< PreviousCover story commercialinteriordesign.com October 2020 30 KITCHENDOORS & FACADESDOOBATHROOMHOSPITALITY Wood Couture Passionate about hospitality Wood Couture is a company created by humble people, passionate about hospitality, art, furniture and turning design dreams into reality. Interior design and hotel brand standards preservation are key to Wood Couture's global collaborative approach to projects. These, combined with an artisan approach to product manufacturing and extraordinary creativity in the budgeting and design stage, forms the foundations which enables the fi rm to distinguish itself as the trusted manufacturer brand within the global hospitality market. Creating custom-made products of the future designed by world class interior designers made such an impression in the sector such that in March, Wood Couture offi cially became the preferred supplier for all FF&E needs of Al Shaya Enterprises. Offi ce 26, level 23, Oberoi Tower, Business Bay, Dubai +971 50 304 5775 info@woodcouture.com www.woodcouture.com NGC Nafees A reliable supplier NGC Nafees is one of the leading interior design suppliers in the Middle East. Formed three decades ago, the business started with wallcovering business. True to its commitment in being a reliable interior design supplier, today, NGC Nafees, has grown from offering just wallcoverings to wallcoverings, fl oorings, and fabrics and expanded its international presence to open a showroom in Mumbai. With a rise in hospitality and government sector projects, the company added new product lines for all commercial applications, including Modulyss, a pioneer in the carpet tiles business. Developed with designers and architects in mind, Modulyss carpet tiles are available in various colours, structures and patterns that guarantee performance over time and ensure easy installation, replacement, and maintenance. Salahuddin Road, Deira, Dubai +971 4 269 7272 sales@ngcmiddleeast.com www.ngcmiddleeast.com31 October 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com SURFACES FURNITUREFLOORINGLIGHTING Preciosa Centuries of tradition Preciosa Lighting elevates the heritage of Bohemian crystal through its range of contemporary lighting designs. The company is built on centuries of tradition and the unique art of master glass makers, with a factory in the Czech Republic's 'Crystal Valley' that has been making Bohemian crystal since 1724 and expanding to open offi ces throughout the Middle East. Its lighting styles range from individual luxury lighting to dynamic and interactive installations that are found in resorts, restaurants, luxury residences, cultural institutions and hotels. Busy in the latter sector, Preciosa recently completed lighting projects for The Address Fountain Views in Dubai and is working on new properties The Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Hilton Palm Jumeirah and Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah. Offi ce A101, Building #7, Dubai Design District +971 4443 1932 mea@preciosalighting.com www.preciosalighting.com Huda A major player Huda Lighting was established in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon. It now has 10 branches in the Middle East and North Africa and the fi rm's 600 m2 Dubai showroom offers a wide range of decorative lighting. Having already established itself as a major players in the lighting industry on a regional level, Huda has worked on high profi le projects in all market segments. It offers turnkey solutions for lighting, automation systems, wiring devices and other relevant products. The company is also a KNX (open standard for commercial and domestic building automation) partner, with seven of its engineers being KNX certifi ed, capable of designing and commissioning any KNX system. This allows it to offer support and services to projects from the design stage, all the way to installation. Umm Suqeim Street, Dubai +971 4 341 1301 info@hudalighting.com www.hudalighting.comCover story commercialinteriordesign.com October 2020 32 HOSPITALITYDOORS & FACADESDOOBATHROOMKITCHEN Franke A regional hub Franke started in Switzerland over 100 year ago and is now a world leading provider of solutions for residential kitchens, bathrooms and washrooms, professional food service and coffee preparation. Locally, Franke Middle East is located in UAE and it is one of the group's thriving manufacturing plants. It is also the global competence centre for washroom accessories and the regional hub for kitchen solutions. Recent Franke launches include the innovative sink, 'Box Center.' Designed to be a smart organisation system that combines sink and kitchen accessories in one compact, highly-functional and stunning aesthetic unit. With a total width of just 860 mm, it provides a second, narrow sink, in which all-important utensils such as a cutting board and knifes are stored effi ciently. Industrial Zone, Phase 1, Ras Al Khaimah +971 7 203 4700 www.franke.com/ae www.franke.ae RAK Ceramics Founded in the UAE Founded in 1989 and with its headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, RAK Ceramics positions itself as one of the biggest ceramics brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and gres porcelain wall and fl oor tiles, tableware, sanitaryware and faucets, RAK Ceramics can produce 116 million square metres of tiles, fi ve million pieces of sanitaryware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and one million pieces of faucets per year from its 22 factories across Bangladesh, China, India and the UAE. This year RAK Ceramics celebrated 30 years of production, announced its role as supporter sponsor at Expo 2020 with the Italian Pavilion and was named supplier for 26 developments within the AED 12b Azizi Riviera in Mohammed Bin Rashid City. PO Box 4714, Ras Al Khaimah +971 7 246 7423 info@rakceramics.com www.rakceramics.com Cover story 33 October 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com LIGHTINGFURNITUREFLOORINGSURFACES Glaze Granite & Marble A vast treasury For more than two decades, Glaze has remained a strong brand and a symbol of quality and customer satisfaction in the Middle East's natural stone industry. Every single stone in its gallery is carefully handpicked from the fi nest quarries around the world. Glaze has a vast treasury of stones, spanning over 1 million sq m, with in excess of 400 unique styles of natural stones of every colour on the spectrum and from every corner of the world. In the UAE, Glaze has been appointed offi cial distributor of Neolith, the world's number one brand in sintered stone. This revolutionary product boasts the most technologically advanced surface solution that's suitable for exterior cladding and interior surfaces. Cosentino Family-owned Cosentino Group is a global, family-owned company that produces and distributes, high value innovative surfaces for the architecture and design industry. Its products and brands are currently distributed in more than 110 countries, from its headquarters in Almeria, Spain. Pioneering Silestone and Dekton by Cosentino have a vast array of applications from fl ooring to façades, as well as more unusual projects. A reimagined version of the ancient Persian paradise gardens constructed entirely out of Cosentino's ultra-compact engineered surface Dekton is coming to Dubai Design District (d3) as part of Dubai Design Week 2020. Kuwait-based Studio Meshary AlNassar is collaborating with global surfaces brand, which has its Cosentino City showroom in d3. Emirates Industrial City, Sajja, Sharjah +971 6 5353 123 info@glaze.ae www.glaze.ae Unit 401, Building 4-A, Dubai Design District +971 4 242 8131 infomiddleeast@cosentino.com www.cosentino.com First look commercialinteriordesign.com October 2020 34 Broadway Interiors talk us through the revamped retro at the former Q43 bar in Media One Hotel, Dubai Media City DELIVERING BABY Q First look 35 October 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com Caption HereCheeky centrepiece by Art Painting LabFirst look commercialinteriordesign.com October 2020 36 Talk us through the initial brief for Baby Q The client wanted to build on the successful aspects of Q43, utilising existing elements into a new moody, mysterious and sexy design, changing the colour scheme to reds and greens incorporating artwork and busts, for a fast track delivery in seven weeks. How was this achieved? Baby Q did not follow the usual design methodology of concept, visuals and construction drawings, but was instead created using a collaborative approach between ourselves, Solutions Leisure Group and Art Painting Lab. Early discussions were developed using the brief document, two photographs of the old venue manipulated in Photoshop, with discussions ensuing in a group chat, set up to allow regular dialogue between all parties for 'on the spot' decision making. With a tight timeframe, it was essential the contractor was inclusive in the process and fl exible in their approach, Al Tayer Stocks did this supremely well. With such a quick turnaround, did everything go according to plan? This project was an ever changing and moving process during the parallel paths of design and delivery. On-site changes and new decisions were made regularly throughout the seven- week time frame, indeed, even a few paint fi nishes were given a tonal change less than two days before completion and the fl ooring design was amended once it had been dry laid into a new chequered pattern (as seen above). The space formerly known as Q43First look 37 October 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com Suppliers at a glance Ardent Al Tayer Stocks Art Painting Lab Atelier N5 Surface 11 Tell us about three specifi c design highlights of the project The colour scheme. We focused on the red and green palette and utilised the entire spectrum of these colour families to add interest, augmented with a black and white chequered pattern and bespoke black elements. The artworks. Fun and quirky artwork has been introduced into the space adding humour, whilst being thoughtfully curated to drive visual direction and highlighting elements of the space. The ceiling. The camoufl age ceiling detail has been created in a more contemporary way, utilising both colour palettes in a wave throughout the venue. From a customer POV, what's new about Baby Q? The design has moved the venue from lunch to brunch to party space, but with a softer edge, allowing a wider appeal for the hotel. Previously a male-dominated venue, driven by clubbing music and the pool tables, it is now targeting a wider demographic with a menu developed with a more female-friendly offering, introducing healthy options, as well as comfort bites. How much was invested in it, both time and money? AED3 million, plus eight weeks of blood, sweat and tears, seven days a week! Quirky artworks Broadway's design brings a softer edgeFirst look - fi ne dining commercialinteriordesign.com October 2020 38 SOLVING 99 PROBLEMS 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant, The Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai, by A&T Group Interiors Dining robata style Plush velvet interiorsPrivate diningFirst look - fi ne dining 39 October 2020 commercialinteriordesign.com A"once in a lifetime opportunity" was presented to A&T Group Interiors to develop the design intent and fi t out the new 99 Sushi restaurant in Dubai. The outlet is in the prestigious Address Downtown and seats up to 99 guests both indoors and on its terrace, which boasts panoramic views of Burj Khalifa. The venue was initially due to open in March 2020 but was pushed back due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown in the UAE. Due to Covid-19 regulations, the opening date was postponed until the local authorities granted permission to re-open venues . Other challenges faced were delays on items coming from overseas and factories in UK and Spain shuttering due to government restrictions. As the space was previously a restaurant, A&T also needed to maintain the existing MEP and BOH while modifying the whole look and feel. Despite all this, A&T managed to deliver the project in less than six months. The Dubai-based interiors company changed the normal sequence of work to minimise the delays on the overseas items, by completing all low level and fl ooring works fi rst and protecting the fl oor. As materials arrived, they worked around the clock using multiple teams to keep the project on track, whilst maintaining health and safety protocols and social distancing. On August 27 2020, A&T proudly handed over the completed interior fi t out of the multiple award-winning restaurant and bar. Finally, on September 1 2020, the world- renowned Japanese restaurant was able to open its doors. Whilst the cuisine is Japanese, the restaurant originally made a name for itself in Madrid, Spain and this is the popular Japanese restaurant's second branch in the UAE, with the fi rst launched in 2017 at The Galleria Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. As 99 Sushi already has a worldwide brand, A&T’s brief was to match the design rolled out in the Abu Dhabi branch. To do this, A&T conducted a detailed site survey in Abu Dhabi to recreate the design intent, whilst modifying the design to meet the challenging shape of the new restaurant in Dubai. The client, GM and company director Jaime Castaneda, supplied the initial brief to A&T, designed by him and brothers Pedro and Fernando de León, in Spain. The interiors have a similar look and feel to the Abu Dhabi branch and create a chic dining experience, with plush velvets, mirrors, striking ornate fi xtures, and a colour scheme staying true to the brand's colours of gold, black and red. Guests have the option of banquet seating in the restaurant, intimate seating in the private dining room or watching the award-winning chefs at work while dining robata-style at the sushi bar. The restaurant also boasts a large outdoor terrace equipped with pergola and sail works, plus a remote-controlled, retractable roof, enabling the terrace to be used for the whole of the year. When dining on the terrace, guests can enjoy beautiful views over the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain. As well as the sail works and retractable ceiling, key design features include a natural moss wall behind the sushi bar, fi ve metre high gold-fi nished glass wine cellar, Onyx black marble bar and decorative back painted mirrored glass . Zone control lighting and sound system providing option to change the mood settings inside the restaurant and in the terrace area for different seating times. The A&T Group Interiors team say they are "delighted to have brought such a beautiful project to life" and are excited to see it thrive in the heart of Downtown Dubai. Key partners on the project were specialised contractor Innovative Glass; Stark, which provided architectural metal works and MFIT, a trusted joinery partner tasked with supplying high quality wood works and fi nishes. Project team Nick McGrath Operations director Mohamed Khasim Saif Project manager Zaid Qasim MEP manager Jenilyn Cullamat Procurement manager Vineetha Venugopal Quantity surveyor A le x Je ff ri es P h ot og ra p h y G ro upNext >