< PreviousSpecial Report commercialinteriordesign.com March 2021 40 With the story of the surrounding neighbourhood in every design detail, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown considers itself somewhat of a living gallery. Using the heritage of Dubai and Emirati culture in a contemporary setting and incorporating local and international designers, artists and suppliers, the hotel's interiors contain an electric clash of the city's cultures. Each of the 269 rooms are inspired by the story of the nearby waterway Dubai Creek – whether that's through the Surrealist wallpaper with local fl avour, wardrobes with doors hand-crafted in a Mashrabiya style or bespoke rugs, conceptualised artists and created by Ege carpets. Seeking to exist as eye-catching standalone centrepieces in each room, though the carpet for each guest room category is individual, all were tasked with adding personality, ambience and a contemporary touches to interiors. When the design concept was fi nalised, there were no doubt that this would require a manufacturer with expertise in customisation and the obvious choice for the hospitality group was Ege Carpets. The Danish company is one of the largest carpet manufacturers in Europe and has a showroom in JLT, Dubai. Products from the Ege 'Highline' range were chosen to offer total freedom of design on sustainable carpets that come with industry-recognised qualities for CASE STUDY: Ege Carpets at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown LEED, Cradle to Cradle and Indoor Air Comfort Gold certifi cation. Looks suite City skylines inform designs in the hotel's King Rooms, with a composition of all the prominent buildings in Dubai, including Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, highlighted in a striking orange colour. For King Deluxe room, the designers explored inspirational text and Pop Art. Childhood memories were evoked for the Junior Suite, where fl oor coverings hark back to the simple pastime of 'squish' or symmetry painting. In the aptly-named Design Suite, rugs are based on geometric shapes and patterns. It's not just on the fl oors that you'll fi nd art as part of the How Ege adds colour to Hotel Indigo in Dubai Rugs were re-imagined as works of art Recognise that skyline?Special Report 41 March 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com design vernacular at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown. Creatives from Dubai's Alserkal Cultural Foundation, Tashkeel and XVA gallery partnered with the hotel to create a collection of more than 200 art pieces. Each fl oor of the property is dedicated to one artist, both Emiratis and Dubai-based expatriates who have drawn inspiration from the city, the Emirati culture and the heritage of local art practices. Make a statement Ege says: "The rug is one of the elements in interior design that creates the greatest transformation with minimal effort and cost in every commercial space. A light, minimalist space with streamlined architecture is softened by a dramatic hue. Furniture groups are gathered into one inviting zone that creates calm and unity in the space. A bold shape or colour creates a statement on the fl oor. "Rugs are increasingly being used in commercial spaces like shops, offi ces and hotel rooms, where they create an inviting and cosy atmosphere. "At the same time, a rug can be used to highlight the interior trend with any number of designs, from botanical motifs and geometry to understated tone-on-tone combinations." 'Squish' in the Junior Suite A rug can be used to highlight the interior trend... A unique pattern for the corridor Special Report commercialinteriordesign.com March 2021 42 French designer Patrick Norguet has created a stunning bathroom project featuring ceramic surfaces for UAE brand RAK Ceramics. His diverse career has seen Norguet create a stackable chair for Italian furniture company Kristalia that's based on a kitchen colander and design a bold and colourful cup for McDonalds. Now the Parisian has brought his expertise to one of the largest ceramic brands in the world. RAK-Valet is a "functional, long- lasting" solution for bathroom design that RAK-Valet is a "style and balance in your service" combines the creativity of Norquet with the production quality of the ceramics maker. The collection is made up of stylish yet functional 'valets' of the bathroom – washbasins, bathtubs and toilet bowls – available in matte and glossy fi nishes. Accessories include legs and towel holders that are made of metal or "elegant but extremely practical" ceramic surfaces. Other successful collections from the RAK Ceramics range can be paired with the new addition, such as its latest bathroom fi ttings and RAK-Joy Uno mirrors. Describing the range as "magical and unique," RAK PRODUCTS & SERVICES FRENCH DESIGNER PATRICK NORGUET DEBUTS HIS FIRST COLLABORATION WITH RAK CERAMICSSpecial Report 43 March 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Ceramics says: "Norguet puts on stage a dialogue between light and shadow, between volumes and lines, between elements, forms and materials. A delicate balance that is never disrupted, as each element becomes functional to the user in this ongoing, harmonious exchange. "Everything is in the service of the person who experiences the space, everything centres on the dialogue, bearing witness to something magical and unique." Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, RAK Ceramics has the capacity to produce 123 million sq m of tiles and fi ve million pieces of sanitaryware per year at its plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh. After completing his design studies at the ESDi, Patrick Norguet was commissioned to design the display windows of Yves Saint- Laurent and Louis Vuitton. In 2000, his Rainbow Chair, noticed and produced by Giulio Cappellini, gave him visibility that quickly spread thanks to the international media. He then opened his studio in Paris. In 2010, designing one McDonald's restaurant in France gradually led to a collaboration with McDonald's Global. Meet the designer All the essentials True blue Washbasins in whiteSpecial Report commercialinteriordesign.com March 2021 44 Q&A Commercial Interior Design: Why is choosing the correct façade so important? Eddy Abou Khalil: A correct façade is one that suits the context and use of the building whilst being technically sound and aesthetically pleasing. Façade cladding has a direct impact on the lifespan and quality of a building. Therefore, choosing the right material and appropriate fi xing system will ensure longevity, energy effi ciency, reduced load bearing on the building structure, noise reduction, cost effi ciency and ease of maintenance. While there is no one ideal façade cladding material, whatever the choice, it will have to check on fi ve basic points: functionality, design fl exibility, durability, sustainability and health and safety. CID: What can the right façade bring to the design elements of the project? EAK: From a design point of view, facades defi ne the unique architectural aesthetics of a project. Facades give buildings their identity and contributes to the view of a city. Many buildings become iconic because of their façades. Dubai's Museum of the Future by Killa Design and Abu Dhabi's Al Bahar Towers by Aedas Architects are some stand out examples of façade design that balances aesthetics with innovation, functionality and technical superiority. CID: What should project managers consider when they're choosing materials for a façade? EAK: The most important factors to consider are durability, UV, scratch and water resistance, colour steadfastness, fl exural strength, fi re resistance and ease of maintenance. It is also good to consider the thickness of material because thinner material will benefi t in load reduction and overall cost effi ciency. And lastly it is a good idea to opt for materials available in large format that allows design freedom and reduced installation time. CID: Tell us about some innovations in the façade sector that you're excited about. EAK: I am particularly excited about innovations in Photovoltaic (PV) cells. In the building sector globally, there is a growing interest in designing adaptive PV façade systems that can not only improve utilisation of daylight and overall energy performance of the façade but also generate electricity using solar power. Caption Here Façade focus With Eddy Abou Khalil, regional director – Cosentino Middle East The Toha Tower in Tel AvivSpecial Report 45 March 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Caption Here The façade of Cosentino's R&D building in Almeria, Spain, is built using this system. CID: What are the current market trends that you're observing? EAK: Current market trends point to an increasing preference for stone and engineered porcelain material. Aluminum Composite Panel and glass are fast losing their popularity mainly because of strict fi re and safety regulations. There is also a trend towards ventilated façade systems. CID: What particular challenges are prevalent in the GCC façade market? How can Cosentino help overcome them? EAK: There is low awareness about surfaces in general in the GCC region. Consultants are used to specifying small standard size panels such as 60x120 where as large formats (320 x 144) are currently available that can reduce the number of joints on the façade to create a sleeker look with the added benefi t of reduced installation time. As a manufacturer, we tackle knowledge gaps in our industry through talks and events with experts. Cosentino has invested heavily in R&D to create our innovative ultra-compact surface Dekton, an extremely durable large format surface that can last the lifetime of a project. As façade material, Dekton acts as a protective architectural skin with the advantages of fl exural strength, excellent dimensional stability, unmatched colour stability, minimum maintenance and zero fl ammability. Ventilated facades using Dekton offer considerable energy savings. The material is also designed to help consultants and architects meet their requirements of LEED certifi cation. Leonardo Tower in Africa and Toha Tower in Tel Aviv are some of our exceptional case studies. As for this region, we have already used Dekton for facades in several private villas and we are currently engaged in a mega façade project in Abu Dhabi. Dekton used at the Rafa Nadal Academy Eddy Abou KhalilSpecial Report commercialinteriordesign.com March 2021 46 DROP IN EXPLORING SURFACE DESIGNSpecial Report 47 March 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Raw materials make for exciting fi nishes at this strong entry to Dubai's café cultureSpecial Report commercialinteriordesign.com March 2021 48 Roar Studio used accents of raw materials to create striking design highlights in a new Dubai coffee shop. The Dubai-based studio was asked to create a minimal space that accommodates the fl ow of customers from two different entrances – one connected to outdoors and one to Dar Al Wasl Mall. Pallavi Dean's design fi rm used a paired back design for the second outlet for the homegrown Emirati brand. Basic white tiles from RAK Ceramics were broken on-site to compose a patterned wall, as a counterpoint to the terrazzo effect porcelain fl ooring. Creative director Dean explains: "We wanted the interior concept to be consistent throughout and for all the different elements to be streamlined and respond to one another. "That's how the idea of the wall piece directly stemmed from the terrazzo fl oor as though the leftovers from the tiles had been imprinted on the wall before being chipped away. "In keeping with the structure of the bar and shelving units, a framing element is also repeated here. Lastly, the concrete blocks which form the base of the banquette evoke the concrete ceiling and paint fi nish, topping up that unfi nished effect that we wanted to create." The pale wood countertop is covered in stainless steel and is connected to the ceiling made by beams of wood. As well as being a very durable surface, the refl ective, stainless-steel countertop mirrors the decks left exposed on the ceiling. Lighted skirting made of glass blocks around the base of the central bar give the impression it is fl oating off the ground. A variety of seating options – from bar stools to freestanding tables and chairs that can be pulled together for larger groups as well as a sofa and a purpose-built banquette – seat 30 internally and 16 outdoors. Drop Coffee already has one cafe in The Dubai Mall and the plan is for each branch to be associated with a different colour. Dean explains: "It was important that our design addresses both of these access points leading us to place the grab-and-go bar centrally. We used very simple framing The terrazzo fl oor CASE STUDY: DROP COFFEE AL WASL BY PALLAVI DEAN'S ROA to form a structure around the bar, which anchors it within the space and highlights its prominent location "The colour palette was guided by the roasting process of the coffee beans. For example, the terrazzo effect tiles include mixed-tones of rusted brown and dark terracotta while the dominant hues of the scheme, consisting of a very light oakwood coupled with a concrete paint fi nish, serve as a calming backdrop. "The client had this idea that each of the different branches would be associated with its own specifi c colour. For this location, the colour of choice was burnt orange, which can be seen on the La Cividina sofa as you enter the space as well as on the clamp-style coffee tables we Special Report 49 March 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com created for customers to have a quick shot of espresso while standing up. "Next to the standing area, a glass- block wall has been built to enclose a small kitchen, allowing the natural light to fl ood in from the nearby outdoor access while also shaping interesting silhouettes when the staff uses the space. Another key feature emerges behind the banquette area where an assortment of white broken tiles have been carefully arranged to form a playful wall ornament." Emirati duo Mahmood Al Khamis and Ghanim Al Qassim founded Drop Coffee in 2017 as a strong addition to the emirate's 'third wave' coffee movement, considering coffee as a craft rather than a commodity and served by "world-class" baristas. Clever use of tiles R STUDIO Project Suppliers Furniture: La Cividina; Muuto; Pedrali Finishes: Colortek paint; Fioranese tiles Lighting: Vibia Unfi nished aestheticNext >