about the company · the design of the dome, arches & frame structure has floral arabesque...
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
NAZANIN SHEIKHI DESIGN is a Malaysia–based company,
specialized in authentic traditional design and Islamic design,
the main focus being on Architectural applications and Interior
Design.
KEY PERSONNEL
Nazanin Sheikhi from Iran
Nicholas Stone from United Kingdom
DESIGN SERVICES
DESIGN AND SUPERVISION
NAZANIN SHEIKHI DESIGN offers design services, including
concept design, detailed design and supervision of production
and installation.
DESIGN AND BUILD
Due to the specialized nature of the designs - which often
involve a craft element – choosing qualified contractors to
perform the works and supervising the implementation is
essential in order to ensure that designs are well executed.
For this reason NAZANIN SHEIKHI DESIGN also works on a
Design-and-Build basis as a Turnkey Contractor with
responsibility for:
• Producing the designs in precise detail,
• Engaging appropriate manufacturers, contractors and
craftsmen
• Supervising and coordinating the works through to their final
completion on site.
APPROACH TO DESIGN
NAZANIN SHEIKHI DESIGN looks on its work as a matter of
respecting the cultural heritage that has come down to us from
different traditions, preserving these treasures that have been
received from the past and passing them on to the future. This
process involves rediscovering the principles which underlie
the forms - not just a superficial imitation of appearances.
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To do this faithfully each project requires research, which
includes:
NAZANIN SHEIKHI DESIGN has a large archive of material
on traditional architecture, including a specialized collection of
books and many thousands of photographic images, collected
from extensive travels over the last thirty years, which are
frequently a starting point in the process of research.
PROJECTS
Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Dome Design
In 1996 Nazanin Sheikhi was commissioned by SL GmbH,
Germany, to develop designs for the exterior of the domes of
the Federal Territory Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. Although the
overall form of the 30 metre wide domes is derived from
Turkish Ottoman architecture, their surface is covered by
coloured mosaic tiles with a design in the style of the Safavid
domes of Isfahan, on an underlying geometric basis of a
curvilinear grid and spiral forms. The design process involved
visiting Isfahan and making a detailed photographic
documentation of the Safavid domes.
• Careful study of the finest examples from the past,
• Discernment in selecting the most appropriate examples in
relation to the needs of each project,
• Studying their underlying structure,
• Analysing the forms in detail,
• Identifying related examples, both in terms of the underlying
structure and the details,
• Faithfully applying the same principles.
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Al-Bukhary Mosque, Alor Setar, Malaysia
Dome Design
Designs were developed in 2000 for the domes of Masjid Al-
Bukhary, Alor Setar, consisting of a main dome, half domes,
medium-sized and small domes.
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The designs for the exterior of the domes were in the Safavid
style and were executed in mosaic tile. The neck of the main
dome received a band of calligraphy, 42 metres long and 1.50
metres high, executed in hand-made ceramic tile, made by
craftsmen in Iran, with our design and supervision. The design
of the drum at the base of the main dome contained a row of
window arches with geometric style surrounds and perforated
window grilles.
The design for the main dome interior used a geometric
pattern, surrounding hand-painted Kufic style calligraphy.
Extensive research on historic monuments in Iran and Egypt
enabled us, in collaboration with a talented calligrapher in Iran,
to revive this 700 year-old style of calligraphy. The geometric
pattern to the main dome was designed to provide 100 star-
shaped spaces to receive calligraphic inscriptions of the 99
names, the “Asma al-Husna”, which were hand-painted by a
team of Turkish dome painters.
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Designs were also made for medium and small-sized domes.
Like the main dome the interiors received geometric patterns,
designed with reference to examples from Central Asia and
Iran. As with the half domes, the medium and small-sized
domes received friezes of Kufic calligraphy around their base.
Mihrab
In 2000 the design for the Mihrab of Masjid Al-Bukhary, was
developed, reviving a historical style of architecture found in
Iran, after visiting and documenting monuments there.
Subsequently with the help of the Iranian Cultural Heritage we
found specialized craftsmen, then coordinated and supervised
the fabrication in Iran and the installation on site in Alor Setar.
The design uses many different geometric patterns and two
calligraphic styles, all following examples from one single
historical period.
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The 5.80 metre wide and 8.55 metre high Mihrab employs
complex craft techniques seldom seen in later periods, with
hand-cut ceramic tile set at different levels and hand-made
bricks with patterns cast in relief.
Calligraphic medallions
For the side walls of the main prayer hall two types of
calligraphic medallions, with a diameter of 1.20 metres, were
designed to accompany the Mihrab. These were also
executed in hand-cut ceramic tile in the same architectural
style and using the same craft techniques as the Mihrab.
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Minbar
The Minbar for Masjid Al-Bukhary, Alor Setar was designed &
built in 2000. 2.80 metres long and 6.10 metres high, it was
designed with reference to examples from Egypt and was
fabricated from Burma teak by craftsmen in Malaysia.
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The design of the dome, arches & frame structure has floral
arabesque carving and the infill panels have geometric
ornament with carved floral infill. There is an area of Muqarnas
beneath the dome and the panel above the door has a
calligraphic inscription.
Muqarnas
In 2003 a design-and–build contract for Muqarnas in the
interior of Al-Bukhary Mosque, Alor Setar was awarded to
Nazanin Sheikhi Design . These works consist of an elaborate
“stalactite” transition between the main dome and its 15 metre
wide square base beneath, designed with reference to
examples from Central Asia and Iran with star-shaped forms
so as to harmonize with the design of the main dome interior
and Mihrab.
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Column Capitals
Muqarnas column capitals, 2.40 metres wide at the top and
1.55 metres high, were designed and built for the four main
columns in the prayer hall of Al-Bukhary Mosque, Alor Setar.
These Muqarnas column capitals were designed with
reference to unique examples from Central Asia.
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The Muqarnas were produced in Malaysia from durable,
water-resistant materials, suitable for the country’s humid
climate.
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Palace of Justice, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Dome Design
Designs for the exterior and interior of the domes of the
Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s new administrative
capital, were developed in 2002. The designs for the exterior
of the 32.00 metre wide main dome and the four 12.70 metre
wide smaller domes included geometric style motifs, with 8-
pointed stars and floral style infill elements, set in the mosaic
tile finish on the drum at the base of each dome.
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The design of the interior of the 24 metre wide main dome
includes sixteen distinct but interrelated large medallions and
four smaller medallions, all set within a bold geometric pattern
with motifs running along its ribs. In the central area, at the
apex, calligraphy is used to create a geometric design. Broad
friezes surround the apex and base of the dome.
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Interior Design of Main Atrium
In 2002 Nazanin Sheikhi Design was engaged as Interior
Design consultant to design the 54m high, 27m wide Main
Atrium in the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya. This included
concept design, detailed design and supervision of production
and installation of :
• Arches and friezes at three main levels in the Atrium
• Perforated window grilles with coloured glass
• Muqarnas column capitals
• Stone columns with ornate carving
• An ornate marble floor
Upper Arches with Window Grilles
At the base of the dome, beneath a cornice with an
ornamental frieze, is a row of 32 arches, with floral style
decorative surrounds. These contain window grilles. Set within
an ornate border, the perforated part of these grilles is in a
geometric style with 10-pointed stars and floral style infill
elements. The ornament to the friezes, arch surrounds and
grilles – as for all the other arches in the Atrium - is raised in
relief and painted in a colour scheme to match the dome
interior. The glass to the window grilles is in white & light tan
colours.
Lower Arches
At an intermediate level is a row of sixteen larger arches.
These arches are surrounded by panels containing geometric
style ornament with 12-pointed stars and floral style infill
elements, set within ornate borders. The soffit and inner panel
of the arches have intricate floral style ornament. The arches
rest on marble columns with Muqarnas column capitals.
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Main Arches
At the bottom level is a row of eight arches, each with a span
of 8.70 metres, up to a level 22.50 metres above the floor
surface. All the arches have decorated soffits & borders. But to
emphasize the main entrance axis, two of the arches also
receive a floral style decorative treatment to the surrounding
spandrel panels, carved in situ. The main arches and those at
the intermediate level were executed by craftsmen from
Uzbekistan.
Muqarnas Column Capitals
The main arches rest on marble columns with Muqarnas
column capitals and marble bases. The design for the
Muqarnas capital, 1.90 metres wide at the top and 1.30 metres
high, was based on historical examples, but adapted to
provide a special detail whereby the capitals are joined
together in pairs.
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Stone Columns with Ornate Carving
Two pairs of stone columns, beneath the two arches on the
main entrance axis, receive decorative carving to their 12
metre long, 1.20 metre diameter shafts. The multi level
decorative carving (carved to a maximum depth of 30mm) was
executed by craftsmen in China on a total of 360 stone panels.
Stone Floor with Decorative Pattern
The Atrium has an ornate floor pattern from four different
colours of marble. The central square area, 23.50 metre wide,
is filled with geometric ornament, with 8-pointed stars and
floral style infill elements, harmonizing with the design used on
the exterior of the main dome. Floral style borders run around
both the central square and the octagonal perimeter. Nazanin
Sheikhi Design was responsible for design and supervision.
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Perforated Brass Lamp
In 2004/5 research on traditional mosque lamps was
undertaken and a design was made for perforated brass
lamps with areas of calligraphy and ornament inlaid in pewter
– a material for which Malaysia is renowned.
The lamp, 0.70 metres wide and 1.60 metres high, was
fabricated in Malaysia, using a combination of different
techniques, partly by hand and partly with contemporary
manufacturing methods.
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In 2006 the master plan for setting up a Ferris wheel and
related tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur’s Titiwangsa Lake
Park, was developed in conjunction with the VISIT MALAYSIA
2007 programme, celebrating 50 years of the country’s
nationhood. The “Eye on Malaysia” Ferris wheel, was located
at the end of a peninsula projecting into the lake, rising to a
height of 60 metres above the water.
Eye-on-Malaysia Ferris Wheel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The master planning included the design of the road layout,
drop-off point for buses, pedestrian circulation, entrance
buildings, food stalls, covered walkway, jetty, shade
structures, toilets, lighting and control room for water shows on
the lake.
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Besides architectural planning, the master plan also involved
coordinating an infrastructure of power and control cables
around the park for the operation of powerful 40-metre wide
water screens on the lake, onto which moving images and
laser light shows could be projected.
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A design was also developed for the paving of the plaza,
harmonizing with the theme of the wheel, employing a motif
found in the indigenous craft heritage of the region.
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They then pass through small sized domes (14m x 12m) are
led through ever grander spaces into the main terminal
building with its larger domes (28m x 24m) and finally into a
central atrium with its main dome (62m x 62m).
In 2011 concept design, plans, sections, elevations and 3d
renderings were completed. An appreciation of the underlying
principles of the architecture of Makkah and Madinah was
considered an important part of the design process. The
design involved borrowing elements from the traditional
architecture of the region, in order to create a grand airport
with a character truly appropriate to Madinah. The extensive
use of domes and arches was central to the design concept,
enhancing the external as well as the internal architecture
through rhythmic repetition, and employing a modular system
that can easily allow future expansion by further repetition.
The design is based on a progression of domes of different
sizes from small to large, taking into account human scale.
Passengers disembarking from the aircraft first enter the
vaulted airside pier, lined with arches.
Design for International Airport , Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Nazanin Sheikhi Design was engaged by the Government of
Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional, to develop an alternative
design emphasizing an Islamic character, for the international
airport in Madinah, for which Malaysia Airports was competing.
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Beneath the 8-sided skylight is an octagonal reflecting pool
surrounded by café areas, where passengers can sit beside
date palms. On three levels, this central atrium space is
surrounded by high quality modern shops, arranged in the
form of a suq, catering to the needs of the international
passengers. Balconies overlook the atrium space and the
reflecting pool from all sides. There is a separate hajj
passenger area - an extension of the hajj terminal building –
that has a design concept reminiscent of an old-style bazaar,
with long passages covered by domes and many shops and
f&b outlets to serve the pilgrims. Although the terminal building
is air-conditioned, the design of the hajj passenger area is
based on natural ventilation. The entrance to a mosque at the
end of the main axis is visible through the arches of the bazaar
arcades. The landscaped area in front of the terminal is paved
in stone, with circular openings at regular spacings for
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date palms, for which Madinah is famous, to provide shade for
the pedestrians in the vicinity of the mosque, the bazaar and
the hajj passenger area; the fruits can be harvested for sale.
The main dome in central atrium area is treated as a ribbed
vault with curved ribs springing from the base of the eight
arches that surround it. Like the other domes it has a skylight
at the apex, admitting a shaft of natural light into the building.
The atrium area is emphasized from the exterior by raising the
domes in this area on octagonal drums with windows.
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In 2006 a design for a house in Iran was developed, following
concepts, forms and materials used in the past in this region.
The design of the facades exploits the local craft tradition of
decorative brickwork, using facing brick in conjunction with
strips of turquoise coloured glazed brick. tile.
Design of Private Residence, Isfahan, Iran
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Arches are used extensively on the external facades, in the
house’s inner courtyard, on the garden walls and also on the
walls flanking a long narrow pathway, which leads to the main
entrance in the side wall and then to an indoor swimming pool
at the rear, thus unifying the architectural elements. The tall
entrance space is covered by a rib-vaulted half dome,
executed in brick and glazed brick tile.
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This house, completed in 2009, was designed for a steep
sloping site by the forest. The entrance, car porch, living hall,
study rooms, kitchen and a terrace looking into the trees, are
at the top level, bedrooms are on a middle level and there is a
small swimming pool at the lowest, double-height mezzanine
level above the garden.
The house has a timber roof structure with overhanging eaves
to keep out the rain; thick external stone walls keep out the
heat. The walls were built by local craftsmen using granite
boulders, with fair-face finish to both outside and inside. Door
and window openings with wooden louvered shutters and
perforated screens encourage ventilation. High ceilings at the
upper level allow hot air to escape from the open gables.
House in Tropical Style, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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House in Tropical Style, Tanarimba, Janda Baik, Malaysia
This house was conceived as a weekend retreat in the hills in
Janda Baik, less than an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur. The
climate in this hill resort is cool and the design concept is
based on using natural ventilation. Therefore the house has
tall ceilings and many large window openings puncturing the
facades, which look out onto the remarkable surrounding
landscape. A large main hall located on the ground floor is
surrounded by a verandah and two other halls located on the
upper floors each have a balcony. A kitchen and dining room
are located on the ground floor while bedrooms are on the
upper two floors. The three-tiered roof structure with large
overhangs at the eaves is a dominant element in the design,
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not just for aesthetic reasons but mainly because it is the
element which protects the house from the heat and rain – the
two major factors in tropical design.
The design concept involves the use of just natural materials.
The external facades are all clad in facing brick in a beige
colour. The windows, shutters and railings to the balconies
and verandahs are all in hardwood in a natural finish.
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All the roof structure, constructed from tropical hardwood, is
left exposed, with timber strip ceilings between the rafters. The
exterior of the roof is clad in Japanese matt glazed roof tiles.
Generally for the flooring and bathrooms natural stone is used.
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A row of twelve palm trees extends along a planter running
parallel to the perimeter wall, next to the ponds. The pathway
beside the ponds opens into a rectangular space, enclosed
by the building on three sides. A chahar bagh (meaning ‘four
gardens’ in Persian language) is located within this space,
which has at its centre a small pond with a fountain.
This garden was designed with an Islamic concept, as an
enclosed space with wooden porch gates at each end opening
onto a long paved area surrounding ponds. The ponds, faced
in turquoise coloured tiles, have a row of fountains with solid
granite shafts along their central axis.
Islamic Garden, Country Heights Resort, Kajang, Malaysia
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All paved areas have a geometric pattern using two
contrasting colours of granite. The four planters in the chahar
bagh garden contain palm trees and rose bushes. For this
project tropical trees, like Manila palm and Frangipani, as well
as bushes like fragrant jasmine, were introduced into the
Islamic garden concept.
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Perforated wooden teak doors with Islamic geometric patterns
face onto the chahar bagh garden. They are designed to open
in pairs so as not to obstruct the space or obscure the view of
the garden from inside the house. When closed, they still let
light and air pass through, while giving privacy to the house.
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A room facing one side of the chahar bagh also has perforated
teak doors, as do both porch gates. All doors are designed in
the same style, but in each case the geometric patterns are
different. For the protection of these doors, projecting brass
roofs were designed, with Chengal wood structure and
ceilings. Perforated brass lamps with arabesque motifs were
also designed and fabricated for the enclosed garden.
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These perforated wooden teak doors with Islamic geometric
patterns are fabricated using the gereh chini joinery technique,
which was used in the past in the Islamic architecture of the
Middle-East.. This technique involves assembling small pieces
of wood at different angles and connecting them with mortise-
and-tenon joints, to create complex geometric designs.
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All the perforated doors designed for this Islamic garden, using
the gereh chini technique with geometric patterns, were
fabricated locally by craftsmen in Malayisa.
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Inside the house there is a perforated gereh chini teak wood
screen, located above an ablutions area, which has custom
designed mosaic tiles with an Islamic geometric pattern.
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The brass roofs and perforated lights were fabricated in
Malaysia especially for this project. Brass is one of the
materials traditionally chosen for light fixtures and lamps.
NAZANIN SHEIKHI DESIGN SDN. BHD. (580500-H)
36 JALAN SALAM, COUNTRY HTS. DAMANSARA, 60000 KUALA LUMPUR
TEL (+ 6 0 3) 6 2 8 0 3 2 7 5 FAX (+ 6 0 3) 6 2 8 0 4 2 7 5
WEB www.nsdesign.com.my E-MAIL [email protected]