March 2022 Vol.18 Issue 03 An ITP Media Group Publication PLUS: THE POWER PANELS + SURFACE TRENDS + UNIQUE FF&E DESIGN ' S GREENER GENDER? March 2022 Vol.18 Issue 03 The essential guide for Middle East interior design professionals COMMERCIAL Interior design An ITP Media Group publicationWall: IRISH XL, NEUTRA CONCRETE Counter Wall: IRISH XL Floor: NEUTRA CONCRETEContents 3 March 2022 commercialinteriordesign.com IN THIS ISSUE NEWS & REGULARS 08 DESIGN NEWS A new category for this year's CID Awards, plus our fi rst Power Panels keynote is confi rmed & inside Museum of the Future FEATURES 12 NEW BLU FIRST VIEW Dubai's historic fi rst ever fi ve-star hotel is restored and reimagined into the 21st century by Lulie Fisher Design Studio 16 WOMEN IN DESIGN Are women more suited to sustainable design & architecture? Over 20 interviews, we explore the issue, plus, how Expo 2020 Dubai is building a legacy of empowerment 08 12Contents commercialinteriordesign.com March 2022 4 SPECIAL REPORT: SURFACE DESIGN 34 AGAINST THE GRAIN History and nature meet in a new porcelain stoneware collection by Ceramiche Refi n 36 BACK OF THE NETTE Love for the surface elements at H2R Design's restaurant in a trendy padel club 38 SINGAPORE TO DXB Comparing textures with Kanika Puri, new design director at dwp's Dubai studio 40 SUPPLIERS SPECIAL The fi rms bringing the fi nishing touches to hospitality projects and so much more WORLD VIEW 42 ON FIRE London's unorthodox upcyclers at BURNT Furniture Ltd debut their fi rst collection 46 DREAM WORLD Escape to a fantasy designed for Green Massage in Shanghai by Vermilion Zhou LAST WORD 50 DESIRED OBJECT Gustave Eiffel's wrought iron lattice tower was inaugurated in Paris this month, 1889 36 46 42Surface Solutions, Designed By Nature TOLL FREE 800 GLAZE (45293) | TEL: +971 6 5353 123 (SHARJAH) | TEL: +971 2 5502 390 (ABU DHABI) | MAIL: info@glaze.ae www.glaze.ae/ MARBLE | GRANITE | QUARTZITE | ONYX | TRAVERTINE | LIMESTONE | PRECIOUS STONEEditor's letter commercialinteriordesign.com March 2022 6 Jane O'Neill Editor Women's world Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek by Lulie Fisher Design Studio March is the month where we celebrate women in design with even more fervour than we do the rest of the year round. Our cover feature for this issue asks women designers and architects to talk about sustainability in their professions. We also hear from the women who helped build Expo Dubai 2020, which draws to close this month, on 31 March. The six-month Expo has given us much to marvel at and builds on a long-legacy of introducing new architectural and design concepts to the world. Our Desired Object for this month is the Eiffel Tower, which, in 1889, was built for a World Fair (the forerunner to today's Expos). It remains the tallest tower in Paris, France, and is nicknamed 'La dame de fer' (French for 'Iron Lady') – making it another strong woman. Our First Look for March is a project by a woman-owned design studio. Lulie Fisher Design Studio restored the interiors of Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek, bringing Dubai's fi rst-ever fi ve star hotel bang up to date with a sensitive restoration ahead of its Jubilee. From the 1970s to the very latest in surface design, with a special report on the same, packed with case studies local and international, an opinion piece and a new product launch that's a clever blend of history and the latest technology. As always, we hope you enjoy! Published by and © 2022 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC. PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve EDITORIAL Group Editor Carla Sertin Editor Jane O'Neill Tel: +971 4 444 3626 email: jane.oneill@itp.com ART Art Director Amjad Ayche email: amjad.ayche@itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Director, Design Rebecca Lockwood Tel: +971 4 444 3268 email: rebecca.lockwood@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor Staff Photographers Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Coordinator Manoj Mahadevean CIRCULATION Distribution and Circulation Manager Evijin Pathrose Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP GROUP CEO: Ali Akawi CFO: Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions 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.Advertorial 7 March 2022 commercialinteriordesign.com CASA MILANO: REDEFINING NEXT-GEN LUXURY D rawing on inspiration across the design spectrum from older traditional fi nishes to modern styles, Casa Milano has created unique living experiences and redefi ned luxury since its launch in 2019. Featuring some of the world's best brands like Versace, Devon & Devon, Roberto Cavalli, Cristal & Bronze and Maison Valentina, Casa Milano's showrooms are a luxury destination for designers and homeowners who are planning to build or refurbish their living spaces. Casa Milano's second branch – the largest luxury showroom in the UAE – in Abu Dhabi provides diversifi ed solutions for outdoor spaces with landscaping and pool solutions, unique indoor spaces with Parquet, and designer kitchens. As the next step in the business, director Mohammed Azhar Sajan is targeting the e-commerce space with a soon-to-be-launched dedicated website and a mobile app. The entirely customisable CM engineered curve fl oor TWO TYPES OF FLOORING PRO- VIDED BY CASA MILANO: TER HURNE OAK MALAGA VINYL The ter Hurne vinyl fl oors are unique in its offering and meet all the criteria for low- emission living. The luxury vinyl fl ooring does not contain any plasticisers – a substance added to a material to make it softer and more fl exible – containing harmful phthalates. Instead, the Oak Malaga Vinyl fl oors use a natural bio-based oil obtained from soya beans, which also positively affects room climate. Easy to care for and clean, the German brand's vinyl fl oors provide a pleasant, quiet and soft experience. Each plank guarantees that the surface and the décor image are protected through an extra thick wear layer, taking water, dirt and even dogs' paw marks in its stride. CM ENGINEERED CURVE Casa Milano's engineered curve fl oor, manufactured in Europe, is entirely customisable. It comes in 12 unique curved boards that fi t together to make an eight square metre module which is repeated in four directions. Each board is 2.5 metres long and is available in three widths between 300 and 380mm. ter Hurne vinyl fl ooring: the comfort fl oor with the strength of the soya beanDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com March 2022 8 Museum of the Future opens its doors in Dubai and sells tickets The much-anticipated opening of the Dubai's Museum of the Future has revealed amazing interiors and striking architecture by Killa Design. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, shared a new fi rst look inside the landmark building through its offi cial Instagram channel. Inside the Museum of the Future has fl oors dedicated to different experiences. Three fl oors have immersive exhibitions that are focused on the potential futures of outer space, health and wellbeing, ecosystems and bioengineering. There is a fl oor dedicated to highlighting pioneering tech that seeks to solve issues related to food, water, health, transportation and energy. The last fl oor is for kids to explore and solve challenges. Tickets to enter the attraction towering over Sheikh Zayed Road are on sale now, priced AED 145, at www.motf.ae Commercial Interior Design Awards open for 2022 Nominations open this month for the Commercial Interior Design Awards' 16th edition, set to take place in September. We've already announced a switch-up ahead of the ceremony as Interior Design of the Year – Public Sector is now Interior Design of the Year – Health & Wellness. When accessing the nominations website, you'll see that the category has been redefi ned to include projects that fall within the scope of health and wellness, which includes gyms, spas, hospitals, healthcare settings and similar locations. Also new for 2022 is an 18th category for the awards, recognising arts in the commercial interior design sector. Best Use of Art in a Commercial Interior Design Projects seeks to recognise the talented art consulants and artists of any medium working with commercial interior designers the MENA region. Head to the CID Awards section of our homepage for full details. To sponsor the CID Awards 2022 and avail a huge package of benefits, please contact Rebecca Lockwood on +971 55 484 8301 or email rebecca.lockwood@itp.com Inside the Museum of the Future The hall awaits guests at the 2021 awardsDesign news 9 March 2022 commercialinteriordesign.com Depa was part of the Burj Khalifa build TECTUS® THE COMPLETELY CONCEALED HINGE SYSTEM TECTUS® g high load capacities up to 300 kg g maintenance-free slide bearing technology g three-dimensional adjustability g opening angle 180° g wide variety of fi nishes SIMONSWERK GmbH (DMCC Branch) Unit No 2005, JBC-1 Building Cluster G, JLT, Dubai www.simonswerk.com New in the PRODUCTSELECTOR 3D CAD Depa plans Saudi expansion as PIF takes controlling share of the design contractor The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, will take a controlling stake in interior design and speciality contractor Depa. Depa, one of the leading global interior solutions groups in UAE, announced that it has entered into a defi nitive subscription agreement with the KSA PIF. As per the agreement, PIF, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia will make a cash investment of AED 150,000,000 in Depa in return for the allotment of 750,000,000 new Class A or 'subscription shares – shares that investors have promised to buy. These shares are usually subscribed as part of an initial public offering (IPO). The proceeds will also be used to recapitalise the business and provide additional working capital with which Depa hopes to deliver both its existing projects and future projects comfortably. The transaction is conditional on, amongst other things, a waiver from Nasdaq Dubai and is subject to Depa shareholders' approval of certain resolutions. The approvals require 75% or more of the shareholders present in person or by proxy in the general assembly. "This transaction provides an exciting opportunity for Depa PLC," said Abdullah Al Mazrui, non-executive chairman at Depa, which is headquartered in Dubai. Depa's best-known past projects in Dubai include the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, and Dubai's Atlantis resort on man-made archipelago Palm Jumeirah.Next >