< PreviousDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com September 2020 10 New urban food hall at DIFC's Gate Avenue Inside Dubai International Financial Centre is the emirate's newest addition to the growing global food hall trend. The upscale food court experience is taking cities by storm, offering the developers the opportunity to reclaim undeveloped spaces and showcase artisan food talent. With this aesthetic in mind, designers created a retro-fi tted appearance for the South Market in DIFC's Gate Avenue. Noaf Interiors worked with RMJM and VX Studio to bring to life the 30,000 sq ft project for DIFC Investments. Each of the 15 food stations has been given its own theme and identity, using varying architectural languages and materials, rather than standard branding. The space combines art styled tiles, modern rustic metals, an array of timber detailing, painted black exposed ceilings and polished concrete fl ooring to further evoke the warehouse experience, which Noaf says will "redefi ne" casual dining. Design director launches hospitality practice Former dwp director and global head of hospitality, Justin Wells, has founded his own "agile global design company." Based in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Wells International has a 30-strong team of specialists focused entirely on hospitality design, covering hotels, F&B, spa and wellness and boutique collections. The practice is currently working on hospitality projects in Saudi Arabia, Croatia and Vietnam, as its founder says the current global situation presents a chance for the industry to re-engage with the design process. "Our role as designers is to be transformative and to allow people to be moved," says Wells. "We want our clients to be emotionally captivated, and for the design process to be thrilling, satisfying and wonderfully consuming." Wells, who has more than 25 years of experience in the design industry, including in the Middle East, has led teams on hospitality projects including W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, the award-winning Katara Beach Club Resort & Spa, Aloft Deira, and Hard Rock Hotel Dubai. Each station has a design theme Justin Wells Im ag es : An iq u e Ah m edThe most advanced surface solution for Flooring, External/Internal Wall Cladding & Kitchens Design • Durability • Versatility • sustainability MaDe in sPain TEL: +971 6 5353 123 INFO@GLAZE.AEP.O. BOX: 24552, SHARJAH, UAE. TOLL FREE 800 GLAZE (45293) Official Distributor www.neolith.com/en/Design news commercialinteriordesign.com September 2020 12 Hybrid programme and architecture festival for Downtown Design 2020 A mix of virtual and physical events will combine to create the 2020 edition of Downtown Design. The annual industry event returns with a new format, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new need for social distancing. This fresh hybrid includes a conceptual exhibition 'The Shape of Things to Come', which has invited the region’s architects and interior designers to conceptualise how we will live, work and play in a post- pandemic world. The re-imagined format also includes a digital fair, an online talks and traditional physical brand experiences, all taking place at d3 during Dubai Design Week, from November 9 to 14. Part of the event for the fi rst time will be Dubai's inaugural festival of architecture, in partnership with RIBA's Gulf Chapter. Juan Roldan, associate professor of Architecture, Art & Design at the American University of Sharjah, will curate the three- day event under the theme of 'Identity, Context and Placemaking in the Gulf.' Abu Dhabi's Musalla of Al Hosn wins prize for its interiors Musalla of Al Hosn claimed fi rst prize in an international awards scheme for architecture and design. International Architizer A+ Awards named the mosque as having the best Internal Design and Creative Ceilings in its category, ahead of projects in Beijing, Detroit and Lisbon. Danish architecture fi rm CEBRA designed the structure at Qasr Al Hosn heritage site to stand in water, providing secluded spaces for prayer without visual disturbances for worshippers. Its prayer hall consists of a series of small, interconnected buildings that form a cave-like structure pushed halfway into the site's water feature. Inside, the suspended ceiling with circular openings pays homage the UAE's long history of stargazing. Saood Al Hosani, acting undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, says: "Al Hosn is a physical manifestation of the emirate's heritage and its link to the past." A visitor at Downtown Design The redeveloped Qasr Al Hosn heritage siteAdvertorial The year 2020 has marked the beginning of a brand new sector to the already diversifi ed portfolio of Design Infi nity's projects. With the recent completion of fi t-out projects for the Accor Group, the fi rm has marked a signifi cant entry into the hospitality sector. Design Infi nity has completed three prestigious projects since March this year, for Novotel Suites Mall of the Emirates, Novotel Deira City Centre and Ibis Hotel. The project for Novotel Suites comprises high-end luxury rooms, which were Design Infi nity completes remarkable projects for the hospitality sector Dubai +971 4 379 5902, Abu Dhabi +971 2 448 2286 info@design-infi nity.com www.design-infi nity.com completed in 60 days. Key features include latest technology operating lighting systems and smart access systems, as well as an optimisation of space and metalwork in the walls and cabinets. These uber-cool, hi-tech, user-friendly hotel apartment rooms are a perfect fi t for anyone looking to stay even beyond a month. Stylish use of colours gives the rooms an elegant ambiance with electronic and home appliances well organised within the space. The quality of the rooms of these projects have superseded clients' expectations and thus has set a benchmark for fi t-outs of hospitality projects. In August, Design Infi nity celebrated its eighth anniversary and, looking ahead for the rest of the year, it has many ongoing projects in varied industries, with Zayed University, SAMBA Bank, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, Dubai Technology Entrenprenur Campus (Dtec), American University Sharjah Enterprises Innovation Centre and Protect all due for completion. Novotel, DCC IBIS HotelNovotel, MOEDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com September 2020 14 How ROAR blends Emirati and Japanese culture for pharma HQ Roar Design studio created a cultural fusion in designing the new Middle Eastern headquarters of Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. The offi ce space at Dubai's One Central, near the city's World Trade Centre, blends Japanese values, Emirati culture and data- driven design. While the reception echoes the traditional entrance of a Japanese home, the 23,000 sq ft space also has artworks by Emirati creative by Khalid Shafar made using khoos – a palm leaf weaving technique traditional to the region. Roar's founder Pallavi Dean explains: "Takeda wanted us to design an offi ce that rivalled their new HQ in Tokyo, Japan. We felt it was important to draw inspiration from the company's Japanese heritage while also celebrating the local context in order to give the project a sense of place and differentiate it from other Takeda's offi ces around the world – this is most defi nitely Takeda in Dubai, not Tokyo." Alserkal Avenue welcomes Mohamed Melehi exhibition A postponed exhibition celebrating the work of Mohamed Melehi and the Casablanca Art School Archives comes to Alserkal Avenue this month. Curated by Zamân Books & Curating and titled 'New Waves', the event will showcase never before seen artworks and archive material documenting an infl uential moment in the MEASA region's art history. It retraces Melehi's career chronologically, from the 1950s to the 1980s tells the story of the radical Casablanca Art School and a major fi gure of postcolonial Moroccan art and of transnational modernism. The presentation was due to come to the Avenues in March, after appearing in the The Mosaic Rooms in London, but was put on hold due to COVID-19. Visitors to Concrete in Alserkal Avenue can see it there from September 19 to October 10 2020, after which it will move on to the Museum of Contemporary African Art Al Maaden in Marrakech. Pre-booking is essential to ensure the multi-disciplinary space can comply with the need for social distancing. Summertown fi tted out the interiors Mohamed Melehi-inspired mural in Alserkal Avenue Im ag es :S ee ing T h ingSally Whittam Commercial Director T: +971 56 104 0567 Email: sally.whittam@itp.com Tuesday, November 24, 2020 SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES Amanda Stewart International Sales Manager T: +44 7908 117 333 Email: amanda.stewart@itp.com Paul Clifford Group Editor T: +971 4 444 3337 Email: paul.clifford@itp.com Daniel Fewtrell Director of Awards & Marketing T: +971 4 444 3684 Email: daniel.fewtrell@itp.com Anthony Chandran Tables Sales Executuve T: +971 4 444 3685 Email: anthony.chandran@itp.com NOMINATION ENQUIRIESEVENT ENQUIRIESBOOKING ENQUIRIES #HotelierAwards www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/awards MEDIA PARTNERS MENU PARTNER GCC NOMINATIONS NOW CLOSED Rebecca Lockwood Sales Director T: +971 55 484 8301 Email: rebecca.lockwood@itp.comTrending commercialinteriordesign.com September 2020 16 THE RUB' AL KHALI OCULUS BY AIDIA STUDIO Stunning star gazing eco lodges are inspired by the creatures of Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter A n arresting new concept project in the Abu Dhabi desert draws infl uence from desert organisms. Oculus by British/Mexican fi rm Aidia Studio's designers Natalia Wrzask and Rolando Rodriguez-Leal is the award- winning entry to an international design competition launched by the emirate. Organisers Bee Breeders, in partnership with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), called on creatives to design 'mega dunes eco-lodges' for the Rub' al Khali desert, Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter. The brief was for 25 sustainable eco- lodges to be built in protected areas of the vast sand mass, close to where the Arabian Oryx dwell. Awarding it second place in the challenge, judges said: "The range of possibilities offered by the reconfi gurable shading structure is well-considered. The circular form offers a 360-degree panoramic mini-universe for users with the ability to reconfi gure privacy, views, and shading to changing needs." BIOMETRIC APPROACH Aidia Studio took a biometric approach and was inspired by how desert organisms, through specifi c features in their anatomy, are able to self-shade to reduce their internal temperature and in doing so are able to survive the extreme temperatures of desertic The pods are able to self-shade to protect against desert heatTrending 17 September 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com AL WATHBA DESERT RESORT & SPA, UAE Luxury design by GAJ JUST DESERTS Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in Abu Dhabi Recently refurbished AMAALA in Saudi Arabia Under construction on the shores of the Red Sea The design is perfect for stargazing climates. Adaptability is at the core of a discretionary performance letting them increase activity during the night where the heat recedes. In designing an inhabitable pod for the desert, they devised a form which morphs into different confi gurations depending on the time of the day, climate and the programmatic needs of users, i.e. star gazing, spotting wildlife while in privacy. ADAPTIVE SKIN To comply with all the required functions of the cabin, the Oculus has been given a versatile shading system which contracts and retracts as needed. At the crown, the skin system folds downwards revealing a frameless acrylic dome allowing uninterrupted views of the stars above. During daytime, the skin retracts sideways opening the front of each of the 50 sqm pods and unveiling the doors to the front deck. The skin can also be fully deployed for privacy, fi ltering heat while allowing light for liveability. When fully deployed the pod camoufl ages with its surroundings becoming unnoticeable to the wildlife. SUSTAINABILITY The main idea behind the radial shading panels dressing the cabin, is to improve the environmental performance of the building through self-shading. The design Trending commercialinteriordesign.com September 2020 18 is inspired by nature and several examples of desertic cacti species which feature thick outer skins, foldings and fi ns that diffuse heat and solar radiation. This is materialised through the deployment of 60 articulated shading panels which create a dense lattice sheltering the cabin. To adapt to the curvature of the pod, the panels densify towards the crown and in doing so augmenting their refl ective capability from the harsh vertical sun radiation. As the Empty Quarter has no shortage of sunlight, the design proposed to incorporate a highly fl exible dye- sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) which would be produced by sewing textile electrodes into the shading fabric. Due to the large coverage of the textile and the ability of the DSSC cells to produce photovoltaic electric power, even in low level lighting, the power produced should be suffi cient for supporting the needs of each cabin. The pod will lso be equipped with a water tank which includes a fi ltration and recycling system of grey waters. RUSTIC LUXURY The Oculus provides a spacious open-plan suite facing the gravel plains, the habitat of the wildlife, it is purposefully positioned to amplify the vision of the galaxy which spans east to west in the sky. The living area features a lounge for relaxation a study corner and a telescope. The entrance to the unit is from the north side, past the entrance hall the pod boasts a wardrobe and a generous bathroom. This side of the cabin features opaque wood cladding for privacy, yet natural light fl oods the space from the skylight above. Apart from privacy, an opaque cladding to the north intends to shield the pods from the sandstorms which come predominantly from that direction. The Oculus aims to use sustainable materials such as certifi ed wood and organic fabrics of natural colour shades to blend as much as possible with its surroundings. CONSTRUCTION The Oculus can be constructed from 30 prefabricated off-site modules which can be easily assembled to erect a self-supporting structure. Similarly, the modular shading panels are intended to be manufactured off-site and prepared for bolting onsite. The cabin is grounded through 30 adjustable pillars allowing installation in different ground conditions. The construction process should be quick and with minimal disturbance to the natural environment. THE HUB The compound has been placed in the middle of a gravel plane backed by a tall dune shielding it from the wind and sandstorms. The 25 cabins have been spread around the site in a constellation like form providing enough distance for the privacy of the users, in a space totalling 3,500 sq m. The hub follows a similar radial design as the cabins but on a bigger scale, not just for conveying a coherent design language but also to achieve an economy of scale in the manufacture of all assemblies. The hub is divided into four independent buildings, each hosting a different function: reception and guest toilets, reception lounge, restaurant and kitchen and staff functions. All pods are interconnected via transition sleeves and held together by an elevated outdoor deck. The interiors of the reception lounge are fi tted with natural materials bringing the focus to the dunes beyond. A light, fabric installation hanging from the ceiling is inspired by nomadic tent structures and brings softness and acoustic performance. Spacious and open plan Cabins are spread around the siteTHE MARKET LEADING PLATFORM FOR THE INTERIOR DESIGN AND FIT-OUT INDUSTRY COMMERCIALINTERIORDESIGN.COMNext >