PICK A WINNER Meet the judges of the Commercial Interior Design Awards 2021 David Lessard ANNAMARIA LAMBRI Cristiano Luchetti MA Samantha-CottereLl Cr Malini Karani Dav ristiano Luchetti Cr Juan Roldann Roldan Rabih Geha May 2021 Vol.17 Issue 05 An ITP Media Group Publication A n IT P M ed ia G ro up p ub lic atio n M ay 2 02 1 V ol.1 7 Is su e 0 5 The essential guide for Middle East interior design professionals COMMERCIAL In te rior de si g n A n IT P M ed ia G ro up p ub lic atio nContents commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 4 IN THIS ISSUE NEWS & REGULARS 08 DESIGN NEWS Trends explored, appointments celebrated and innovations shared from the industry 14 TRENDING Everyone's excited for INDEX 2021, so we sit down with the fair's Katie McBride FEATURES 16 MEET THE JUDGES Will our panel of seven notable designers be lucky for you at the CID Awards 2021? 26 WORD TO THE WISE Explore cultural landmark House of Wisdom with designers Foster + Partners 30 IN THE STUDIO WITH Interior designer Vijita V Morray, who used the pandemic to pivot her business 32 PAINT JOB The power art brings to interiors projects and the creatives tapping into it 26 08MARBLE GRANITE QUARTZITE ONYX TRAVERTINE QUARTZ PRECIOUS STONE Surface Solutions, Designed By Nature www.glaze.ae/Contents commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 6 SPECIAL REPORT 42 TAKING A LEED Summertown Interiors on the future of fi t- outs and making spaces sustainable 44 MASTER CLASS The new Heriot-Watt Dubai campus shows how design partners can collaborate 46 MR SMITH DESIGNSMITH'S Mihir Sanganee on the staying true to your roots 48 BEYOND INFINITY Exciting news and projects from the team at fi t-out Design Infi nity WORLD VIEW 50 SUPPLY CHAIN Local or international, we have the furniture suppliers to suit your project 54 KNEAD THE DOUGH A community bakery created on a budget to benefi t vulnerable women in the UK LAST WORD 58 OBJECTS OF DESIRE Chatting with Nikita Chellani, interior designer at Roar, about her top picks 50 58 54Editor's letter 7 May 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Jane O'Neill Editor New chapter House of Wisdom by Foster + Partners "The CID awards are the pinnacle for the industry in the region," one of our 2020 winners told me. With so much importance attached to our annual awards ceremony, it's only right that we have the most experienced and fair-minded judges looking over the hundreds of nominations we expect to receive. May's issue reveals who those judges are and gives you some insight into them and their prolifi c careers in design. You'll see familiar faces that are awards regulars and also new additions that are no less experienced but bring a fresh perspective to the 2021 cycle. The rest of the magazine also blends the familiar with the rare. Fit-out fi rms are the focus of our special report, with a comprehensive case study in education design and talking piece on why we should look locally for FF&E. Art is now considered an essential part of the fi xtures in design projects, so we asked the UAE's top art consultants to fi ll us in on the latest trends for the sector, as well as telling us what to look for when commissioning. Championing local projects, we speak to the architects behind Sharjah's House of Wisdom, an instantly iconic building, which is not a word we use lightly. Enjoy – and get those nominations in by scanning the QR code on page 25. Published by and © 2021 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC. PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve EDITORIAL Editor Jane O'Neill Tel: +971 4 444 3626 email: jane.oneill@itp.com ART Art Editor Gerald Du email: gerald.du@itp.com Junior Designer Junemar Tulipas email: junemar.tulipas@itp.com ADVERTISING Commercial Director Sally Whittam Tel: +971 4 444 3348 email: sally.whittam@itp.com Sales Director, Hospitality & Design Rebecca Lockwood Tel: +971 4 444 3268 email: rebecca.lockwood@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Coordinator Manoj Mahadevean CIRCULATION Distribution & Warehouse Manager Praveen Nair MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP GROUP CEO: Ali Akawi CFO: Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader's particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.Design news commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 8 Mirodec, specialist in bespoke glass and mirrors for commercial spaces, didn't need a crystal ball to see a new design vogue in UAE homes. It founded website Mirodec Boutique to cater to a growing market of customised products for residential projects. Users can personalise decorative glass furniture for their homes in four easy steps and have the fi nished product delivered to their door. Innovative Mirodec product 'Glass Canvas' allows any high resolution image or photograph of the customer's choice to be printed directly onto crystal glass, a feature that Mirodec says has "revolutionised" wall coverings. All clients need to do is choose a favourite image, pick the ideal size, select the fi nish of the glass (matte or shiny), and customise the frame. There's also a chic frameless option, great for those who prefer to keep it minimal. The fi nished Refl ecting on a new trend in residential design Glass specialist Mirodec launches website for customising furniture product can be dispatched and installed in homes, offi ces or any other space the client wishes. For complete peace of mind, if the images and sizes listed on the platform do not match client's exact requirements, Mirodec says it is "proud" to offer them the premium option of full customisation. Set up in 1982, Mirodec has worked on UAE landmarks including the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and now, the country's homes. www.mirodecboutique.com An image captured on Glass CanvasDesign news 9 May 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Residences at The Opus offer prime design real estate You can move into the Zaha Hadid Architects-designed The Opus by OMNIYAT. The cube-shaped structure with a void through its centre is the late Pritzker Prize winner’s only project in Dubai to be designed by her both inside and out. "The idea is to create an opening onto the city and to frame these views," the late Hadid said in 2007 after unveiling the initial proposal. The Opus Residences by OMNIYAT is made up of one- and two-bedroom apartments, three-bed duplex and triplex with roof-top terrace garden. The announcement comes as the hotel within The Opus, ME Dubai by Meliá, revealed it is to close until September 2021 while construction work is carried out on four new F&B venues. Three restaurants and one nightclub are to be added to its offering and the brand has enlisted international operators including the team behind Iris and White, to launch the new outlets. Former Preciosa Gulf MD takes up new role with supplier Luxury FF&E supplier Nextspace has appointed Martin Fryzelka to the position of CEO. The former MD of Preciosa Gulf brings a decade of experience to the young company, which represents high-end brands in the MENA region. "My vision is to cement and grow NextSpace to become a solid and steady presence in the region known for a carefully curated collection of luxury design brands with a truly authentic story to tell," says Fryzelka. Laurence Dehlen, the co-founder of NextSpace, says the appointment is part of the fi rm's growth strategy. He adds: "NextSpace has grown over the past year and it was time to take on a partner who will help us drive the key projects and propel us forward in terms of sales and strategic direction. "I am pleased that Martin has joined our team as CEO and am confi dent that he will add immense value to our company." Milan-made furniture from Cassina and the UK's waterproof, vegan Shore Rugs, which are among solutions it delivers to hotels, corporate and commercial clients. The Opus in Dubai's Business Bay Laurence Dehlen and Martin FryzelkaNext >