< PreviousDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com August 2020 10 Fashion store by 4SPACE is designed with no cash desk The 140 square metre retail space for Tutus Kurniati at Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah specialises in luxury resort wear, but it's missing one element that you'd typically see in a fashion store. In a cash-free COVID future, Dubai-based interiors agency 4SPACE designed Tutus Kurniati with no cash desk. Instead a multi-purpose wall combines signage, display shelving and seating that take on the shape of waves, which is where customers can sit and make their payments via iPad. Tech-savvy customers are also catered for with an Instagram booth inspired by beach-side showers, with neon signage and lighting carefully selected to create the perfect selfi e. The store's interiors were inspired by trip to the seaside. On the fl oor, sustainable terrazzo represents the sands and rocks. Shunning the obvious golden sand and sea blue, 4SPACE focused on cherry blossom pink as the feature colour. Just like when you're on the beach, it gives relaxation and tenderness, say the designers. Italian designer Gaetano Pesce's 'feminist' chair UP at BurJuman Italian designer Gaetano Pesce's creation UP was fi rst released in 1969 and has continued to spark debate on prejudice, inequality and oppression faced by women. Its distinctive curvy design is on display at BurJuman in collaboration with Belgian chocolate maker, Leonidas Dubai until September 5. The designer – who received awards including the Italian Cultural Institute Lifetime Achievement Award – maintained the chair and accompanying Ottoman, resembling a ball and chain, symbolised 1970s femininity and gender oppression and that inspiration came to him while squeezing a sponge in the shower. He's since accused feminist protesters of misinterpreting UP and defended the use of synthetic materials in its creation. Furniture brand B&B Italia, which produced UP for Pesce in 1969, recently celebrated 50 years of the chair by introducing seven new colourways and there's now a mini-version for kids. Tutus Kurniati has its own Instagram booth UP is in Dubai until SeptemberTrending commercialinteriordesign.com August 2020 12 HEART OF THE BIG APPLE Illustrious interior designers Jean-Louis Deniot and Pierre-Yves Rochon on their parts in revitalising an icon of New York New York's 'unoffi cial palace', the deliciously Art Deco Waldorf Astoria New York is being renovated. Commercial Interior Design meets the men spearheading the interiors of the project, which will see the block reborn as 375 condominium residences and the 375-key Waldorf Astoria New York hotel, with Rochon behind the hotel's interiors and Deniot taking care of the residences. Please tell us some background about the Waldorf Astoria New York project and how the partnership came about? Pierre-Yves Rochon: I've loved this hotel for a long time, especially its size and proportions, the beautiful American 1930s design, and of course its location on Park Avenue. When my wife and I visited 35 years ago, I said to her that I would be very happy if one day I could work on the interiors of this project, and 35 years later, here I am. The ownership group knew of our work on other iconic, historic hotels such as the Four Seasons George V Paris and the Savoy in London. They asked what our vision might be to re-imagine the hotel, and we participated in a design competition so they could visualise the potential. In the end, they felt inspired by our design the sense of luxury and our visions for bringing the standards of the hotel to contemporary hospitality and design. What were the challenges and opportunities with this project and renovation of historic spaces generally? Jean-Louis Denoit: I took inspiration from the historical interior of the Waldorf Astoria, created in the 1930's, which was inspired by European style and standards – it is almost Art Deco, yet echoes Louis XVI style. The Waldorf Astoria was extremely French, to the extent that they installed French Trending 13 August 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com chandeliers, French neo-classical furnishing and so on, but there was a paradox within this inspiration; the Louis XVI period was set in the 1770's, more than 160 years before construction of the Waldorf Astoria in New York had even begun. Pierre Yves-Rochon: The biggest challenge, of course, was to respect the spirit and heritage of the building while bringing new life to the hotel. We wanted to elevate the character of the Waldorf and bring new excitement for today's guests - similar to the way it moved people when it fi rst opened. My vision for the historic renovation, in the public spaces and the hotel rooms, was twofold. In the hotel, we removed a number of rooms to make way for the residences, and so we were able to redesign all of the room confi gurations. One of the most luxurious features of Waldorf Astoria New York is the space. The new hotel guestrooms will be 600 square feet ft or larger, and the new suites will be anywhere from 900 square feet to almost 2,400 square feet. The second is the design of the rooms, we wanted to make the hotel suites feel like residential apartments, so that when you are in your room – it feels like your own home, with a beautiful entrance, a walk-in dressing room and a spacious bathroom like no other. The style of the rooms will be classic and elegant, to refl ect the hotel in its prime. We did not want to destroy the spirit of the Waldorf Astoria, we wanted to respect its iconic and historic status. What we have created in the hotel is far more like a private apartment on Park Avenue for future guests, than any other typical hotel room. In terms of the public spaces, we understand our responsibility for this project because we know how loved the Waldorf Astoria in New York is around the world, and locally. For me, I see it as my duty to create a design that pays homage to its history. We worked with the architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to keep as much as we can of the past, for example we will work to give the famous ballroom a new lease on life, and the clock in Peacock Alley will remain as an iconic element to the entrance on both Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue. How has the approach changed towards renovating historic interiors? Jean-Louis Denoit: When renovating communal spaces particularly, it is essential that you are playing with the design to ensure they retain their historic essence but equally deliver the contemporary guests desire for versatility. A fantastic example is The Dining Room, a very chic, grand room that originally had a very awkward architecture because not all of the windows were symmetrical. In order to create balance within the space I played with the horizontal elements as playing with the verticality would mean that this imbalance would be exemplifi ed. I played with refl ective surfaces at eye level so that when you're having dinner you have the impression of the infi nite... There is always something beyond. Pierre Yves-Rochon: We try to focus designing with respect and authenticity while doing everything we can to make the experience better than it was before. Sometimes this can be more important to consider than what a space used to be and trying too much to hold onto the past. We can change the function of a particular room to make it more useful and impactful for today's guests, and still honour the As it was in 1931 Jean-louis denoit Interior designer for the 375 luxury residences Pierre Yves Rochon Creating contemporary interiors for the hotel original spirit and design character. It is important never to forget history, but we should view it through a modern, more forward-thinking lens. What's your favourite part of The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria in New York? Jean-Louis Denoit: It really was a dream to work on The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria and be part of such a major renovation for New York, as the building is part of the city's heritage. It is such an iconic hotel, which has welcomed the world's most glamorous guests from Queen Elizabeth II to Marilyn Monroe. The building itself had so many unique stories – one of my favourite was the original retractable skylight in the former ballroom. When I saw it I was instantly inspired to create something that had never existed before at the Waldorf Astoria: a swimming pool. I wanted to bring a slight feminine note so my fi rst starting point was a 1930's art deco Japanese Kimono. I used the abstract fl ower of the kimono as an inspiration for the ceiling grill design, as well as the fl oor mosaic around the pool, in order to introduce an Asian Art Deco fl avour. I created the sets of columns cladded with fl uted Raku ceramics – a Japanese enameled tiling technique – and designed all the content to give the impression that you are in a pool area but it almost feels as though you are in a ballroom, as though you are swimming in it. What is gorgeous is that when you are swimming during the day you have the Trending commercialinteriordesign.com August 2020 14 beautiful New York sun shining down on you, and as the day passes, you can continue swimming under the New York stars. There is very rarely a chance to swim and look at the stars all at once in New York City, which is what makes this such an exceptional experience. Are there any buildings on your bucket list that you would love to renovate? Pierre-Yves Rochon: We like to work on projects that allow us to think in new ways and learn about other cultures, people and local stories, whether it's a modern skyscraper or a historic landmark. This doesn't have to be only hotels – it could be museums, shops, yachts, airplanes, or a blend of more than one thing. We recently completed the new Boucheron fl agship boutique in Paris, a historic mansion where they decided to combine a luxury jewellery store with a private hospitality suite on the top fl oor. It was a unique project and interesting to combine different functions while respecting the historic integrity of the building. The UK's Queen Elizabeth II arrives Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III Inside the new Waldorf Astoria DIFC Closer to home, the Waldorf Astoria DIFC captures a slice of the Big Apple to channel 1950s and '60s Madison and 5th Avenue. The hotel occupies the 18th-55th fl oors of the imposing Burj Daman building in Dubai's fi nancial centre, where its signature restaurant Bull & Bear pays homage to the panache and elegance of the Manhattan original. SRSS led interior design for the property, which is the fi rst Waldorf Astoria city hotel in the UAE, while LW Design Group handled the design for Bull & Bear and pool bar St Trop. Bull & Bear restaurantBradley ad__MULTI_Intl_CID_Aug_2020_205x275mm_rev0720_outlines.indd 1Bradley ad__MULTI_Intl_CID_Aug_2020_205x275mm_rev0720_outlines.indd 17/15/2020 6:19:56 AM7/15/2020 6:19:56 AMOpinion commercialinteriordesign.com August 2020 16 Taking it slowly Philipe van der Loo of Quooker Taps on why the drive for sustainability should speed up Sustainability is the ability to exist constantly, and in turn it relates to the ability of human civilisation and nature to coexist. There is often a misconception about sustainable design, with it perceived as solely being about how environmentally friendly a product is. But is not only about that, one also needs to take into consideration the longevity of the product – how long it will last as a product and as a design piece. I strongly believe a great example of sustainable design is seen in iconic Scandinavian brands, where we see form versus function as the core value and where a product is designed with durability and longevity in mind – creating timeless pieces, made using high-quality materials that are often passed down through generations among families – turning products into treasured heirlooms. When we ask clients, price and ease of buying is still the main motivation for them when making their purchase decision, but the growing awareness of sustainability is driving clients to want to learn more about how, where and by whom the products they are purchasing are being made. Even if being sustainability is not their main priority, knowing that their purchase will be doing good for another individual and to our planet, is an attractive, satisfying feeling for many consumers. Clients need to know and feel that by making these small changes in their habits and consumer behaviors, they are helping to drive change towards a sustainable and interior industry. As a result, manufacturers are beginning to develop products that are sustainable in a wider sense: sustainable economically, environmentally and socially. Climate change is upon us and is showing no immediate signs of slowing down. We must make conscious choices on an individual level in order to collectively expedite its prevention. To make it simple: we must consume less and make conscious choices. One major issue is the excessive consumption of single-use plastic, especially bottled water, which are future because in the end, it is up to each and every individual to make a change. It is with great thanks to the Slow Movement, which came about as a counter-reaction to the increasingly fast-paced, unsustainable way we were living and consuming in that was causing deterioration in so many aspects. With its focus on our need to slow down, the Slow Movement encourages people to start becoming more aware of consuming consciously. Everything slow and made mindfully is considered to be favorable. In turn, we have seen it affect the food, fashion About the author Philipe van der Loo, is MD of Quooker Emirates, which produces taps that provide fi ltered water – from chilled to boiling and even sparkling – so users can reduce plastic consumptionOpinion 17 August 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com Our industry could change for the better with some self- evaluation Quooker taps problematic in several aspects. Firstly, single-use plastic often ends up in landfi lls which severely pollute the earth as most plastics in use today are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and are nearly indestructible. It is nearly impossible to decompose PET plastics because most bacteria cannot break them down. UV-light from the sun can break plastic down, but it takes a very long time. Secondly, there are plastic toxins that could be released from the bottles into the water people are consuming that can then make their way into your bloodstream, potentially causing a host of problems including various cancers as well as liver and kidney damage. Unfortunately, most bottled water manufacturers still do not prioritise the use of BPA-free and recycled plastic as these would increase manufacturing prices. These are important facts that people are not aware of, they're not only threatening the health of our planet, but humans, too. Although it might feel like luxury to have fi ltered boiling, chilled and sparkling water on tap, a Quooker tap is a sustainable purchase. We strive for sustainability in all fi elds, with people and protection of the planet at the forefront of our minds. In 2016, our premises were rebuilt and covered with 900 solar panels. This supplies all of our energy needs. In our Return and Recover departments, we recycle old products and manage our waste fl ows in a sustainable way, in compliance with the Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act.In the studio commercialinteriordesign.com August 2020 18 IN THE STUDIO WITH... Architect Nisreen Kayyali Tell us about you and your fi rm I'm Nisreen Kayyali, founder of Nisreen Kayyali Consulting Engineers. I've been in the industry for over 23 years and moved from Jordan to the UAE in 2014. Describe your studio... My offi ce is in Business Bay in the Binary Building. It's a modern, minimalistic open space that is comfortable to be in because of the view. Are you back in the studio or still working from home? In the studio. Working from home doesn't work. My team and I need to be in the same space because our work is interconnected. There can be more than fi ve people working on one project at the same time so it's challenging and time consuming to communicate if each one of us was at home. We also enjoy the human interaction. How does your day at work typically start? Every day is different and brings with it new and exciting challenges. I usually start my work quite early, plan my day, and make sure that the most urgent work gets done fi rst. Every morning I have one-on-one time with my team and check on work that's been done and what needs to be completed that day, and see if there is anything I can help with. I then take time to check my emails and make phone calls to update my clients on their projects. The rest of the day is a mix of designing, management of my company and meetings with clients. I particularly enjoy meeting new people and then creating the vision of their dream home. What are you working on right now? At the moment we're working on a large number of different projects at the same time, which is normally the case. Most are private villas and we're also working on a low-rise residential building. One of our interesting projects is a villa, which is around 30,000 square feet, where we are combining modern architecture style with Arabic and Islamic touches. We've also taken on the challenge of creating an open space that allows in light and has a beautiful view but at the same time is private and secure. The challenge with the building is making sure we optimise the space well and at the same time create a layout that suits the lifestyle of the people that will live in the apartments; making sure we allocate correct spaces for the kitchen, dining space, storage and enough closet space. This is a big mistake I see in apartments in many buildings and try to avoid in my designs. What are the high points and challenges of the day? Don't we all wish there were more hours in the day? The challenge is completing my projects in a timely manner while giving my client the home of their dreams by being creative and innovative in order for them to build their dream home at a reasonable cost. Pleasing my clients is my top priority but doing that on a limited budget in the fastest time frame is a challenge that I will always be up for. To see the sparkle in my client's eyes when they see their drawings is why I love my job. When people appreciate what you do and express their joy it always feels good, of course. How and where do you seek inspiration? Inspiration is everywhere! In nature, paintings, sculptures and even music. Inspiration for a new project often comes from unexpected places at unexpected times. In order to be creative you need to have an open and receptive mind. Of course, the space surrounding the location is always an important factor in the way I even start thinking about the design. I tend to get a lot of inspiration from my travels. It exposes me to different architectural styles and different uses of materials. Everything inspires me. Whatever I see, whether in real life or digitally I link to my work. The digital world has given us a brilliant tool to explore and get inspired. What's on your desk? What are you listening to? I'm one of the few people that prefer not to listen to music while I'm working. Although I love music very much, I prefer to have a quiet space to work and allow my thoughts to inspire me. On my desk I will always have my computer, lots and lots of pens and pencils, a scale, a calculator and drawings of course. Sometimes a big part of my desk will have piles of samples of fi nishing materials. The one very important thing I've added on my desk is a large hand sanitiser. Tell us three bookmarks on your browser Pinterest, Houzz and Architectural Digest. And three must-follows on design industry social media It has to be @NisreenKayyali, @HOUZZ and @archdaily What do you love about your offi ce space? And is there anything you would change? I love our space because it's open, comfortable and allows enough light to enter the studio. We're one team enjoying each other's company. There's a stunning view from our offi ce. One of which is The Opus, a building designed by Zaha Hadid. I'd love a bigger space because my team is growing, and we will need to expand the space at some point. What's the last thing you do before you call it a day and leave the offi ce? Before I head off I make sure I've achieved everything on my checklist and check on the team again. Then, I roughly think of what needs to be done the next day and try and prepare for it before leaving. Petals and pictures19 August 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com Nisreen has a studio in Dubai's Business Bay Happy D.2 Plus. Shape, colour and comfort. Current trends unified in one new bathroom series: an iconic design of harmonious rounded corners. Anthracite Matt sophisticatedly combined or expressively contrasting. Light or dark wood tones, satin matt fi nishes, gently sliding handleless pull-out compartments with self-closing and interior lighting. Design by sieger design. More bathroom design www.duravit.com Computers, pens, but no music?Next >