< PreviousFeature name/subject commercialinteriordesign.com April 2020 20Feature name/subject 21 April 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com At the beginning of 2020, the UAE was expected to be responsible for 42% of the GCC's fit- out spend. Shining a light on the companies that bring incredible design projects to life, we profile 23 of the region's leading fit- out firms.commercialinteriordesign.com June 2020 22 1 NEED TO KNOW: Based in Al Barsha, Dubai, Al Tayer Stocks employs some 650 people directly and is headed up by CEO Ian Milford. As well as the space in Dubai, there are offi ces in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and a new offi ce in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fi rm specialises in interior fi t- out, focusing on hotel refurbishments, technology, healthcare, entertainment, offi ces, education, F&B, retail and residential projects. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Perhaps the most exciting upcoming project is with Dubai Fu- ture Foundation on the fi t-out of the iconic Museum of the Future Building in Dubai. Recent big projects include the guestroom and suite refurbishment of Atlantis, the Al Tayer Stocks LLC 2 NEED TO KNOW: Employing around 1,000 staff, ALEC FITOUT's general manager is Laurent Farge and is based in Dubai, with sites located on different project. The fi rm specialises in the fi t-out and refurbishment ALEC FITOUT Palm (which was completed fi ve months ahead of schedule) and The W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, which was turned around in three-months, in time for the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Founder's Offi ce in Abu Dhabi is another impressive space, created as a work environment to continue the legacy of the UAE's founding father, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. More upcoming work includes EY and PWC, as well as the offi ce fi t-out for Google. WWW.ALTAYERSTOCKS.COM and fi t-out solutions at the EXPO 2020 site, including the Mobility Pavilion Exhibition, KSA Pavilion, Opportunity Pavilion Exhibition, Vision Pavilion, as well as the DP World Pavilion fi t-out and build of the ENOC Pavilion. The fi rm's core business is luxury fi ve star hotel fi t-out and recently completed projects include The Address Sky Views Tower, the Waldorf Astoria DIFC, a project that included 275 luxury guestrooms, suites and branded apartments, a wellness spa, diverse restaurants and lounges with indoor/outdoor dining options and fl exible, creative meeting spaces including a library with open kitchen. Covering 35,000 squared metres, the scope included fi t out, MEP, FF&E, kitchen equipment, AV, and structural and façade reworking. ALEC also has a long working relationship with DAEP, delivering a variety of fi t out and refurbishment solutions at Dubai International Airport. Future work includes the fi t-out package for all guestrooms and suites at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Wasl Tower in Dubai, featuring 257 guestrooms, suites and serviced apartments. WWW.ALECFITOUT.AE of fi ve star hotels and resorts, as well as cultural, immersive and luxury mixed-use developments in the MENA region. ALEX is knows for delivering high-quality fi t-out and refurbishment solutions at a cost- effective budget by value engineering. The scope can include fi t-out, FF&E, AV Technology and MEP and civil works, if required. NOTABLE PROJECTS: ALEC FITOUT teams are delivering a variety of immersive, cultural and technology led construction 23 June 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com 3 NEED TO KNOW: A fi rm based in Dubai's Bash Hesnef Interiors Design LLC 4 NEED TO KNOW: This Dubai-based fi rm employs 110 staff and specialises in G+1 general contracting, turnkey interior fi t-out (with in-house MEP and joinery works), furniture, fi xtures and equipment, and lighting. Hisham Zaher is general manager and founder and the company also has an Abu Dhabi branch and is licensed to work in the UAE capital, including Al Ain, and the Western Region. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Blue Camel has Blue Camel Design LLC Work-Play' spaces, designed with a clear focus on teams and productivity but with a relaxed mandate for places that employees will enjoy their time working. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Specialising in the area it does, Bash Hesnef has multiple projects around Dubai Media City, including Roland Berger's HQ Innovation Hub, with more coming up this year, as well as more than 30,000 square feet of gym space to work on before the end of 2020 and new fi t-outs for the Loft 5th Avenue Group. Bash Hesnef recently completed a 10,000 sq ft offi ce for Geometry Global on Sheikh Zayed Road, which has gained plaudits among the company's 42-strong array of offi ces worldwide, as well as redesign and branding for Bakemart Group and F-Marts, and almost 30,000 sq ft of offi ce space for companies such as Asda'a BCW, Partnership and Y&R Dubai. WWW.BASHHESNEF.COM. recently been awarded the contract for the east wing presidential penthouse at Serenia Residences on Palm Jumeirah and is working with IQOS Middle East on its new store at Dubai Mall. There are also projects in the pipeline at Dubai Airports, such as Air Canada Offi ces and Marhaba Lounge renovation. There is also ongoing work with real estate developer The First Group and the fi rm's affi liates on front of house public areas and restaurants at The One Marina Hotel, Skybay Hotel and Dolphin Towers in Business Bay. Previous notable work includes more work with Dubai Airports, including the new Smoking Lounge at Terminal 3 and a VVIP residential villa at Dubai Hills and the north presidential penthouse at Serenia The Palm. Another project is Switch Restaurant at Mirdif City Center, which is the fi rst F&B design project from Karim Rashid in the Middle East. Barsha Heights, Mohammed Basheer's Bash Hesnef employs 75 people, among them interior architects and designers, an in-house MEP design team and a department dedicated to obtaining government approvals for projects. The fi rm also has a joinery factory in Al Barsha and provides bespoke joinery for all its projects and specialises in 'Think-commercialinteriordesign.com June 2020 24 6 NEED TO KNOW: Headed up by founder Peter Bruce and MD Michael Melnick, BW employs 1,450 people over its sites across the UAE. There's a base in Al Quoz as well as two joinery factories, a marble and stone facility in Al Hamriya, an upholstery division in Dubai Investments Park, as well as an electro-mechanical division, metal and glass works and gypsum and other fi nishing trades all taken care of in-house. The fi rm specialises in all facets of superior quality interior fi t-out works, including food and beverage venues, high- end residential, hospitality, commercial offi ces and retail outlets. NOTABLE PROJECTS: In the pipeline is the Arts Club, a prestigious social venue set over four fl oors in the new IDC Brookfi eld place development in DIFC, including restaurants, lounges and a rooftop terrace. It's for celebrity clients. Over the past two decades, BW has BW Interiors worked on an incredible array of local and international projects, including Zuma, Coya, Il Borro, Flamingo Room, LPM Restaurant & Bar, Nusr-et and Avli in the F&B sector, as well as commercial offi ce fi t-outs such as Legatum, Oracle, Deutsche Bank , Richemont ROC facility and a recently completed new broadcast and offi ce facility for a multi-national corporation, which is soon to open. It is spread over several fl oors and incorporates several broadcast studios, sound and light control rooms, offi ces, IT and equipment rooms, as well as common spaces and meeting rooms. One of the most technically advanced projects of its kind in the region, it required a high level of skill and coordination to bring to fruition. WWW.BWINTERIORS.AE 5 NEED TO KNOW: This huge fi rm is headed up by Saad Moaswes and is based in Dubai Internet City. It employs 2,000 across the globe, with a head offi ce in Sharjah, branch in Abu Dhabi and duct manufacturing factory in Ajman. Elsewhere there are engineering branches in Philippines and India, a representative offi ce in Milan and a Bond Interiors sourcing offi ce in China. The company specialises in high-end interior fi t-outs for the hospitality, retail, residential and offi ce sectors. All manufacturing is done in-house, under one roof. NOTABLE PROJECTS: There are some huge projects in Dubai with Bond Interiors fi t-outs, including ME by Melia Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and Palazzo Versace hotels, Armani and Burberry stores in Dubai Mall and the city's Mastercard headquarters. Coming up, the fi rm is working on the new SLS hotel in Business Bay, as well as the upcoming St. Regis hotel The Palm Tower on Palm Jumeirah. WWW.BONDINTERIORS.COM 25 June 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com 7 Depa NEED TO KNOW: A Nasdaq Dubai listed fi rm, Depa employs 5,600 people and has offi ces in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany, Bangladesh, Morocco and India as well as owning ten state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Germany, the UAE, Egypt, Singapore, China and Malaysia, which have facilities for stone, marble, joinery, FF&E and Metal Work. The fi rm specialises in interior fi t-out and FF&E. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Some of the biggest projects out there, including the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Presidential Palace and Dubai Metro, as well as working on Dubai Opera, Dubai Airport, Atlantis, the Palm, Kapsarc in KSA with Zaha Hadid, Mandarin Oriental Dubai and Address Fountain Views. Upcoming projects include one in Abu Dhabi with Fosters and Partners, one in Dubai with Caletrava, two new Address Hotels and a high-rise luxury hospitality project next to DIFC. WWW.DEPA.COM. 8 NEED TO KNOW: The fi rm was formed in 2012 by founders Geetha Nayak and Pratap Mendonca. In the past eight years, the team has grown from the two architects who founded the fi rm to more than 400 people including interior specialists, project managers, MEP engineers and quantity surveyors. As well as the corporate head offi ce in Dubai and two further branches in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah along with a 30,000 square feet joinery facility in Dubai Investments Park that helps clients realise their vision by providing bespoke interior services and producing intricate fi t-out works. There is a separate division for metal and glass works meaning the fi rm can customise wood and joinery works, furniture, metal and glass design pieces for clients and their fi t-out projects. Design Infi nity provides a complete range of high-end interior services and Design Infi nity LLC turnkey solutions for commercial offi ces across various sectors and is owned and operated by a highly experienced team of interiors specialists who plan, design and build commercial interiors. The fi rm specialises in large-scale fi t-out and design projects, focusing on ensuring full satisfaction for clients and always delivering on-time completion of projects. There's a strong emphasis on health, safety, quality and environmental policies and practices in place. NOTABLE PROJECTS: One project Design Infi nity is proud of is Provis and Khidmah headquarters in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, which has recently received platinum LEED Platinum Certifi cation. Going forward, the fi rm intends to incorporate sustainability in all its projects. Recent projects include Samba Bank, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, Zayed University Innovation Centre and Novotel Hotel. Future projects are primarily catering to the banking, corporate, universities and the hospitality sector. WWW.DESIGN-INFINITY.COMcommercialinteriordesign.com June 2020 26 10 NEED TO KNOW: Based in D3and headed up by Ahmed A. Sultan, Finasi employs 150 people and has a metal workshop in Rashidiya as well as carpentry in Dubai Investments Park.The fi rm specialises in high-end fi t-outs, joinery, wardrobes and kitchens and has exclusive distribution of brands such as ArmaniCasa, Gandia Blasco, Molteni&C and Dad. Finasi LLC 11 NEED TO KNOW: More than 1,200 people are employed by Havelock One, which is based in Dubai's Al Barsha area, with a 300,000 square feet operations hub and factory for metalwork and joinery in Bahrain and further offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The fi rm's managing director is Syed Kashif Akhtar and group operations director is Firas Alayed. Over the past 20 years, Havelock One has grown into a serious interior contracting and manufacturing player, offering full turnkey interior contracting services, supported Havelock One Interiors by an in-house manufacturing facility that supplies joinery, decorative metal works for projects across the globe. NOTABLE PROJECTS: In Kuwait, works at the Burj Alshaya, including the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait and Alshaya Group Corporate headquarters. In Saudi Arabia, Havelock One has worked with high-profi le developer RAFAL Real Estate Development. There are fl agship stores for dunhill, Abercrombie and Fitch, VaVaVoom, Raqtan, Al Fardan and Al Zain Jewellery, as well as the Harvey Nichols store in Kuwait. There has also been turnkey fi t- out for six VOX Cinemas with a seventh almost complete and rebranding and branch network renovation for National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), as well as work for government agencies and ministries in the region. The fi rm has also manufactured the shop fi ttings for more than 1,100 Starbucks, 300 Mothercare and 175 Boots stores. Smaller scale brands include Jo Malone, Charlotte Tilbury, Debenhams, NYX, Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's, Asha's and Babel. 9 NEED TO KNOW: The Dubai-based fi rm was established by managing director Michael J. Khoury in 2004 and now has 185 staff across the main offi ce in Business Bay and factory in Dubai Investments Park. The fi rm specialises in high-end fi t- out works in the healthcare, commercial, residential, F&B and leisure sectors. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Some upcoming work in the healthcare and commercial sectors, as well as a high-end residential villa in Bulgary. Other big projects include offi ces for DMC and PepisCo and American Hospital Clinics. WWW.EMKAY-INTERIORS.AE Emkay Interiors NOTABLE PROJECTS: Finasi worked on the fi t-outs of restaurants such as Gaia, Cipriani and Scalini, as well as villa projects on Palm Jumeirah and the Gargash family majlis. Coming up, there's the headquarters of a diamond bank in Nigeria and the International Specialised Hospital in Uganda. WWW.FINASI.AE.27 June 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com 12 NEED TO KNOW: Based on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road in Al Quoz, Inner Space employs 75 staff and is run by founder and CEO Prince George. There are branches in Abu Dhabi, India and Sri Lanka. The fi rm specialises in interior design and fi t-outs. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Inner Space has worked on design and build projects for Arabian Radio Network, DEWA Institute, DEWA Ruwayyah Complex and Rakha Al Khaleej International FZCO in JAFZA. Big fi t-out projects include the Bentley showroom in Abu Dhabi, the Lotus showroom in Dubai and Monty's in The Address Montgomerie. WWW.INNERSPACE.AE. Inner Space Interior Design LLC 13 NEED TO KNOW: With a head offi ce in Jebel Ali Freezone and an offi ce in Abu Dhabi, Summertown Interiors employs some 100 staff and specialises in sustainable commercial offi ces, healthcare, and education fi t out projects. The fi rm's mission is to consistently deliver high-end interior projects on time and within budget, whilst helping companies to achieve their environmental goals, directly resulting in operational savings and a better workspace for employees. The fi rm's managing director is Marcos Bish. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Current work includes fi t-out for Takeda, a global pharmaceutical company, designed by Roar and an offi ce fi t out for a large global insurance company. Other recent work includes Sanofi , a 2,500 square metre workplace in One JLT designed by Bluehaus Group, Smart Dubai Enterprise in Dubai Design District, which entails formal and informal meeting and multi-functional spaces, a café, open plan Summertown Interiors work stations and focused work. It was also designed by Bluehaus Group. And, the 1,300 square metre fi t0out of Endress & Hauser in collaboration with designers SAY Studio and project managers CSQ. The scope of the fi t-out included a reception that incorporated a display area for demo equipment, collaboration zones, various size meeting rooms, open plan work station area, a large multi-functional meeting room and large pantry recreation. WWW.SUMMERTOWN.AEcommercialinteriordesign.com June 2020 28 14 NEED TO KNOW: With a main headquarters in Bay Square in Dubai's Business Bay, Swiss Bureau employs 60 people and was founded by Swiss interior architect Joakim de Rham. The fi rm recently expanded its space, with a new offi ce dedicated to its growing fi t- out department and has had increasing success in exporting designs and services outside of the UAE, with notable new projects in Saudi Arabia. There are plans to establish a new creative branch in the Kingdom to capitalise on the growing market there. With roots as a design fi rm, design is at the core of everything Swiss Bureau does, working in a variety of sectors, including corporate offi ce, residential, F&B, hospitality, and public spaces. The fi rm points to its attention to detail and construction background to develop fi rst-class design packages Swiss Bureau Interior Design 15 Verve Design focused on both aesthetics and functionality. Each design is unique, developed to each client's vision and needs. Swiss Bureau is a complete interior general contractor with an in- house execution team, ensuring projects are executed to the highest standards, respecting the original vision and design. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Swiss Bureau was appointed to design and build a 10,625 square feet offi ce space for Sara Group on Sheikh Zayed Road. There's also the design and build for the refurbishment of offi ces for an exclusive world leadership advisory fi rm, as well as the design and build for the retail and packaging production space and offi ces for a pharmaceutical company in Dubai and the showroom for Kohler. There have been big projects for Nestle and Nissan recently, as wel as the ArabClicks Offi ce, located within Dame Zaha Hadid's The Opus by Omniyat. A design and build project for Property Finder's offi ces won awards, and the work on Revnoic was nominated for the Best Interior Design of the Year: Offi ce award at the CID Awards 2019. WWW.SB-ID.COM. NEED TO KNOW: A growing company, Verve Design is based in Business Bay, Dubai, with a joinery factory in Al Quoz, allowing the fi rm to complete all joinery works in-house. Verve's director is Azeem Mirza and there are 30 employees at present, specialising in interior fi t-out works, project management, design consultation and furniture trading. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Mirza is particularly proud of Verve's work on Consensys MENA's offi ce in Dubai Design District, which emulates the look and feel of an industrial garage. Verve incorporated old offi ce fi xtures to facilitate sustainability and was able to adapt the company's love for rugged aesthetics in a slick and stylish manner without compromising on functionality. The open-plan offi ce is accentuated with glass partitions and columns. The materials used for the fi t-out primarily consisted of steel, glass, aluminium, timber, and recyclable products to create a dynamic design. The resulting space refl ects the core ethos of the company – open, agile, and ever- energetic. Next up is an 18,000 square feet offi ce project for a global fi rm. WWW.VERVEDESIGN.AE 29 June 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com 16 NEED TO KNOW: With a headquarters in Al Quoz 2 in Dubai, Zenith Concepts employs 90 people and is headed up by Nasrudin Parmar. The fi rm's workshop is 24,000 square feet and specialises in upholstery, wooden furniture, corian works, gypsum and painting. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Zentith has worked on men's grooming salon 1847 in Dubai Mall, as well as the showroom for Italian shoe brand Guiseppe Zanotti in the same mall. The company is currently working on Mercedes Benz showrooms in Egypt and Jordan, the new Sisters Beauty Lounge at Mall of the Emirates and the headquarters for Umm Al Quwain Free Zone. WWW.ZENITHFURNOTURE.COM Zenith Concepts Interior Decoration FITTING ADDITIONS Of course, there are plenty of incredible fi t- out fi rms operating in the region, and while this feature is by no means meant to be an exhaustive, there are some others that we think are worth mentioning. First up is Abanos, one of the region's largest interior fi t-out and joinery companies in the UAE, operating since 1985 and with a 1,000-plus workforce. The fi rm, which is based in Dubai Investments Park, offers services including architects, designers and building contractors and projects include Dubai's Studio One hotel. Al Shafar Interiors, part of construction fi rm ASGC, is headed up by managing director Dimitri Papakonstaninou is based in Dubai and has a woodwork factory in Dubai Investments Park. The fi rm specialises in turnkey fi t-outs. Projects include the Sustainability Pavilion for Expo 2020, Indian restaurant Tamba in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai's Coca- Cola Arena in City Walk. Since 2009, A&T Group Interiors, has operated out of the UAE and in the Saudi Arabia and Kuwait markets. Notable projects include CeLaVi in Address Sky View Towers, Farzi Café in Mall of the Emirates and Saya Braserrie Café in Dubai's City Walk. Dufi t Interiors specialises in turnkey solutions in the commercial, healthcare, hospitality and retail sectors, working with the likes of Nakheel, Emaar and Emirates Group on projects across Dubai and is expanding into Saudi Arabia. Another fi rm that continues to innovate and expand is GDM Interiors, under the stewardship of managing director Vishal Motwani. It is a multidisciplinary fi t-out company focusing on the retail, commercial, hospitality, offi ce and residential sectors. The fi rm has more than 100 staff working out of Dubai and has its own workshop. Big projects include Nando's, Magic Planet and ZOOM. The Nail Spa and others that are spread across the F&B, residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors. Headed up by CEO Sean Nicholson, INC Interiors have operated in the UAE since 2008 delivering full turnkey interior solutions covering design, construction, IT and furniture, Projects include KidZania, and offi ces for Deezer. The fi rm is expanding in Dubai and has opened an offi ce in Saudi Arabia. Pinnacle Interiors, headed by founder and managing director Joseph Charles, is an interior design and fi t-out fi rm operating in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and across the UAE. Projects include Toplum restaurant at Mirdif City Centre, offi ces for Dyson and Club Vista Mare in Dubai. Next >