< PreviousDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 10 C'est ici combines home and offi ce to open new workspace A homegrown design studio has opened a stylish new headquarters in Dubai. C'est ici is an interdisciplinary team led by co-founder Monica Arango, whose members recently moved into an offi ce in Al Quoz. The one month fi t-out took place in April 2021, transforming the space from a shell-and-core to what Arango calls a "thoughtful and innovative workspace." The designers drew on all their own creative skills to create the offi ce, coloured with bespoke shades from Jotun and kitted out with eclectic furniture from brands both local and international. Scents of coconut and vanilla and background music from the genres of lounge and jazz complete the 360 for all six senses, which Arango says is part of the full C'est ici experience. C'est ici was founded by Arango six years ago and specialises in residential projects. Speaking about her own interiors project, Arango says: "C'est ici is our very own home from home and our new atelier presents us with further opportunities for both work and development. We are very much looking forward to the growth and future of our client and colleague needs." Commercial Interior Design to go behind paywall this month It was announced at September's Commercial Interior Design Awards that the brand's website would go behind a paywall from October 1. A monthly subscription of $5.99 will unlock unlimited access to our market- leading mix of news, interviews, features and insight. A number of articles will be available to visitors to the site, or those who register their details, however, full access will only be available to subscribers. It's a decision that was taken to protect the quality of content that the Commercial Interior Design team produces and the integrity of the journalistic work, editor Jane O'Neill said. Over time, it will mean the website will become sustainable without advertising but also offers advertisers a more exact idea of who their brands will appear before. It will also give the CID team the chance to refi ne their content strategy and tailor it for subscribers' wants and needs. Visit commercialinteriordesign.com Photo credit: Natelee Cocks File imageBranded content 11 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Have you ever had to step back and take a mental picture of moments that seem like yesterday? From humble beginnings, three individuals sketched Pinnacle on a paper napkin, discussing the formation and title for a company. This was the commencement of a journey that would always be a part of their life and impact so many other lives, people and projects. Today, a decade later, Pinnacle Interiors created by Joseph Charles, has developed into a power house of design and build creativity, encompassing all industries. A team established on loyalty and excellence is committed to deliver unsurpassed quality and unique designs. Pinnacle Interiors continues to provide a culture where people are individuals and everyone has the desire and aim to see the project through to completion and client satisfaction. This organisational culture embraces the vision of shaping the future and community to design and build beyond The Pinnacle Interiors team aren't afraid of challenges EVOLUTION OF CREATIVITY AND ELEGANCE the commercial value of the project to include the signifi cant design details and functionality. The Pinnacle Interiors team is comprised of diverse industry experts who have contributed to the exponential growth of the UAE with current projects including two terminals at Expo 2020. They continue to deliver high end corporate projects with executive craftmanship, elegant designs and bespoke fi nishes. The passionate leadership is dedicated to inspiring and connecting with the architects and designers in the community with a number of collaborations underway. 2021 presents a milestone of achievements with the celebration of its 10th anniversary, participation in Design Week and Downtown Design. Pinnacle is proud to be a part of the UAE's success stories. www.pinnacleinteriors.ae We are proud to be part of the UAE's success...A day in the life of… commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 12 6AM: WHO NEEDS AN ALARM WHEN THEY HAVE A DOG? I love to start my day early. I am already up and awakened by my dog Blu, who waits to come down to the kitchen area to steal some bites. 6:30 AM: REVITALISING WORKOUT A quick coffee and then driving to the gym in the SICIS HQ [in Ravena, Italy] for training, which I invariably do when I am not away for the work commitments. A great workout helps me to sharpen the focus throughout my busy day and meetings. The gym is built directly in the HQ because I wanted to create extra curriculum spaces for all the employees. I choose Ravenna as the HQ location because it is one of the places where the mosaic art has fl ourished the most during the Byzantine Empire and it was also capital of the Roman Empire. Nowadays, it's one of the Italian cities with more Unesco Heritage Sitesn, nine in total, most of which featuring this incredible craftsmanship. While Ravenna was an important place to feed our start up, today SICIS could operate business in any place. 8AM: FAMILY BUSINESS A quick shower then to the offi ce, which is basically connected in-between the buildings. The SICIS HQ includes the offi ces of SICIS, where I also work with my wife Morena, head of the accounting department of SICIS, and Sicis Jewels, lead and run by my daughter Gioia, art director of Sicis Jewels. WEEKLY SCHEDULE: TIME MANAGEMENT Monday usually is focused on internal alignment meetings where my team and I talk about new products, developments, research on materials, meetings with designers, production, etc. From Tuesday to Sunday, I do not have an actual day off because my team works globally with the different time zones, and I often fi nd myself having meetings on Saturday or Sunday morning. COVID-19: ADAPTATION SICIS immediately adapted to the recent events, so now the meetings take place via Zoom or Skype. Until the pandemic, I spent most of the week traveling, to closely oversee the international offi ces and the leading businesses. Until the one year of 'relaxation' of travel restrictions imposed by Covid-19, traveling was the main source Founded in 1987, Italian headquartered company SICIS is a worldwide leader in the production of mosaic art, furniture and interior design SICIS FOUNDER MAURIZIO LEO PLACUZZI of my inspiration and I know 54 markets in the world. BREAK THE DAY: FAMILY During the day, I only have a quick meal to break up the day, just over half an hour, but I always know how to make the most of this time. In this short break, I like to make a phone call with my daughter Gioia, who has recently given birth to her fi rst baby. These precious moments are spent laughing and joking with the baby granddaughter. AFTERNOON: MEETINGS The afternoon goes by frenetically without the interruptions, between meetings and various types of commitments. 8PM: RELAXATION Usually in the evening is when the working day ends and I leave the room for a few hours of relaxation. HOBBIES As a good Italian, I love good food but also staying with family and close friends. In summer, I love to eat with my wife in some local restaurants, where one can fi nd simple but excellent cuisine. In winter, I never fail to go at least once a week, to a friend's locale, to the sea or the nearby coast, or another fi xed destination. I do love my home, where I spend most of my evenings. The house has bright and welcoming spaces, mainly because it is essential for me not to be forced into confi ned spaces. I appreciate the peace and warmth of domestic spaces. LIFE MOTTO My motto is the Latin 'UT SEMPER,' which means 'Never give up.'Advertorial 13 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Closet Case is a fl agship client project and the winning entry for L.S. Design at the recent Commercial Interior Design Awards 2021. Continuing its record of success, L.S.Design walked away with a win for Interior Design of the Year: Retail and two highly commended in the Lighting and Offi ce categories at this year's CID Awards. The winning retail space in question is the recently completed Closet Case Flagship Store in the new The Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue expansion. With a decade of success in the UK and six years in the Middle East representing cutting edge brands from around the world, Closet Case sought to open a new regional fl agship store in Dubai. The brief called for a design of the store for established multi brand independent men and women's wear retailer from London in the UK. "The ambition was to develop a store in keeping with The Dubai Mall's high standards for luxury retail while keeping true to the edgy and raw ethos of challenging the ideas of tradition by pushing them towards the current times," says Farid Noufaily with a minimal material palette of raw sheet steel, metal profi les, cast concrete, and distressed leather, the store takes on a stoic and industrial feel. Minimal detailing pushes the raw material into order and symmetry, thus creating a striking cinematic experience. The same raw sheet steel has been used to make up the entire façade, giving a contrasting dramatic presence against the brightly lit white marble clad mall promenade. Two enormous pivot doors, also made of folded raw steel, fl ank the entrance, while the display windows and bent fascia give the storefront a futuristic Gothic feel. Internally, the store was designed as a continuous display space, maximising the retail front of house. This proved to be an interesting challenge given there are over 80 unique brands, each with their own bespoke wrapping, packaging and accessories. Apart from a shipping dispatch and receiving room at the front of the store and a small offi ce in the back, the space was to be entirely dedicated to retail with no back room or storage. All the retail items are on display, with only packaging to be stored within easy reach. This large open space is broken up into four areas; olfactory display shelf, a rolling storage cabinet dedicated to limited editions, accessories cabinet and a client consultation area. The olfactory shelf presents the rare and high quality cologne and perfume brands in a dramatic display invoking the image of a chemist or turn of the century pharmacy. A rolling ladder gives access to the extra tall shelving unit and animates the space. The shelf is fronted by a long leather topped metal counter, which acts as both a place for jewellery display and cashier desk. In front, a modifi ed rolling cabinet sits at the front of the store offering visitors an opportunity to search amongst the limited edition precious products on open display for something that speaks to them. The freestanding cement cast cabinets offer an abundance of surface to display jewelry and accessories. Here the lighting of the store is at its most uniform, reducing shadows to best display the items. At the centre of the store is a clearing with bespoke furniture made of raw sheet material and leather create a central consultation area for VIP customers. This is also where the owner of the shop hosts his gathering and consultations. Closet Case is a fl agship client project and the winning entry for L.S. Design at the recent Commercial Interior Design Awards 2021 WHAT'S IN STORE? Advertorial Closet Case in The Dubai MallTrending commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 14 An bird's eye view of Dubai Design Week 2019 Dubai Design Week 2021 kicks off in November with six days of design-related events, exhibitions, installations, competitions, talks and workshop TIME FO DESIGTrending 15 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com R TECTUS® THE COMPLETELY CONCEALED HINGE SYSTEM TECTUS® high load capacities up to 300 kg maintenance-free slide bearing technology three-dimensional adjustability opening angle 180° wide variety of fi nishes SIMONSWERK GmbH (DMCC Branch) Unit No 2005, JBC-1 Building Cluster G, JLT, Dubai www.simonswerk.com SIM_Anz-2021_Tectus-Hotel_UAE_halb_94x242+3_RZ.indd 124.08.21 16:10 NTrending commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 16 N only the region's leading platform for regional design and creativity, Dubai Design Week is an active catalyst for the growth of the creative community in the UAE. Held every year, Dubai Design Week's 2021 edition will take place November 8 to 13, with the programming centred around its natural home of Dubai Design District (d3). A full schedule is set to go live on October 15, 2021, but key highlights are already whetting our appetite: New for 2021 A public installation with natural light and materiality in focus, 'Context Refl ections' created by ANARCHITECT in collaboration with surface material brand Cosentino will be staged at the heart of d3 for the duration of Dubai Design Week 2021. Built using the fi rst carbon neutral surface collection from Cosentino, a permeable installation will invite visitors, to pause and discover the intriguing play of penetrated light created via a naturally occurring optical phenomenon. Welcome return Responding to the theme of regenerative architecture and restorative design, this year's Abwab commission has been awarded to Dubai-based Ahmed El- Sharabassy for his proposal titled 'Nature in Motion.' Abwab translates to 'doors' in Arabic and is an annually remodeled key feature of the Dubai Design Week programme, dedicated to commissioning work from across the MENA and South Asia with the objective to promote the region's talent and stimulate cultural exchange. Importance of architecture Dedicated to architecture, the 2040: d3 Architecture Exhibition, aims at gathering Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai and regionally based architecture fi rms, studios and visionary architects, who are practicing in the MENA region, around a central theme by making d3 the launchpad of their proposals and ideas. The exhibition will be divided into four main themes, in accordance with the goals of The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan for a sustainable urban development. Go grads A key feature of Dubai Design Week, Global Grad Show was launched in 2015 as an exhibition of impact-driven innovation, and currently engages academics in over 60 countries and 300 institutions, in fi elds ranging from biomedical engineering to urban design and data sciences through free and open participation. This year's Abwab as it will appear Space explored at DDW 2020 Visitors at last year's Grad Show Going downtown Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading design fair, returns to a full, live and in-person edition to celebrate high-quality design from around the world, hosting brands from over 20 countries. Headed by a new management team – which is led by event specialist David Ross – the fair will also feature the largest exhibition of limited-edition and collectible design to date, with a particular focus on the Middle East’s creative scene. 'Pon the forum This November’s Downtown Design will bring leading regional and international architects, interior and product designers together on stage for a series of compelling live interviews and discussions at its central conference, 'The Forum.' Staged in an amphitheatre specially designed by ema, it runs from 1pm-6pm on November 9 to 11. Roca Sanitario S.A. (Representation Office - Middle East) Tel. +971 4 347 6400 · info.dubai@roca.net What shapes your life? adv_2021_205x275mm_2.indd 1adv_2021_205x275mm_2.indd 117/9/21 9:5017/9/21 9:50Cover feature commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 18Cover feature 19 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com CID's Interior Designer of the Year 2021 on his big win and upcoming move to launch Bishop Design by Paul Bishop in the US There's something different about Bishop Design. Our interview set up has echoes of 2020, when Paul also claimed the title of CID's Interior Designer of the Year. He was accompanied by Bishop Design's erstwhile marketing executive, Selini Bishop. The duo wore black and Paul swung punches for the photo shoot. This time round, Bishop Design are #squadgoals. A slimmer and shorter-haired Paul, wearing pastel blue pants, is accompanied by six members of the Bishop Design team: Mnuara Zubaidildayeva, Sengul Hassan, Ranillo Elnar, Mehmet Aktash, Michelle Larkworthy and Selini, who recently announced she's to take a break from the fi rm to go travelling. Paul is also leaving on a jet plane, to head up the new Bishop Design offi ce in Miami, though we're assured it's a goodbye for now and not farewell to the emirate where Paul built up his empire. This is Bishop Design 2.0 – as full of colour and energy as their prize winning designs and designers, who picked up six awards and two highly commended prizes at the recent CID Awards. Bishop Design operations manager Michelle Larkworthy, who's been Team Bishop for eight years, is piecing back together events from the awards evening (quite literally, as one of the trophies took a tumble), while the studio's general manager Mehmet Aktash is lamenting that his fashion choice of a jaunty yellow v-neck caused him to be compared to "an Easter chick." Team members naturally gather round to hear Paul's interview and it's clear how much respect they hold him in. How will it feel not to have him around in person? Commercial Interior Design: You're going to Miami – is this going to be a permanent move? Paul Bishop: "Yes, I'm spending a bit of time to head up the offi ce in Miami so I've actually drawn a line in the sands and said we're heading out on the seventh. "The offi ce is all ready to rock and roll over there and the team was out a few weeks back, you know we're looking at lining up some projects over there so it's good just to spearhead that for a bit until we've got the team in place and yes, I'll be fl ying back every month." CID: So what's the vibe like in the US at the moment compared to here, both in terms of the interior design industry and how they're handling Covid? PB: "Miami is a completely different jam. Compared to the rest of the States, I think it's really relaxed. F&B is core and hospitality is core over them. Miami seems to be the new destination in the whole of the US. Everyone's coming from New York and LA. It's got this amazing vibe. A lot of companies, a lot of F&B venues from here and the UK are all sort of migrating there." Mehmet Aktash: "We've been talking to people, they're like, you're exactly what Miami needs, which is great to hear. Because it's fl attering for us to be considered in that sort of light as well, especially with people in the industry that so yeah, it's gonna be exciting. So we've got the offi ce set up. But there's no furniture Yeah. We're interior designers, and it's not furnished." CID: Why Miami? PB: "Why not? I mean, the fi rm's here and what we do here is second to none. It's phenomenal the work we do here and we work 24/7, so why wouldn't we transplant? I think we have the right attitude and the offi ce being in Dubai, we're nine hours ahead of the rest of the US as well. So we have a constant 24 hour work ethic over there as well." MA: "I think our style also suits what's happening over there, where we are quite productive, and very different in our approach. So I think that lends itself well." CID: What will be the main differences between being a designer in Miami and a designer in Dubai?Next >