.6 Issue 11

ICONIC INTERIORS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT INDEX

TrendsWHY ITS TIME TO TURN OUR

BACK ON BLING

DESIGN

TasmenaUSING DESIGN AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 7www.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATE

FEKRA PARTICIPANTS HEAR FROM SHELTER’S AHMED BIN SHABIB

Idea development

UAE: “Ideas are infectious,” said Shelter’s Ahmed Bin Shabib. “If you have a good idea, it’s going to spread... But the idea is only 5% of the process.”

Bin Shabib was delivering a pre-sentation at the second working session of the Fekra design com-petition, which focused on idea development – the tricky process of converting concept into reality. The rst working session focused on idea conceptualisation and brainstorming, and included a talk from David Beath of Ideo on ‘How to be a Design Thinker’.

“Two weeks after that, there was a concept presentation, where the participants showed us their initial ideas and sketches,” explained Nasreen Al Tamimi, projects development manager

of Al Ahli Holding Group, which is organising the competition in col-laboration with Switch Restaurant and Lounge.

“The second working session was about idea development, so once you have a concept, how do you make that into a reality and what challenges will you face. Ahmed Bin Shabib did a really good job of highlighting the importance of working hard, thinking about who your users are going to be, and knowing who you’re selling your idea to.”

Fekra participants have been tasked with developing a hub for the creative community, a single space combining incubators, where creatives can work, gal-leries, where they can showcase their work, and institutions, where

they can learn. Participants are being invited to develop a holistic concept that covers visual com-munications, marketing, urban planning, architecture and interior design, over a three-month period from September to December.

The winning entry will be built and entrants will be offered the opportunity to intern on the proj-ect as it is being developed.

The competition has attracted six teams of between three and ve people, consisting predomi-

nantly of design students and recent graduates, but also practic-ing design professionals. Many of these individuals were attracted by the prospect of developing a space that is accessible, afford-able and conducive to the creative process. For many participants,

this is something that they, as young creatives, have found to be lacking in the UAE.

Bin Shabib shared his experi-ences of setting up Shelter, a ex-ible and cost-effective community workspace aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship. He highlighted the importance of consistency, hard work and discipline in making any idea work, but also stressed the need to be able to effectively communicate any idea.

“When someone asks you what Shelter is, it’s incredibly dif cult to explain. We had to take this very dif cult concept, sit with somebody that had money and tell them why Shelter would be a success,” he said. “Selling an idea is as important as coming up with the idea itself.”


DESIGN UPDATE

CID SPEAKS TO MARC WORTH OF ST YLUS, A NEW ONLINE RESOURCE FOR THE DESIGN INDUSTRY

Knowledge is power

UK: In 1998, Marc Worth launched WGSN, an online resource provid-ing research, trend analysis and news for the fashion and style industries. The response, Worth says, was overwhelming. In his 25 years of selling into the fashion in-dustry, he had never experienced anything like it. The site was sold to Emap in 2005, for £150 million.

Twelve years on and Worth is ex-periencing an acute sense of déjà vu. On September 1, he launched his latest brainchild, Stylus.com, a WGSN for the design world – and has already been stunned by the response.

Headquartered in London, with a presence in New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Sydney, Stylus was created to appeal to a range of design-related, consumer-facing industries, from interiors, property, beauty, fashion, jewel-lery, leisure and the arts. The site’s content is created by an in-house team of more than 30 industry experts and trend specialists, as well as over 80 contributors.

In times of trouble, the age-old mantra ‘knowledge is power’ rings truer than ever, and Stylus was born out of the fact that the design industry didn’t have a dedicated, global information resource of

its own. CID caught up with Marc Worth to nd out more about this latest venture.

Why did you decide to launch Stylus at this time? It is probably the most appropriate time to launch something like this. First of all, the design industry as a whole doesn’t have a tool like this, in the way that the fashion indus-try has. When I rst came up with the idea of doing this, about a year ago, the suggestion was made that people might not have the money for this sort of thing in the middle of a recession.

But actually, now is exactly the time to invest in this sort of product because there is not a lot of money to go around, in terms of consumer spending ,and therefore people have to be more well versed. They need know what the consumer wants and ght for those dollars, so to speak.

I have always maintained that knowledge is key, particularly in times like these. Although I spent 30 odd years in the fashion industry, the two industries are very closely linked and one feeds off the other. It was really a case of spotting that gap in the market. Twelve years on from when we

started WGSN, and design is still a market that is under-served by this kind of information and content.

What’s Stylus’ value proposition?We’re taking a more bird’s eye view. We are starting off with the macro trends and the macro view. We are looking at consumer be-haviour and cultural trends, music, art, travel, lifestyle and how that then lters down into speci c product areas. We are trying to do it a different way. A lot of people come in from the product angle rst and then look for macro trends

to validate what they are doing on a speci c product. We are coming at it from a different angle.

Do you anticipate any resistance?The whole point of this product is that we are not trying to do the job of designers. We are not trying to create product or tell them how to create product. We are there to provide inspiration.

We can get to places that some people cannot reach, or cannot afford to reach. We’re in 30 or 40 different cities, regularly, and most design companies just couldn’t afford to do that – budgets don’t stretch that far. We are bringing the world to them, so theoretically

they do not need to move from their desk. We have a presence in New York, LA, Shanghai and Sydney, but actually a lot of other places as well. We provide trend forecasting, trend information and research – greater knowledge of what’s going on around the world.

We believe we can walk into any consumer-facing style or creative business and be con dent that we are creating content that is relevant to them.

Is the way that people look for, and digest, information changing? The key here is that people don’t have enough time. There is this huge volume of content being load-ed onto Stylus but we are trying to make it easy for people to get that information quickly, and then get on with their jobs. The other thing that is quite important is the site is very image driven. It’s about let-ting people see and feel, and pull the information for themselves.

I think the interesting thing is that the site has been developed as a business tool, not as a con-sumer website. Whilst people have certain expectations of websites nowadays, with all the bells and whistles, this is not about that. It is a serious business tool.

www.constructionweekonline.com10 NOVEMBER 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

DESIGN UPDATE

UK: One of the most ambitious restoration projects in British history came to an end last month, with the reopening on October 10 of The Savoy.

The landmark property closed in December 2007 for an extensive revamp that covered everything from its iconic entrance to its 268 rooms and suites. Established in 1889, The Savoy was originally managed by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and maitre chef Auguste Es-cof er. For over a century, it was the stopping point for royalty, prime ministers and Hollywood stars, attracting the likes of Sarah Bernhardt, Lily Langtry, Dame Nel-lie Melba and the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.

“We are very excited to reopen The Savoy,” commented Kiaran MacDonald, the hotel’s general manager. “It is fair to say that this project has not been without its challenges… but we are very aware of the place that The Savoy holds in many people’s affections and we rmly believe that the hotel will exceed people’s expectations and reclaim its position as one of the world’s greats,” she said.

Pierre Yves Rochon was re-sponsible for the redesign, which focused on reviving the hotel’s two main aesthetics, Edwardian and art deco. More than 1,000 craftsmen and women, artists and artisans worked to create an interior scheme that was in keep-ing with the hotel’s original and much-loved spirit.

As a result of the revamp, the hotel has 38 new River Suites and guestrooms. Meanwhile, nine Personality Suites now pay tribute to some of the well-known gures that made this legendary hotel

REVAMP OF THE SAVOY COMES TO AN END

London landmark reopens

their London home from home. These include Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra.

The suites contain artwork, liter-ature, photographs and artefacts that evoke the time and spirit of these stars, including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival. A further addition is a stately 325m² Royal Suite.

The Savoy’s bars and restau-rants have also had a new life breathed into them. The legend-ary River Restaurant features a contemporary interpretation of art deco décor. In addition, Savoy Grill has returned under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings.

New to the hotel is The Beaufort Bar, a glamorous art deco bar built on the hotel’s original cabaret stage. Meanwhile, Savoy Tea, a bijou teashop, sells Savoy tea, ac-cessories and fresh patisserie.

In its hey day, The Savoy was famous for its cutting-edge in-novations, such as ascending rooms, known today as elevators, and en suite baths. Continuing in its avant-garde tradition, The Savoy has introduced the world’s rst Green Butler, who offers an

in-depth knowledge of all things green around London.

The restoration has introduced environmental technologies and ef ciencies wherever possible. For example, a combined heat and power (CHP) plant will reduce the hotel’s reliance on the national grid by approximately 50%. Cook-ing oil from the hotel restaurants will be recycled and turned into biodiesel, while waste manage-ment systems will recycle up to 90% of waste from the hotel.


DESIGN UPDATE

LEBANON: The Middle East launch of Roca’s We Are Water (WAW)foundation took place in Beirut on September 28.

The WAW initiative aims to mitigate the negative effects as-sociated with a lack of adequate water resources around the world, raise overall awareness and motivate people to donate funds to be used in the implementation of co-operation projects.

“The WAW initiative is part of Ro-ca’s commitment to sustainability and towards the communities most affected by a lack of water. We aim to become a reference point in the management of environmental issues and sustainable develop-ment, especially in everything related to water,” explained Victor

GLOBAL BATHROOM BRAND CELEBRATES THE LAUNCH OF ITS ‘WE ARE WATER’ INITIATIVE

Roca reiterates commitment to water

Schoone, country manager for the Middle East, Roca.

Re ecting the global nature of the initiative, WAW was launched in 20 major cities simultaneously: Buenos Aires, Vienna, Sao Paulo, So a, Shanghai, Prague, Zagreb, Paris, Berlin, Mumbai, Milan, Bei-rut, Casablanca, Warsaw, Lisbon, Bucharest, Moscow, Barcelona, San Sebastian and London.

Roca is keenly aware that water is a unique, limited resource, and has spent over 50 years develop-ing water and energy saving de-vices for its products, in an effort to contribute to a more balanced and sustainable co-existence with the environment.

“At Roca we believe that being a leader instils great responsibility,

taking into consideration that mil-lion of litres of water ow through our toilets every day. The UN sug-gests that each person needs only 20 to 50 litres of fresh water a day to ensure that their basic needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning are met. However, households in de-veloped countries use four times that amount,” Schoone explained.

“Taking into consideration that 70% of household water runs through the bathroom, it means the bathroom is responsible for a big part of water wastage in the home. This fact represents a heavy responsibility when millions of bathrooms worldwide carry the Roca name. That’s why we consider ourselves to be more than just bathroom manufacturers; we

consider ourselves to be water managers as well,” he said.

The foundation has two main objectives: to raise awareness among institutions and the gen-eral public about the need for a new culture of water, which al-lows for economic development and a sustainable management of the world’s water resources.

The second objective is related to its involvement in ac-tivities to minimise the negative effects of a lack of adequate water resources. Activities of the foundation may be related to infrastructure, education, health and research. The WAW Foundation may act on its own or in collaboration with relevant institutions and NGOs.


DESIGN UPDATE

UAE: Masdar City has scaled back plans to produce all of its energy on site and has extended its dead-line for completion to 2020, the developer revealed last month. As part of a revised masterplan for the $22 billion eco-city, Masdar has said that it is unlikely that the city will be powered solely by on-site power, but will remain solely reliable on renewable energy.

The developer has also limited plans for a city-wide network of electric cars, which were designed to shuttle residents between their homes and of ces.

Alan Frost, Masdar director, has explained that despite the revisions to the masterplan, the aspiration to make Masdar zero-carbon, zero-waste and car free remained. “The aspiration and the vision hasn’t changed, but it’s going to take us some time to get to where we want to get to.

“We’ve learned a lot along the way; we’ve learned that we were very bold in our aspirations, but we’re not giving up on the vision,” Frost commented.

The revised masterplan also revealed that the deadline for Masdar City had been pushed forward by six years, with the pos-sibility that the project would not be nished until 2025, but Frost said that both technological and commercial considerations were behind the decision.

“We’re not going to build ahead of the market, we’re going to build to market demand,” he said.

“We think there is going to be very good market demand in Mas-dar City but it will be completed

DEVELOPER UNVEILS REVISED MASTERPLAN

Masdar Cityscales back onambitious targets

between 2020 and 2025. We’re not putting an exact date on that because it is based on take-up and demand, and that’s some-thing that we cannot forecast at the moment,” he added.

The scaling back of plans for a citywide network of electric cars, which were designed to shuttle residents between their homes and of ces, was due to changes in the market, Frost said.

“It really doesn’t make sense to lock us into more of the PRT when in reality we’ve also got a two year window before we actually need to put a transport system on the ground for new tenants,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gerard Evenden, senior partner at Foster + Part-ners, the designer of Masdar City, hit back at those who argue that the project could not, or would not, get built. “As far as we can see it is still the only project that is actually building in this way and carrying out what it said.

“There have been lots of proj-ects around the world claiming they will be zero carbon or carbon neutral and none have been built – actually what we have done is achieved a huge amount by getting the institute open and physically having a place called Masdar,” Evenden said.

“I go to conferences all the time and people keep rolling out the same old Chinese eco-cities,” Frost added. “One of things about Masdar is that we probably could not have picked a more dif cult environment to try and build what we’re building, and yet we’re doing it,” he said.

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DESIGN UPDATE

UAE: Sustainability is all too often a victim of its own complexity. As interest in the issue has intensi- ed, so too has the amount of

jargon surrounding it, and the number of companies willing to cloud an already complicated issue with meaningless marketing ploys.

Carpet-tile manufacturer Inter-faceFlor has vowed to become the world’s rst fully sustainable company by 2020, and has spent the last 15 years championing the sustainability cause.

For ten of those years, the topic was virtually anathema, so it is only really in the last few years that the company has been able to shout about its achievements, ex-plained Lindsey Parnell, president and CEO of InterfaceFlor Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

“About ve years ago, I started noticing customers get-ting more and more interested in sustainability. I think it was because of global warming. The science ipped over and people started accepting that this was very real,” he said.

INTERFACEFLOR URGES GREATER TRANSPARENCY WITH LAUNCH OF LET’S BE CLEAR CAMPAIGN

Calling for clarity

However, as demand for sus-tainable products has grown, so too has the number of companies overstating their environmental credentials. “You have some that are genuine and that are trying to do the right thing, and then you’ve got others that see this as little more than a great marketing opportunity,” Parnell pointed out. “So they cover their collateral with badges and stamps and false claims, and their objective is to do that and very little else. That’s what we don’t like.”

In response, InterfaceFlor has launched the Let’s be Clear campaign across the globe, which encourages consumers to demand more transparency from the companies they deal with. The aim is to demystify the issue of sustainability by breaking it down into palatable facts.

A guide, Just the Facts, is avail-able to download free of charge from the InterfaceFlor website, and explains how to assess the sustainability of different prod-ucts. One feature is a glossary

of greenwashing terms, which outlines the differences between terms like carbon neutral, organic and environmentally-friendly. There is also a checklist of ques-tions that consumers should be asking suppliers when searching for sustainable products.

Parnell uses the example of recycling to highlight how, when it comes to sustainability, a little knowledge can often be a dangerous thing. “When people talk about the environment and sustainability, the word recycling is normally top of mind.

“We know after 15 years of try-ing to recycle things how dif cult it is to do it properly. You can recycle things and make such a mess of it in terms of the amount of energy you use that you actually create a greater carbon footprint then that of the raw material in the rst place,” Parnell detailed.

“You have to really know what you are doing, and there’s only one tool that really helps you work that out, and that’s lifecycle analysis (LFC). But as soon as you

start talking about LCAs, you see people’s eyes start to glaze over. It all gets too complicated. So this campaign is about demystifying some of the technology, and ex-plaining the dangers of words like recyclable,” he said.

InterfaceFlor is a rm supporter of the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which enables consumers to precisely compare the environmental impact of differ-ent products over their complete lifecycle and, as a result, make informed buying decisions. A cornerstone of the Let’s Be Clear campaign is educating customers on the value of EPDs.

According to Parnell, a lack of transparency will invariably lead to cynicism amongst the consumer, which will be extremely damaging to the sustainability cause as a whole. “The main danger is that the consumer will become so cynical that the whole thing will eventually lose its value. Given the fact that we have done so much work on this, that’s the last thing we want,” he said.

www.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 17

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Environmentally or eco-friendlyGeneral and vague statements that mean nothing speci c are almost all misleading without an explanation.

Free from X, Y or ZOnly valid when the product con-cerned would be expected to contain material X, Y or Z, and that material is environmentally harmful. In some cases X is replaced by a different material which causes other environ-mental problems, such as paper-free tissues made from cotton, which has its own environmental impact.

Non-toxicAs for ‘free from’ above. Only mean-ingful if a toxic substance, such as lead, has been eliminated.

Produced locally / Made in [country X]This is supposed to suggest sup-port for the local economy and low transport impact. It often just means repackaged nearby.

NaturalGives a nice warm feeling inside? Just because something’s natural it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more sustainable. It may seem counter-intuitive, but some natural products have a higher environmental impact than their synthetic counterparts.

Post-consumer recycled contentShould refer only to material previously used by consumers and recovered after use.

Award claimsNormally just desperate ag-waving.

RecyclableOne of the most misused terms. Many materials are technically able to be recycled but it is not always economically viable to do so. Other grey areas include down-cycling, where the second use is of lower value – glass, for example, is usually recycled into aggregate for roads, not new glass. Energy from waste is sometimes described as recycling but in fact means burning the waste to recover some of the energy.

Recycled contentIndustrial manufacturing waste is routinely swept up and recycled in many industries. For example, printers often put paper trimmings straight back into the pulping process. Much more signi cant is the use of post-consumer waste in products because this avoids disposal to land ll.

Carbon offsetThe controversial concept of paying others to reduce their carbon emis-sions to balance yours. Find out which project you’ll be supporting and beware of double counting.

Carbon neutralOffsetting precisely as much carbon as you emit. The scope of operations covered by the claim is critical – is the whole lifecycle covered?

INTERFACEFLOR’S GREENWASH GLOSSARY

TRENDS


IN THIS MONTH’S TREND FE ATURE, VICTORIA REDSHAW, LE AD TREND FORECASTER AT SCARLET OPUS, JOURNE YS FORWARD TO PREVIEW THE KE Y CONSUMER AND INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS SPANNING 2011 AND 2012.

A time to reducewww.constructionweekonline.com

TREND VIEW THE KE YND 2012.

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TRENDS


In the main, the 2011/12 interior trends are concerned with stripping everything back and loving what’s left! Consumers are increasingly

aiming towards more exible lifestyles. This translates into activities such as renting, trading and swapping amongst themselves, as well as embracing virtual ownership as they seek to shed the weight of the stuff that ties them down.

The mindset of accumulating a myriad possessions is changing and the con-cept of having fewer but more fabulous possessions becomes the new mantra for many; Reduce, reduce, reduce!

Yes, this is about learning lessons and living within our means post- nancial crisis. But it is also about a more wide-spread yearning for greater simplicity.

The desired pace of change has slowed in consumers’ minds and the lust for constant and rapid newness is being replaced by a more meaningful love of the special, the unusual, the rare, the cleverly and considerately designed, and the long lasting. Interior products made with posterity in mind give consumers the feeling they have invested in something more meaningful. These products have the capacity to make our lives more beautiful, more practical, more enjoyable and more comfortable. These products enhance our lives rather than just adorn it!

Style over substance is not desirable, as consumers come to expect more. In addition to being good-looking, a prod-uct and interior scheme must be well made, intelligent and kind. As consum-ers make fewer impulse purchases in favour of more considered consuming, it is imperative to satisfy their new mini-mum requirements. And, of course, this includes an increasing interest in the green credentials and ethical values of designers, manufacturers and retailers.

Moving forward, every product has a story to tell. In some areas we see a progression of the paring-down process, resulting in beautiful products and interior schemes that take simplicity to its zenith. In other 2011/12 trends we will see an exploration of handcrafted techniques, resulting in products that display extreme rawness. We are also forecasting trends for interiors with a bright, youthful and experiential styling,

as well as purposefully-challenging conversation pieces and a new breed of intense yet understated luxury that is meant to be admired rather than envied.

With super solar storm predictions, exciting new architecture, high-pro le lm releases and major scienti c

developments all playing a part in the forecasting mix, our 2011/12 design trends promise to be inspirational!

We will be discussing these future trends during a series of design semi-nars at Index, from November 8 to 11. The trend forecasting team at Scarlet Opus will be on hand to explain how de-sign trends are forecast, and introduce the new season’s styles in terms of the major in uencing factors, the key mate-rials, surface patterns, product styling developments, interior design styles and key colours. The 2011 and 2012 season’s trends we will be discussing in our seminars are full of wit, fantasy, escapism, intelligence, colour and un-derstated luxury. Here’s a small preview:

ELECTRO POPThis trend’s mood is bold, daring and con dent. Undulating and liquid forms emerge in the work of interior and prod-uct designers, as well as architects, who also embrace the opportunity to be con-troversial, to forge new collaborations, to remould and reinvent. The trend is eccentric, surreal and playful; it has a sense of humour and an uplifting vibe. This trend is wonderfully encapsulated by the fabulously exaggerated scale of Penelope Batley’s Earring Lights.

DRE AMSCAPE GL AMOURThis trend is concerned with the search for a new role for luxury – a role that allows it to be acceptable now we’ve turned our backs on bling! It is magical rather than ostentatious, appealing to our emotions rather than our egos. Prod-ucts are quietly intriguing and beguiling. They shimmer and glisten and attract our attention, rather than demand our attention. Rather than purchasing pieces speci cally to impress, this trend encourages the collation of pieces that appear to be from another realm…the world of our dreams! This trend is fabu-lously encapsulated by Davide Medri’s extraordinary Freedom Lamps.

BIO BRILLIANCEThis trend is an exploration into the world of science and technological de-velopments. Biomimetics inspires new product shapes, architecture, materials and patterns that take their lead from DNA strands, cell structures, plants and insects to create fractal forms, networked constructions and modular components. This trend is brilliantly encapsulated by the delicate structure of Sara Ivanyi’s Fractal Drawing Light.

HUNTER GATHERERThis trend communicates authenticity and simplicity. As consumers seek emo-tional connections with the products they surround themselves with, there is a greater yearning for meaning. Design-ers revisit and reinvent old crafts and skills to present new levels of rawness as they celebrate natural materials. This is eco-simplicity! This trend is encapsu-lated in the celebration of handcrafted qualities displayed in Tord Boontje’s Lacemaker exhibition lights.

SIMPLY FL AWLESSThis trend is about the portrayal of purity. It is pared-down and beautifully bare. It explores the space and seren-ity of a streamlined lifestyle; smooth, compact, uncluttered, nude and quiet. Shapes are feminine and sensual. The sophisticated colour palette consists of cosmetic tones that add a welcome softness to room schemes when used in combination with whites and greys. This trend is perfectly encapsulated by Gitta Gschwendtner’s Strangled Lights.

DEFEND AND DESTROYThis trend takes a darker look at the future, incorporating apocalyptic predictions, sinister surrealism and vol-canic in uences. Surfaces are molten, scorched and pitted. Metallics are black-ened and burnished. Structures are melted, cracked, spliced and entangled. This trend is strikingly encapsulated by Kwangho Lee’s ongoing series of ‘Knot – Beyond the Inevitable’ light pieces.

Forecast by: www.scarletopus.com; Visit our blog: www.trendsblog.co.uk; Contact Shelley to purchase our full trend report: +971 (0)50 524 0239.

1Knot – Beyond the Inevitable, by Kwangho Lee.

2Freedom lamps by Davide Medri.

3Earring lights by Penelope Batley.

4Light by Tord Boontje, as part of the Lacemaker exhibition, photographed by Phil Sayer.

5Strangled lights by Gitta Gschwendtner.

6Fractal Drawing Light by Sara Ivanyi.

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INDUSTRY SPEAK


B ringing together two industry experts on opposite sides of the eld is no easy task. Each has their own speci cations

and there are always mixed feelings about who should have the greater au-thority. Interior designers and facilities managers are no exception.

Victor Low-Foon, design manager at Highgate Interior Design, believes that interior designers and facilities manag-ers do tend to work together because facilities managers invariably have to approve the designer’s speci cations, and generally get the nal say.

Highgate has experience in com-mercial, retail and hospitality projects and provides refurbishment solutions to clients who need to upgrade their prem-ises and compete with new buildings. According to Low-Foon, it is a practical requirement to liaise with the facilities manager, and common sense normally prevails. But James Day, general man-ager of Smashing Cleaning Services, dis-agreed. Day would like to see improved relations between interior designers and facilities managers, and claims that not enough feedback is given.

“Given the right size, a shoemaker will try on a pair of shoes he has made, in the same way that a chef will taste the food that he has prepared. A car de-signer most de nitely gets to drive the car he has manufactured, and go and ask the engineers who helped design the Jabulani ball, the ball used for the last World Cup, whether they actually kicked it. Of course they did. As we all should,” said Day.

“Our own business requires customer feedback on every job done. So why is

DO DESIGNERS CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF FACILITIES MANAGERSWHEN CREATING THEIR INTERIORS? JENNY EAGLE SITS DOWN WITH A GROUP OF DESIGNERS AND FACILITIES MANAGERS TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE TWO CAN COMFORTABLY CO-EXIST.

Painting overthe cracks

it that architects and designers never seem to test-drive their own buildings, obtain valuable feedback, and improve their product?” he asked.

Low-Foon admits that when he selects materials for a project, facilities manag-ers are not his main priority – although he does think about their concerns. “As a professional interior design practice we provide our clients with practical and aesthetically-pleasing solutions with careful consideration for the existing fabric of the building.

“Not only do we consider the impor-tance of ful lling our clients’ wishes, we also have a duty to care for the environ-ment. We, as a practice, concentrate mainly on the interiors, but we do need to consider the practicality and mainte-nance issues for the facilities manager.”

Ben Corrigan, partner at the Dubai-based design rm, Bluehaus Group, agreed. In recent years, facilities managers have become more involved in the initial design process, which is a welcome development and an indicator that the local market is nally maturing, Corrigan suggested.

“We understand these are the people who are left holding the baby, so to speak, and endeavour to ensure that facilities maintenance requirements are understood and designed in at the early stages of a project,” he explained.

According to Day, his team spends 20% of its week developing and offering bespoke cleaning solutions to a wide range of customers, from cleaning chandeliers at the grandest hotels to the external cleaning of iconic structures.

Solutions take into account not only the structure or item that needs

1Victor Low-Foon.

2Ben Corrigan.

3James Day.

1

2

3

INDUSTRY SPEAK


cleaning, but access to the property, provision of pressurised water, drainage and power supply at the correct loca-tions, surface run-off, waste disposal, the variety of substrates, safe working conditions, provision of night lighting and change of air in con ned spaces, along with many other factors that are way beyond the regular remit of the interior designer, but certainly affect service delivery.

“I am not suggesting that we should limit the potential of interior and exterior designers to easy-to-clean designs, especially when so few cleaning compa-nies possess the skills or passion to rise to the challenge and innovate in their own area of supposed expertise.

“New designs would never come into being, and new cleaning methods and processes would never develop. The challenge for the cleaning industry is to

ensure a complete end-to-end solution that meets the customers’ cleanliness requirements, not to limit the designer.

“However, if we are engaged early on in the design process, such design con-cerns can be very easily addressed and mitigated, greatly reducing the costs of facilities management in the property lifecycle,” Day detailed.

Sushil Kurian Pilo, senior vice-president for integrated community management at the Dubai Pearl, a 1.85 million m² development in between Media City and Knowledge Village, agreed. Pilo would like to see designers bring in the right consultants who have experience in managing operations, as well as all critical services, and plan out the infrastructure required.

As an example, he believes there are several buildings built as residences which have since been converted to commercial spaces and hotels and vice versa, all of which present nightmare scenarios for operations.

Despite the criticism, Corrigan main-tained that designers do think about the materials they use with facilities man-agement in mind – and more so today than ever before, as sustainability and value for money are key drivers of any project at present. “We would undertake a series of workshops with the facilities manager to draw from their experience of managing interiors or buildings in the past, and look to implement those lessons into the design. We would also look to work with them to understand current and future trends in facilities management,” he said.

Interior designers are not entirely to blame, Pilo suggested. “The problem is not so much with the interior designers. Facilities managers face more dif cul-ties from the architects, engineers and other specialised consultants who all design a building without the operations

in mind, thereby resulting in very poor manageability of the infrastructure.

“The only developers who get their re-quirements met by the consultants on a holistic basis are those who plan to use the buildings for their own purposes, such as hotels or corporate buildings which are custom-built to their speci c requirements,” Pilo said.

Dubai Pearl has been one of the only projects of its scale and size that has ad-dressed this problem at an early stage by setting up an exclusive division from inception, Pilo pointed out. The division is responsible for integrated community management operations, which includes all facilities and lifestyle management services, as well as the integrated and technology systems that are required to support them.

“This will allow such a lifestyle destination, which includes hotels, residences, commercial spaces, retail and entertainment components, to have an ef cient, optimised and transparent

monitoring and management of all ser-vices right from its opening day, thereby ensuring quality of service and total lifecycle management of the infrastruc-ture,” he explained.

“It is rare for designers to create a space that is easy to care for, unless requested by the client. When buildings are being designed, designers most often do not have facilities managers in mind, except if the buildings are purpose built. In the future, I would like to see holistic operability and sustainability as a core focus, along with design and functionality.”

Day is no stranger to the discrepan-cies between interior design and facili-ties management. He has seen wash-rooms which later have to be reassigned as a janitor’s closet, or bathrooms tted without oor drains or janitor taps.

“A large portion of our business is water tank cleaning and disinfection. Designers appear to have no option but to stuff the water storage tanks into the most inaccessible areas, and the access to those tanks for industrial cleaning is often restricted and dif cult to reach safely,” Day said.

“We have recently received apprecia-tion from Emaar for our safe working practices in con ned environments, after they had problems with other tank cleaning contractors that were unable to work safely,” he added.

“Both designers and facilities service providers would greatly bene t from improved collaboration at the design stage. Designers need to think about that when they specify installations, tak-ing up the cause of lower maintenance, improved hygiene and easier-to-clean, environmentally-friendly solutions from the start,” he added.

Corrigan agreed. “We always say that the difference between a good project and a great project is co-ordination, and this extends to co-ordination with facili-ties managers,” he said.

“We look to use our own expertise and understand how a space will be used, and then implement materials to suit. However, it is how these materials are co-ordinated with the various facets of a project that make it successfully manageable for facilities managers in the long-term.”

I am not suggesting that we should limit the potential of designers to easy-to-clean designs.

New designs would never come into being.

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PurityW HO?

Purity is a retail concept that offers high-end, design-oriented

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lighting, and indoor and outdoor furniture. Our typical customer is a

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scious, who appreciates living and working in an aesthetically appeal-

ing space. Hence our tagline: Purity, design-conscious living.

Our projects department commu-nicates on a one-to-one basis with most of the architects and interior

design rms in the UAE, in particular, and the GCC in general,

as well as corporate clients such as hotels and business corporations.

We are a team of highly-skilled and talented professionals and

our client servicing approach is of international standards.

WHAT ’S NE W ?We started developing our

furniture line in 2009 with the Porro and Living Divani brands and have added Paola Lenti for

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Glas Italia for glass-made furniture items and mirrors. A space in Abu Dhabi will be announced

to the market soon!


PROFILE


USPS?It is not about one unique selling point, as such. We offer an array of products and services that are understood by our target market. That is why we have succeeded in the past and are still bene tting from our clients’ trust, whether private property owners or professional designers, to contin-uously seek bigger market share. We are in fact positioned at the upper level of the mar-ket where quality of products and services, as well as superior brands such as Artemide, Bof , Porro, Living Divani, Paola Lenti and Glas Italia, constitute the language we use to talk to our clients.

PROJECTS?We have been involved in a series of high-pro le residential and corporate projects, including the Executive Towers special apartments in Business Bay, Dubai Mall promenade outdoor lighting, executive of ces in Emirates Towers, DIFC, DHCC, Limitless HQ, Dubai Properties HQ, Omniyat HQ, Union Properties HQ, Arjan Royal House in Abu Dhabi, outdoor lighting at Yas Island Circuit in Abu Dhabi, Nareel Island Development in Abu Dhabi, which is a show villa project to be completed in 2012, Grand Hyatt hotel and the Science and Technology Park in Doha, the suites at the Kempinski Hotel in Djibouti, and Harbour 360 Business Centres at the Porta Reef de-velopment in Manama, among many others.On a private level, we have supplied to pal-aces and villas for the royalty in various lo-cations in the UAE, as well as many private residences in Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, Emirates Lakes, Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, Al Khawaneej and in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

CONTACT?For retail and showroom enquiries: Rafael Pedro, gallery manager; Email: [email protected]. For corporate enquiries: Nicoletta Palmesano, sales & marketing executive; Email: [email protected]; Tel: +971 (0)4 334 9943.

DESIGNER Q&A


The human touchCID SPE AKS TO GAL AL M AHMOUD,CEO OF GM ARCHITECTS, ABOUT CONTE XT, HUM ANIT Y AND DESIGN.


DESIGNER Q&A

In 1996, Galal Mahmoud returned to Lebanon, after 20 years away. He had spent the previous two decades studying and working in

France, but his childhood home was calling him back.

At the time, Lebanon was edging into a period of peace and reconstruction, presenting interesting opportunities for an open-minded, internationally-trained architect and interior designer. Mahmoud founded GM Architects, an architecture and interior design rm eager to contribute to the shaping of a new Lebanon. The Beirut of ce was also envisaged as a springboard into the rest of the Middle East and by 2005 the company had also established a presence in Abu Dhabi.

Over the years, GM Architects has come to specialise in hospitality projects, particularly beachfront resorts. It is Mahmoud’s rootlessness that de nes his work – in that it has instilled an almost instinctual versatility. Context and humanity are key.

CID met with Mahmoud at the Park Rotana Abu Dhabi, one of his latest projects in the UAE, to nd out more about Beirut’s unique design language, and the importance of scale, reason and context in design.

Tell us about your career so far.I graduated in architecture, in Paris, and started a business there in 1986. I worked in France for over ten years, doing mainly retail, luxury hotels and

residential projects in Paris, New York, Florida and also South America.

I started moving back to Lebanon, which is where I am from originally, in 1996. Business picked up extremely quickly and I slowly reduced my ac-tivities in France. In 2000, I shut down the of ce in Paris to focus more on Lebanon, always knowing that Lebanon would be a starting point for the rest of the Middle East.

In Lebanon we focused on commer-cial, restaurant and hospitality projects. The nice thing about Beirut is that it is a showcase for designers. The entire Arab world goes on vacation in Beirut and anything that’s new and upcoming, they want in their own countries. So it was a perfect display case for us.

Through our activities in Beirut, we started getting projects elsewhere in the Middle East. It picked up gradually and then with the boom in the UAE, we de-cided to open an of ce in Abu Dhabi in 2005 that would cater for the entire UAE, plus other countries in the region. We now cover most of the Middle East, and are starting to grow towards northern Africa, all the way to Spain and Eastern Europe. We’ve done projects in Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Morocco, and will maybe end up coming back to Europe one day, which I’d ultimately like.

From around ve or six years ago, one of our main areas of activity has been hotels but, more speci cally, beachfront resorts. I would say that this is the direction that we are taking now. We are

1&2GM Architects

was responsible for the interiors

of the Park Rotana in Abu Dhabi.

3The Park Rotana

is a business hotel with a beach feel.

1

2 3


DESIGNER Q&A


currently working on a ve-star resort in Morocco, on the Mediterranean Sea. We also have one coming up on the Red Sea in Egypt and another on the Dead Sea in Jordan, so all very nice locations.

I’m an architect but I’ve done a lot of interior design. And through the experi-ences we’ve had with interior design, I’m now coming back to architecture. That means I’m able to design holistic projects, which is what I want to do.

How important is that synergy between interior design and architecture?Very important, especially in resorts because the experience that you have in resorts is very complete. There’s no cut-off line, particularly when the weather’s good. The boundaries are not physically embedded. You can open up your room and it almost becomes an outdoor space. And your outdoor pergola can be-come a semi-indoor space. It all blends together and it becomes very important to combine both and make sure that they speak the same language.

What are the key trends in hospitality design right now?The trend is to go very modern, even for resorts. So, less contextual, more mod-ern, which I have mixed feelings about. Our approach is completely different. Our approach to a resort is that you are working within a very rich environment, so it has to be completely integrated.

The architectural look of the building should be very discreet and blend in

completely. It is not supposed to be a statement. On the contrary, my ideal architecture would be something that disappears completely. It’s more about the experience, the escapism, the wellbeing and the privacy. And the use of local culture, local materials and local nishes within a modern vocabulary.

We are not trying to make a statement with the design. The statement is in the guest experience. This is what will dictate the actual design. So we take the context, the environment and the topography, and we layer them with what is our ideal guest experience. This will produce the design. It becomes a synergy of all these elements.

We are not into Mickey Mouse inter-pretations of Islamic elements. If we use

Islamic elements, it is because we think they add value to the guest experience. But there is no point in using them just to say it is a ‘local’ building.

Is that common practice in this region?It’s been abused. You only have to look at the variety of mashrabiyas being used. You have to go back to the origin and function of the mashrabiya, and then use it accordingly. You can’t just design a façade, put a mashrabiya on it and say I’m ltering light so I am contex-tual. We try to be more sensible.

What is the sensible approach?We try to understand the culture and the real use of these traditional architectural elements. And then, if we need them, we

6 7

5

4,5&7As with most GM projects, the Park Rotana is full of colour.

6The design is respectful of Rotana’s Middle Eastern roots.

4

DESIGNER Q&A


will interpret them in a modern way and integrate them into our design.

Are there successful reinterpretations of traditional vernacular in this market?The problem I have here is the size of the projects. They are a bit oversized. They cannot be vernacular because they do not correspond to the scale. They’ve taken a fort and multiplied it by ten, so suddenly you’ve lost all your references.

When you go to the Far East and you look at their resorts, they are modern, they are vernacular and they are also bene cial to the guest experience. They are very successful but then their size is much smaller. The largest resort you’ll nd there is around 150 rooms.

I think you have to come back to a more human scale. We’ve lost our sense of humanity in this part of the world. Do we need the biggest everything? It brings in a sense of scale and propor-tion that is completely out of balance.

Has Lebanon been more successful in creating design that is sensitive to the culture and the location, do you think?In Beirut, most of the designers are Leb-anese. In the UAE you are dealing with very good designers, but the advantage that we have in Beirut is that it is in our blood. We do not have to research the culture, because we live it and we feel it, instinctually. This is what gives us, as an of ce, the advantage, even in other countries in the Middle East. We can un-derstand immediately what are the real

cultural values and the real architectural values, because we have been brought up with those elements.

Have you seen massive change in Beirut since you rst opened your of ce?Beirut is what I call unorganised chaos. But it works. I don’t know how, but it works. The only thing is we have a major problem with urban planning. The UAE has gone to the other extreme of over planning, whereas in Lebanon we have no planning whatsoever.

We have a lot of problems with the environment. Even though we have a fantastic environment, it is being de-stroyed gradually. We also have an issue with providing the city with the basic requirements of a city – pavements for

people to walk on, proper streets, green spaces. Everyone is building high rises, which will create a lot of collateral prob-lems, in terms of traf c and pollution. No one is thinking in advance.

But it’s an interesting city because it has such an interesting mix of people. The war impacted four generations, who left and went all over the world to study and live and experience. Plus the gen-erations that stayed and lived through the war all had their own experiences.

To live and work during war time is quite something, and it can have a posi-tive impact. The positive is that it has produced people with such a strong will to move forward that you will never nd anywhere else in the world.

How does the country’s turbulent history manifest itself in design?It manifests itself in the fact that the people that stayed are extremely curi-ous. Unfortunately, they could not travel so instead they tried to learn through whatever means they had available to them. They are extremely aware of what is happening around them.

Plus, each person that left and then came back brought their own experi-ences with them. So you have this melting pot of people who lived in Italy or Canada or South America or France or the UK or the US.

This variety of cultures has created a fantastic dish, which makes Beirut very interesting. It is chaotic, but so creative at the same time. Give the Lebanese

8&9The Park Rotana offers plenty of

opportunities to see and be seen.

8

9

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DESIGNER Q&A


people 10 or 15 years of stability and the country will just bloom. Right now we have cycles of ve years, which is a very short amount of time. If you ask an investor to invest $30 million in a resort in Lebanon, they are going to think twice. They’d prefer to invest in a resi-dential building because they can sell the apartments and be done with it.

What projects have you been involved with in Lebanon?We’ve done a lot of restaurants. Now we are shifting to hotels. There are a few new hotels coming up, and we also have some renovation projects. We’ve also created the concept of a day beach resort, which already existed in Lebanon but was very archaic. It was the 1970s model of a concrete pool, a ladder to the sea and a sh restaurant.

We’ve taken that and developed day beach resorts that are comfortable and well designed and have all kinds of facilities, such as private cabanas, open-air spas, restaurants and so on. This is something that we have specia-lised in and will try to introduce to the UAE, because it doesn’t exist at the moment. Anyone who wants to go to the beach has to pay a hotel $60 to go and sit on a plastic chair.

What are the biggest differences bet-ween the Lebanese and UAE markets?The UAE is a far more bullish market. Things have to be done quickly. The problem we face in the UAE – and it is

a nice problem to have – is that we are not given enough time to really think our projects through, because everyone is in such a rush. It’s challenging but at the same time, it makes us more reactive.

In Lebanon, you have more time because the owners are far more per-sonally involved in their projects. They follow up and they want to know what you are doing. Here you are dealing with a board and the board has budgets and administrators and so on. They hire you because they know you are good but sometimes you feel like you are just a commodity, rather than an added value.

You lose control of your projects because of time and budgetary re-straints. You can do a fantastic design and then suddenly the project is out of your hands because it’s gone out to a contractor and they start cannibalising it. And once it’s done you are left feeling a little disappointed. We also have a problem with the quality of the nish because things happen so quickly that even the best contractor doesn’t have time to do things properly.

However, at the same time, the market in the UAE is much more bullish, the projects are on a bigger scale, the budgets are bigger than in Lebanon, and the exposure is far greater for us.

How did you become involved with the Park Rotana project in Abu Dhabi?We have a privileged relationship with Rotana and they give us a lot of their properties to design. We started off by

11

10&11GM Architects also designed

the Burj Al Hamam restaurant in Qatar.

10

doing a Rotana in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and after that, I assume, posi-tive experience, they listed us for this project. And once this got started, we started doing other projects for Rotana.

We’ve done one in Dubai, we’re doing one in Al Ain, we’re doing one in Jordan, we’re doing another in Abu Dhabi and we’re doing one in Salalah. We also currently have projects with Sheraton in Istanbul, So tel in Morocco, Crowne Plaza in Beirut, and we are moving into some boutique chains. Le Gray Hotel in Beirut is doing an extension and has asked us to handle the design of rooms, restaurants and meeting rooms. We will be working in collaboration with the designers of the original project.

We are trying to shift to the high end of the market, because we believe that we offer that kind of service. The good thing is that Rotana is also moving up-market so we came in at the right time.

Tell us about the Park Rotana design.The idea was to create a fresh and func-tional business hotel but at the same time bring in a bit of our creativity and our ‘beach’ experience. All of our pro-jects are quite colourful. So although the hotel is quite corporate, it also has an element of creativity and a bit of colour and craziness to it.

It is designed to be relaxing, with little splashes of colour that will bring positivity in. The approach is ‘see and be seen’, so there is a raised platform in the lobby where people can sit and see

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12 – 15. 1. 2011


INDEX FOCUS

The Index factorON THE E VE OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDE X , CID SPE AKS TO LU BUCHANAN,

THE E VENT ’S VICE PRESIDENT, ABOUT M AKING THE SHOW LESS ‘SOUQ-LIKE’.

What have you learnt from this year’s Index steering committee?Bringing together such a diverse wealth of knowledge has been a great asset for Index. The Index steering commit-tee was formed with this in mind and consists of highly regarded designers in the region. The steering committee helped paint a full picture of how Index can evolve, on a regional level and on the world design calendar. The greater focus this year on an array of high-end exhibitors on the show oor is some-thing the committee helped steer.

How will this manifest itself in this or future editions of the show?Index has been running for a staggering 20 years now so we wanted the anni-versary show to be particularly special. This year’s Index will be a sign of things to come. The show will continue to have strong international presence, coupled with its distinct regional avour. Key show features will continue to support and showcase local and youth talent. Beyond the focus on product innova-tions we hope to develop future events as the core of a total design week.

In your experience, what are the great-est misconceptions that international companies have about this region? On the international front, there has been a lot of bad press about the economy of the region so this has cre-ated misconceptions. In stark contrast to any doom and gloom reports, the estimated value of interior design contracting projects from 2009 to 2010 in the GCC totalled $22 billion.

What elements of this year’s show are you most excited about?It’s the level of high-end exhibitors and the 20th anniversary innovation products lineup that I am really excited about. I am certain there will be a great

atmosphere at the show and I hope everyone who visits shares the excite-ment. I really love seeing the students and established designers interacting on the Al Habtoor & ISG Student Chal-lenge, and the new Fekra Design Com-petition will no doubt share the same energy and enthusiasm.

What are the greatest challenges you face when organising a design event?Any major event is a logistical exercise, so to support exhibitors with their exhibits always presents its challenges in the nal days before set up. Often the challenge is to encourage the industry to come out in full support of a local show, particularly in the current climate, but we have not had any such issue this year, so we hope that the in-dustry feels more attachment to Index.

How is organising events in this region different to other parts of the world?I have been very lucky to have run a variety of shows, ranging from IT to nance and air shows in many parts

of the world. For example, I launched the Homes & Garden shows in Malaga

and Alicante, and this gave me the rst real taste of working in the eld of

design. This region is so cosmopolitan that many of the same synergies apply. However, due to the laid-back nature of the region, many things do come together at the last minute so it is not unknown to be putting the nal touches to the event whilst people are lining up at the door!

What are Index’s greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses?Every year is a learning curve so with 20 years under our belt we think that we are closer than ever to the right mix. We have taken on board feedback over the years. At one stage, there was the feeling that the show was a bit too souq-like or featuring a heavy in uence of Chinese products, so we have worked hard to realign the show and raise the exhibitor focus, present stricter guidelines and even change international representatives.

An important facet of such a show is that Index is known as one of the best performing events in the world for its quality of visitors. Independent research has shown that 92% of trade visitors had purchasing or specify-ing responsibility in 2009, with 91% expecting to conduct business directly with Index exhibitors.

Moving forward, what is your vision for the show?First and foremost my main ambition for the future is to raise the pro le of Index and develop it into a true net-working event. There seems to be major potential and tones of interest for such a network. In addition to a more col-laborative design network, we would ultimately like to see Dubai grow into a design capital such as Paris and Milan, where loads of design events would take place around Index.

CASE STUDY: FAUCHON

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CASE STUDY: FAUCHON

Pop tar tEDGY, ADVENTUROUS AND UNMISTAKE ABLY FRENCH,FAUCHON IS MAKING ITS MARK ON THE MIDDLE E AST

‘A little bit punk’ is how Paul Bishop, managing partner of Bishop Design Associates (BDA), describes the Fauchon brand.

Since opening its rst store in Paris’ Place de Madeleine in 1886, Fauchon has evolved into a funky delicatessen/café combo with a growing presence around the globe.

High end and highly aspirational, Fauchon is characterised by its un-ashamed Frenchness. It is edgy and ad-venturous, and tinged with an ever so slight hint of good-natured arrogance. In 1898, Fauchon launched its Grand Salon de Thé, which would quickly become a Parisian institution – and a rm favourite with the city’s wealthy

and in uential. To this day, the brand is buoyed by the sense of heritage born in that 19th century tea room.

When Paris Group, the franchisee of Fauchon in the UAE, decided to open a new café and retail concept in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, BDA was called in to create an interior that would capture the essence of this multi-faceted brand.


CASE STUDY: FAUCHON

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 39www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 39

CASE STUDY: FAUCHON

1

The resultant design so impressed the folks at Fauchon that BDA has since been appointed to oversee the design of all new Fauchon venues opening in the region over the next two years. The company’s regional expansion plans will see the total number of outlets in the Middle East rise to 23, and BDA will be responsible for the design of all new

additions to the portfolio, as well as the revamp of existing venues.

BRAND EVOLUTION The design of the Mall of the Emirates outlet was the rst step in a new evolu-tion of the Fauchon brand. “The Fau-chon team had a general idea of what needed to be changed and revamped.


CASE STUDY: FAUCHON

1The new Fauchon

venue is located in Mall of the Emirates’

Fashion Dome.

2&3The retail area is

decked out in gold.

4The project’s

bold colour palette also includes

splashes of fuchsia.

The rst challenge was making sure that the two venues were integrated, but also very distinct. Colour was util-ised as a key differentiator; in the retail area, gold dominates, while in the café, silver is the prominent colour. The two areas are divided by large glass panels, so while a sense of separation exists, there is also visual continuity between the two spaces.

ALL ABOUT THE DRAMAIn the retail area, the ceiling juts out in a series of dramatic, dynamic angles. The rich, gold colour of the ceiling is echoed in the counters that ank both sides of the store. “It is meant to be very lush, very ornate, very over the top and in your face,” Bishop noted. “The interior of the venue represents the brand’s

3 4

2

ideals. They are very aggressive, upfront and adventurous. They take presenta-tion very seriously but they are also a little bit quirky. For example, some of the éclairs have the eyes of the Mona Lisa going across them. It’s all very pop art,” he continued.

In both the café and retail outlet, the design is de ned by its bold, almost outlandish use of colour. In the retail area, the gold is complemented by a vibrant fuchsia. In the café area, silver is set against black and a powdery pink, to equally striking effect.

Black and pink tables are paired with black and white-checked rattan chairs from Drucker’s Eiffel collection – creat-ing a contemporary, slightly cheeky take on the traditional French café. “It’s taken the Parisian café and created a very modern, tongue-in-cheek version of that. But it is still fundamentally French,” Bishop said.

Custom-made sofas were made from silver, ostrich-pressed leather from Edelman, while columns and ceilings are covered in silver, Italian-made laminates. Underfoot, a large carpet emblazoned with a grape-vine graphic adds to the overall drama of the design.

Two of the walls are covered in a sea of rectangular mirrors. “Each mirror has LED lights recessed behind it, so it creates a refracted, fragmented wall panel,” Bishop explained.

“It’s not a at panel, so each piece refracts light and re ects different im-ages. It has a broken feel about it and

They have great vision. This is a strong international brand which is starting to get a lot of recognition,” Bishop said.

The new venue is located in Mall of the Emirates’ recently-launched 10,500m² luxury wing, the Fashion Dome. Flooded with natural light and set in close proximity to a mall entrance, the Fauchon site was both large and well appointed, Bishop noted. “It is theoretically considered as two separate venues. One part is retail and the other is F&B, and it’s rented out from the mall as two separate spaces.”

The retail area sells a range of choco-lates, confectionary items and other novelties, and will eventually expand its product offering to include fresh breads and pastries. The café offers food and drinks throughout the day.

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CASE STUDY: FAUCHON


5


CASE STUDY: FAUCHON


A mall location also translated into a whole extra set of criteria that had to be considered in the design process. As well as trying to create an interior that appealed to the owners of the Fauchon brand, as well as the franchisee, Paris Group, BDA also needed to make sure that the mall’s management was on board with its ideas.

“Trying to facilitate everyone’s needs and requirements without upsetting the balance was a challenge. The mall has its own criteria. There are restrictions on design thresholds, where materials meet with the mall, where they don’t, how you clad columns, ceiling heights

and so on. Each mall has a different tenant manual and they are very strict in applying those restrictions.

“It is quite a complex situation because your design has to be in com-pliance with what the mall wants, what your client wants and what the fran-chisee wants. You have to streamline all their requirements into something that is respectful of the brand identity,” Bishop explained.

Timeframes also presented a chal-lenge. The Fashion Dome was scheduled for a September 1 opening and all of the venues within the new wing had to be ready on that date, which placed incred-ible pressure on the interior contractor appointed on the project.

With the successful launch of this, the rst of a new breed of Fauchon outlets,

BDA has now turned its sights to three new venues in Qatar and a new villa concept in Bahrain. After that, BDA will take the new Fauchon design language into Damascus, Beirut, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. And with each new opening the brand’s design persona will evolve a little further, Bishop said.

“It is all about location. There is an inherent brand philosophy and styling that will always come through. You are creating a roll-out so there needs to be that uniformity and that synergy throughout. But the spaces and the dynamics will vary, so the brand will constantly be evolving.”

6

7

5Silver dominates in the café area.

6&7A mirrored wall feature adds to the angularity of the design.

8Black and white checked chairs are a contemporary take on the traditional Parisian café.

re ects the various elements of furni-ture within. The wall elements become part of the interior itself, metaphysically, through re ection,” he added.

A rigid angularity runs throughout the space – a literal reference to the edginess of the Fauchon brand, one as-sumes. From the extrusions on the ceil-ing in the retail area to the sharp-edged geometry of the mirrored wall features, hard angles abound. “There are no cur-vaceous forms. It’s all about the angle and the juncture,” said Bishop.

LOCAL FLAVOURThe strength of this interior lies in its ability to make a highly progressive international brand resonate with a regional audience. Bishop was very conscious of the fact that the venue was located in a mall and, as such, couldn’t be overly intimidating.

“People don’t always understand the complexity of a high-end space. You have to be very careful when you are applying design in a commercial area, especially in a mall, because you could alienate the customer,” he said. “Also, there are certain things that are not ac-ceptable in this region. Very low seating for example, might be uncomfortable for those in national dress. This region is also very voyeuristic, so people like to see and be seen. You’ll notice in this venue that a lot of customers sit front of house – almost in the mall. People want to be associated with the brand.” 8


FEATURE: TASMENA

TA SMENA WA S ENVISAGED A S A PL ATFORM THAT WOULD ENCOUR AGE PEOPLE TO CONNECT, DISCUSS, COLL ABOR ATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIE T Y THROUGH DESIGN. SELINA DENM AN SITS DOWN WITH THREE MEMBERS OF THE TA SMENA TE A M TO LE ARN ABOUT THE DIFF ICULTIES OF GE T T ING A COMMUNIT Y-LED INIT IAT IVE SUCH A S THIS OFF THE GROUND

Owning the city


FEATURE: TASMENA


FEATURE: TASMENA


Dubai has long been de ned by its transience. As a city shaped by short-term pro teering, it has often

failed to instil a sense of permanence and belonging in its inhabitants.

“A fact of globalisation is that people move from place to place. But if you live somewhere for two to three years, you don’t necessarily feel attached to that place. You don’t invest in it emotionally. People used to stay in Dubai for the length of their residence visa, which is three years. Dubai was a place driven by pro t and economics, and that was an incredible attraction for a lot of people,” said Adina Hempel, a member of Tasme-na, the not-for-pro t organisation com-mitted to raising awareness of design’s potential as a tool for social change.

Post- nancial crisis and the frenzied in ux of people coming to Dubai to turn a quick buck has come to an end. Many of the people that have remained in Dubai over the last two years have done so because they have a vested interest in the emirate – and those incentives are no longer purely nancial.

There is a growing number of expa-triates who have lived in Dubai for a signi cant amount of time, and have de-veloped an emotional and sentimental connection to the place. Their children may have been born here, becoming the rst generation of expat children to unequivocally call Dubai home. It is essential that these people feel like they have a part to play in how the city evolves, Hempel maintained.

Urban planning is a very top-down discipline. Architects and urban plan-ners view a city in its entirety, exploring ethnic, social and political parametres, but they rarely consider the speci c needs of the individual. Tasmena was essentially envisaged as a platform that would provide members of the community with a say into how their city would evolve.

This involves engaging the local population, as well as the various other com-munities that have come to call Dubai home. ‘Own Your City’ is the Tasmena mantra, and is born out of

Yunsun Chung-ShinDesign educator, practitioner and Tasmena master, Yunsun Chung-Shin is currently an assistant professor in the Art and Design Department at the Zayed University in Dubai. She earned her BFA degree in Visual Communi-cation Design from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea and a MFA in Multimedia Graphic Design from Indiana State University. In addi-tion to her dedication to design education, Yun-sun co-founded Tasmena, an open sanctuary for designers to explore new frontiers in holistic design solutions for the MENA region.

a belief that only those that use a city on a daily basis actually know how it can be improved. Emirati architect and Tasmena member Nasreen Al Tamimi uses the example of her aunt and grandmother, who live in Dubai’s Rashidiya area. “They’ve been there for ever. The streets are exactly the same, the houses are exactly the same, and all their neighbours are exactly the same as they’ve always been.

“If my aunt had a chance to go and speak to the municipality, I am sure she would be in a much better position to tell them what problems there were and what could be done to improve things in Rashidiya, because of her daily activi-ties in the area. You need to live in a place to know what’s wrong with it. City-making is about more than just urban planners and architects. It is about everyone that lives in the city.”

Providing individuals with a sense of ownership can be as simple as encour-aging them to paint their villa in a colour of their choice. “If you go to the Springs, where you have a thousand buildings that all look the same, what would hap-pen if the two of us painted our houses differently? Already you are contributing to the city, and you are personalising it.

“Most of the time that leads to a sense of identity. That personal invest-ment in the place creates a strong sense of belonging and generally contributes to the wellbeing of the individual and the community,” said Hempel.

Tasmena was created to provide the community with a voice. And while the association cannot be easily or clearly de ned, its members are united in the belief that design can be used as a tool to implement social change.

They have been responsible for developing the content for this

year’s Al Habtoor & ISG Challenge, Urban Play Ground, which will

be presented during Index. Students are being asked to develop an activity-based device for the urban space which can be used by an adult, child or elderly person, and which will raise awareness of environmental

and health issues. The exercise was developed


FEATURE: TASMENA

in response to the high incidence of diabetes and obesity in the UAE, and highlights how design can be used to positively impact the community.

Tasmena also provides a much needed link between academia, indus-try and the community. The organisa-tion’s co-founder, Yunsun Chung-Shin, is an assistant professor in the Art and Design Department at the Zayed Univer-sity in Dubai and was able, as a design educator, to identify a real need for an initiative of this kind.

“My students are the rst generation to study and practice design in this region, but we don’t have a support system in place. When I was studying, that system was more corporate-driven or association-driven but I think as of now, we need a strong link among the community, academia and industry,” said Chung-Shin.

Earlier this year, Tasmena organised MENA Lab, a ve-day design laboratory that focused on ‘Exploring Change’. Funding allowing, Tasmena eventually aims to run a series of design events throughout the year. In addition to

MENA Lab, the proposed MENA Series would include MENA Camp,

an intensive design workshop, MENA Awards, a number of

small-scale competitions, and MENA Design, a city-wide activation project.

While the prospect of ‘owning your city’ invariably strikes a chord, drumming up both support and funding

remains a major challenge for Tasmena, which also

counts Alfred Tay, Daniela

Ottmann, Kristina Keutgen and Ramzi Jaber amongst its members.

Part of the problem is awareness, the age-old challenge of getting into people’s homes. But there is also the challenge of creating a platform that transcends cultural differences, and de-vising a message that resonates across cultural divides.

“You have to give everybody the opportunity to say, wouldn’t it be great if we turned this parking lot into some kind of park which had seating areas and barbecue areas, and maybe a basketball court, so that people in this neighbourhood can go out and actually meet each other and do something together,” said Hempel.

This becomes even more important when you consider how the design of the city has contributed to a certain level of cultural disassociation. Accord-ing to Al Tamimi, cultural fragmentation is a direct result of the way that the city has been divided up into enclaves. The local Emirati population inhabits certain areas of the city, the Indian population is con ned to others, and western expats congregate in others.

“They way you design a space, even how you put tables together in a restaurant and how you force people to walk through it, dictates how people will interact within that space. So you use design as a tool to actually shape a society,” Al Tamimi maintained. “On an urban planning scale, you only have to look at the different residential areas.

“All the locals live in exactly the same areas, so there is very little chance of a local having an expat as a neighbour. If it was actually enforced through the

Adina HempelAdina Hempel is a German architect and researcher based in Dubai. Having worked in offices in Hamburg, Berlin and Basel, she is currently practicing as an architect in Dubai. In 2008, Adina co-founded the interdisciplinary think tank, Progress, dedicated to researching architecture and urbanism in the Gulf region. Adina Hempel graduated with distinction, receiving a Masters in Architecture from the Technical University of Dresden in 2006 and a nomination for the Kurt Beyer Preis.


FEATURE: TASMENA

urban planning, there would be a lot more interaction between the local and expat communities,” she continued.

The question, of course, is whether the opposite is also true – just as design shapes cultures, doesn’t culture also shape design? Is it not feasible that cultural differences have dictated that urban planning evolve in such a disjointed manner? “If you go back 30 years and see how expats were wel-comed by the locals when they arrived in this country, I don’t think culture has anything to do with it. This separation is not about culture or religion. It’s hap-pened with modernisation and all these high walls coming up around villas.

“In the past, everybody’s door was open and whoever you were, wherever you were, you were welcome into that house,” said Al Tamimi. “How the city has grown since then has contributed to the segregation that we see now.”

Part of the problem is that Dubai opened itself up to western culture very suddenly – a fact that is mirrored in the design and planning of the city. “Maybe it happened too fast,” Hempel sug-gested. “And now you are seeing the consequences. Dubai opened up very quickly and then all of a sudden it closed in on itself again, because the local pop-ulation felt like it needed to protect its culture.”

This disconnect is not helped by the propagation of architecture and design that has no link to the local consciousness. Commis-sioning a 60-storey replica of London’s Big Ben to tower

Nasreen Al TamimiNasreen Al Tamimi is an Emirati architect and digital fabricator interested in merging her professional and educational experience with the community to enhance socially responsible design in the UAE. Al Tamimi was awarded an Edaad scholarship to complete her Masters in Spain, after gaining three years of professional experience and completing her Bachelors in Architecture with a Magna Cum Laude honour at the American University of Sharjah in 2005.

over Sheikh Zayed Road does not con-tribute to a realistic discourse.

Dubai’s architecture and design has looked avidly to the west for inspiration, ignoring the fact that Arabic culture is one of the oldest and richest in the world, Hempel pointed out. “You let all these buildings be built that don’t really have anything to do with local tradi-tions. That’s not to say that you need to build courtyard houses and wind tow-ers, but you have to create something that respects geography, climate and culture – and that doesn’t just mean Emirati culture because you have a mix of nationalities here. Building Interna-tional City is not the answer.”

Part of the problem is that much of the design in Dubai is propagated by people who do not really understand the complexity of the city’s culture and community. That’s why Tasmena is so keen to uphold and develop local tal-ent, while encouraging the community to engage and contribute.

“It is not wrong that international people come in, but they need to make

sure that they collaborate with who-ever’s here in order to understand

the market,” said Al Tamimi. “It might also be our fault, because

we’ve not been open to that dialogue. However, I am sure

that if somebody knocked on somebody’s door and said, I want to do this proj-ect for your community, can you help by answering some of my questions, no

one would say no. But you have to take that step and

knock that door.”


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DESTINATION FOCUS: SAUDI ARABIA

go into the region, especially in the next ve to six years,” Johnson added.

While Saudi Arabian investors keep a close eye on design trends in the Middle East, the interior design market is not characterised by the same fast pace of development seen in other countries in the region. “They don’t think the same way about projects and progress as we do,” said Jeff Ornstein, president of US-headquartered hotel design rm J/Brice Design. The most noticeable difference, he continued, is timing and urgency. “In the US, time is money, and it’s basically always a catch-up game.”

Because clients in Saudi often have multiple business interests, Ornstein continued, they do not focus on any one project full time. “You have to be there when it’s convenient for them. We have to forget about what we perceive the customer expects of us in the US, because it’s different in Saudi Arabia.”

This slower pace of development leads to a more mature market, said Johnson. “We have a lot of investors who are not in a hurry. They come from a mature understanding of how busi-nesses should be run, and allow work to progress at its proper speed rather than having a building come up in two years.”

This considered approach means that clients investigate their design options much more thoroughly, Pintado said. “They think carefully about what they’re going for, and have mechanisms for determining what will make sense. They do a lot of studies prior to deciding, like costing the project and weighing up their decisions.”

As a result, interior design rms may struggle to predict their short- to medium-term growth in the country, Pintado pointed out. “We don’t know if 5% or 95% of our projects are going to come through; they all seem to be hap-pening ‘tomorrow’. We are still excited to work in Saudi but what we’ve come to realise is that it’s not a ‘now’ scenario. It takes time and our projects may or may not happen – we just don’t know. The wealth to take them forward is there, but the urgency is not.”

The bidding stage for goods and services can also be protracted, said Ornstein, ensuring that clients get the best possible service for the best

possible price. “There is a true love for the bid process in Saudi Arabia. Our clients will bid things out to a hundred people; they love that engagement.”

For all its potential, the Saudi market also presents signi cant challenges. “The administration of setting up an of- ce is dif cult,” said Ondrej Patka, man-

aging director of the lighting division of Preciosa Gulf. “This is typical of Saudi Arabia; but if we want to do business in this market then we have to get as close to it as possible.”

For smaller design rms, having a lo-cal presence is necessary, said Johnson, whose company operates a representa-tive of ce in Jeddah. “You need to have a Saudi national on the ground who understands the mentality and who can communicate the design language to prospective clients. You need to educate people on where you stand.”

As demand for interior design rms in Saudi Arabia increases, so too does competition. “Everybody’s trying to get their ngers into the pie,” said Pin-tado, “but there are very few who have achieved it”. Many companies struggle because they are not aware of the busi-ness culture, while others place more importance on their international design reputation than on local etiquette.

For the right companies, there will never be a shortage of projects, said Thahen. “Just like every market in the world, Saudi Arabia is a very competi-tive one. But, it is expanding in all direc-tions, so there is space for everyone.”

Developing contacts to secure busi-ness in the kingdom takes both time and money. “It’s taken longer for us in Saudi Arabia than it would have taken in other countries,” admitted Pintado, whose company is designing two large entertainment-come-retail projects in Riyadh. “We’ve been trying to get into the Saudi market for the last three to four years. We did concepts for things that never really progressed,” she said.

J/Brice Design’s presence in Saudi Arabia grew from personal recommen-dations. With an af liate of ce in Al Khobar, the company will be designing a new Kempinski hotel in the kingdom. “Personal introductions got me jobs in Saudi Arabia, and you can’t buy that in two or three years,” said Ornstein.

2Projects in Saudi

Arabia progress at a much slower pace than designers are used to in the rest

of the region.

2



Capturing Al KhobarSOFITEL’S NE W AL KHOBAR PROPERT Y PRESENTS A MODERN T WIST ON

TR ADIT IONAL DESIGN. F IDA SL AYM AN TAKES A CLOSER LOOK INSIDE.

1



W ith the opening of its latest hotel in Al Khobar in October, the So tel brand of hotels has

staked its claim on one of the Middle East’s most rapidly developing markets.

Al Khobar, located on the east coast of Saudi Arabia, exhibits Moroccan and Egyptian in uences in its architecture, a feature that Dubai-based design rm WA International sought to re ect in the interiors of the new So tel Al Khobar The Corniche.

The So tel design language has its roots in contemporary French design, which has then been tailored to the local market. “The French have been in the region for a long time, so there were a lot of elements that we were able to pick

up on,” explained Claire Craig, design director, WA International.

Although separated by less than 50km, the art and architecture of Al Khobar sets it apart from its neighbour, Bahrain. “There is a strong difference between the areas,” Craig commented.

Al Khobar re ects more in uences from the Middle East, while Bahrain has picked up many of its in uences from Iran and India. “In Bahrain you can see it in the Iranian arches, in the painted timber doors from India, and in the ar-chitecture. That’s not there in Al Khobar, so that’s why we designed the project in a much more arabesque, contemporary way,” Craig detailed.

The lobby is characteristic of the So tel brand, yet draws on the local

environment for inspiration. In design-ing the entrance lobby, WA International sought to bring in bold colours that would stand out against the pale tones of the desert landscape. “There’s strong colour in the Persian carpet,” said Craig, “and we’ve also added some very rich purple to the colour scheme.”

The lobby oor is made of highly polished black galaxy marble, also pro-viding a contrast to the light tones of the sand outside. A consistent feature in the entrance lobby of all So tel hotels is a library, and Al Khobar was no different.

“So tel really insists on having a library in the entrance, and they ask us to put that into all of their projects,” said Craig. For the Al Khobar property, WA International chose books in both

1,3&4Rooms feature

Arabic detailing.

2The hotel offers

striking views of the Arabian Gulf.

2

3 4


62 NOVEMBER 2010 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

French and Arabic, and suspended them between three glass panels, each measuring 4.5m in height.

Meanwhile, a shade of honey onyx, borrowed from desert tones, was chosen for the back-lit reception desks. Large niches built into the walnut panelling behind the desks set off the arabesque feel of the reception area. Carved plaster adorns the back of the niches, a detail “that has been per-fected beautifully throughout the Middle East”, Craig noted.

Sixteen, large, custom-made, blown-glass pendants designed by French artists adorn the lobby lounge. “They have a slight feel of the Middle East in shape, while also bringing in a little bit from France,” said Craig.

Taking inspiration from French iron detailing, the design also incorporates mashrabiya, the classic Arabic-carved wood latticework screens. “We did them in timbers because that was more com-monly used in the Middle East,” Craig continued. “We really concentrated on including Arabic detailing, but in a contemporary way.”

The ballroom, also on the ground level, is the centrepiece of the hotel, in both design and size. Large enough to host weddings for 1,000 people, the room features sliding panels that open on to the pre-function area, and allow the ballroom to be extended for very large functions. “That was a very strong part of the brief – to make sure that we had a very glamorous ballroom that the

local ladies could have large weddings in,” Craig explained.

The walls of the ballroom are adorned with mashrabiya made from dark wal-nut, while the ceiling has been designed to look like a sand dune. “It has huge curved plaster coffers, which are mir-rored at the top,” explained Craig. “Hun-dreds of strings of crystals hang through that, so it’s very glamorous.”

A large curved glass staircase measuring 4.5m takes guests to the next level, containing the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant and health club. The tness centre and treatment rooms

cover 180m², and offer direct views of the Arabian Gulf. “The restaurant picks up on the dramatic colour scheme of the lower level,” Craig said, “so we used

5&6A 1,000-person

ballroom is the centrepiece of

the hotel.

7The hotel is lled with the warm earth tones

of Al Khobar’s natural environment.

6

7

5



the black galaxy in the oor, with a dark walnut inset timber oor pattern.”

Like the ballroom, the restaurant also has a coffered ceiling, but one which is edge-lit and includes thin sections of dark timber. “It’s quite moody and warm in there, and it’s a very nice evening venue as well.”

In the absence of a bar serving alcohol, the display of food takes on extra importance. The all-day dining restaurant features niches and areas where guests can watch the chef cook, as well as many buffet areas and food display counters. “Because there’s no bar, you have to make a major feature of the food,” said Craig.

The hotel’s rooms follow the arabesque theme, and feature Arabic detailing and lit niches. Cream-rendered walls and contemporary arabesque artwork provide a muted background to rich-coloured cushions on the beds and chairs. “The rooms are very comfort-able, and we were able to pick up the strong Middle Eastern colours in the accent cushions,” said Craig.

The Prestige suite features dark wood oorboards, combined with shades of

olive and mustard for the furnishings, re ective of the warm earth tones of its natural environment.

Although WA International normally site supervises all of its projects, it was unable to do so for the Al Khobar property. “It’s dif cult for us to get visas to get in and out of Saudi Arabia,” Craig explained. To overcome this dif culty,

the company used a Dubai-based fur-niture manufacturer. “We could see all the furniture being made and fabricated right here,” said Craig.

A local contracting company was also engaged for the project. “We’ve worked with them a lot in the past, and they’re very good at following our details and keeping in touch with us. If there was ever any kind of problem, they were constantly in contact with us. It actually worked out pretty well, and everyone seems to be happy with the end result.”

The So tel Al Khobar is only one of WA International’s many projects in Saudi Arabia. The company has already delivered 1,400 apartments in Mecca for Accor, the management group be-hind the So tel brand. And as with the

Al Khobar property, site supervision of this project also proved challenging.

“That was even harder for us because you have to be Muslim to go to Mecca, and although we have a very interna-tional of ce, I don’t have any Muslim designers at the moment, so it was dif cult to go and see those ones,” Craig explained. Nonetheless, the company continues to get a lot of enquiries from Saudi Arabia, Craig noted. “It’s a market with a lot of potential.”

8&10The library is a standard feature of the So tel lobby.

9A rich purple colour was brought in to the lobby area.

9 10

8

WA INTERNATIONAL’S SAUDI CV:Kempinski Rafal Tower, RiyadhSo tel Al Hamra Hotel, JeddahSo tel Zamzam Tower, Mecca

A sanitary system with a

concealed cistern.

Discretion is the secret

of good design.

Concealed systems from Geberit save space by integrating the cistern and

pipes in the wall. This is not only more attractive, but also easier to clean.

www.geberit.ae

Y&R

GR

OU

P

INDEX FOCUS


Design fiestaINDE X IS ORGANISING A SHOWC A SE OF E YE- C ATCHING DESIGN

Index will mark its 20th anniversary this year with a showcase of 20 eye-catching products on the show oor. The organisers of the

four-day event have come up with a dramatic line-up of objects, such as Sicis’ Audrey bath, a stiletto-shaped tub encased in mosaics, the Bloom chair by Philippino designer Kenneth Cabonpue, which is inspired by the graceful blossom of a ower, and The Bird’s Nest coffee table by Fernando Villarin, which is made of arorog, an indigenous material moulded into the shape of a bird’s nest and topped with eight real ostrich eggs.

The line-up will also include the Mow chair by Lebanese designer Fadi Saried-dine, the Ciclotte exercise bike by Ital-ian designer Luca Schieppati, Smooth and Smoothie by French designer Florent Degourc, the X2Chair by Giorgio Caporaso and the Eria Sunshades.

The 20th Anniversary Innovative Showcase, as it has been dubbed, is a key feature of this year’s show, and an interesting signi er of Index’s new-found direction. It is little secret that Index has, in the past, suffered from a crisis in both identity and perception. It has been criticised for being too much like a furniture bazaar, and has often been accused of being too heavy on the low-end Chinese product.

The anniversary showcase is signi -cant because it is indicative of show organiser, DMG World Media’s greater focus on content and quality. Instead of acting solely as a forum for trade, Index is being shaped into a holistic design event where the exhibition element is complemented by competitions, seminars and design features. These features are no longer treated as an afterthought and tacked on at the last minute. Instead, they are becoming

a fundamental part of Index’s overall value proposition.

So, in addition to the anniversary showcase, Index will organise is Con-temporary Majlis Competition for the second year running. Four UAE-based interior designers will create their own contemporary interpretation of the majlis, and build it live on the show oor. This year’s participants are Isabel

Pintado, Sonal Jakkal, Rashida Rajkot-walla and Laurika Muller.

That Index has set its sights on the majlis is no coincidence. The show is embracing its Middle Eastern roots, and waking up to the uniqueness of its chosen locale. This is further evident in the commitment to local talent dis-played in the Al Habtoor & ISG Student Challenge, an annual, interactive stu-dent competition that takes place on the show oor, and its support of this year’s Fekra Design Challenge.

1The winning entry for last year’s Contemporary Majlis Competition, by Zain Mustafa.


INDEX FOCUS

The Index factorON THE E VE OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDE X , CID SPE AKS TO LU BUCHANAN,

THE E VENT ’S VICE PRESIDENT, ABOUT M AKING THE SHOW LESS ‘SOUQ-LIKE’.

What have you learnt from this year’s Index steering committee?Bringing together such a diverse wealth of knowledge has been a great asset for Index. The Index steering commit-tee was formed with this in mind and consists of highly regarded designers in the region. The steering committee helped paint a full picture of how Index can evolve, on a regional level and on the world design calendar. The greater focus this year on an array of high-end exhibitors on the show oor is some-thing the committee helped steer.

How will this manifest itself in this or future editions of the show?Index has been running for a staggering 20 years now so we wanted the anni-versary show to be particularly special. This year’s Index will be a sign of things to come. The show will continue to have strong international presence, coupled with its distinct regional avour. Key show features will continue to support and showcase local and youth talent. Beyond the focus on product innova-tions we hope to develop future events as the core of a total design week.

In your experience, what are the great-est misconceptions that international companies have about this region? On the international front, there has been a lot of bad press about the economy of the region so this has cre-ated misconceptions. In stark contrast to any doom and gloom reports, the estimated value of interior design contracting projects from 2009 to 2010 in the GCC totalled $22 billion.

What elements of this year’s show are you most excited about?It’s the level of high-end exhibitors and the 20th anniversary innovation products lineup that I am really excited about. I am certain there will be a great

atmosphere at the show and I hope everyone who visits shares the excite-ment. I really love seeing the students and established designers interacting on the Al Habtoor & ISG Student Chal-lenge, and the new Fekra Design Com-petition will no doubt share the same energy and enthusiasm.

What are the greatest challenges you face when organising a design event?Any major event is a logistical exercise, so to support exhibitors with their exhibits always presents its challenges in the nal days before set up. Often the challenge is to encourage the industry to come out in full support of a local show, particularly in the current climate, but we have not had any such issue this year, so we hope that the in-dustry feels more attachment to Index.

How is organising events in this region different to other parts of the world?I have been very lucky to have run a variety of shows, ranging from IT to nance and air shows in many parts

of the world. For example, I launched the Homes & Garden shows in Malaga

and Alicante, and this gave me the rst real taste of working in the eld of

design. This region is so cosmopolitan that many of the same synergies apply. However, due to the laid-back nature of the region, many things do come together at the last minute so it is not unknown to be putting the nal touches to the event whilst people are lining up at the door!

What are Index’s greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses?Every year is a learning curve so with 20 years under our belt we think that we are closer than ever to the right mix. We have taken on board feedback over the years. At one stage, there was the feeling that the show was a bit too souq-like or featuring a heavy in uence of Chinese products, so we have worked hard to realign the show and raise the exhibitor focus, present stricter guidelines and even change international representatives.

An important facet of such a show is that Index is known as one of the best performing events in the world for its quality of visitors. Independent research has shown that 92% of trade visitors had purchasing or specify-ing responsibility in 2009, with 91% expecting to conduct business directly with Index exhibitors.

Moving forward, what is your vision for the show?First and foremost my main ambition for the future is to raise the pro le of Index and develop it into a true net-working event. There seems to be major potential and tones of interest for such a network. In addition to a more col-laborative design network, we would ultimately like to see Dubai grow into a design capital such as Paris and Milan, where loads of design events would take place around Index.

‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ PRODUCTS THAT ADD TO ‘QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE’EXHIBITING AT INDEX 2010 AT DUBAI, IN HALL 6 AT STAND NO. 6D251

FINLAY

MINNEAPOLIS

PENTHOUSE

BLOOM


INDEX FOCUS

HALL 2 HALL 3 HAL

VIP LOUNGESponsored by

1

Al Habtoor & ISG Student Challenge

FEKRA Design Competition

Contemporary Majlis Caonpetition

Sustainable Design

Product Innovation

Design Talks Seminar

VIP Lounge

FLOORWORLDStand number:Hall 3, C143

NORDIC HOMEWORXStand number:Hall 4, D200

AIGRE DOUXStand number:Hall 5, E227

MOMO FIREStand number:Hall 5, C220

1

2

3

4

CID’s recommended route


INDEX FOCUS

LL 4

HALL 7

HALL 5

HALL 6

HALL 8SHEIKH

MAK TOUMHALL

SHEIKHR A SHID

HALL

ibisHotel

NovotelHotel

TradeCentrePlaza

Cateringoutlet

Bridge

Rest

aura

ntCo

ncou

rse

2

2

3 4

5

67

8

Trade CentreMetro Station

FOUR SEASONSRAMESH GALLERYStand number:Main Councourse 49

ARTE VIVOStand number:Main Councourse 40

PALLADIO INTERIORSStand number:Hall 7, C282

FAUSTIGStand number:Hall 7, A303

8

7

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INDEX FOCUS

Company pro le: Palladio Inte-riors is an Italian interior design company. For over 12 years Palladio has created exclusive design projects for private and commercial interiors, apartments, country houses, of ces, yachts, banks, hotels and restaurants all over the world. The company’s main focus is on turnkey projects, offering not just furniture, but also a wide choice of accessories in-cluding lighting, textiles, exclusive porcelain, pictures and so on. The company is headquartered in Pa-dova, Italy, and is equipped with a design studio headed by an Italian architect. Palladio Interiors is also present in Moscow and Kiev.

Stand number: Hall 7, C282.

Contact: Enrico Fergnani, general manager, Middle East, Palladio Interiors; Tel: +971 (0)4 427 9610; Email: [email protected].

What are you promoting?Palladio Interiors is unveiling the stunning and exclusive interior designs of Savio Firmino. The collection includes ornate designs for living and dining areas. The elegant collection of exquisite furniture and décor is designed using superior and precious ma-terials such as high-quality wood, a variety of semi-precious stones, dazzling crystals and glorious gold and silver leaf patterns. The focus is mainly on the ethereal porcelain sets designed by Savio Firmino.

Any recent developments? In early 2010, Palladio Interiors opened its of ce and design studio in Dubai, which will oversee Middle East operations, with fur-ther plans to start operations in India and the Far East in the near future.

By Enrico Fergnani.

Palladio Interiors

Four SeasonsRamesh GalleryCompany pro le: Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery is a leading supplier of ne art, picture frames, furniture, decorative elements and lighting to the hospitality industry. Founded in 1970, we operate the largest picture framing factory in the Gulf and handle projects all over the region. Over the years, Four Seasons has furnished some of the most prestigious and deluxe developments. Additionally, as exclusive dealers of Fine Art Lamps, we stock the most respected lighting products inthe world.

Contact: Neel R Shukla, manager, Middle East; Tel: +971 (0)4 3349090; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.fourseasonsgallery.com.

Stand Number: Main Concourse, Stand MC49.

What are you promoting?We are promoting new collections from Fine Art Lamps, including the Catalyst Chandelier made from hand-formed solid-cased crystal rods infused in a molten state with mineral crystalline. The ends are angle-cut and hand-polished to reveal the interior layers, illuminated with a diffused, white, dimmable, LED light source.

Any news?Four Seasons will change its Mall of the Emirates showroom to offer contemporary furniture, accessories and lighting.

By Neel R Shukla.


INDEX FOCUS

Company pro le: Swedish owned and managed, Nordic Homeworx specialises in the supply and installation of wood ooring, as the exclusive UAE agent for Kährs of Sweden. Kährs of Sweden is the leading manufacturer of real wood, multi-layer oors. With its 150-year heritage, Kährs is now Europe’s biggest wood ooring manufacturer and one of the world’s most innovative compa-nies involved in the processing of wood. The company is active in more than 40 markets worldwide. Celebrating its fth anniversary in January, Nordic Homeworx has built a strong commercial and retail portfolio all over the UAE, with projects including Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar, Zayed Foundation and Mövenpick Hotel. Its residen-tial clients span the length and breadth of the UAE.

Stand Number: Hall 4, D200.

Nordic Homeworx

Momo FireCompany pro le: Momo Fire is a Dubai-based specialist in designer lighting solutions. We have two main product lines: eco- replaces that run on etha-nol and LED cordless lighting.

What are you promoting?The new Fireline, an amazing design tool which is suitable

for both indoor and outdoor environments. The product doesn’t require any extraction and is easily installable. We are also promoting our LED cordless lighting , a new product that features 160,000 colours, is un-breakable, waterproof, able to oat and remote controlled. The

product is available in a range

of different shapes. We are also promoting the MikMik bar, our new lit bar.


Contact: Paul Vittecoq, manag-ing director, Momo Fire. Tel: +971 (0)50 454 9009; Email: paul@momo re.com.

Have there been any recent developments at Momo Fire?Momo Fire will launch its own showroom in January. The begin-ning of the year will also see us launch our cordless lighting fur-niture kit, which includes sofas and coffee tables.

By Paul Vittecoq.

Contact: Pauline Madani, manag-ing director, Nordic Homeworx; Tel: +971 (0)4 341 5010; Email: [email protected].

What are you promoting?We will be using the show to intro-duce Kährs Supreme, three strik-ing new ooring collections, and Kährs Artisan, an artistic range of oors based on the unique char-

acteristics of oak. Having recently launched in Europe, this will be the rst time these collections will be

available in the region. Kährs’ new Woodloc 5S locking system will also be introduced to the region at Index. Woodloc 5S is the next generation in wood oor locking innovation and our most advanced interlocking system to date. We have taken a bigger space this year, which will allow us to exhibit a greater number of samples.

By Pauline Madani.


INDEX FOCUS

Company pro le: Arte Vivo is a furniture designer and manu-facturer with factories in Cebu in the Philippines. Its strategic alliances ensure a wide range of services, allowing turnkey solu-tions that provide convenience and seamless services. Backed by 37 years of experience, Arte Vivo is well positioned to deal with every step of the design and delivery process, with its world-class manufacturing services, quality assurance protocols, and integrated design and architectural services.

Stand number: Main Concourse, Stand MC40.

Contact: Mike Pass, managing director, Arte Vivo. Tel: +971 (0)4 445 6899; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.artevivo-designs.com.

What are you promoting?This year we are reaf rming our company’s commitment to

responsible furniture manu-facturing. As designers and manufacturers, it is our duty to consider the environmental im-pact of each product that comes out of our factories, from our raw material sources to the glue and adhesives, to the paints, lacquers and other nishing materials used.Building a quality and durable product is the truly sustainable choice. To demonstrate this we have prepared contrasting life-style settings, so a traditional design style together with a modernist style in a casual and minimalist setting.

Any news?We are expanding our showroom by more than doubling the size of our present studio to accom-modate the requests of our cli-entele. This will also allow us to create and exhibit more designs and lifestyle settings.

By Mike Pass.

Arte Vivo

Company pro le: We are a creator and manufacturer of bed and table linen, and specialise in made-to-measure products. We work with interior designers on boats, residences, specialised shops and luxurious hotels. The fabrics are made in Italy, out of Egyptian cotton. We work with 210, 400, 600 and 800 thread counts per square inch of cot-ton, as well as 100% pure linen (jacquard and plain fabrics), and piquet of cotton.

Stand number: Hall 5, E227.

Contact: Julie Noiret. Tel: +33 228 1101 01; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.aigre-doux-bjc.com.

What are you promoting at this year’s show? At this year’s edition of Index, we are promoting our 600 thread count sateen with a high-quality bourdon decoration. You will also nd bed covers in various differents designs and colours (about 90 differents fabrics and colours in total) that you can use to customise your interior.

Have there been any recent developments at Aigre Doux?The boat and yacht market is real-ly growing for us. We have worked on 60 yachts so far this year. Next summer our new factory in the west of France will be ready.

By Julie Noiret.

Aigre Doux


INDEX FOCUS

Company pro le: Floorworld was established in Dubai in December 2009 to bring some of the most well-known European ooring products to the UAE market. It is a Scottish-operated ooring company with all installations carried out to UK standards.

Contact: Craig Curtis, sales director, Floorworld.

Tel: +971 (0)50 558 0012; Email: info@ oorworld.ae.


Any recent developments?Floorworld is pleased to introduce EcoWood, a revolutionary step forward in the production of quality hardwood ooring. We believe this product to be the best

hardwood ooring in the Middle East. We’re very happy to be the exclusive distributor for EcoWood in the UAE. It’s easy and quick to install using the patented Unilin Click System; it is 15mm thick with a very hardwearing 4mm top layer; it’s treated for the humidity and excessive temperatures of the region; and it comes in huge range of exotic species. We

believe that EcoWood really is the answer for anyone looking to install hardwood ooring.

What are you promoting?Design Flooring International and Floorworld are promoting Karndean Luxury Vinyl Tile and EcoWood hardwoods.

By Craig Curtis.

Floorworld

FaustigCompany pro le: We are not the only maker of crystal chandeliers, nor the oldest, the cheapest, or the most expensive. Our objective, quite simply, is to be the best. We have manu-factured, on two occasions, the largest chandelier in the world. One of them, at 8m x 14m, was certi ed by Guinness, and is hanging in the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman. The next biggest chandelier, at 10m x 15m, was delivered to the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan Mosque in Abu Dhabi. A chandelier complements space and furnishings, as well as enhancing them. Light is an extremely important part of any interior design, and it creates positive emotions. Fine forms and materials foster beauty, har-mony and a sense of wellbeing.

Crystal chandeliers possess this special quality. They are timeless and yet always up-to-date.

Stand number: Hall 7, A303.

Contact: Thomas Faustig. Tel: +971 (0)50 443 0239 and +49 172 961 2559; Email: [email protected].

What are you promoting?At this year’s show we are promoting new models.

Any news?We are developing a very special chandelier, which is 7.1m x 4.2m, containing 9,500 LED spots, and weighing two metric tons, for an American cruise ship being built in Germany.

By Thomas Faustig.

Feel the difference

TM

WE’VE ACHIEVED THE FIRSTEPD FOR CARPET TILES IN EUROPE

www.inter facef lor.eu/ letsbeclear

THRILLED?Yes.

But that’s not enough! We’re confident that the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) will be tomorrow’s standard for fact-based, comparable and independently verified product information. And we’re going to continue working to obtain EPDs for all our products by 2012!

And still ambitious.

STUDENT SHOWCASE


Evocation of ShelterT he following work was

completed as part of an interior design studio for graduating students taught within the

College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) during the spring 2010 semester.

In the Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard writes: “All really inhabited space bears the essence of the notion of home... the sheltered being gives percep-tible limits to his shelter. He experiences the house in its reality and in its virtual-ity, by means of thought and dreams.”

During the semester we worked through notions of shelter on the site of Shelter, a warehouse containing a community work and meeting space in Dubai. Although a new use was suggest-ed (a café serving Scandinavian food to the growing number of tourists and residents from

the Nordic countries), alternative pro-grammes could be proposed. Assigning a Scandinavian café as the default project did not necessarily result from a desire to explore the culinary traditions of Europe’s northernmost countries, but rather from a pedagogical aim to introduce the material traditions that gave rise to the work of exceptional twentieth-century designers such as Kaj Franck, Nanna Ditzel, Hans Wegner, Poul Henningsen and Arne Jacobsen.

The site itself presented students with a condition characterised by vary-ing degrees of interiority: an interior space within the existing building, and the space between the building and the walls bounding the site. The choice of site and the requirement to deal with all of the space between the boundary

walls discloses an ulterior motive, namely the

intent to force a critical consideration of where interior space begins and ends.

For example, windows offer opportu-nities to provide views beyond the inte-rior and may result in situations where we experience no distinction between interior and exterior. Studio conversa-tions regularly employed terms such as space, materiality and experience. Work was focused on developing design strat-egies and communicating them through representational techniques intended to evoke the experience of inhabiting spaces de ned by perceptible limits and manifested through material.

The use of evoke is deliberate and re-veals the intention to move beyond pho-torealistic rendering to inspire thoughts of what it may be like to be sheltered within the proposed projects.

By Kevin Mitchell, associate professor and vice provost, AUS.

1Longitudinal sectionMaitha Almazrooei.

2Interior gardenMaitha Almazrooei.

3View of caféMaitha Almazrooei.

2 3

1


STUDENT SHOWCASE

5

4

6 7

4Cross section

Maysoun Abou Houly.

5View of café

Maysoun Abou Houly.

6View of exterior terraceMaysoun Abou Houly.

7View of entry

Maysoun Abou Houly.

STUDENT SHOWCASE


9Interior corridorHeba Hammad.

10Second oor planHeba Hammad.

11Section perspectiveHeba Hammad.

109

11

8View of display units in the retail spaceNaba Alam.

8


STUDENT SHOWCASE

14Exterior lounge

Fadak Bakir.

15Third oor plan

Fadak Bakir.

12Axonometric view

Ayat Omran

13Interior perspective

Ayat Omran.13

14 15

12


DESIGNER’S CHOICE

Designer’s choiceCID ASKS EIGHT DESIGNERS TO DESCRIBE THEIR FAVOURITE EVER DESIGN OBJECT.

THE KALEIDOSCOPE “I would have to say that my favourite object is a kaleidoscope – I’ve been collecting them for over 20 years now! They are not just meant to be looked at, but also experienced, used and handled. Kaleidoscopes can be quite beautiful in their own right, but can also be more about the interior experience of constant, endless transformations and

permutations, rather than outer appearance. I have a large col-lection of them both at home and in my of ce, of all different ages, sizes, types and materials: some are traditional cylinders, others are in the shape of eggs or airplanes, some are made out of metal, others are made of wood, porcelain, stone, glass or leather. With some you can turn the end

by hand, while others have a pump similar to vintage perfume bottles, or are powered by running water, are electric, or require the turning of a wheel on one end. No matter whether you are young or old, there is still that same sense of wonder that comes from look-ing into a kaleidoscope.” David Rockwell, founder,The Rockwell Group

DESIGNER’S CHOICE

“My husband will vouch for the fact that I have a total weakness for lamps – and there is one in particular that makes me smile with admiration every time I see it: The Biagio Lamp by Tobia Scarpa. As with all good design, it is timeless. This unit was designed in 1968 and it was as revolutionary then as it is today, and I believe it will never date. To quote one of the designers in my team, Cormac Lynch, “We as designers have a responsibility to specify things that are not in

fashion… timeless pieces that our clients will appreciate when they rst come across them, and then grow to admire”.Made out of a solid block of Carrara marble, The Biagio Lamp epitomises elegance when not switched on and radiates warmth when lit. Able to be placed in any environment, as either a small complement or a key item, it never ceases to amaze me how much I like it. As in fashion, where different textures such as fur, silk and lace can come

THE BIAGIO LAMP BY TOBIA SCARPAtogether to create the most beau-tiful dress, this lamp combines a series of contradictory messages that I always nd fascinating. The marble has been chiselled to such a thin layer that it appears to be as delicate as glass. But while the natural strength of the marble has been eroded away, the slightly brutal design lines bring the balance back. A successful contradiction which has main-tained its own identity in what, after fashion, is probably one of

the fastest-evolving industries.

All in all, a tiny master piece!”Isabel Pintado, associate,Godwin Austen Johnson

MEDUSA“The concept behind Medusa was a hunger deep within me to create, and to share my unique perspective on art with the world. It is the rst of many originals to come from our brand. Hand cast and created with mild steel sub-sections, with a hand-moulded breglasss clad exterior, Medusa

draws her inspirational shape

from the core values of biomor-phic design. The pure shapes of each perspective morph into one another and draw people into the depths of the design. The con-sumer has a variety of customisa-tion options available – leather, polyurethane, super-gloss paint, veneer, chrome, aluminum and crystal – making the Medusa

table suitable for commercial, residential and hospitality ap-plications. Blurring the lines between form and function into a statement of art and imagination, we hope to inspire the space that it is used in and give consumers a new perspective.”Alfred Johnson, managingpartner, Imagination


DESIGNER’S CHOICE

THE BEAN BAG“My favourite timeless classic piece of furniture is the bean bag. Bean bags never go out of fashion but are also never really in fashion. They have a beautiful, Zen-like, silent presence and are versatile and organic. They can be made in a plethora of materials, in a variety of sizes and shapes, for the indoors or outdoors, and can be used by children or adults.

Bean bags can be lined up and used as armchairs or loungers on the beach, or placed in front of the TV to sink into and vegetate on! They can also be sewn in very organic lines to be rock-like, sculptural objects in chic living rooms. For a designer like myself, straddling life across the east and the west, bean bags are very close to the oor seating used not

only in the sub-continent but also across the Middle East, as a part of our Islamic and Bedouin tradi-tions. And they can just as easily be contemporised. As far as I am concerned, it’s the quintes-sential piece of furniture that every home should have at least one of somewhere!”Zain Mustafa, founder,Zain Mustafa Interiors

“My favourite ever design object? For a designer, I think that is comparable to asking a mother to choose her favourite child. However, if I must pick, I would say the Knoll Saarinen Dining Table with the white base and Calacatta marble top. I am drawn to classic pieces that transcend trends and stand the test of time. This table does just that. It ts into all styles of interiors. It will

look chic with classic Louis XVI chairs or sleek, modern Minotti pieces. It can be warmed up in a room with wood accents or oat beautifully in an all white interior. The table does not have to be used for dining. It can be used in a living room or bedroom and hold a lamp or a pile of great books. It can

even stand alone as a piece of sculpture in an entry or

gallery space. As in fashion, when you can’t buy the whole out t at Chanel, buy the purse and the shoes. The Saarinen table is just that – the investment piece that makes the rest look just right.”Liana Hawes, lead designer,

Wilson Associates

KNOLL SA ARINEN DINING TABLE

From the Sonia Rykiel Maison Collection.

DESIGNER’S CHOICE


BUBBLE CHANDELIER BY CHARLES OF PARIS“One of the objects that I am mad about right now is the Bubble Chandelier by Charles of Paris. This amazingly modular chan-delier also has a matching oor lamp and other endless possible

adaptations. Composed of stain-less steel or silver glass bubbles attached to each other in in nite permutations, it is both glamour-ous and playful, futuristic and art deco. I love it. You can dress

it up or dress it down, like any good staple of your wardrobe, and this is most de nitely one for my design wardrobe!”Marie Noelle Swiderski,managing director, Blanchard

IPOD TOUCHI love my iPod Touch, as you can have everything at your ngertips. It is beautifully designed, as is ev-erything Apple does; always well considered and highly innovative in its design. It lls up all those dull moments waiting for ights or on long distance hauls, or mo-ments when you are waiting for something to happen. It gives you a chance to relax and unwind and be in touch with everything, any-where, anytime, and is constantly expanding horizons. With all this, amazingly it can simply drop into my top pocket – truly a design

object of our time.Ian Caulder, creative director,

Caulder Moore

CREATIONS BYSAWAYA & MORONISawaya & Moroni specialises in intricate contemporary furniture made in limited quantities. Its de-signs have always tried to balance the traditional and the modern. The use of unconventional materi-als adds interest to its pieces, and the company seems to question and push the boundaries of pos-sibilities. A very progressive and visionary manufacturer indeed.Martin Wojnowski, principaldesigner, Design Work Portfolio

How to combine design and functionality?

With ideas from DORMA.

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Modern habitats are not only comfortable and stylish, they also combine technical cleverness with high-quality design. An elegant sliding door, the door between kitchen and living room opens automatically and quietly. Or a practical door assistant, that is restrained by its attractive style fits into the overall design concept. Moreover, DORMA glass fittings and door handles fit perfectly into any living environment, emanating an experience of elegance and transparency.

DORMA Gulf Door Controls FZE · P.O.Box 17268 · Jebel Ali Free Zone South Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel. +971 4 8020 400 · Fax. +971 4 8869 100 · [email protected] · www.dorma-interior.com


SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 89www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2010 89

W hen it comes to furniture, variety and exibility are key. In the of ce environment, the trend

is towards furniture that is integrated with the latest technology and is able to evolve with a company as it changes and grows. “Sleek, modern and non bulky furniture integrated with electric and data boxes for easy connectivity is now in demand,” noted Chirag Lahori, sales manager, Palmon Group.

“Business owners are looking for furniture that is mobile and exible, and that can adapt to changes in a working environment. In addition to that, different forms of steel, wood veneers and high pressure laminate boards are being used to enhance the look and durability of the furniture.”

FURNITURE SUPPLIERSYOU SHOULD KNOW

In other segments of the industry, the emphasis is very much on value-for-money, noted Joe Hepworth, general manager, Middle East, of Indigo Living. Pressure on budgets is having a unavoidable impact on the furniture selection process.

“On projects, we’re seeing lots of requests for value engineering improvements, with all clients looking to save costs without compromising on quality or aesthetics,” he said.

Sustainability is also playing an important role in the evolution of furniture design, Hepworth noted. “For retail furniture and accessories, there’s a de nite move towards sustainable and natural products, which the sourcing for our most recent collections re ects,” he said.

“This means lots of reclaimed timber, unique pieces made by small workshops and artisans, and straw- berboard rather than MDF,” he added.

When it comes to popular materials, leather is making a major comeback, according to Hengameh Mahvi, general manager of Decoworld. “Leather furniture is a purchase that just doesn’t disappoint,” she claimed. “It lasts long and doesn’t go out of style easily.”

Mahvi is also witnessing a revival in demand for more traditional furniture styles, whether in the form of antique pieces or new furniture that is purposefully distressed or aged.

Over the next few pages, CID speaks to ve leading furniture suppliers to nd out how they are responding to these changing market trends.




By Hengameh Mahvi, general manager.

Tell us about your company.At Decoworld, customers bene t from the convenience of having a one-stop destination for all their home furnishing requirements. We offer a vast range of quality furniture, ooring, wallcover-ings, window coverings and lighting, as well as soft furnishings and accessories, all under one roof, so customers can ob-tain all their interior design solutions in one convenient trip. With a furniture col-lection that features an exotic mixture of modern and contemporary designs, Decoworld offers quality options that can satisfy every need and taste.

Key trends in furniture? One of the key trends in furniture is the use of leather in furniture upholstery. Leather furniture is a purchase that just doesn’t disappoint. It lasts for a long time and doesn’t go out of style easily. Also back in style is traditional furniture, whether it is original antiques that have been refurbished or new furniture that is made to look older or distressed. Another trend is noted in the

change in the design of TV units, which is a response to technological advances in the development of at screens which are wall mounted.

What sets you apart? The availability of a full range of interi-ors products and the wide selection of international brands and designs, all delivered to the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. Decoworld exclusively represents some of the world’s most renowned brands in every product category.

Recent developments? After successfully completing a few hotel projects, such as the Park Place hotel apartments, Decoworld is making a strong entry into the contract furniture business and will soon start to make a presence for itself in regional markets, especially Qatar.

How do we contact you? We can be found in the Pyramid Centre, Umm Hureir Road, Oud Metha, Dubai. Tel: +971 (0)4 3356811; Email: [email protected].

Decoworld

By Chirag Lahori, sales manager.

Tell us about your company. Palmon Group has been based in the UAE for over 25 years, with varied busi-ness interests and a strong presence in the eld of interior design and t out, European modular kitchens and of ce furnishing solutions. We have recently partnered with CP Furniture Systems and Interstuhl Buromoebel from Germany to offer a complete furnishing range for corpo-rates, multi-national corporations and companies that demand high-quality ergonomic solutions in their workplace.

What sets you apart? A diverse range of of ce furnishing solu-tions integrated with technology and innovation. CP has the answer to every requirement when it comes to furnishing an of ce. Our different product ranges, which include Asisto, Cegano, Work ow, Symbio and Premio, will give our corpo-rate clients the choice to select a work-station or CEO’s desk that ts with their company’s image. In addition to this, we have an in-house design team that helps

the client create an overall perspective of a working environment.

Key trends in furniture? Sleek, modern and non-bulky furniture integrated with electric/data boxes for easy connectivity is now in demand. Business owners are looking for furni-ture that is exible, and that can adapt to changes in a working environment. In addition, different forms of steel, wood veneers and high-pressure laminate boards are being used to enhance the look and durability of furniture.

Recent developments? We have recently set up a 3,000ft² showroom in Jebel Ali Free Zone to display the wide range of furniture that CP has to offer. We will also be partici-pating at The Big 5 show in November to display our new furniture lines and innovative solutions for the workspace.

How do we contact you? Palmon Group Headquarters, Junction 5, Street 621, Jebel Ali Free Zone. PO Box 16753, Dubai. Tel: +971 (0)4 881 7000; Email: [email protected].

Palmon Group




By Joe Hepworth, general manager, Middle East, Indigo Living.

Tell us about your company.Indigo Living is headquartered in Hong Kong where we’ve been operating for over 30 years. We’ve been in Dubai since 2005, from where we cover the Middle East. We have three retail stores here in the UAE and we are also pioneers in furniture rental. Our third business channel is project work where we specialise in the custom design and manufacture of FF&E for the hospitality industry. In the UAE, we have done the furniture at The Westin, Dubai; The Address Marina, Dubai; Trader’s Hotel, Abu Dhabi; and Yas Links Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, amongst others.

What sets you apart?We are unique in having successful furniture retail, rental and project busi-nesses under the same roof. As we bring out four unique collections each year, our retail customers love the fact that every visit to Indigo throws up new ideas and items. Having constantly changing stores means we are always in touch with the latest design trends and our products re ect that. With furniture rental, anything in the showrooms can be leased from us for up to two years – not only does this provide nancial ex-ibility but it also means you can change your interior look with the season, with minimal hassle and expense. On the project side, the FF&E we create is 100%

bespoke, so we’re able to adapt to the client’s budget and design direction.

Key trends in furniture?On projects, we’re seeing lots of requests for value engineering improve-ments, with all clients looking to save costs without compromising on quality or aesthetics. For retail furniture and accessories, there’s a de nite move to-wards sustainable and natural products.

Recent developments?On the retail side, we’ve just launched our Tribal Chic autumn collection and winter’s Silver Shadows range is in the stores from November. In Hong Kong last month, Indigo had the world premier of the new Kelly Hoppen Home Collection. Rental is ying at the mo-ment – developers and designers really see the model’s bene ts for show ats. In August, we did a rental show at in Business Bay where the owner had been struggling to get interest. Within three weeks of our show at going in, 75% of the units had been sold! On the project front, we completed work on Marina Bay Sands in Singapore this year and we’re busy right now with two Dubai hotels that we hope to announce soon.

How do we contact you?Our website is the best place to look, whichever element you’re interested in: www.indigo-living.com. The of ce num-ber is +971 (0)4 3397705 and my email is [email protected].

Indigo Living



By Hamish Scott, retail manger.

Tell us about your company.Home Design is a shop-in-shop furniture store in Dubai exhibiting brands from all over the world. We carry contemporary and classic ranges as well as an eclectic mix of acces-sories, from the traditional Arabic style of crystalline glassware through to the handmade, funky designs of South Africa’s Carrol NBoyes range of handmade pewter and silverware. Our brands cover a wide spectrum of current and relevant design trends, from the Italian sophistication of Selva through to the colonial elegance inspired by Indigo Living and the sleek Scandinavian minimalism of OOD LIFE.

What sets you apart?Our uniqueness is the diversity of brands that we showcase. Our look is forever changing as we source furni-ture from all over the world.

Key trends in furniture?White-gloss, contemporary-designed dining suites, along with natural

woods like walnut and cherry, are on trend. The ‘new Dubai’ has seen a move away from high-maintenance villas towards penthouse apartments overlooking the Marina. This has led to a swing towards small, compact but statement furniture. Original art by local GCC painters is inspiring a new generation of proud homeowners. Popular colours are purple, turquoise and lime green. The tired and over-done Moroccan style of lanterns is making way for stainless steel lighting.

Recent developments?Home Design is pleased to add Mobilia Australiana to our team of partners. Mobilia brings solid wood dining furniture and sleek full leather sofas to our product range. We are due to open our 180,000ft² agship store in Festival City next year.

How do we contact you?We can be found in the Mall of the Emirates, in the Furniture Zone on the 1st oor. Tel: +971 (0)4 323 3370; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.homedesign.ae.

Home Design

By Rawad Almelhem, store manager of Jacob Sardini Dubai.

Tell us about your company.Creativity, inventiveness and entrepreneurial vision have been the driving forces behind our success. We at Jacob Sardini have a challenging and inspiring mission: to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. Credibility, quality, image, competence, elegance, harmony, design and lifestyle are the de ning characteristics of the Jacob Sardini brand. The modernism of our highly traditional brand is based on innovative achievements in the areas of technology and design.

What sets you apart?We believe in making a difference in the perception of our customers. Jacob Sardini stands for value-for-money, quality, innovation and a sense of competitive challenge. We deliver quality service by empowering our employees, and we facilitate and monitor customer feedback in order

to continuously improve the customer experience through innovation.

Key trends in furniture?We offer a complete range of furnishings, which stand out for the beauty of their materials and attention to detail, and are designed to be contemporary classics. Softness and comfort are the main characteristics, not to mention the masterly techniques applied to every piece that we offer in our Squisito Collection.

Have there been any recent developments at your company?Jacob Sardini has developed a unique and innovative concept where we design our showrooms in the form of a real house to give our customers the experience of true living while buying our products and services.

How do we contact you?Jacob Sardini Dubai can be found in the CBD Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, PO Box 282855, Dubai. Tel: +971 (0)4 330 6238; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.jacobsardini.it.

Jacob Sardini


PRODUCTS


PRODUCTS

New on the market

Baroque is the new classic contemporary collection by Sahco, and is inspired by the mixing of art styles that characterised the Baroque era. One component of this collection

BAROQUEis Alberico, a viscose velvet with an intricate jacquard-weave in a two-coloured wave design. It is given a third dimension with a new raf a weft yarn, which creates a background motif.

SAHCO+971 (0)4 332 9197www.rubellisahco-dubai.com

12 – 14 September 2011Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre

[email protected]

Exhibit at R+T Middle East Middle Eastern Platform for

PRODUCTS


THE SONIA RYKIEL MAISON COLLECTION The Sonia Rykiel Maison collection for Lelievre includes luxurious and seductive fabrics for interiors, including velvets, silks and animal prints, all designed with the unmistakable Rykiel touch. The collection also includes an extensive range of

home accessories, including cushions, rugs, tulle ready-made curtains, throws, bean bags and embroidered velvet wall motifs.

LELIEVRE +971 (0)4 339 4645www.lelievre.eu

LEVELThe most recent product line to be launched by Buro 45 is a range of executive desks and tables from Spain called Level. This range is both stylish and unique in that it combines a contemporary aesthetic with the traditional craftsmanship of master cabinet-makers. Each piece of furniture in the Level series has been meticulously crafted using detailed cabinet-making techniques. There are a variety of nishes available, in both wood

and glossy lacquering, such as natural wenge or oak wood, as well as black or white gloss.

BURO 45+971 (0)4 283 1928www.buro45.com

PRODUCTS


David Rockwell, head of architecture and design rm, The Rockwell Group, has created a signature collection for The Rug Company. Launched globally in mid October, the David Rockwell

collection comprises ve nely crafted signature rugs, a tapestry wall hanging and a bolster cushion. Rockwell’s collection was inspired by the breadth of work done by The Rockwell Group,

and features conceits that have de ned Rockwell’s career thus far. The theatre and the stage, spring in New York City, kaleidoscopes, and design elements from major projects like Nobu are all

represented, in what amounts to a very personal collection.

THE RUG COMPANY+971 (0)4 323 1161www.therugcompany.com

THE DAVID ROCKWELL COLLECTION

HOSSEIN REZVANIFrom his base in Germany, Hossein Rezvani is reinterpreting the ancient art of carpet weaving for a modern, 21st century audience. Rezvani’s company’s aim is to create designs that are original, of the highest quality and instilled with a sense of permanence. The intention is not to manufacture mass-produced goods but, rather, unique carpets that can be passed on to future generations. The end result is handmade carpets of up to one million knots per m² that combine the heritage of Iranian carpet weaving with contemporary design, all with the ‘made in Isfahan’ stamp of quality.

HOSSEIN REZVANI+49 413 140 4315www.hosseinrezvani.com


PRODUCTS

WILMA AND FRED’S COMETSWilma’s Comet and Fred’s Comet are new bre optic pendants from Bruce Munro. Wilma’s Comet took shape whilst Munro was pondering the theory that a comet wiped out the dinosaurs. “I immediately went in search

of dinosaurs and discovered a batch basking in a local toyshop window. My mind’s eye image of an exploding orb of light was very much in the style of vintage comic books from the 50s and 60s,” Munro explained.

Fred’s Comet followed shortly after. The two eye-catching pendants are lit with LEDs, and are composed of a clear acrylic sphere measuring 60cm in diameter, with a spun aluminium collar. They are

suspended from three stainless steel suspension wires and lit with bre optics.

BRUCE MUNRO+44 198 584 5228www.brucemunro.co.uk


PRODUCTS

NORDICDesigned by Efrem Bonacina and Giovanni Moro for Colombo Design, Nordic is a series of bathroom accessories, including soap dishes, paper holders, glass holders, hooks, soap dispensers, towel holders and brush holders. The collection is made from chrome nished brass, matt ceramics and acid etched glass.

COLOMBO DESIGN+39 354 949 001www.colombodesign.it

OVALE The Bouroullec Brothers’ latest creation is a complete table service called Ovale, designed for Alessi. Delicate, slightly expressive, simple and somewhat neo-primitive, Ovale marks the brothers’ entry into

the Alessi portfolio. “The Ovale collection strives to be original, but it also wants to be rustic and traditional. We set out in pursuit of delicate expression. This composition speaks about everyday life; about breakfast,

lunch, and about everyone getting together for dinner,” said Ronan Bouroullec.

ALESSI+971 (0)4 881 3383www.alessi.com

LADY EFFECTSJotun Paints has unveiled its latest premium paint range, Lady Effects. The range offers unique effects, such as a shimmering wall nish from Lady Effects Pearl; or

the illusion of colour movement with silver and gold sparkles, achieved with Lady Effects Metallic. The range also includes Lady Effects Glaze, an oil-based glaze suitable for techniques such as colour washing, glazing, aming and sponging.

JOTUN PAINTS+971 (0)4 237 8641www.jotun.com/me

MAPCO improves the value of your space through excellence in interior design. Offering exclusive design services to create youthe most pleasant and comfortable ambiance.

Our talented designers are dedicated to embrace your vision and embody it in the nest quality, in order to turn it into reality.

Stand in a class of your own and have your home or business look in a wonderful way...

P.O. Box 2035 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesT: +971 2 672 5096 F: +971 2 678 3443 E. [email protected]

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AKE UP YOUR OWN SPACEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE UP Y

502017 BIG 5 ADS 2010 S2 OL.indd 1 17/10/2010 17:19:51


PRODUCTS


Q-BO XXL Q-BO is presenting its most popular collections in a new XXL format of 60cm x 120cm. Q-BO is offering several of its collections, including Rugiada, Volute, Moda and Floreale, in large slates decorated with re ned patterns and graphics. Only the most pure and uniform

blocks of raw material – the noble Crema Luna, Ardesia Ligure and Carrara Marble – are suitable for realising the quality requirements of the XXL slates.

Q-BO+39 536 853 028www.q-bo-project.it

MONTERREY Christophe Pillet has created the Monterrey armchair for Arketipo. This modern interpretation of a very classic item features a large back and two seams that contribute to the armchair’s simple, curvaceous form. Complemented by a pouf, the Monterrey is available in leather and in a range of coloured fabrics.

ARKETIPO +39 558 876 248 www.arketipo.com

TRIBAL CHICIndigo Living has launched Tribal Chic, a new collection that was designed to embody the raw, natural, earthy characteristics of faraway lands. The Tribal Chic collection is comprised of easy-to-use accessories and larger furniture pieces, in an earthy taupe and brown pallet lifted with red.

INDIGO LIVING +971 (0)4 339 7705www.indigo-living.com


PRODUCTS


DESTINATIONSMr Perswall, a pioneer within the digital wallpaper industry, has unveiled Destinations, a wallpaper collection that speaks of elaborate journeys. Destinations is available from Kollektion & Co in Dubai.

KOLLEKTION & CO+971 (0)4 330 6899 www.mrperswall.com

INNERMOSTOnline store, Filini, is offering quirky products from Innermost, a producer of modern lighting, furniture and accessories. These include Fantome, a modern take on the grandfather clock. Available in silver,

bronze and black, the ghost-like effect of this time piece is created by showcasing the intricate clock mechanism.

FILINI+971 (0)4 323 3636www. lini.com

APAISERApaiser’s elegant bathtubs and basins are characterised by sleek lines and understated sophistication. Moving away from a tradition of white tiles and ceramic bathware, Apaiser has launched an exotic bathware range made of stone composite. With the release of

the extraordinary Duo colour range, bath tubs now combine two colours for a distinctive yet natural look. The range is available from Bagno Design.

BAGNO DESIGN+971 (0)4 330 7775www.bagnodesign.org

Book your stand nowwww.theofficeexhibition.com

InnovationOver 350 new product launches to the Middle

East.

EducationIIDA, our new knowledge partner, will offer fresh education and insight from an international

perspective.

Visitor experience • Dubai Design Summit

• Decade of Dubai Design• Design Executive Roundtable

• Museum of Office Design

New exhibitorsNew pavilions from

the USA, Canada, China, Malaysia and

Scandinavia.

Growing officemarket

“Dubai is the fastest growing office market in the world on a per capita basis” according

to Jones Lang LaSalle.Oct 2010

More visitorsCo-located with The Hotel Show

and FM EXPO

6 big reasons to attend

17-19 May 2011Dubai World Trade Centre

Knowledge partner


CONTRACTS


PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTRACTOR VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

World of Salalah Ministry of Tourism / United Real Estate Company

Option One Wara Construction Company 101 - 250 Project under construction

Shopping Centre

Renovation of Intercontinental Hotel in Muscat

Omran Of ce Pentago Spowers International

Not Appointed 31 - 100 Project under design Hotel

Radisson SAS Hotel & Resort at Sohar

Al Nabri Global Investment Atkins Not Appointed 101 - 250 Award awaited for the construction contract

Hotel

New Television Studio Complex Ministry of Information Austro Consult Bahwan Contracting Company 33 Project under construction

Others

M.E.D.C Headof ce at Azaiba Muscat Electricity Distribution Company

Abdullah Mukadam & Partners

Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Development of Jabal Al Akhdar Resort Hotel

Omran Of ce AW2 Not Appointed 31 - 100 Project under design Hotel

Fairmont Hotel Fairmont Hotel & Resorts/The Wave Muscat

Echo Designer Consultants Not Appointed 101 - 250 Project under design Hotel

Crowne Plaza Duqum Hotel Omran Of ce/Inter Continental Hotel Group

KEO International Not Appointed 251 - 500 Bidding underway for the main contract

Hotel

Hospital in South Salalah Ministry of Defence Ibn Khaldun International Contractors Company

16 - 30 Project under construction

Hospital

Psychiatric Hospital at Al Amerat Ministry of Health Khatib and Alami Bahwan Contracting Company 107 Project under construction

Hospital

Renovation of Sheraton Hotel Al Hasher Group Atkins Zubair Furnishing 25 Project under construction

Hotel

The Malkai at Barka Al Maeen Real Estate Services Company Triad Oman/AW2 Not Appointed 250 Project under design Mixed Use

Musandam Airport Ministry of Transport & Communication

Not Appointed Not Appointed 101 - 250 Award awaited for the consultancy contract

Airport

Bone Marrow Transplant Unit Block Sultan Qaboos University Hospital Gulf Engineering Consultancy Not Appointed 16 - 30 Project under design Hospital

Commercial Building in Saham Mr. Rashid Al Kalbani Abdullah Mukadam & Partners

Century Harwes Trading and Contracting

6 Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Residential/Commercial Building at Wadi Kabir

Al Taqdeer Al Saqf Consulting Technical Trading Company 10 Project under construction

Mixed Use

National Cardiology Centre at Royal Hospital

Ministry of Health Asi Etudes Galfar Engineering & Contracting


Hospital

Redevelopment of the Crowne Plaza resort Salalah

Ministry of Tourism Consulting Engineering Services

Not Appointed 31 - 100 Project under design Hotel

Court Complex at Al-Buraimi Ministry of Justice Sundaram Architects Al Adrak Trading & Contracting


Others

Natural History Museum in Muscat Ministry of Heritage & Culture Consulting Engineering Services

Not Appointed 16 - 30 Project under design Recreational Facilities

Headquarters Building for Occidental Oman

Occidental Oman National Engineering Of ce Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Project under design Commercial Buildings

State Audit Institute State Audit Institute National Engineering Of ce Abu Hatim Co 2.5 - 15 Project under construction


Khasab Family Resort Majan Gulf Properties Not Appointed Not Appointed 779 Project in concept stage

Hotel

Commercial Building for Al Noor Association

Al Noor Association Muamir Design & Engineering Atlas Integrated 8 Project under construction


Development of Duqum Beach Hotel Omran Of ce KEO International Not Appointed 101 - 250 Award awaited for the construction contract

Hotel

Movenpick Hotel at Salalah Beach Muriya Tourism Development Company

Al Manarah Engineering Consultancy

Not Appointed 300 Project under design Hotel

Cardiac Centre at Sultan Qaboos Hospital

Ministry of Health Asi Etudes Galfar Engineering & Contracting


Hospital

Social Housing Unit in Muqshin Ministry of Housing Oman Engineering The Hamdan Trading Group 10 Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Airport at Adam Ministry of Transport & Communication

Gulf Engg./Pryde Schropp McComb

Not Appointed 150 Project under design Airport

Sohar Airport Package No:3 - Terminal buildings

Civil Aviation Authority/Ministry of Transport & Comm.

Hamza Associates Middle East

Not Appointed 101 - 250 Project under design Airport

Project Focus COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IS COMMIT TED TO HELPING ITS RE ADERS GROW THEIR BUSINESSES, SO WE HAVE TE AMED UP WITH VENTURES MIDDLE E AST TO BRING YOU THE L ATEST TENDERS FROM AROUND THE REGION ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

OM A N PROJEC T S DATA B A SE

CONTRACTS


PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTRACTOR VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

Al Jassimya Tower Sheikh Jassim Bin Khalifa EGEC Commodore Qatar Construction



New Qatar National Museum Qatar Museum Authority / QP Jean Nouvel Not Appointed 31 - 100 Project under design Recreational Facilities

Mixed Use Development in Marina District

Diyar Al Kuwait KEO International Not Appointed 800 Project under design Mixed Use

Al-Wakra Hospital Public Works Authority GHD Global Joannou & Paraskevaides Overseas


Hospital

New Arrival Terminal at DIA - Package 2

Qatar Airways GHD Global Arabian McNamara Contracting


Airport

Mesaieed Housing Development - Phase 2

QP/Qatar Real Estate Investment Co; Arab Engineering Bureau Not Appointed 2,000 Project under design Residential Development

Al Emadi Twin Towers Mr. Mohammed Esmail Al Emadi Arab Consulting Engineers Not Appointed 101 - 250 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Al Majid Residential Tower Mr. Ahmad Mahdi Ali Al Majid Arab Engineering Bureau Al Seal Contracting 57 Project under construction


Sidra Medical & Research Centre Qatar Foundation (QFESCD) Cesar Pelli & Associates/Ellerbe Becket

OHL/Contrack International 2,400 Project under construction

Hospital

Library for Qatar University Qatar University Arab Architects Group Tadmur Contracting & Trdg Est.


Educational Facilities

Twin Towers in Lusail Al Majed Group Arab Engineering Bureau Not Appointed 101 - 250 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Apartment Building at Al Sadd Mr. Nasser Abdul Aziz Nasser Al Nasser

Consulting Engineering Group Not Appointed 16 - 30 Award awaited for the main contract


Palm Towers Dar Investment & Development Co. M.Z. & Partners Al Seal Contracting 218 Project under construction

Mixed Use

Business Park & Hotel Facilities in Najma

Shk. Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani Arab Engineering Bureau Redco Construction 101 - 250 Project under construction

Mixed Use

Shmoukh Twin Towers in C-Ring Road

Real Estate Services Group EHAF Consulting & Engineers SEG Qatar 200 Project under construction


Samiriya Towers Mr. Ali Mohammed Al-Khayareen M.Z. & Partners Gulf East Trading & Contracting



Manarat Lusail Mr. Mohamed Abdel Ghani Al Mansouri

Architectural Consulting Group

Not Appointed 31 - 100 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Doha High Rise Of ce Building Shk. Saoud Bin Mohd Bin Ali Al-Thani Consulting Engineering Group China State Construction Engineering Co



St. Regis Hotel & Residential Towers Al Fardan Real Estate Dar Al Handasah Construction Development Company


Mixed Use

Tivoli Showroom & Of ce Building Tivoli Furniture Gulf Design Concept Al Darwish Engineering 16 - 30 Project under construction


Of ce/Residential Building at Najma Mr. Abdul Jaleel Abdul Ghani Nasser Consulting Engineering Group Al Bandary Contracting 31 - 100 Project under construction

Mixed Use

Residential Tower in Viva Bahriya Juma Al Majid Group/UDC Meinhardt Charilaos Apostilides (Chapo) 31 - 100 Project under construction


Hotel & Of ce Buildings at Al Rayyan Road

Mr. Abdul Rahman Al Muftah South West Architecture Al Muftah Contracting 40 Project under construction

Mixed Use

Asia Towers Ezdan Real Estate/QGIRC/Al Sari Trading

M.Z. & Partners Ezdan Real Estate 751 - 1,000 Project under construction

Mixed Use

www arabianbusiness com/construction Commercial Interior Design November 2007 101bi b i / t ti86 C i l I t i D i O t b 2007

Note: The above information is the sole property of Ventures Middle East LLC and cannot be published without the expressed permission of Ventures Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

QATA R PROJEC T S DATA B A SE

ACCESSORIES ART FURNITURE KITCHENS &BATHROOMS

LIGHTING TEXTILES &UPHOLSTERY FABRICS

INTERIOR DESIGNSERVICES

FLOORING

E CELLENCECREATING

INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW 2010

8–11 NOVEMBER 2010, DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

International Exhibitors - Innovation - Top Brands -

Latest Trends - Design Talks - Sustainable Design -

Product Sourcing - Inspiration - Networking -

Al Habtoor & ISG Student Challenge - Contemporary

Majlis Competition and much more…

ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDS IN ONE PLACE OVER

FOUR DAYS!

8–11 NOVEMBER 2010DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY ATwww.indexexhibition.com

A NEW DECADE OF DESIGNINDEX DESIGN SHOW

Co-located with:Official Media Partner: Exclusive Sponsor VIP Program:

11593_Index_Commercial_Interior_225X300mm_Red_Ad.ai 10/13/10 5:22:26 PM


OPINION

W hen we think about water, some of the rst things that come to mind are drinking, swimming

and fountains. Very few people think about ‘relief’ for people in developing countries. When we think about arti cial light, the rst things that come to mind are lamps, bulbs, media façades and spectacular show-effects. Very few people think about ‘relief’ for people all around the world!

Like plants, every human being seeks light, either to feel less stressed or to be stimulated. The question is: are we sure that every type of light is equal to the next? As a leading global sup-plier of professional lighting solutions, Zumtobel’s answer is no. Just as there are obvious differences between natural and arti cial light, there are also differ-ences in lighting solutions in terms of suppliers, technologies and bene ts – socially, aesthetically and economically speaking. With its Humanergy Balance concept, Zumtobel can guarantee, with each lighting solution, an equilibrium between the human, the economic and the ecological aspects of light.

To enable people to move safely from one place to another, they need a mini-mum of light. But where concentration, ef ciency and creativity are required, increasingly higher demands are made on lighting. What light is the right light depends on the type of visual task to be performed. Guidelines applying to presentation and retail are entirely dif-ferent from those in areas of production, for example. Nevertheless, there is a

striking parallel: light gains through diversity and change. Multiple lumi-naires and dynamic light changes lead to signi cantly better results than static solutions with only one type of lighting. Brightness, colour, light distribution and their dynamism in uence our mood. If it’s very hot outside, we instinctively move into a cool-lighting store or of ce to nd some relief.

Research proves that good light can even accelerate the recuperation pro-cess. The human biological clock adjusts itself according to the natural changes of light during the day. The hormone secreted by the pineal gland induces sleepiness and thus in uences the wak-ing and sleeping rhythms of the body.

Bad light may cause extensive harm. Poor or monotonous lighting soon tires the eyes and overtaxes them. People are more cheerful and active on a bright summer’s day than on a grey one in No-vember. Clearly, light can truly in uence emotions and health.

From the nancial point of view, everyone is aware of the energy bill. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an average of 20% of worldwide electrical energy consump-tion is linked to lighting. Therefore, the greatest potential for saving energy is provided by the intelligent use of light-ing control systems.

Ideally, up to 60% less energy for lighting is required in buildings with a daylight-based control system that re-duces arti cial light as a result of the in-creased incidence of daylight. The same savings are provided by control systems

based on time and user presence, which switch the light off in unused interiors.

The future lies in LED light sources. With a light output of up to 100 lumens per watt, the performance of LEDs has increased to beat that of uorescent lamps. Numerous are the bene ts of LED technology. For instance, highly compact dimensions and constant brightness throughout an amazingly long service life: over 50,000 hours at an almost constant luminous ux, with excellent colour rendition properties. In order to emphasise this quality standard, Zumtobel has been providing a ve-year guarantee on all its luminaires since April 1. Customers can be certain to buy products that are excellent in terms of both design and quality.

Zumtobel LEDs provide millions of colours and hundreds of white tones to create dynamic effects, making them outperform conventional light sources in terms of design, accents created and room atmosphere. Being digital modules, they can be programmed, pro-viding virtually in nite scope for creating impressive lighting effects.

Today’s opportunities present a world of challenges. The question is: are we smart enough to see the opportunities in a challenge?

Danny Achkar is the new regional manager for Zumtobel Lighting in the MENA region, based in the Design Forum, Dubai. He is pictured above at the Porsche Design concept shop in Dubai Mall. For more information, contact [email protected].

BY DANNY ACHK AR

Lightingrevolution

71401391 commercial interior design 2010 november

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