Download - Commercial Interior Design1

An ITP Business Publication October Vol.8 Issue 10

CID LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

AnAnAnAn AnAnAnAnAn AnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAAnAnAnAnnAAAn AnAnAnAnAAnAAnAnnAAnAAAAn nnnnnAnnnnnnnnnn ITTTTTTTPIITTTIIITITTTIIITTTIIITTIIITTITIITITTTIITITTIITITTTTITTTTTTTTTTTTTTITTTITITTTTTTIITTTTTIITTTTIITTTTTIITTTTIIITTTTITTTIITTT Business Publication October Vol.8 Issue 10

Great workspaces for great work places.Come and experience the new unique office solutions just for you at your nearest Alshaya Office showroom.

Office furniture I Partitions I Workstations I Conference I Seating I Storage units I Auditorium seating I School furniture I Lab furniture

UAE: +971 4 6074200 | Kuwait: + 965 22242780 | Qatar: +974 44569229KSA (Riyadh): +966 1 2570920 | KSA (Jeddah): +966 2 2611914 | KSA (Dammam): +966 3 8984889

ÆWO�«— qLŽ s�U�_ WFz«— UŠU��

+974 44569229 ∫dD� | +965 22242780 ∫X¹uJ�« | +971 4 6074200 ∫ «—U�ù«+966 3 8984889 ∫©ÂU�b�«® W¹œuF��« | +966 2 2611914 ∫©…bł® W¹œuF��« | +966 1 2570920 ∫©÷U¹d�«® W¹œuF��«

VðUJ*« s� WK�UJ²�Ë …b¹d� ÎôuKŠ «uHA²«Ë UM{—UF� …—U¹eÐ «uKCHðÆ…b¹b'« UM²KOJAð s� rJðUłUO²Š« lOLł VÝUMð w²�«

«d³²�� «eON& I ”—«b� «eON& I «d{U×� ·džË Èd³� UŽU� wÝ«d� I s¹e�ð «bŠË I «d9R�Ë UŽUL²ł« ·dž YOŁQð I WO³²J� q�«u I w³²J� ÀUŁ√

CONTENTS

www.designmena.com4 OCTOBER 2012 | Commercial Interior Design

8 DESIGN UPDATEA round up of the latest design news in the MENA region and abroad, including Amjad Al-Hajj, designer, The Horologist

PROFILEFit out contractor, turnkey provider and supplier of bespoke joinery works, Summertown Interiors reveals all

CID AWARDS 2012A round-up on this year’s glamorous show which recognised the region’s top designers

INTERVIEWLars Waldenström, founder, LWDesign Group, tells his incredible story revealing just how he fell in love with Dubai

FEATUREHigh-end retail design is experiencing a new trend that is set to radically shift designers with their latest concepts

SUPPLIERS YOUSHOULD KNOWAn in-depth look at specialist fl ooring suppliers who explain why their products are essential

INDEX 2012Read about this year’s Index wrap-up with some of the most interesting news to emerge from the event

PRODUCTSWhat’s new in the market

OPINIONJason Lewis, founder, Limah Design Consultants, discusses wayfi nding

22 6724

54

October 2012VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10

22

24

54

60

67

72

80

88

… W H E R E T H E S T Y L I S H , I N N OVAT I V E D E S I G N

I S B O R N O U T O F T H E C R A F T S M A N S H I P

O F W H O L E G E N E R AT I O N S O F G L A SS M A K E R S

PRECIOSA GULF, FZCO JAFZA View LB 19 Office 2407 Jebel Ali Free Zone P. O. Box 18185 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

P + 971 – 4 – 884 8234, Ext. 202 F + 971 – 4 – 884 8235 M + 971 – 50 – 551 9086 E [email protected]

www.preciosalighting.com

COMMENT

www.designmena.com6 October 2012 | Commercial Interior Design

Receive Commercial Interior Designevery month. To subscribe, pleasevisit: www.itp.com/subscriptions

Registered at Dubai Media CityPO Box 500024, Dubai, UAETel: 00 971 4 444 3000 Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030Web: www.itp.comOffices in Dubai & London

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING

CEO Walid AkawiManaging Director Neil DaviesManaging Director ITP Business Karam AwadDeputy Managing Director Matthew SouthwellEditorial Director David Ingham

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor Stuart MatthewsEditor Mario HajiloizisTel: +971 4 444 3148 email: [email protected] Aidan ImanovaTel: +971 4 444 3497 email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING

Sales Director, Construction Group Yazan RahmanTel: +971 4 444 3351 email: [email protected] Manager Teri ClarkeTel: +971 4 444 3679 email: [email protected] Development Manager, Saudi ArabiaRabih NaderiTel: +966 1 2068697 email: [email protected]

STUDIO

Group Art Editor Daniel PrescottPrincipal Creative Simon Cobon

PHOTOGRAPHY

Chief Photographer Jovana ObradovicSenior Photographers Isidora Bojovic, Efraim EvidorStaff Photographers Lester Ali, George Dipin, Juliet Dunne, Murrindie Frew, Verko Ignjatovic, Shruti Jagdeesh, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew GrantProduction Coordinator Nelly PereiraManaging Picture Editor Patrick LittlejohnDistribution Executive Nada Al Alami

CIRCULATION

Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati

MARKETING

Head of Marketing Daniel FewtrellMarketing Manager Michelle MeyrickITP DIGITAL

Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan Web Designer Meghna Rao

ITP GROUP

Chairman Andrew NeilManaging Director Robert SerafinFinance Director Toby Jay Spencer-DaviesBoard of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman,Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin

Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3000Certain images in this issue are available for purchase.Please contact [email protected] for further details or visit www.itpimages.com

Printed by Atlas Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai

Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions

Audited by: BPA WorldwideAverage Qualified Circulation7,097 (January – June 2012)

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances.

The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

Lars Waldenström

Photo by Verko

Ignjatovic

Published by and © 2012 ITP Business Publishing, a division of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company number 1402846.

An ITP Business Publication October Vol.8 Issue 10

CID LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

AnAnAnAn AnAnAnAnAn AnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAAnAnAnAnnAAAn AnAnAnAnAAnAAnAnnAAnAAAAn nnnnnAnnnnnnnnnn ITTTTTTTPIITTTIIITITTTIIITTTIIITTIIITTITIITITTTIITITTIITITTTTITTTTTTTTTTTTTTITTTITITTTTTTIITTTTTIITTTTIITTTTTIITTTTIIITTTTITTTIITTT Business Publication October Vol.8 Issue 10

At the time of writing this, exactly two weeks have passed since my rst day in the of ce as the new editor for CID. I have barely had a minute to stop, pause

and prepare myself, not only for a relocation having previously been based in Cyprus, but to also famil-iarise myself with this incredible industry.

My previous background was in travel and tour-ism which involved me visiting many destinations within the Middle East and North Africa staying in some of the region’s best hospitality options. Walk-ing into many of these hotels, on more than one occasion, that ‘wow’ factor kept popping up as I was impressed by the incredible interior design

work and attention to detail. So, to cut the long story short, when the opportu-nity came for CID I didn’t hesitate one bit.

Many of you reading this have probably already met me as during these past few weeks there was the ‘small matter’ of INDEX which, upon telling you it was my rst week at CID at the time, you all looked at me and said how it was a bap-tism of re! There was also the CID awards which were a great success and I have made it a mission of mine to attend as many meeting requests, cocktail events... you name it, I have been there!

I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with each of you as it is clear to me how much passion you have for this industry so please do get in touch and send across all your news and developments to me and let’s continue this passion together.

New beginnings

MARIO HAJILOIZIS, [email protected]


DESIGN UPDATE

UAE: J+A Gallery, a new space in Al Quoz, held its opening on Septem-ber 10, 2012 displaying an array of salvaged items from the industrial era in Germany as well as other countries in Central Europe.

From rst glance, the European antique industrial goods seemed out of place in modern day Arabia. Still, keeping the content close to context was important as the two partners admitted there was no better place to exhibit items from German factories than in a place like Al Quoz.

“For us it was clear that the gal-lery should be in a warehouse or an industrial area because most of our items come from an industrial era,” said Sebastian Jaroslawski, found-ing partner of the gallery.

In addition to the objects t-ting the locale, the partners also acknowledged Al Quoz’s status as one of the main art hubs of Dubai.

“It was very convenient for us as we thought that Al Quoz is an artsy place already - we don’t have to invent it as an artistic place,” added Arne Augustini, partner at J+A gallery.

The partner’s focus of displaying these items in Dubai was to reveal to the city the origin of industrial design, the evolution of the Bau-haus period as well as displaying the basis of the materials that we use in design today.

“We didn’t come to Dubai because we were art dealers who though ‘oh, we should go to Dubai because it’s a posh place to go to’. We have been living here for many years doing different things but now we just want to do something else - something more for the mind and the spirit and for the soul too,” Augustini explained.

Jaroslawski also explained how

seeing these items, which are originals from the 1920s and 30s factory age, gives an educational aspect to the gallery.

“This age is missing in Dubai,” he said. “There was no industrial era. It went directly from a nomad culture to a communication era.”

Both Jaroslawski and Augustini have been collecting the items on a private basis in Germany, with no intention to sell. The original items that were in the gallery had been their initial shipment.

“We didn’t know what to show as there are so many things and we didn’t know the market for these items here. How will people react?” Augustini remarked. “It’s an eclec-tic mix of a lot of different things but we just wanted to show the differ-ent aspects of this style.”

“We think individual collectors may be interested. Also interior designers and architects may like the objects and use them in a res-taurant as decoration,” he added.

The items themselves are indeed diverse. From the Wella lamp, Jaro-slawski’s personal favourite - which had once been a hair dryer from 1927 turned into an alien-like lamp - to a streamline fan, a favourite of Augustini’s. Hailing from 1950s Germany, it sits on a wooden table which is made from working benches in factories with the stand taken from one of the legs of an antique projector.

“We want to show these things are also useable. What’s the point of just putting something some-where and not touching it?” said Augustini.

“The idea of up-cycling is an extremely important part of our concept. Instead of throwing things away we are up-cycling them to hopefully give them an even better

value,” he added. The exhibition is not the only fea-

ture of the J+A gallery. The partners are also planning on holding lec-tures and talks about architecture and design of the industrial age as well as have movie nights from the era.

They are additionally hosting a photography exhibition in No-vember of contemporary German photographer, Dertram Kober, from the partners’ hometown, Leipzig.

“We’re also trying to push artists

from my home town to exhibit here,” said Jaroslawski. “There is a lot of potential there,” he added.

The opening night aroused a truly foreign feel with the large ware-house dispersed with industrial items and the melodic sounds of German music.

Augustini concluded: “The idea was to have something which was completely different from everything that you see in Dubai and once you come in you enter a completely different space.”

INDUSTRIAL ITEMS FROM GERMANY ANDCENTRAL EUROPE ARE GATHERED FOR ANEXHIBITION BY NEW J+A GALLERY IN AL QUOZ

Bite the dust

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2012 9

DESIGN UPDATE


UAE: “At the beginning of the nancial meltdown, I thought,

why don’t I start a new busi-ness?” laughed Amjad Al-Hajj, the talented designer behind the popular sculptural clocks of The Horologist.

Having previously worked on several businesses that were related to crafts and interior t-outs, Al-Hajj nally decided to

settle down to clock-making, a hobby that was previously prac-ticed as in-built wall decorations in his home.

“I am fascinated with ne objects,” he said, explaining how clocks symbolise for him the inevitable time issue.

“This may sound extremely philosophical but time is really an issue for me: the precision of time, punctuality. I have always been captivated by Swiss watches that are 200 and 300 years old. So, this is my vision down the line,” he added.

The Horologist works with a high-quality Swiss company that provides the mechanisms for each of the clocks, but the design process is not the only part that ful ls the maker.

“I like to nd philosophical explanations to everything,” he explained, adding that designing clocks has always satis ed his absorption in crafts as well as his

philosophical interests.When asked further about the

particular style of his clocks, Al-Hajj made no hesitation to state that he is a lover of minimalism and clean design.

“I’m de nitely a purist!” he confessed. “I’m into pure design which is why I admire my rst collection so much. At some point you have to create a response to the market needs, but that is why the rst couple of designs of mine will de nitely always be my favourites.

“Some of them are just prod-ucts of my dreams. I wake up in the morning and they’re there in my head.”

The Horologist’s collection in-cludes The Signature, the line that most evokes the personality and taste of the designer, The Collec-tion and, the latest collaborative line, Eternal.

Eternal, if having seen Al-Hajj’s previous designs, may seem a little out of place at the begin-ning, but the clock maker assures that he still tried to maintain his principles when designing the new project.

A collaboration with famous crystal brand, Swarovski, the Eter-nal collection combines a large mixture of materials including crystal, wood, granite, marble and glass with the crystals highlighted

AMJAD AL-HAJJ FROM THE HOROLOGIST TALKS ABOUT HIS PHILOSOPHY AND PURE MATERIALS

Time is of the essence

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE


as the main pre-dominant part of the design.

The new collection was also recently showcased at Index 2012 where The Horologist made its debut appearance.

“I might be coming out of my purist shell but experimenting can always be interesting,” said Al- Hajj.

The Horologist’s trademark ma-terials include fair-faced concrete and stainless steel, untouched and untreated.

“I believe if you start treating things, they become arti cial in contrast to using something pure and raw,” he continued.

“I think that concrete is ex-tremely under-rated. It is used exceptionally well in Europe on buildings that are just fair-faced concrete but I wish we could see them more in this region,” com-mented Al- Hajj.

With a background in architec-ture, Al-Hajj stated that a lot of his clock designs can be interpreted into buildings. To him, the clocks are more of an art piece than a house accessory.

“They are more of a sculpture because, nowadays, I don’t think people look at clocks, with the increased use of mobile phones, so I would say they have a higher artistic value.

“Once someone from an art gallery in Dubai saw the pieces and proposed making a clock with the hands standing still so that it becomes purely an art piece,” continued Al-Hajj.

But the hands on the clock are still ticking and it’s time for The Horologist to now look to the future. “One of my designs was proposed to be turned into a building in Saudi Arabia,” chuck-led the designer.

DESIGN UPDATE


JUMEIRAH GROUP UNVEILS NEW CONCEPT FOR LONDON’S GROSVENOR HOUSE APARTMENTS

Luxury living

UK: Dubai-based hotel rm, Jumeirah Group has opened the Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living in the Park Lane area of London.

Combining the services of a ve-star Jumeirah hotel, the brief

for the interior space remained quintessentially British, designed by Anoushka Hempel.

Comprised of 133 apartments, the hotel is located in the iconic building by British architect Edwin Lutyens dating back to the 1920s. However, both interior and exterior spaces are different.

“There is a very different look in-side because you come in through this old façade, and immediately you are greeted by a chic concierge desk. You can then take an elevator to the second oor and step out

into a high atrium. It’s really going from older British into the modern,” said Astrid Bray, general manager, Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living.

The atrium, as Bray describes, is certainly a talking point when guests arrive into the property: “There’s a fabulous light coming down from the ceiling on a wire which is just a great piece of struc-ture. They call it the luminous pen-dant which is designed by ProLight especially for the hotel.”

“The colours change throughout the day and night and don’t ash, it’s just a very interesting subtle change,” she added.

The eight storey building consists of regular three- to four-bedroom apartments and one oor for single-strata penthouses.

The penthouses feature private terraces making the most of the sur-rounding views of London.

“The basic design of the studio’s up to the three bedroom apart-ments has one design and the penthouses which are four and ve bedrooms are a different design. The penthouses are richly deco-rated in colours such as blacks and creams. The other apartments have more grays and tan colours, very easy living which give it a different feel,” Bray explained.

Bray mentioned that it is not only the penthouses that have outside balconies, but also three apart-ments on the lower oors.

“It is quite unusual in London to have outside space,” Bray added, and went on to explain the various, magni cent views that the terraces

reveal: “At the front of the apart-ments, you have amazing views right over Hyde park, and on the other side of the apartments, just the most beautiful views of Mayfair with all the chimney pots and all the rooftops going right the way down to the city so you can even see the London Eye and the Shard,” she explained.

“I can’t even begin to pick which is my all-time favorite view,” she added with a laugh.

The interiors of the hotel com-bine classic yet contemporary Brit-ish design using dark oak timber ooring, with fashionable tailored

wall panelling, oversized stone bathrooms, Darlington glassware and Royal Doulton china.

“I would describe it as very Brit-ish chic,” Bray commented.

DESIGN UPDATE


HOSPITALIT Y DESIGNER, ADAM TIHANY IS ASSIGNED TO DEVELOP INTERIOR DESIGN OFRESTAURANTS FOR THE UPCOMING FOUR SEASONS RESORT AT JUMEIRAH BEACH IN DUBAI

A taste of the seasons

UAE: The boutique Dubai-based real-estate investment, develop-ment and management company, H&H Investment and Develop-ment has appointed Adam Ti-hany, hospitality designer, Tihany Design to develop the concepts of the restaurants at the upcoming Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

Having over three decades of experience in restaurant design, the designer has created signa-ture spaces for celebrity chefs in locations such as the One&Only Cape Town, Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, The Westin Chosun Seoul, The Joule, Dallas, to name but a few.

“By appointing an award winning and world-renowned

designer such as Adam Tihany to give his vision to the three signature restaurants at Four Seasons Resort Dubai, we are raising the bar even higher and ensuring that we offer something original, unique and distinctive to the region,” outlined Shabab Lut , CEO, H&H Investment and Development.

“With its sophisticated blend of regional and international in uences, contemporary Dubai is the ideal setting for this project and these venues have been designed with that discerning audience in mind,” added Tihany.

The design concepts consist of three venues complete with diverse personalities and atmo-spheres entitled; the Souk, the

Yin and Yang Grill and the Aura. Souk is located on the ground

oor and provides a contempo-rary vision of the exible Arab food market combined with the concept of all-day dining. Dining underneath a grandiose vaulted ceiling that induces an open-air market experience, the guests at the restaurant also have the chance to walk around the spce and sample foods from interna-tional cuisines.

Located on the ocean front by the pool, the Yin and Yang Grill is an Asian-inspired restaurant with lounge areas. The outdoor lounge area allows for a soothing atmosphere and the warm re-side sofa pit provides a calming space with magni cent views.

The interior space is designed in modern style, combining dark furnishings, warm lighting along with a decorative patterned screen which connects the space to its landscape.

The nal restaurant concept is Aura, a glossy rooftop lounge with a futuristic ice lounge oating over a dimly lit raised

platform. It consists of contem-porary cabanas and private seating in uenced by the Majlis, a traditional seating space in the region. To add to the liveliness of the restaurant, the interior combines vibrant colors and bright textures, creating a space for dynamic design.

The upcoming ve-star resort is spread across 62,000m2.

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE


A Wide Selection of Designs andSurface Finishes.

Bedienen Sie sich aus einer Vielzahl von

BONDED LEATHER

POLYGLOSS.SR | POLYGLOSS.SR DECOR

DECORS WITH EDGE

DESIGN UPDATE


BLUEHOUSE GROUP USES ELEMENT OF TRANSPARENCY TO DESIGN OFFICE SPACE IN DUBAI

Through the glass

UAE: With a client like Novelis, the world’s largest aluminum rolling company, Dubai-based Bluehouse Group decided that using alumi-num products was the perfect way to translate the rm’s work into its of ce space.

“In terms of material, the idea was to try and use aluminum prod-ucts,” said Francois Papastefanou, interior designer at Bluehouse Group. “This is why we went with a very prominent system partition aluminum frame: to translate the work of the client.”

Papastefanou explained that the of ce space itself was very small with only 12 workstations. In order to enhance the space even further, Bluehouse proposed a more uncon-ventional design to what the client had in mind.

“We got images of current of ces that the client has and we proposed them to try something really out of the box with the of ce in Dubai,” the designer said.

“We used the system partition as a glazed partition to allow for full transparency so as you walk into the of ce, you get full transpar-ency through the entire space and through the meeting rooms, right into where all the work stations are set,” he continued.

Another main feature in the of ce is the timber wall made from natural ash. It can be fully perceived through the space as well due to the transparency of the glass partitioning.

Papastefanou explained that the design was kept as minimal as possible using crisp white walls,

white furniture and white worksta-tions which contrast with the black screens. The minimalist approach allows for the accentuating of the curve and junction details with ceil-ings and partitions.

The lighting was another integral part of the of ce design with natu-ral light coming through because of the transparency in the space.

“We also managed to minimise manifestation on the glass because of the system partition that we used,” said Papastefanou.

However, not all of the lighting is kept natural. “We used slim lined, strip lighting which is offset at dif-ferent angles.

There is nothing perpendicular or parallel about the walls in the space, everything runs off at dif-ferent angles. We translated that

back into the ceiling design which was how we laid out the lighting,” explained the designer.

He additionally mentioned that there were rooms at the back of the of ce which weren’t directly in-cluded in the transparency scheme in order to ensure some form of privacy for the main directors.

The rest of the space is designed more experimentally for added space and an interesting outlook, with a big boradroom containing a 70 inch interactive display and smaller meeting rooms.

The designer stated that uniting the space was the most important part of the project.

“We wanted an element of open-ness and transparency through all the space so it could all become one,” he said.

DESIGN UPDATE


CAIRO-BASED STUDIO MEEM USESNATURAL MATERIALS TO CREATE FURNITURE THAT SPEAKS URBAN EGYPTIAN

Crateful design

EGYPT: There are over 20 million date palm trees in Egypt, revealed Manar Moursi, founder, Studio Meem. Palm midrib (gireed), a secondary product of these palm trees, is the material Studio Meem has used to create their ‘Palm-crate- Off the Gireed’ collection.

Moursi further explained that 35kg on average of palm residues are obtained per tree annually and about one million metric tons of date palm biomass is wasted from seasonal trimming.

“Our rst product line aimed at nding industrial use of date palm

midrib as a substitute for exported wood products and to reduce the waste produced from the annual pruning of the date palm popula-tions,” she said.

But what makes the palm midrib so vital to Studio Meem’s palm crate furniture is its ties with the urban Egyptian culture.

“From Ancient representations of the Egyptian market to the contemporaneous Cairene street, the gireed crate is undoubtedly the most abundant and widely-used container,” she said.

“From simple fruit and vegetable crates to birdcages and chicken coops, to display tables, the crate is used in markets as a storage vessel or transportation basket. It is a vessel which contains within it, not only the products it carries but its own rich cultural histories and meanings.”

Although Moursi assured that she sees the contemporary urban street as a dense eld of creativity, integral for the studio’s design process, it didn’t stop her at all from visiting many of the villages on the outskirts of Cairo to work with artisans.

“It is an area that is considered

‘peri-urban’ by many architects and urbanists - and often ne-glected. We are hoping to inspire use of sustainable materials in construction and furniture in vil-lages that are quickly urbanising and becoming a part of the larger Cairene agglomeration,” she said.

It is in the villages that the palm crates are made. The same crates that Studio Meem use to create bookshelves, side tables, and garden systems.

“Palm crate making is an artisanal craft which is labour intensive and slow. The processes related to crate making involve intricate body movements which are translated to linear grids. Each handmade crate is almost the same but profoundly unique in its dimensions and grid, re ecting a wabi-sabi aesthetic of imperfec-tion, transience and incomplete-ness,” she explained.

The collection seemingly seeks to re-interpret the typical manner and function of these palm crates by contasting and collaging them with other materials.

“It seeks to question what has been lost in the age of mass-production, over-consumption and disposability, while still allowing the crates to be seen as new ob-jects of beauty and signi cance,” Moursi explained.

‘Off the Gireed’ has been exhibited for the rst time in the Alexandria Library in Cairo including furniture pieces like the Hang bookshelf, Tala & Tamara sidetables, Fold coffee table, the Array bookshelf and Pouf.

“Studio Meem’s participation in the ‘Design is a Verb Exhibition’ at the Library of Alexandria allowed the products to be seen by a wider public,” she concluded.

© 2012 Masco Corporation of Indiana

MAKING KITCHENS SMARTER.AND MORE CONVENIENT.

For more than 50 years, Delta® Faucet has been a leader in creating

better ways to experience water. Whether it’s contemporary or

traditional you’re looking for, you’re sure to find plenty of smart

and stylish options from Delta.

See more innovations—from faucets to showers to accessories—

at deltafaucet.com.

Andian™

DESIGN UPDATE


NEW ROCA SHOWROOM SPACE OPENS IN DUBAI

Rock this town

UAE: Al Shamsi, the Emirati distrib-utor of bathroom solutions rm – Roca, opened its new showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road on September 19th. The opening featured the col-laborated Armani/Roca collection for the rst time in the UAE.

“The location is excellent as it is next to Burj Khalifa which is a more cosmopolitan area,” said Victor Shoone, country manager – Middle East, Roca.

Shoone explained that the neigh-bourhood isn’t the typical place one would choose to open a bathroom showroom in Dubai.

“Our objective with this show-room is to really put Roca on the map and to get away from the traditional sanitary market idea we face with our presence in the Sala-din road in Deira, which is known

for sanitary-ware products. With this showroom, I think we are really showing Roca in a different light,” Shoone outlined.

The 1,100m2 space includes two oors with the rst oor as the at-

traction centre, displaying the new Armani/Roca collection. The second oor comprises Roca’s expansive

bathroom collection including ac-cessories and tiles.

Shoone stated that the company has been growing, especially in Dubai, adding that the recovery from the previous year has been extremely positive: “It is possible to say that we are most probably growing much faster than the rest of the market as we are having growth gures that are going into the

double gures,” he said.Other than growth rates and new

showroom openings, Roca’s Middle East manager explained that one of the company aims is to add to a better sustainable society: “We care about the environment so all our factories are aiming to be zero waste factories by 2020. All our products and solutions aim to reduce water and energy consump-tion at home.”

He explained that 70% of water consumptions are caused by bath-rooms so reducing water consump-tion is a must.

“In our solutions we aim to reduce water consumption which means smaller capacity systems and new technologies that save wa-ter,” he added. “We also have our factories which is the responsibility of Roca as a manufacturer. This is a factor that sets us apart from other

suppliers,” he added. “We have created a foundation

called ‘We Are Water’ which col-laborates with Unicef and Intermon Oxfam and any additional new activities that we hold to talk about the foundation on a global scale which is co-ordinated with the United Nations. The last event, the World Water Day, is a design contest that is in collaboration with the UN,” Shoone informed.

The new showroom in Dubai had been designed by Barcelona-based designer Francesc Refe, who has worked with Roca on several other projects in the Middle East.

“He is a designer who is really able to create innovative spaces for the commercial sector,” said Shoone. “I think he has done a great job.”

FotosferaCarpet tiles made from plants?

Fotosfera is a pioneering collection made

from a yarn with 63% bio-based content.

The key ingredient? Oil from the seeds of

the castor bean plants.

Fast-growing castor bean plants are

rapidly renewable, and grow in hot, dry

climates, in sandy loam soil. Hardier than

many other crops, they can thrive in land

prone to erosion, and only require water

once in up to 25 days.

www.interface.com

PROFILE

22 OCTOBER 2012 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

Summertown InteriorsW HO A RE W E?

Summertown Interiors offers superior quality interior solutions as a t out con-tractor, turnkey provider and supplier of

bespoke joinery works. With specialist experience in commercial of ce, education

and retail projects for global Fortune 500 companies, government authorities and

local businesses, we are often selected as the preferred UAE t out partner for many

of the world’s largest project management rms and interior architects.

As the rst t out contractor in the UAE to occupy LEED Gold certi ed interiors, we have rst-hand experience of executing

green interior projects.

USPsThe Summertown team is made up of archi-tects, planners, and project managers who

interpret client requirements and suggest solutions prior to and during the project’s development stage. All of our projects are

executed in accordance with the interna-tionally recognised ISO 9001:2008 quality

management system and are delivered with minimum wastage of materials and

energy. We adopt a consultative approach to every client brief we undertake and

ensure that each project is delivered to the highest quality. This approach ensures

that our green projects surpass the most stringent environmental standards. We

believe in ‘walking the talk’ and not just ‘talking the walk’ and we feel that by doing so, we are credible as an organisation – to

our clients, our industry partners, and to our employees. We are proud to be the rst t out contractor in the UAE to occupy LEED

Gold certi ed interiors, and we can actively demonstrate the reduction in energy con-sumption and ways in which we were able Summertown Interiors LEED Gold certi ed of ce

Summertown Interiors showroom

PROFILE

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2012 23www.designmena.com

Retail store at The Change Initiative

Coffee shop at The Change Initiative - the UAE’s rst sustainable store

to improve staff productivity:• 32% reduced water consumption• 54.98% reduced building lighting energy • Provide 30% more fresh air than recom-

mended ASHRAE standards, improving air quality and staff productivity

PROJEC TSSummertown Interiors has delivered proj-ects for some of the leading Fortune 500 companies present in the region including AXA Insurance, ABN Amro Bank, Procter & Gamble, SMBC Bank, Motorola, Standard and Poor’s, Parsons Brinckerhoff and 3M. Most recently, we delivered four green projects including The Change Initiative, 3M, AXA Insurance and Caterpillar.

WHAT ’S NE W ?Sustainability forms the cornerstone of our CSR strategy and we are working to continuously improve both project deliver-ables and industry best practice in relation to sustainability. Last year we committed ourselves to a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) to become a carbon neutral organisation by 2020. To put this into ac-tion, we formed the ‘Eco-Leaders’ green committee, an internal task force of nine employees who are responsible for leading this initiative across ve business verticals - clients, suppliers, people, operations and measurement. In the twelve months since we launched the ‘Eco-Leaders’ committee, we have achieved 26% of the deliverables outlined in the 9-year plan. Summertown’s ‘Green Plan’ has been chosen as one of the case studies that will be used by the Dubai Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Busi-ness to educate other UAE businesses on ‘Integrating CSR into Business Strategy’.

CONTAC T US We welcome visitors to our showroom in Jebel Ali and can be reached at the following phone number or e-mail address for busi-ness enquiries or visiting appointments:Phone: +9714 805 3300 E-mail: [email protected]: www.summertown.aeTwitter: @SummertownUAE

Library at the Change Initiative

CID AWARDS 2012



CID AWARDS 2012

CID Awards 2012SIXTH ANNUAL CID AWARDS RECOGNISES THE BEST IN REGIONAL DESIGN WITH THE

REGION’S TOP DESIGNERS GATHERING TO L AUD THE WINNERS

Members of the region’s interior design industry converged at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers on September 25, celebrating

the sixth annual Commerical Interior Design (CID) Awards.

The awards are designed to pay tribute to companies and individuals shaping the region’s urban environment.

From a Sikh temple in Dubai to a luxury beach club and hotel in Abu Dhabi, a young and upcoming talented designer, to an indus-try stalwart synonymous within the region, and beyond. This year’s entries were truly rep-resentative of the region’s successful interior design industry.

There were 15 award categories in total, covering the whole spectrum of commercial interiors, from hospitality, of ce and retail, to outdoor public sector and institutional.

LW Design picked up four prestigious

categories: Interior Design Firm of the Year, Outdoor Design of the Year, Pia Sen was the Interior Designer of the Year and Lars Walden-ström won the Commercial Interior Design Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fresh into the regional design community, Laura Bielecki from GAJ, won Young Interior Designer of the Year after demonstrating her unique talents on a variety of impressive regional and internarional projects.

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi by Wilson Associates walked away with the Interior Design Firm of the Year: Hospitality award while The Farm by Etcetera Living received Interior Design of the Year: Leisure & Entertainment for its impres-sive leisure and tasting experience.

In the Interior Design of the Year: Of ce awrd category, Falcon & Associates by AK Design reaped the rewards for its striking of- ce design.

Gurdwara Temple by Bishop Design received

Cyril Zammit

fair director,

Design Days Dubai

The judging panel

the Interior Design of the Year: Public Sector & Institutional award for its religious charity project aiming to create a space for worship for the Sikh community in Dubai.

Interior Design of the Year: Residential category was won by Palm Jumeirah project by Von Saldern Hamed Design while Interior Designer of the Year: Retail was picked up by Miele Gallery by Miele.

The Change Initiative by HOK was graced as the winner of the Sustainable Design Initiative of the Year award and Interior Contractor of the Year was given to AMBB as the contractor that delivered regularly a high standard of work which has been clearly respected by its industry peers.

Ross Visitacion from AK Design was privileged to have won the Behind the Scenes Award for his ability to bring positivity into the workplace and, under demanding circumstanc-es, displaying exceptional leadership skills.

Dariush Zandi

owner, Total Arts

Kevin McLachlan

head of interior

design, GAJ

Marcos Bish

managing director,

Summertown

Ana Seixas

marketing

director, Interface

Karen Hay

founder, Stickman

Linsey Thomson

interior design

teaching fellow,

Heriott Watt

University, Dubai

Pallavi Dean

design director,

Pallavi Dean

Interiors

CID AWARDS 2012



CID AWARDS 2012

www.designmena.com

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Design Firm of the YearWINNER: LWDESIGN

LWDesign has been selected as the winner for the Commercial Interior Design ‘2012 Interior Design Firm of the Year’ award.

This award is presented to the design com-pany that has produced the most impressive body of work in the Middle East over the past 12 months.

According to the judges, LW Design’s win-ning entry set itself apart for its focus on “creative concepts and attention to detail” that distinguished itself from competitors.

Isabel Pintado, managing director said: “It’s a superb award to win. This is one of the few nights where the design community gets together and it’s great to share it with them.”

She added: “It’s been a good and a tough year; the situation is not like it was ve or six years ago, but it has been good.”

“We focus on hospitality and F&B and work throughout the region.”

Highly commended in this category was AK Design, for their ‘fresh talent and unique style’ however, LWDesign was recognised for creating some exceptionally great, new and inspiring world-class designs.

The rm came up against other players in the eld with equally impressive interior design portfolios to offer including Bishop Design, Bluehaus Group, Innoui Design as well as Woods Baggot

AK Design Bishop Design Bluehaus Group Inoui Design Woods Bagot

HIGHLY COMMENDED SHORTLIST

It’s a superb award to win. It’s great to share it with the design community.

CID AWARDS 2012

Created with Swiss precision and high quality demands. Combinedwith the love for detail, exceptional bathroom concepts come to life:LAUFEN Palomba Collection 2012, design by L+R Palomba

HEART MADE.HAND F INISHED.

LAUFEN SHOWROOMS IN THE MIDDLE EASTKuwait: Enterprises Sanitary Ware & Cont. Co. W.L.L. +965 2261 7175/6 [email protected]

Lebanon: Georges Nassr +9611 482 462 [email protected]: Ahmed Mohsin Trading L.L.C. +968 248 17 019 [email protected]

Saudi Arabia: Articasa +96 6 2252 4402 (Jeddah), +96 6 1480 0720 (Riyadh) [email protected] Arab Emirates: German Home for Bathrooms & Kitchens +971 4 268 9993 [email protected]

Yemen: Al Dhayani Est. For General Trading +967 1 236 182 [email protected]

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Designer of the YearWINNER: PIA SEN

Pia Sen of LWDesign was crowned with the dis-tinction of ‘Interior Designer of the Year’ at the 2012 Commercial Interior Design Awards.

Described as possessing designs that were both “clean” and “stylish” and captured the intended mood of the place, the judges also said that she served as an inspiration to younger designers and has an impressive portfolio of built work. One judge added that: “She knew how to put everything together and create magic.”

Sen was unable to make an appearance at the award ceremony and her trophy was picked up by Jesper Godsk, co-founder of LWDesign.

When asked why she deserved to win the the Interior Designer of the Year, he simply said: “She won because she’s the best.”

The Interior Designer of the Year award was created to recognise a professional, forward-thinking individual who consistently delivers original, intelligent and effective design solu-tions for their clients.

Also highly commended for this award category was Danijel Pocanic of Woods Bagot, for his crisp lines, attention to detail and quality awareness. According to the judges, he expressed a dynamic air, colour and material appreciation and effortless construction ap-pearance.

Danijel Pocanic

Woods Bagot

Afaf Ebrahim

Inoui Design

Jason Roberts

Bluehaus Group

Jennie Davidson

AK Design

Laurent Haddad

RW Armstrong

Paul Bishop

Bishop Design


She won because she’s the best.

CID AWARDS 2012

CID AWARDS 2012


Young Interior Designer of the YearWINNER: L AUR A BIELECKI, GAJ

GAJ’s Laura Bielecki is the winner of the 2012 Young Interior Designer of the Year award.

Given to the most promising commercial interior designer, under the age of 30 and currently working in the Middle East, Bielecki was selected as being the most impressive multi-skilled individual who could successfully design across diverse avenues of the interior design industry.

Judges said her work was “stunning”, and commended her role in sharing her passion for design through social media.

“I’m so shocked and overwhelmed to have picked up this award. I’m going back to Canada soon for a well-deserved vacation and,

as soon as I’m back in Dubai, the hard work continues,” said Bielecki, when she picked up her award.

GAJ work on projects worldwide including cities like Montreal, Miami, New York, Las Vegas, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Doha, Cal-gary and Edmonton. Bielecki works in different sectors of interior design such as commercial and hospitality.

Bielecki was able to beat off stiff competi-tion from; Amr Metwally, head of architecture division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Emma Stinson, founder, Studio Em, Heba Helmy, in-terior designer, Highgate Interiors, and Olivia Howard, interior designer, LW Design.

Olivia Howard

LW Design

Amr Metwally

Hamad Medical Corporation

Emma Stinson

Studio Em

Heba Helmy

Highgate Interiors


I’m so shocked and overwhelmed to have picked up this award.

CID AWARDS 2012

© S

WA

RO

VS

KI

20

12

Soulfully elegant. Essence of cool.

CASINO ROYALELenny Kravitz, Kravitz Design.

Custom design solutions available. For additional information,

please contact +971 4 881 6562 or [email protected].

Crystal Palace Collection: architecture.swarovski.com

CID AWARDS 2012


Lifetime Achievement AwardWINNER: L ARS WALDENSTRÖM, LWDESIGN

After making its debut last year, the Commercial Interior Design edito-rial team has, once again, presented the Lifetime Achievement award to an individual who has stood out throughout the industry this past year.

This year’s winner demonstrated continued quality throughout his work in a long and successful career, full of signi cant milestones, plus a consistent contribution to the development of one or more organisations.

Lars Waldenstrom, founder, LWDesign was lucky enough to receive this year’s title and was chosen due to his work on high pro le and icon-ic projects in the UAE, and his ability to work under a lot of pressure.

Upon receiving the award, Waldenstrom said: “To win such an award means everything to me. It’s a tribute to the hard work that’s been undertaken over the last 35 years here in Dubai.

“When I rst came here Dubai was unknown and I originally started by working on some projects for Sheikh Mohammed and, since then, Dubai has grown immensely.”

He added: “I can’t pinpoint one particular achievement which stands out over the others but if I had to choose something I would say that the Grosvenor House Dubai and Buddha Bar project stand out. I’m proud of each and every project I’ve worked on over the years.”

It’s increasingly dif cult to dine out in Dubai without unwittingly stepping into an LW-designed space. Conceived as a hospitality interior design practice, LWDesign Group launched in 1999. The trademark of LWDesign is its clean lines and functional spaces.

LW Design has worked on some of the most signature projects includ-ing Okku restaurant i, Yalumba restaurant, Warehouse bar and restau-rant, Indigo Indian restaurant, Flavours on Two restaurant, the Garry Rhodes 2010 restauant as well as the Cadiz - DXB - Terminal 3 project.

The rm also includes an impressive portfolio of architectural pracit-ces across the Middle East region.

It’s a tribute to the hard work that’s been undertaken over the last 35 years here in Dubai.

CID AWARDS 2012

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Design of the Year: HospitalityWINNER: PARK HYAT T ABU DHABI BY WILSON ASSOCIATES

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi by Wilson Associates has picked up this year’s Interior Design of the Year: Hospitality award.

Their winning project was described by the judges as a sculptural space that achieves the right balance between minimal and extrava-gant. The judges added further that it was a beautifully bold, yet, sensitive scheme, and very sophisticated.

“It’s so exciting. We absolutely love the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. Since it opened we have been excited to take all our guests to the property and we are so happy,” commented senior inte-rior designer, Sarita Stewart.

“The process happened in our Singapore

of ce and for us at the Abu Dhabi of ce, it was design implementation. I hope, with this award, we can see some growth in the region. We have done so many prestigious projects here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and I hope that this award solidi es our growth process.”

Furthermore, judges highly commended U + A Architects in this category for Capital Gates Towers saying: “Conceptual priority has remained the driving force for the spatial ar-rangement, material selection and installation of this interior.” Wilson Associates overcame tough competition amongst companies such as LWDesign, AK Design, Fino International, and the Ritz Carlton project by HBA.

Caoital Gates Tower by

U + A Architects

Crown Plaza by Fino

International

Eastern Mangroves Hotel

by AK Design

Grosvenor House by

LWDesign

Ritz Carlton DIFC by HBA Shaza Al Madinah Hotel

by LW Design


Since it opened we have been excited to takeall our guests to the property and we are so happy.

CID AWARDS 2012

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Design of the Year: Leisure & EntertainmentWINNER: THE FARM BY ETCETER A LIVING

The winner of the Interior Design of the Year: Leisure & Entertainment award for 2012, which covers spaces such as restaurants, bars, cafés, spas and tness centre, went to The Farm by Etcetera Living.

Described by judges as being, “eco-friendly with a contemporary and clean feel,” The Farm by Etcetera Living was inspired by the Zaal family vision to make Al Barari more than a residential community. The facility aims to open up the development to a wider audience by creating a good quality tasting and leisure experience and developing a fresh approach to the act of dining. The 80-seat contemporary restaurant is surrounded by green lawns and

natural gardens and also offers customers the opportunity to comfortably dine outdoors on the deck, suspended over the lake.

Commenting on receiving the award Lina Helmer, interior designer, said: “It’s amazing. We were really hoping to win. The project is in such a beautiful location and the design is very different. It doesn’t feel like Dubai.”

Nahal Kadora, interior designer, added: “The Farm is a good place to escape to. I’d say the design is very harmonious, light and airy. It was a very nice surprise to win this award.”

Additionally, highly commended in this cat-egory was the restaurant and lounge concept, Toro Toro by LWDesgn.

Toro Toro by LW Design B Attitude by LWDesign Embassy Club by

LWDesign

Koi Abu Dhabi by Bishop

Design

Legends by Broadway

Interiors

Mosaic by LWDesign


The project is in such a beautiful location andthe design is very different. It doesn’t feel like Dubai.

CID AWARDS 2012

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Design of the Year: OfficeWINNER: FALCON & ASSOCIATES BY AK DESIGN

This year’s Interior Design of the Year: Of ce award was deservedly handed to Falcon & As-sociates by AK Design.

Recognising the best interior design for a corporate of ce space or place of business in the Middle East, the judges described the winning project as: “Contemporary design that is aware of the local and cultural context.” The judges also said that “the arrangement of spac-es combined with creative forms, materials and lighting details displays creative approaches in all areas of this interior.”

On receiving the award Jenne Davison, as-sociate architect, head of interiors commented: “I am absolutely excited, this is just fantastic! I

had such a wonderful team to work with. “Our project is all about a story and creat-

ing a narrative and then turning it in into a space. We were working with the local context and trying to translate that into deserts and mashrabiya designs.”

Highly commended in this category was Clyde & Co by Woods Bagot, which the judges said stood out because of its detailing, quality control and material selection. The project stood out from the other projects including the Herbert Smith by Woods Bagot, Private Finance Corporate by Bluehaus Group, RSB by KPS, Tamdeen Studios by Colacion Studio and another of ce project by AK Design.

Clyde & Co by Woods

Bagot

Al Mojil Investment

Of ces by AK Design

Herbert Smith by Woods

Bagot

Private Finance Corporate

by Bluehaus Group

RSB by KPS Tamdeen Studios by

Colacion Studio


Our project is all about a story and creatinga narrative and then turning it in into a space.

CID AWARDS 2012

Hawa Middle East FZE, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE, Tel. +971 4 887 36 94, Fax +971 4 887 36 93, www.hawa.ch

Hawa sliding hardware: open for refreshing elegance.

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Design of the Year:Public Sector & Institutional WINNER: GURDWAR A TEMPLE BY BISHOP DESIGN

The winning entry in the Interior Design of the Year: Public Sector & Institutional category is a religious charity project aiming to create a space for worship for the Sikh community in Dubai. Being the rst of its kind within the Middle East, Bishop Design created a venue that was visually dynamic and true to the Sikh culture and combined contemporary elements.

The judges described the project as a “spa-cious and contemporary design yet classic and simple that seems to show a lot of respect and understanding of the Sikh religion”.

The 2,640m2 project is now complete with its dynamism re ected through the layering and build up of a textured surface that created a three-dimensional construct. The element of serenity is also integrated with the use of wooden wall panels illuminated from behind.

The award was collected by Paul and Ellen Bishop, founders of Bishop Design.

“The idea behind this project was because, throughout Dubai, there was not enough space to pray. We never expected it to be so highly appreciated,” remarked Paul Bishop.

Abu Dhabi Terminal by

Broadway Interiors

Pet CT Centre by Amr

Metwally

Sheikh Zayed Desert

Learning Centre by Fino

International

Smile Centre by Inoui

Design

The Training Centre by IR

Design

The Women’s Museum of

the UAE by Enrico Botta

Architecture


Throughout Dubai there was not enough space to pray.

CID AWARDS 2012

CID AWARDS 2012


Interior Design of the Year: ResidentialWINNER: PALM JUMEIR AH PROJECT BY VON SALDERN HAMED

The winning entry in the 2012 Interior Design of the Year: Residential category is Von Sal-dern Hamed Design, a project that aimed to re-de ne the idea of glitzy glamour in the region with neutral shades, sumptuous textures and elegant proportions.

Arched architectural features and excessive detailing made the shell of the project appear heavier with spaces that are enclosed, hinting at an invisible link between the different parts of the house. The design also combines old and new design with mixes such as a Louis XVI sofa, a Victorian stool and a modern sleek table that all adds to the historical lineage of interior design.

The project was described as, “being el-egant and subtle where all the elements come together effortlessly with the design ethos resonating throughout all the stages between concept and completion.”

The judges said: “The detailing and clean lines of the spaces shown are subtly created but with maximum effect.”

The award was picked up by Rania Hamed, principal of Von Saldern Hamed Design. “I think the project won due to the attention to detail. The concept was carried out throughout the whole project. There are so many elements such as a majlis and a family room, but they come together very well.”

Burj Khalifa residential

project by Bishop Design

Associates

Al Barari by Bishop

Design

Palm Villa by Tao Design Private by Broadway

Interiors

Palm Villa by Bishop

Design

Villa by Blanchard


There are so many elements such as a majlisand a family room, but they come together very well.

CID AWARDS 2012

DESIGN

CID AWARDS 2012


Outdoor Design of the YearWINNER: MONTE CARLO BE ACH CLUB BY LWDESIGN

Praised by judjes for its: “Modern linear composition and interesting play of horizontal planes,” the Monte Carlo Beach Club by LWDe-sign was awarded Outdoor Design of the Year.

Opened a year ago, the design is kept simple and elegant with the use of natural materials and a neutral colour palate to re ect nature, serenity and beach scenery.

Harmony is created through the seamless ow between interior and exterior spaces with

an aesthetic use of scale, vistas, screening and materials which aims to welcome guests to a relaxed and serene environment.

The judges outlined that the project “shows the ability to create an outdoor space in a

multi-storey building, offering a fantastic space for employees.”

Mark Klever, associate, who picked up the award alongside Allan Johnston, said that a lot of passion went into the project and combines the strengths of the company.

“We have always been strong in the hos-pitality sector so we are going on with more hotels, resorts and beach clubs,” he said. “We also know that we are very proud about the project so we are very happy that the judges thought so too. The project re ects all the hard work we put into it. It’s interiors, architecture, structural, engineering – a combination of all the company’s strengths put together.”

Hakkasan by Woods Baggot Private Garden by Broadway Interiors


We are very proud of the project so weare very happy that the judges thought so too.

CID AWARDS 2012

Bamboo ForestDesigned by Jitka Kamencova SkuhravaSake no Hana Restaurant, Londonwww.lasvit.com

Light Design Experience

CID AWARDS 2012


Sustainable Design Initiative of the YearWINNER: THE CHANGE INITIATIVE BY HOK

The Sustainable Design Initiative of the Year was awarded to HOK for The Change Initiative Project. The design aims to present sustain-able interiors that have a high percentage of re-use, recycled and rapidly renewable materi-als without appearing rustic.

A contemporary project that engages both retail and business visitors alike, the Change Initiative utilised an existing building which was rehabilitated to form the new store.

Combining a range of solutions in ve main categories, the 4,000m2 facility includes ‘the Change Initiative’s Whole of Life business’ model comprised of energy, water, waste, food and lifestyle.

The company is now working on projects in-cluding the Adnoc headquarters in Abu Dhabi, the new airport and the Heart of Doha in Qatar.

The judges described the project as “an im-portant and innovative initiative in the region” and “one of very few projects in the UAE that is LEED Platinum certi ed where boundaries were pushed.”

The award was picked up by vice president, Christopher Brown, who took time to thank the client for the opportunity: “We are very privileged and we thank our client for giving us the opportunity to work on such a thrilling and boundary-pushing project, so without them we wouldn’t have the opportunity to be involved.”

HMC PET by Amr Metwally One GE Solution by AK Design Saadiyat The Point by NAGA Architects

SHORTLIST

We are very privileged and we thank our client forgiving us the opportunity to work on such a thrilling project.

CID AWARDS 2012

Textile passion meets profession

Explore innovations from all over the world. Experience how the year’s hottest trend – Being, the search for authentic surroundings – is pushing forward the industry. And find out how the future is becoming the present.

Information and tickets at advance sales prices at www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.commary.ann.oliva@uae.messefrankfurt.comTel. +971 4 389 45 00

9 – 12. 1. 2013Frankfurt, Germany

CID AWARDS 2012


CID AWARDS 2012

COMMENDED SHORTLIST

Behind the Scenes AwardWINNER: ROSS VISITACION, AK DESIGN

For his ability to multi-task and be available at any time to allow for a seamless production, Ross Visitacion, document controller, recep-tionist and administration assistant won the Behind the Scenes Award this year.

The judges said that people like him make the sun shine in the workplace because they work with a smile on their face even under extremely demanding circumstances, display-ing true leadership skills and are an example to others.

Visitacion expressed his excitement and his nervous butter ies and said how much he liked to multi-task in the company and continue learning and growing.

“I have stayed more than four years at AK Design and I excelled in the company because it has such a friendly environment,” he said.

“I can explore my many interests there since it’s a quality interior design company and they also taught me how to be involved in the design process.”

DEPA

Summertown Interiors

Highgate Interiors

ISG

NOMINATED

Interior Contractor of the YearWINNER: AMBB

For the third year running, the Commercial Interior Design Awards included a Reader’s Choice Award, which called on the interior design community to put their experience and expertise to good use by selecting this year’s Interior Contractor of the Year. Every single company that submitted an entry for this year’s Ccommercila Interior Design Awards was asked to simultaneously vote for their preferred interior contractor.

The aim was to identify a contractor that delivers a consistently high standard of work and is respected by its industry peers.

Those who nominated the winner thought this project stood out due to its ability to in-novate and upgrade its practices.

The company opened an upholstery divi-sion, upgraded its marble and stone facilities and is looking to expand its joinery operation.

It was also said that AMBB garners consis-tent repeat business in the industry which is

highly commendable, according to the judges. This year, AMBB received the highest num-

ber of votes in the category, followed closely by DEPA, Summertown Interiors, Highgate Interiors and ISG.

“This is the third time out of four years that we have won, but I didn’t expect it tonight,” said Peter Bruce, managing partner.

“It’s always down to the team, and we are lucky to have a good team,” he added.

The AMBB Group of companies have been operating in the GCC region for over a decade and have established of ces and operations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Felix Santos, design

manager at Bluehaus

Group

Babe Aguirre, head of the

technical team at Bishop

Design

Halimah Mohamed, of ce

manager at LWDesign

Maricel Trinidad,

document controller at

Bluehaus Group

CID AWARDS 2012


AHEC Outstanding use of AmericanHardwood in the Middle East Award WINNER: WOODS BAGOT FOR HAKK ASAN PROJECT, DUBAI

The American Hardwood Export Council has opted to use the CID Awards again this year to acknowledge the most outstanding use of American Hardwood for a completed project in the Middle East.

The Council acts as an international trade association for the US hardwood industry and represents over 50 export markets. The award was presented by the director of the American Hardwood Export Council for Africa, the Middle East, India and Oceania, Roderick Wiles.

Shortlisted for this award were Bab Al Bahar Spa by Bishop Design and Metdist Of ces by Bishop Design with a high commendation for Al Bateen School by Dewan Architects.

However, this year’s winner was the Hak-kasan Project, Dubai by Woods Bagot.

The award was picked up by Banah Mustafa, architect and Steven Velegrinis, senior associ-ate urban design practice leader.

“Being on stage felt great,” said Velegrinis. “We have won quite a few awards over the years and each and everyone has felt just as special. It’s so ful lling to pick up this award as the amount of wood and craftsmanship needed was of a very big scale,” he continued.

Woods Bagot, a design studio specialising in

the design and planning of the facilities, served as the executive architects for the project, fol-lowed by their involvement in the execution of the Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, which was also nomi-nated for the same category at the Commercial Interior Design awards last year.

“With both traditional Chinese and Arabic de-sign sharing certain elements such as screens and latticework (mashrabiya), the design of Hakkasan Dubai has evolved as a modern international interpretation of eastern Chinese design,” said Velegrinis.

Hakkasan, the modern Chinese restaurant group, was established in London 10 years ago. Woods Bagot has delivered projects for this global client in other cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Shanghai.

“New to the Dubai restaurant is an outdoor terrace, which seats am additional 88 people, and steals the spotlight with cascading wooden pavilions, that have been made out of American red oak, surrounded by a wall of lush green vegetation,” Velegrinis described.

The existing outdoor environment was a concrete and bitumen car park. During the summer the temperatures reached up to 70 degrees centigrade prior to the development.

It’s so fulfilling to pick up this award as the amountof wood and craftsmanship needed was of a very big scale.

CID AWARDS 2012

The garden also needed to minimise excessive water use as well as mask the unpleasant ele-ments of the structure while, at the same time, sustainably reducing temperatures.

Continuing the linearity of the oor materials for the adjacent interior dining area and the exterior dining deck, the materials were varied to create a pattern that runs horizontally and vertically up the parapet wall.

The materials were chosen both for their sustainability and life cycle bene ts, but also

CID AWARDS 2011


because they manage to sustainably reduce heat gain and ambient temperatures without requiring water.

“Hakkasan is a worthy winner of this year’s award incorporating the trademark Hakkasan elements – a dining area, lounge and blue-lit bar section – but also featuring the signi cant use of American red oak, which provided a warm complement to the luxurious interior of the restaurant,” said Roderick Wiles.

The project does indeed combine the Hak-kasan elements with the inclusion of rooftop recreational area with re ection ponds, sunken seating, water features, a dining area and a gar-den. The dining cage and all supporting struc-tures are made from American black walnut.

“Through our partnership with the Com-mercial Interior Design Awards, we are looking toward further strengthening our ties with the region’s top architectural and design rms in line with our mission to raise awareness about American hardwoods within specifying commu-nities across the MENA region,” said Wiles.

“These awards continue to provide a unique and exciting opportunity to see some of the best projects in the region and we are con dent that American hardwoods will maintain their position as a preferred material for architects and designers in the region,” he concluded.

INTERVIEW


INTERVIEW


L ARS WALDENSTRÖM OWES HIS OUTSTANDING C AREER TO A MOMENT OF PURE R ANDOMNESS. THIS YE AR’S LIFE T IME ACHIE VEMENT AWARD WINNER TELL S HIS STORY

A chanceencounter

INTERVIEW


strength and feeling he has, not only for Dubai, but for his profession as well. “I have a genuine warm feeling for Dubai and the people here, I love it,” he said. “They provide me with so much inspira-tion. Everything I say is from my heart.”

Before delving deep into his incred-ible journey, Waldenström revealed, with great pride, how fortunate he has been throughout his roller-coaster career: “I often say I am not a designer. I am equipped with good taste and the ability to surround myself with very creative and talented people.”

However, it’s not just down to those facts alone. Even the man himself admitted that his illustrious career probably wouldn’t have happened if an ‘out of the ordinary’ telex from Dubai wasn’t received. “It’s actually more than that. It’s like a saga,” he remarked. “At rst I was working in the of ce furniture

industry and I was the designer respon-sible for of ce landscapes. I could do an of ce landscape with my left hand without even looking. When I received the telex, I was the general manager for a small subsidiary within the group. I

1 & 2

Raf es Dubai's lobby

has been designed to

feel luxurious

3

Toro Toro is

bathed in striking

burnt orange tones

4

Grosvenor House

Dubai, created for the

high-end segment

orås, Sweden, August 19th, 1941, Lars Walden-ström, a man who would grow to become the world-renowned interior designer we know today, was born. Little did anyone know, at that particular time, that he would become

such a well-known, and respected gure who has, literally, shaped the Dubai landscape as we know it today. In fact, even the man himself had no idea of what path lay ahead. Little introduction needs to be made but, amongst his most admirable interior works he has accomplished with his team include the iconic Emirates Towers, Grosvenor House Dubai and Buddha-Bar.

Taking his seat, in preparation for the interview, and with a glaze through the windows opposite, Waldenström says, “Wow, just look at that. It’s incredible.” For a man who has been here for over 30 years, and to still be made to feel breathless, such a short and simple statement clearly demonstrates the

looked at it and it said: “Can you please come down and discuss your plans for the Iranian Club?” It was in a place called Dubai. I didn’t know anything about it at all, the only thing I knew was from a globe in my kid’s room so I could pinpoint where it was and I found it in the Gulf.

“We were a very small company of only 10 people and only doing special design for big of ce furniture but, it seemed to me, that it was an interesting project so I decided to go.”

Having concluded his business with the Iranian Government representative, it was then time for him to go back home to Sweden. Flying with KLM, a young, inexperienced Waldenström was unaware that it was common practice, during the mid 1970s, to phone up and con rm a seat 72 hours in advance. “I was told that by the gentleman I met and I didn’t know that I had to do something like this. My English also was so bad at the time.

“I was standing in his secretary’s room at 19:30 and talking with this lady from KLM who said to me that I couldn’t

1 2

INTERVIEW


get on to the ight as my seat wasn’t con rmed. I tried to convince her but there was no chance. I was telling her about my kids, that it was Christmas, but still no chance.”

What happened next would not only de ne Waldenström’s career but it would change his life completely. “All of a sudden, the door opened to the of ce. This man walked in and stopped where I was standing and said to me: “So what are you doing?” I looked at him and said that I’m trying to get a seat to Sweden but it’s impossible... “Give me the phone,” said this mystery gentleman, he took the receiver from me and said; “I’m adviser and engineer to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, give this man a seat.” He then gave the receiver back to me and the woman from KLM said to me: “Sorry sir, we have now upgraded you to rst-class.” I thanked this gentleman, who I knew nothing about, and told him how nice it was for him to help me. “What time is your ight tonight?” he said to me. I told him it was at 2am. “Ok, where are you staying?”... I said at the InterContinental... “I’ll pick

3

4

INTERVIEW


you up at 12,” and then he walked out. I then realised that this guy came into the of ce in order to go and see my contact, he stopped with me on his way there, did this, and then he walked out again.”

Seemingly saved by this generous gentleman, Waldenström headed back to his hotel and, in typical Swedish style, had his briefcase in one hand and raincoat/newspaper in the other. “The time was 12 and I thought if he’s not here by 12:10 I will take a taxi.

“Then I see a Range Rover coming up and there was this man who I hardly recognised and he told me to “jump in” so I did. In those days, the journey from the hotel to the airport was just a ve minute drive. While I was sat there

he asked me: “So what are you doing in Dubai?” and for me to explain to him that I was working for a Swedish of ce furniture manufacturer who has been asked to make a proposal for a club house at an Iranian Club, and with my poor English, I simply said to him that I work in interior design. He then said to me: “That’s nice, can you design a pal-ace?” and I said, “of course, it’s a piece

of cake.” I gave him my business card and without even really thinking about this, two weeks passed until I received two rolls of drawings about H.H. Sheikh Mohammad’s hunting palace out in the desert. I then went back to Dubai and before I knew it I was in H.H. Sheikh Mohammad’s majlis and there were 60 Arabian men all wearing their white cloaks and so many falcons. I remember that I was wearing my suit, with my tie up to my neck, and I could tell that sweat was getting bigger and bigger down my back. I then realised that I was here with the His Highness surrounded by all these people. He said my name and then everyone else shouted my name, so I picked up my two suitcases and I walked up to him. I came down on my knees and opened up my suitcases and showed him my proposals.”

What Waldenström then presented was a perspective with mirrors and a sculpture in the middle and, hanging from that dorm were 30 encrusted pi-geons. “It was beautiful,” he comment-ed. “But I learnt very quickly that they don’t like pigeons, they obviously prefer

falcons because they were all over the place! I said to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed that these were 30 falcons and he said to me: “These are not falcons; they are pigeons so make sure they will be falcons.” Within this perspective as well there was a beautiful chandelier and there were ashing colours coming out of it, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said to me: “I like coloured bulbs and coloured lights,” and I replied: “But sir, you don’t need to have coloured bulbs”... “No I like colours” he replied: “Yes but this is not glass, this is crys-tal,” I said. “What do you mean?” I told him that within this crystal there are all the colours in the world coming out, so can we do it my way rst and if he still didn’t like it I would personally change all the bulbs.

“Two to three years later H.H. Sheikh Mohammad and I were coming out of the balcony and there was this sudden ray of light coming in. I’m not over-exagger-ating but this thing was sparkling like no tomorrow and he looked at it and turned to me and said: “You were right.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

5

Buddha-Bar is

renowned for its

trendy interior

6 & 7

Siddharta Lounge

by Buddha-Bar

embraces exclusivity 5

6

7

THE EPITOME OF ELEGANCEConoduo – made in Germany.

Mrs. Diane Ritzau-Starkmann tel. +49 171 4933624 e-mail: [email protected]

Prod

uct d

esig

ned

by S

otts

ass

Asso

ciat

i w

ww.k

alde

wei.c

om

Founded in 1918 in Germany, Kaldewei baths and shower trays are meticulously crafted in precious Kaldewei steel-enamel 3.5 mm. As the style icon in bathroom design, with an ecologically friendly material philosophy, Kaldewei creates products with lasting value and was named “Brand of the Century” in Germany. Design with an aesthetic aura of sensuousness: extravagant, ergonomic, elegant. Every detail formed to perfection. Conoduo with its enamelled waste cover – with a 30-year guarantee.

FEATURE: RETAIL DESIGN




E XPERTS IN THE F IELD OF HIGH-END RE TAIL DESIGN SPE AK OF THE ULTR A-HIPMOVEMENT OF POP-UP STORES TAKING OVER THE GLOBAL M ARKE T

Pop your colour 21 3



“Since the global recession, retailers in general started to realise that they had to do more than just open the doors and hope for customers to come. They knew they had to get proactive and interactive with their customers and engage them on all levels which lead to some cool new developments especially in the world of visual merchandising,” says Stinson.

But regardless of the international hype of stores taking on new identities, this retail design phenomena doesn’t seem to be implemented in the Middle East region.

“I don’t know if it is because of the mall culture or the lack of the high street but I don’t see the recent trends being implemented here. Perhaps the de nition of ‘high-end’ is different in the region,” Stinson explains.

“It is a shame because there is such tremendous potential to do some inspiring stuff with retail design in the region,” she adds.

1, 2 & 3

Manolo Blahnik store

in Dubai Mall

4 & 5

Sel dges Louis

Vuitton concept store

6

Interior designer,

Sara Cosgrove

7

Nick Leith-Smith

of Data Nature

Associates

Anew trend has hit the stores with experts observing that the high-end retail market is going through a radical shift

with its concepts. Stores have taken a liking to words like ‘personalised’ and ‘pop-up’ over ones like ‘identical’ and ‘standardised.’

“In recent times retail design seems to have gone through a radical revolu-tion with the big trend over the last few years being the ultra cool and awesome pop up retail movement,” states Emma Stinson, designer for Dubai-based inte-rior architecture and design company, Studio EM.

Sara Cosgrove, head of interior de-sign, The Studio, Harrods also observes that retail design is “moving away from neutral mass market design.”

High-end brands have started em-ploying this novel movement into their store designs such as the UK Selfridges Louis Vuitton concept collaboration with Yayoi Kusama.

Paul McElroy, partner at UK-based Kinnersley Kent Design questions the implementation of concept stores in the Middle East and its level of success in the regional market.

“I would ask where they are going to happen,” he says. “Unless the malls or the leasing teams are prepared to give over space, which is most vital. Look at Dubai Mall: huge costs on rent but where is the experimentation? It’s down to the malls to give up space instead of putting in another concession.”

Data Nature Associates, a London based international architectural, inte-rior and graphic design company, have worked on the Manolo Blahnik store in Dubai Mall which seemingly falls under the boom of today’s retail trends.

Nick Leith-Smith, architect and principal of the company, states that not only do the Manolo Blahnik stores re ect the new, international retail trend in the region; they are in fact ahead of the game.

4

5

6



ESTAMP’s main objective is in seeking to

link the world’s places of hospitality and

to reunite them under the ESKAL banner

Martigny Design Group represents over 60 companies aiming

to combine innovation and technology, artistic design and ecology.

The exceptional results of this joint effort are marketed

through ESTAMP.

Martigny Design Group presents ESKAL at the Big Five Show in Dubai from November 5 – 8, Stand Rashid A241

More information on: http://www.estamp.ch - http://www.eskal.ch

is one of the concepts that has emerged from company synergies. In your home,

this top-of-the-range bath will refresh you with hydrotherapy, chromatherapy and aromatherapy.

t h e q u a l i t y l a b e l

Experiencing our savoir-faire and testing

our products is to understand them.

Having a direct link to the producers to

discover their authenticity means getting

the best value for money.

Joining ESKAL is being an ambassador of:

t h e q u a l i t y l a b e l

“When we originally started to think about a global retail concept for Manolo Blahnik in 2007, it was decided to make every shop a unique design - a regional concept store. The shops are intended to be an installation inspired by location, drawing from discussions with Manolo Blahnik himself on local art, architecture and lm,” says Smith.

“We consider local materials and craft traditions. Material and fabrication are key to our design process and provide a cultural grounding,” he adds.

Kinnersley Kent Design is working on the House of Fraser department store in Abu Dhabi and has also integrated the local heritage and culture into the design of the space.

Explaining how the team did tremen-dous research on people’s homes in Abu Dhabi, McElroy says the location of the department store itself is evocative of the regional culture and habits.

“It is located in the old market square in Abu Dhabi which is where the trade

used to happen. The idea was to turn it back into a new 21st century shopping mall. It’s based on that ethos which is why part of it is still kept as a souk which was again a way to try to stay sensitive to the local environment,” he continued to explain.

MANOLO BLAHNIK IN DUBAI MALL: TOP 3 ELEMENTS THAT REFLECT THE LOCAL MARKET• The curvature of the screens is

evocative of the nearby desert (Rub’

al Khali) topography and visual salt

ats (Sabkha).

• The colourful low seating, Beaton

brass table tops and also the

hanging lamps were inspired by

Bedouin tent living quarters.

• The carved timber screen

tessellation was taken from a local

coral form and is reminiscent of

Islamic architecture.7



But even with these one in a million store concepts like Manolo Blahnik and the Abu Dhabi House of Fraser, Stinson observes that this is not enough to put the Middle East on the map for its experimentation in retail design.

“Having been born in Dubai and watching it grow throughout my life, this is something I am so passionate about,” she confesses.

“We have brands, the oor space, the budget and the materials available to create inspiring retail interiors that break the mould. We just need to start breaking some of those moulds rather than teetering around them and playing it safe, which has been done by a few retailers but just not enough of them,” Stinson adds.

Cosgrove, in contrast, argues that the Middle East isn’t actually missing a beat in the retail sector.

“Ultimately, concept stores provide some purpose in the Middle East and you tend to see more standard luxury boutiques but the level of design that’s going into these boutiques can often be quite conceptual. The installations in the

luxury end of Dubai Mall are conceptual in terms of its execution so I don’t think they are necessarily missing out,” Cos-grove expains.

Local and independent businesses are seen by the experts as the leaders of these trends rather than the franchised high-end luxury brand names.

“We’re noticing a whole generation of independent businesses who are not on the level where they buy design, but are starting to realise that they also want

to invest in design. We are de nitely seeing more enquiries from businesses that are not on an international level; but more local who are running small businesses and want to go up to the next level,” McElroy offers.

Stinson agrees, using examples of independent stores like Sauce who created a character for themselves that sets them apart from typical retail stores in the region.

Art collaborations also being big hit of the retail trend, the status of the art scene in the region comes to question.

“How big is it to collaborate?” asks McElroy. “We’ve talked about that on many projects: Where can we get local artists involved? The art scene is ex-ploding but still tiny. I would argue that it hasn’t breached across to the retail scene. It’s going to need strong clients to back it up.”

Stinson points out that straying from conventional retail design should always be important.

“We are paid to design which means to create and generate, not copy, paste and imitate.”

HOUSE OF FRASER, ABU DHABI: TOP 3 ELEMENTS THAT REFLECT THE LOCAL MARKET• Change in the materials palette such

as warmer colours and timber to

re ect local tastes.

• Lingerie department designed to be

more private and discreet to respect

local culture.

• Larger tting rooms to accommodate

for local dress.

8, 9 & 10

House of Fraser in Abu

Dhabi by Kinnersley

Kent Design

11

Emma Stinson of

StudioEM

8 9

10

11

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2012 67www.designmena.comwww.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2012 67

With the conclusion of Domotex 2012, which takes place every winter in

Hannover, Germany, it is now clear that ooring has become more than just a practical surface that is easy to clean. The trade fair announced the importance of ooring as interior decoration that is both distinctive and has a statement to make in the market with eccentric patterns, unusual designs and bold colours.

Keeping it individualistic is the key this year, especially in areas like rugs and carpet tiles.

“The new design trends being witnessed, particulalry now, for rugs and tted carpets, parquet and laminate ooring showcased at Domotex 2012 represent the

FLOORING SUPPLIERSYOU SHOULD KNOW

epitome of lifestyle and contem-porary interior design,” said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, the Deutsche Messe managing board member of the event.

The fashion for carpets this year is to truly run from the convention-al and delve into quirks and fades as well as unusual colour schemes for traditional styles like Oriental and Persian rugs. An organic look is also a highlight with materials like silk, yarn, hemp and un-dyed Himalayan wool.

This being said, some ooring manufactures are using this new individualistic trend to create sur-faces that are both innovative and environmentally friendly.

Global carpet tile manufacturer, Interface is unveiling its rst ever commercial carpet tile made from

plant-based nylon, the Fotosfera. The material used is exclusive to

the company itself, which consists of yarn made from natural castor plant oil which is then produced in rural communities.

Including 63% bio- based content, the design uses the Cool Carpet carbon neutral service as well as the glue-less installation method called TacTiles, thus also reducing the impact on the environment, which is the ultimate vision of the rm.

Sustainable ooring design is another trend seen at Domotext this year with a high demand for natural, eco-friendly ooring. With this comes the new trend for mate-rials like wood that saw a demand for wide plank hardwood ooring over narrow strips of parquet.


Nearly 200 manufacturers showcased various styles of wide plank, natural looking wood oors starting from ve inches to eight inches, depending on species, nish and construction.

“The increasing growing trend in ooring is for a wide plank, brushed in order to emphasise the texture of natural wood, and oiled in order to preserve its warmth. This means that the more the oors look and feel like authentic

wood, the better,” said Tatyana Zhigar, principal designer, Coswick Hardwood Inc.

Following the successful year for ooring in Domotex, next year’s

exhibition will be featuring some 1,400 companies from 60 coun-tries in Hannover from the 12th to the 15th of January 2013.



Tell us about your company?C ors Industries Inc. is an international ooring supplier with its headquarters

in Toronto, Canada. Besides North American operations, we have recently expanded operations into the Middle East and Africa. We offer high qual-ity carpet tiles, laminate oorings & PVC oorings. Currently MENA region operations are being handled from its regional of ce in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. However soon the regional of ce will move to Dubai, the UAE.

We sell several million square metres of oorings every year, and realise its impact on the environment. Today most of our products are environment friendly and are part of international ‘green’ programmes.

What sets you apart?C ors has introduced a unique concept of Custom Made Production with the industry’s lowest minimum order quantities (MOQ) keeping it as low as 50m2 only. We can help you match your carpet tiles with corporate colours or design concepts. It excites corpora-tions by keeping their brand identity and corporate image intact.

C ors focus on its core strength of delivering three “excitements” . i.e. quality products, competitive prices and excellent service. It ensures that the customers get “the right” product, at “the right price” every time.

What are your best selling products?Modular Carpet Tiles are the best selling products of the company. All

contract ranges made up of polyamide (nylon) bre are Green Label Plus certi- ed. Today some of the carpet tile man-

ufacturers are using the vocabulary like CRI’s Green Label Plus criteria which is deceptive as they do not have a GLP Number and certi cate issued by CRI. This is because they are not yet up to the mark to qualify for this prestigious programme. We invite prospective customers and the project owners to check us out on CRI’s website referring to our GLP # 2115.

PVC ooring is another extremely strong and popular product line of the company. It offers exciting and trend setter design concepts in PVC oorings in the form of rolls as well as LVT.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest regional markets.

What’s new?Considering the regional price sensitiv-ity and comparatively smaller product life cycle in the Middle East, C ors now offers the cost-effective Carpet Tiles solutions made up of Ole n yarn. Write to us to know more about this economi-cal product line.

How do we contact you?Head Of ce: Hudson’s Bay Centre2 Bloor Street East, Suite 3500Toronto, Ontario, Canada | M4W 1A8Tel: +1-416-915-4222Fax: +1-416-929-3174info@c ors.com Reach our regional of ce at: mea@c ors.com

C ors Industries Inc.



Nordic HomeworxTell us about your company?As a Swedish owned and managed company, we specialise in the supply and installation of Kährs of Sweden, real wood ooring. Founded in early 2006, we are the exclusive Middle East distributor for Kährs of Sweden.

As the exclusive UAE and Middle East distributor of Kährs wood ooring since 2006, we take extra pride and joy in the brand’s long history, pioneering and unbeatable quality. Nordic Home-worx has even more understanding of the value and heritage of Kährs wood oors, and are proud to be represent-

ing such a groundbreaking brand here in the Middle East.

What sets you apart?Nordic Homeworx fully re ects on the Kährs’ long history, pioneering, unbeat-able quality and Swedish heritage. With our managing director’s own Swedish background, we have an even closer relationship and understanding of the brand and product. With over 160 different kinds of wood ooring from Kährs, we are able to place the utmost importance on ensuring the se-lection and choices you make are right for our clients and their needs.

During Kährs’ more than 150 years in the business, they have strived to always capture the beauty and expression of wood, and have learned to combine this beauty with different types of leading oor technology in order to produce high quality wood oors, which are durable, stable and

easy to install.

What’s new?During Index 2012, we will be introduc-ing our new Founders Collection. The Founders Collection pays tribute to the pioneering founding family members behind Kährs. A heavily brushed, hand scraped surface, enhanced by a Nature Oil nish enhances the grain and texture of the wood – re ecting the masters’ dedication to preserving the natural beauty and craftsmanship of wood oors. The collection consists of six 1-strip rustic Oak oors, ranging from pale to dark shades, each named after the founding fathers of the com-pany since its establishment in 1857.

Another exciting new feature at this year is the exclusive “Art Wall”. “Art Wall” is the result of a unique col-laboration between one of the world’s oldest and leading brands of glassware and art glass - Kosta Boda – and Kährs. Together the two visionary companies have created wall magic and produced a playful and exciting meeting between wood and glass – two natural materials with strong expression.

Where can we nd you?Our showroom and of ce is lo-cated on Level 12 (no. 1203) in Sidra Tower (same tower as Fraser Suites) on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. You can also visit our website www.nor-dichomeworx.com for more information and a location map.Tel. +971 4 369 55 69Fax. +971 4 369 56 69Web. www.nordichomeworx.comE-mail: [email protected]



Alawali FlooringTell us about your company?Alawali Floorings Co., L.L.C. since its establishment in 2004, has been pro-viding customers with the best quality wood ooring on time and with right prices. With sourcing from Europe, South America, United States, Africa and Asia, the rm stands ready to supply customers’ speci c needs from landed stock and from the source.

The allure of hardwood lies not only in its beauty, but in the value it adds to the interior of the place. There is simply no match to the authentic beauty and durability of real hardwood parquet. It adds an exceptionally natural and warm feeling to any room and space. The company has a wide collection of wood species to t perfectly in almost all interiors styles and tastes. Wood oorings never go out of style. Designers look at a wood oor as a large, neutral palette, even with all its colours, grains and texture. That’s why wood is timeless.

The rm has a dedicated and expe-rienced team of management, sales and installation staff, committed to building on the history of quality and ful lling the company’s motto of “Qual-ity without compromise”.

What sets you apart?Alawali deals only with quality certi ed

products. The entire range of products possess quality and environmental certi cates (CE, CARB, ASTM, FSC). Alawali gives a full service of installa-tion and maintenance of old oors with a professional team and in accordance to the NWFA standards.

With its large and diverse inventory of top quality wood oorings, Alawali is considered the single solution for all ooring needs. All its wood ooring selections are based on durability, cost and environmental sustainability.

The rm is able to provide best qual-ity products with affordable prices, due to our long-term cooperation with a chain of professional manufacturers skilled in the latest technology and ap-plying a strict quality control system.

What’s new?Alawali is launching its new showroom in Umm Seqium (East) Road, near the Mall of the Emirates. The showroom is considered the biggest in Dubai and professionally designed to show the full range of the ooring, providing distinctive selection for both interior designers and home owners.

How do we contact [email protected] | [email protected]: +9714 325 6333 | F: +9714 325 6337

INDEX 2012


INDEXWrap Up

L ABELLED A S THE L ARGEST E VENT FOR THE ARCHITECT URE AND DESIGN INDUSTRY IN THE MIDDLE E A ST, INDE X 2012 WELCOMED OVER 900 E XHIBITORS FROM 45 COUNTRIES AT THE DUBAI WORLD TR ADE CENTRE. FOR 22 YE ARS INDE X , WHICH WA S HOSTED BY DMG :: E VENTS, HA S BEEN PROVIDING A BUSINESS AND NE T WORKING OPPORT UNIT Y FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS OF INTERIORS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SOURCE AN IMPRESSIVE ARR AY OF THE L ATEST DESIGN INNOVATIONS, TRENDS AND TECHNIQUES.HERE IS A SELECTION OF THE MOST INTERESTING NE WS TO HAVE COME OUT OF THIS YE AR’S EDIT ION.

Of cially named as Silver Spon-sors for INDEX 2012, Rame Design Solutions’ brand Robert Allen continued to expand its Colour Library with the introduction of ve new upholstery collections; Zest, Red Hot, Berry Crush, Saffron and Night Sky.

Zest is a modern and sophisti-cated yellow with a playful twist of lime. Red Hot is a clean and classic red; a bright shade often accented with cream, linen and gold.

A rich, red-cast purple, Berry Crush is often paired with lime, linen, and teal hues.

Saffron is a warm, red-cast or-ange that mixes with green apple, bright pink and linen shades.

Finally, Night Sky is a black that is anything but basic; the right neutral for a dramatic palette.

Colourfulcollection

INDEX 2012


Scandinavian design specialists, Kollektion & Co, highlighted its furniture and lighting range during this year’s INDEX.

At the stand, the company showcased new products from designer brands such as Muuto, which was launched at INDEX last year, as well as &tradition, which was launched this year. Both of these brands have high-quality products which are suitable for larger contracts as well as for the individual home.

Kollektion & Co also announced a Scandinavian bed to its range of products in collaboration with Bed Factory Sweden and the launch of the company’s products in the Middle East market.

Newhighlightsto choose

Archetypal Imagery signed a deal with business magnate Donald Trump to design a high-end, custom wood collection. Under the agreement, Archetypal Imagery will design custom ooring, wall panelling and made-to-order furni-ture for the Trump Home collection of home furnishings.

The products will be sold exclu-sively through ABC Carpet & Home, which operates an online store and brick-and-mortar storefronts in the US. Furthermore, Archetypal Im-agery won the ‘Members’ Choice’ category, as well as the ‘Best Residential’ category, at the 2012 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo. It also took home Floor of the Year awards in 2010 and 2011.

Signed,sealed,delivered

INDEX 2012


Forget-Me-Not, an Italian light-ing company, displayed its two impressive lighting and sound objects at INDEX 2012.

Origami, a lighting feature from the Performers collection is a white-coloured lighting and sound feature, which can also be used as a screen. The Laylah light from the One Thousand and One Nights line has three pieces called Day, Night and Ceremony. The design has been inspired by Arabian stories and the black colour of the lighting represents the word ‘night’ in the Arabic language.

“We have always been in love with certain parts of the Arab culture,” said CEO, Forget-Me-Not, Tara Heap.

AnArabian story

Ubifrance, the French trade com-mission based in the UAE, hosted a contingent of 20 companies from France to exhibit at INDEX 2012.

That number was, in fact, down on last year’s 60 exhibitors according to François Sporrer, French trade commissioner – UAE and Qatar. He commented: “Two weeks before INDEX there was a major trade fair in France and it was logistically dif cult for many of those exhibitors to also be here after such a short time.”

According to Sporrer, the French population in the UAE is increas-ing by 12-15% each year as a result of more French companies entering Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Exciting French variety

Index_2013_CID_225x300mm_Ad2.ai 9/23/12 5:30:17 PM

INDEX 2012


Brazilian crystals are becoming ever more popular with customers from the Middle East. As a result, Cristais São Marcos exhibited at INDEX 2012 to increase aware-ness in its products and attract more regional buyers.

Lebanon is currently the company’s biggest market within the region according to Junior Mo-linari, owner, Cristais São Marcos: “Over the years we have devel-oped strong relationships with our Lebanese partners and, therefore, our reputation has spread further a eld across the region.

“Our main goal at INDEX was to nd good contacts and the right

customers. This is actually the hardest thing to accomplish.”

Alluring Brazilian crystal

Making its foray in Dubai, Morroco-based Lumieres Mediter-raneennes experienced a big in-terest in its puff cushions, coffee tables, tea glasses and lights.

The company’s products are created in a contemporary Mor-roccan design which owner, Jawad Berroumane, believes will be very successful with interior designers based in Dubai and beyond.

He commented: “Although traditional Morroccan designs are extremely well-appreciated around the world, the contem-porary designs are now gaining in popularity. We displayed our outstanding products to visitors at INDEX and already they are generating a lot of interest.”

NewMorroccan trend

Simply a matter of fi ne taste: Miele built-in appliances in jet black

Miele Appliances Ltd.,T : 800 - MIELEE : [email protected] : www.miele.ae

110938_BlaWhi_U3_225x300.indd 1 16.08.12 09:50

PRODUCTS


New on the market

Designed by Kasper Rønn and Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen from Norm Architects in 2011, the Raft Table Na2 uses modern Scandinavian design in order to combine contrasting concepts: an indus-

THE RAFT the roughness of corroded wood aging with beauty, blended with the industrial ef ciency of metal structures, is the inspiration be-hind the table. The surface of the triple table legs are sandblasted,

trial look with ageing wood. The materials used include powdered steel with solid oak legs with a table top that could be either lami-nated wood or black ash veneer. Maritime objects that channel

with round edges beneath the wooden tabletop.

D.TALES AT KOLLEKTION

+971 4 330 6899

www.thekollektion.com

T. +971 4 885 6892 [email protected] www.aicgruppo.com

We design aspiration. We build lifestyle.AIC Gruppo is a full-fledged interior design company

capable of serving all of your discerning needs, by

providing unparalleled services to corporates, hotels,

retail and developers. Our services are built around three

core principles: integrity, workmanship and excellence.

Led by a multi-disciplined team comprising of strategic

interior experts, creative and innovative Italian craftsmen.

We plan, design, build and create with superior quality to

the highest standards of manufacturing technology, simply

what we call “The Aic Standard”.

Yogurberry Shop - Medina Mall - Dubai


PRODUCTS

PYRAMID Created by Planika Studio, the Pyramid is an eco-friendly out-door replace with a glossy white base creating a contrast with the natural golden ames ickering

on top. Implementing highly advanced technology, the product is completely safe due to the Commerce burner which is lled with highly absorbent ceramic

bres which prevents it from leak-age. Made from highly resistant berglass polyester laminate, the

Pyramid is absolutely smokeless and is suitable for both private

residences and commercial areas.

THE KONTAINER

+971 4 323 5010

www.thekontainer.com

DOCKLANDSBene has launched its new work-stations, Docklands and Cube_S. Docklands is an alternative workstation concept for tempo-rary activities which provides personal and acoustic privacy. It contains accessories such as lighting and coat hooks to pro-

vide a sense of personal space. The second product, Cube_S, is a xed, modular workstation with

integrated storage space.

PLAISIRDesigned by Formstelle, the Plaisir collection from Zeitraum features a side table reminiscent of Oriental items for serving tea and coffee. The smaller, lower three-legged wooden table supports the matt lacquered alu-minum tray. The higher, slimmer

model holds a smaller remov-able wooden tray. The wood is also impregnated with natural oils and waxes.

ZEITRAUM

+49 - (0)8171 - 418130

www.zeitraum-moebel.de

BENE

+43 7442-500-0

www.bene.com

GET CONNECTED TODAY, REGISTER YOUR PROFILE AT www.Innspec.com

facebook.com/Innspec twitter.com/Innspec

If you’re a professional in the hospitality industry, then Innspec.com is a network built especially for you.

specTHE NETWORK FOR HOTEL SUPPLY & DESIGN

Innspec.com is a new dedicated online network of professionals and suppliers who are all involved within the vast and varied hospitality industry. Whether you’re looking for a Supplier, a Designer, or a Project Lead, there are plenty of benefits to adding your profile to Innspec.com.

• Find great suppliers and distributors

• List your brand & export partners

• Create great looking portfolios

• Build a catalogue of all your products

• Search hotel projects and generate leads

• List your offices, factories and showrooms

• Follow suppliers, buyers and peers

• List your trade shows and events

• Send and receive requests for quotations

• Find the right supplier for your next project!

BE SOUGHT AFTER AND FOUND ON THE NETWORK FOR HOTEL SUPPLY & DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PRODUCTS


The ID Bowl, designed by Indian designer Mukul Goyal, is a quint-essential example of the “funky and functional” aspect of Goyal’s product range. Available in two sizes, the ID Bowl is great as both a decorative piece as well as a practical object for serving. It

also makes for a pleasant center-piece. The designer concentrates his preferred material, brass with a variety of nishes.

ID BOWL

MUKUL GOYAL

+91 124 4032400

www.mukulgoyal.com

Secto Design launched its new collection called Owalo consist-ing of a pendant lamp and oor, table and wall lamps. Although the collection is completely deviant from Secto Design’s familiar forms, it still ensures that it follows the same

production method and philoso-phy with shades that are made of birch slats connected by rings of aircraft plywood.

OWALO

SECTO DESIGN

+358 9 505 0598

www.sectodesign.fi

AMBIANCE TURNING TECHNIQUEDornbracht has designed a new technology called Ambi-ance Turning Technique that allows water to be used to create unique scenarios devel-oped as part of Dornbracht’s ‘Transforming Water’ concept. The central components of the Ambiance Turning Technique are the eTool, eValve and eS-witch. The product aims to be-come part of ones daily ritual, manipulating ones moods.

DORNBRACHT

+971 (4) 380 6611

www.dornbracht.com

For more information, please visit:www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/awards

FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIESPLEASE CONTACT:

Diarmuid O’MalleyTel: +971 4 444 3568Email: [email protected]

FOR NOMINATION ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:

Louise OakleyTel: +971 4 444 3475Email: [email protected]

FOR TABLE BOOKING AND FURTHER ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:

Michelle MeyrickT: +971 4 444 3328E: [email protected]

The 8th annual Hotelier Middle East Awards aim to recognise the hard work and

dedication of the often-unrecognised individuals that make the region’s hotels

some of the very best in the world. Join us as we award the unsung heroes!

Wednesday31st October, 2012

The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC - Dubai

DO NOT MISS THE MOST CELEBRATED EVENING FOR THE MIDDLE EAST HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

BOOKYOUR TABLETODAY

d d

CATEGORY SPONSORSSUPPORTING SPONSOR

PRODUCTS


HOMUNELasvit has collaborated with British designer Michael Young to create the Homune table. The dynamic yet functional table is compounded of a hand-blown, amber coloured glass base and a hand-blown table top from clear crystal. Lasvit developed

a speci c blowing technology based on 3D visuals to articulate Michael Young’s design through-out the product.

KÄHRSNordic Homeworx’s Kährs Found-ers Collection’s rustic style of oak oors pays homage to founding family members behind the brand. Kähr’s new collection comprises six one-strip country grade oors with either pale or dark shades. The lightest in the

range is Olof, while Gustaf has a more subtle treatment which al-lows the grains to show through the wood.

NORDIC HOMEWORX

+971 4 369 55 69

www.nordichomeworx.com

LASVIT

+971 4 881 45 46

www.lasvit.com

METAL CLOTHThe new collection by Goodrich Global is designed with eco-con-cepts evoking natural elegance. The soft hues combined with crisscross weave patterns har-monise the texture of the design. The Metal Cloth wall coverings are reminiscent of an urban

garden design, creating a tie to the natural environment with a classic and minimalistic look that evokes serenituy.

BOUNCEDesigned by India-based Fenny Ganatra, the Bounce chair is made from a colourful combination of silicon and can withstand a bounce or two from up to 150kg. Its clean lines and seamless shape allow it to t into any chosen environment, from

boardrooms to beach houses. It is designed with the concept of ‘less is more,’ adding fun and

Up to the minute reports on the latest industry news and events Interviews with leading figures in the interiors, design and architecture sectors The latest case studies, market trends and developments for the Middle East market

Visit www.designmena.com todayand sign up for the twice weekly eNewsletter

to stay up to date with your industry

For information on advertising please contact:

YAZAN RAHMAN, Sales Director - Tel: +971 4 444 3351 - GSM: +971 56 778 3824 - Email: [email protected]

TERI CLARKE, Sales Manager - Tel: +971 4 444 3679 - Email: [email protected]

Online News for Architecture, Interiors and Industrial Design Professionals


OPINION

The rapid development witnessed by the region in the past few years – much of it in the form

of megaprojects – makes proper way nding more important than ever, yet all too often it remains an afterthought.

It may be partly due to a mis-understanding of the difference between way nding and signage: confusion that stems from the fact that both involve helping people to navigate. But way nding is more than just the provision of signage: it is about engineering a public space to make it more ef cient, en-hancing users’ experience through design.

Signage has often been viewed as a last minute service that only needs to be sought out at the end of a project. However many design-ers today are seeing the value of involving professional way nding consultants at an early stage.

I see way nding consulting as a multi-disciplinary eld, one that requires input from a broad range of experts.

The discipline digs deep into the mindset of all users and the routes they will take with the aim being to increase users’ economic activity for clients. Much research must go into understanding the proposed built and natural environment, the project’s brand and communica-tion goals, and the engineering and prototyping of products that will be robust, durable and sustainable.

The goal in way nding must be

to engage users, encourage them to explore the spaces between the design and to create positive expe-riences. A user who can navigate easily, nd parking, or return to their car without the frustration of feeling lost is more likely to return and tell others of their enjoyable experience.

Adding more signs at a later date simply adds to the confusion. This brings real economic bene ts, because we naturally return to environments in which we have en-joyable experiences while avoiding those in which we do not.

When seeking a consultant, clients would be wise to assess the background of the team and com-pare the deliverables. It’s common for consultants to deliver basic drawings and then rely on sign fab-ricators to provide the remaining speci cations for the project.

A professional way nding consultant rather should provide clients with a great amount of de-

BY JASON LEWIS

Way ndingis not signagetail with all methods and materials speci ed. Each and every sign and its location must be considered and planned, along with power and infrastructure requirements. Not just way nding or directional signage, but also regulatory, traf c signage, and parking systems must be considered for complete integra-tion. This ensures accurate pricing by bidders during tendering, allow-ing fair comparisons and provides a means of quality control.

While price is of course a large factor in selecting consultants, de-liverables must be given equal and sometimes greater weight. A basic signage package may save money in the short term, but it is my posi-tion that a consultant who seeks to understand a project’s users can add the most value.

It is common for our rm to receive a request for proposal only months before a project is due for completion. At this point we as consultants can add little value in

terms of planning, coordination or integration. Instead our work be-comes ‘signage design’, or simply the addition of signage. Whether it is regulatory or directional, it becomes a mere add-on.

But increasingly our clients - many of the leading design rms in the region - are inviting us to join projects right from day one in their conceptual work. In this way a way nding consultant can actually provide planning by assessing the paths of the users and nding opportunities to integrate design and improve user experiences. In short providing way nding, not just signage design.

Although we are still behind the United States and Europe, this is de nitely a positive trend; one that can only bene t both owners and end users.

Jason Lewis is the founder and managing director of Limah Design Consultants

Geberit concealed cisterns

Safely hidden behind the wall, with a Geberit concealed cistern only the actuator plate is visible. Geberit‘s in

formance and with a wide range of design solutions give you the aesthetic freedom to create the bathroom you have always wanted.

Hidden

vation

BENEWORKSWITH VISIONARY DESIGNERS.

-

-

www.bene.com

23.–27. OCT, HALL 9.1 / STAND B50

Download - Commercial Interior Design1

Top Related