Bespoke magazine 2013
OFFBEAT ISSUE
Paul Smith / Rad Hourani / Morgan Cars / Finishing Schools / Amsterdam and more...
TRUTH OR DARE ISSUE
Jamal Khashoggi / Sawaya & Moroni / Danielle Arbid / Dany Bahar / Marcel Ghanim and more…
ART ATTACK ISSUE
Marc Newson / Shirin Neshat / Ahmed Mater / Rolls-Royce / Jeremy Hackett and more...
FUTURE ISSUE
Dr. Charles Elachi / Juan Enriquez / Raghida Dergham / Masdar / Spaceport America and more…
INTRODUCTION As the region’s first truly Pan-Arab magazine, BESPOKE covers people, places and events from the Arabian Gulf to the Atlantic. BESPOKE’s primary target audience is Middle Eastern high net worth individuals (HNWIs) both within the region and beyond. Our secondary target audience is the aspirational consumer, those working to reach HNWI status. BESPOKE is intentionally one of the most expensive Middle Eastern magazines, with a regionally standardised cover price equivalent to 10 USD. Significantly this price positions the magazine as pricier than local publications but less expensive than international ones. As we cater to an exclusive niche market, we are selective about where we can be found. We direct mail to our sizeable database, which includes many of the biggest names in the region and can be found on select private jets and assortment of hotels and bookstores.
EDITORIAL (Part 1)
EDITORIAL PREVIEW 2013
1. Essentials: Handpicked global news items presented in a brief, eye-catching format featuring top-of-the-line fashions, products, properties and deluxe home desirables, in line with our different sections.
3. Living: Feature-based and photographintensive insights into the region’s most beautiful architecture, homes and décor in addition to the industrial design you must not miss.
2. Vision: In-depth interviews and analyses from leading Middle Eastern and international experts on significant financial, business and social developments affecting our region.
4. Fashionism: The finest fashion, style and trend articles captured through a variety of approaches, including reviews, shoots, interviews, comparative pieces and analysis.
EDITORIAL (Part 2) 5. Aside: A text-intensive section in which our columnists offer insight into the world of luxury. Opinions and comment, in a discerning, often humorous and nuanced manner.
7. Vehicles: Detailed narratives and critical reviews of the latest planes, yachts, cars and bikes, approached in inimitable style thanks to unparalleled access.
6. Escape: Our travel and leisure section presents an escape to choice destinations and recreational activities, introducing readers to a world of firstclass rest and relaxation.
8. Fast Talk: A humorous but poignant and revealing speed-interview with regional figures, pioneers and leaders closes out each and every issue of BESPOKE.
February/March (The Emerging Issue) It’s easy to celebrate those at the forefront but to start the year off, our spotlight is on the region’s talented newcomers who are proving themselves in diverse fields.
August/September (The Controversial issue) In an entire issue devoted to the risky (and the risqué), we bring you leading names, individual and corporate, which have dared to provoke and to push boundaries in their quest for success.
April/May (The Survival issue) You agree that it’s been a tough few years everywhere. That’s why it’s time to look at the survivors, the resilient ones who continue to rise in the most trying political and economic times.
October/November (The Pioneering issue) Trailblazers, pioneers and voices in the wilderness, the people and institutions we’ll be covering in this issue are still bravely pushing forwards, changing the world in unexpected ways.
June/July (The Mogul issue) They may already have the world at their feet but the big guns are entitled to an issue of their own, no? The Mogul Issue takes you inside the universe of rich and powerful tycoons.
December/January (The Ultimates Issue) Our annual roundup of the best and brightest of 2013, the Ultimate Awards’ issue highlights our selection of the year’s most noteworthy people, achievements and innovations.
DISTRIBUTION Total Print Run 17,000 copies
Regular Point of Sales 4,400 copies Direct Mailing 6,600 copies Complimentaries 4,700 copies Events Ciculation 1,300 copies
BESPOKE magazine is circulated in regular points of sale via local distributors in every country. The direct mailing is handled from the Beirut office and is sent to a global database of VIPs, including many of the region’s top High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs). The magazine’s visibility is further boosted via complimentary distribution within five-star hotels, airlines, VIP lounges & terminals as well as private jets, and other such direct marketed techniques. The last piece in the puzzle consists of circulation at events in which BESPOKE is a media partner. These include, but are not limited to: the Dubai International Boat Show, the Abu Dhabi Yacht show, the Beirut Art Fair, Jewellery Arabia as well as the BESPOKE Ultimates Event.
HOTELS
124 escape | corinthia london
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WRITER : Warren Singh-Bartlett
Lifestyle Adjustment First opened in 1885, but vacant since 2004, the hotel originally known as the Metropole reopened last year after a 475 million USD renovation as the Corinthia. Located near Trafalgar Square in London’s West End, the Victorian structure now boasts seven penthouse suites, Harrods’ firstever hotel boutique and a four-story spa. May I begin by saying something patronising? I feel sorry for you. I don’t mean to be insulting and I don’t feel sorry for all of you. Just those who were born with a silver spoon. Let me explain. You likely take it for granted that your life will be one of luxury. You travel first class, eat in the best restaurants, stay in the nicest hotels. I’m not saying you don’t enjoy these experiences, I’m just saying they’re not extraordinary. Now, I can’t claim my life has been a scrabble but I tend to travel cattle class, pass by more Michelin-starred restaurants than I sample and have stayed in enough ‘budget’ accommodation to appreciate the immense good fortune, for example, of being invited by the Corinthia Hotel to try out one of their recently-opened penthouse suites in the heart of London. You see, as I walked through the suite’s front door – and this being a two-storey penthouse with its own lift, panelled staircase, balconies and rooftop terrace, it felt more front door than room door – I suddenly got brief taste of what it means to be, say, George Clooney. Or for that matter, Middle Eastern royalty. Though it could have been the result of the champagne I found chilling in the downstairs library lounge and swiftly dispatched, I’m afraid to say my good fortune went straight to my head. How else to explain the aura of smugness I was radiating the following morning? Surveying my fellow fast breakers between mouthfuls of organic sausage, gourmet black pudding and rich, creamy eggs in the Northall, the Corinthia’s regional British cuisine restaurant run by multi-Michelin-starred chef Garry Hollihead, I was seized by the reprehensible (but unshakeable) notion that my room was better than anyone else’s there. And that included the scarred, Armani-clad Russian businessman with very expensive shoes who sat with his calculator-punching accountant and strapping personal ‘assistant’ at the table next to me, looking gloriously oblivious. In terms of smug self-satisfaction, this kind of realisation is similar to discovering on a flight that the passenger beside you has paid much more for his seat. Bespoke
Before you go thinking that either the Corinthia Hotel or its staff in any way encouraged my lack of charity, I take sole responsibility and in my defence, I am happy to report that my small-mindedness passed almost as swiftly as it occurred. But back to that penthouse. The first question friends asked when I posted photos online was whether anyone needs so much space. I can’t speak for them but if I had choice again (one lives in hope), I would say yes, for one simple reason. A suite, however opulent, still feels like a hotel room. A penthouse suite – this one, anyway doesn’t feel like a hotel at all. Yes, there are the plates of fruit, the floral arrangements, the bedtime chocolate on the pillow, turndown and 24-hour butler service but until you step into the corridor, you can almost believe you’re at home. Does that matter? Possibly not, especially for people who appreciate the escapism and possibility hotels engender. I have always liked hotel rooms, much as I have always liked being airborne, for exactly those reasons. Getting away is exciting but I may now have been spoiled for life. Despite looking nothing like my own home, my penthouse – the Writer’s Penthouse – felt so instantly familiar (the 1,000-odd books and double-bed sized desk helped), that I was tempted to have the locks changed and move in. Mine wasn’t the largest of the Corinthia’s penthouses (that would be the Royal) nor did it have the best terrace views (the Hamilton looks Lord Nelson over on Trafalgar Square right in the eye) nor was it the most modern (the Actor’s Penthouse is classic Bel Air chic) but I loved it instantly. Although I was also rather taken with the Musician’s Penthouse, which comes with a Steinway (a grand, naturally) and views of Big Ben and St. Paul’s. There are seven in all, each located in one of the turrets lining the hotel’s roof. Some have fireplaces others, kitchens or multiple bedrooms. All come with bathrooms the size of football fields. Décor varies, meaning that between them, there’s a penthouse for every taste but the overall feel is that of being in a gentleman’s club.
Above: The Corinthia is located at the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall Place between Trafalgar Square and the Embankment. Bespoke
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Above: The two-floor Writer’s Penthouse - with its bookcases and furnishings evocative of a Victorian reading room - has over a thousand books, a double height sitting room and (naturally) a two-metre-long writing table with nickel metalwork details underneath and high-quality leather inlay on top. Bespoke
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Top left: The Writer’s Penthouse’s secret library door. Top right: The Corinthia boasts an abundance of fresh flowers as well as unique paintings and photographs. Bottom right: The Northall dining room. Bottom right: Algerian designer Chafik Gasmi ‘s 1,001-Baccarat crystal chandelier came at a cost of 1.6 million USD. Bespoke
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WRITER : Warren Singh-Bartlett
The Best of London Right: The spa is sumptuously kitted out with calacatta and black marble, tiled hammam-style steam rooms and a curious backlit steel swimming pool, which casts ripples of light on the ceiling. Opposite: A view across the Thames from the terrace of the Royal Penthouse.
“We call it Grand Contemporary British,” explained Edward Davies, Associate at GA International, the practice responsible for most of the interiors, as we took tea in the lobby. “It’s like a country house but in the city, a mixture of different styles and periods." Seated under Chafik Gasmi’s Full Moon, a massive spherical chandelier composed of 1,001 LED-lit Baccarat crystal bubbles, a swarm of electric jellyfish rising in formation, it was plain to see what Davies meant. Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern and Contemporary elements all combined to give the impression of a space that has grown organically over time, the accretion of repeated refurbishments, and though undeniably of today, of a place that has always been there. It hasn’t. The building began life as hotel - opening in 1885 as the Metropole – but was a Ministry of Defence office for most of its life. During this time, the vaulting ceilings were lowered, decorative elements were hidden and the interior was partitioned, turned into a warren of cubicles. Purchased by the hotel group in 2008, it took two and a half years of restoration and redesign to bring the Corinthia back to life. “As a practice,” Davies continued, “we love clean, hard lines but when it came to working with an historic space like this, we had to soften our approach.” Well, mostly. The spa, a joint venture with ESPA is bold, almost futuristic and radically different to the rest of the hotel. It is reached via a tall, narrow corridor done out in white and champagne-coloured scored resin panels that resemble silky smooth crocodile skin. Much like the processional ways that lead into old barrow mounds, it winds gently, shutting out the world and seems to narrow slightly before opening abruptly onto the dramatic reception area. It’s a primal experience, focussing your mind on what lies ahead. Or in this case, beneath. Four floors in all, the spa gets lower lit and more atmospheric as you descend, the light panels gradually giving way to dark. By the time you reach the thermal pool on the lowest level, the light has become crepuscular, mostly coming from the pool itself, which is lit from beneath. Float here alone as ripples of light play across the glossy ceiling, contemplating your suite in the turrets above, and you may feel like you have just been admitted to heaven. Bespoke
Sip Monmouth Coffee Tiny and cramped, you’ll end up sharing your table with someone else because when it comes to coffee - and Monmouth roasts their own - nowhere else compares. 27 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden +44 207 379 3516
Do Olympics There’s more to the 2012 park than sweaty athletes. Zaha Hadid’s Aquadrome. Hopkins Architects’ Velodrome. John Lyall’s Pudding Mill pumping station. Anish Kapoor’s ‘sculpture’. And acres of manmade meadows.
Snack Burger & Lobster You get burger. Or lobster. Okay, jumbo prawns too. You also get queues around the block. Why? Chunky, melt-in-the-mouth chips, perfect butter sauce and your own generously proportioned lobster. For just 20 GBP (30 USD). 29 Clarges Street, Mayfair +44 207 409 1699
Buy Floris Purveyors to the Court of St. James, Floris have been making people smell nice since 1730. Choose from the classics or, better yet, make an appointment and get a bespoke fragrance brewed. 89 Jermyn Street, +44 845 702 3239
Dine St. John Eight years later, this early proponent of ‘snout to tail’ dining and temple to contemporary British cuisine, housed in a former smokehouse, continues to delight purse and palate alike. 26 St. John Street, Clerkenwell +44 203 301 8069
See Bauhaus & Bond at the Barbican (ends Aug 12th & July 6th-Sept 5th respectively) Weimar Modernism and the most stylish icon of the Cold War together at Chamber, Powell and Bon’s Brutalist beauty. What’s not to love? Barbican, City of London +44 207 638 8891
Bespoke
122 escape | grand amsterdam
WRITER : Nicolas Shammas
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Double Dutch To many people, Amsterdam is still about sex and drugs. Pity, because beyond the clichés, it’s a vibrant city full of life, culture and art. In the newly reborn Grand Amsterdam, a Hotel Sofitel Legend, this surprising city finally has a destination to match its majesty.
Hotel Sofitel Legend the Grand Amsterdam has barely been open a year since its ambitious renovation but already, it’s winning awards. Amongst them is the World Travel Awards’ for best hotel in the Netherlands. “This is an honour,” Robert-Jan Woltering, the hotel’s general manager, told me when we spoke, “but we will not rest on our laurels. We must now take on the challenge of being the best in Europe.” That means going head-to-head with the likes of London’s Dorchester, Cap d’Antibes’ Eden Roc and Berlin’s Adlon. It’s an ambitious target, especially for a hotel that until recently, didn’t grab many headlines but after having stayed at the Grand for four wonderful nights, I believe it can be done. Woltering, who is well versed in Middle Eastern idiosyncrasies having previously worked in Dubai and Yemen, made an interesting point during our conversation. He said that these days, when a hotel reaches the industry’s highest echelons, it actually becomes an attraction in its own right. You see, apparently we go to the George V and only end up in Paris as a consequence. That’s exactly the draw the Grand wants to become, a destination in its own right. With the numbers of Arab guests alone increasing eight-fold over the last four years, it’s likely Woltering is on to something. The Grand has been a hotel for over twenty years but remarkably, given its location and historical pedigree, only recently has it entered the top-tier. The revamped hotel is so good in fact that Sofitel has reclassified it as one of its new Legend properties. A collection of hotels of superlative luxury in culturally significant or unique locales - amongst them the Metropole in Hanoi, the Santa Clara in Cartagena and the Old Cataract in Aswan - of particular note is the fact that the Grand Amsterdam is the French hospitality chain’s only Legend in Europe. Initially built as a convent, the Grand occupies a building, parts of which date back to 1411. At the same time it also doubled as a lodge for royal visitors and later became the Amsterdam Admiralty Bespoke
headquarters before serving as City Hall for nearly 200 years - during which time it gained the Art Deco extension in which Holland’s Queen Beatrix was married. In 2008, this diamond-in-the-rough was given a much-needed polish. The comprehensive but respectful 50 million Euro renovation (65 million USD) works out at a slightly staggering value of 505,000 Euros per room (that’s the existing value plus the investment), which further demonstrates the Grand’s importance within the Legends portfolio. French interior decorator Sybille de Margerie, famous for her work at Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon and the Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, softened the monumental interior with warm colours and witty design touches and lent the historic premises a contemporary vibe. The 177-room hotel was reconfigured to create more suites (52 in all) including three expansive Opera Suites and 16 apartment suites in adjoining canal houses. Service was also revamped and in this regard, the Grand excels. My wife and I booked a Junior Suite but what we didn’t know before arriving is that all suites include butler service. It may be old hat in the five star world but in our experience butler service is generally more bane than boon - yes, Setai Fifth Avenue (Bespoke, Issue 29) I’m talking about you - but we actually loved the Grand’s butlers, who undertake a year’s training at the Dutch Butler Academy before being allowed to serve. Well-educated and well-informed, they’re discreet and resourceful. From taking care of chores, to providing insights into the city, booking tables at restaurants and even packing our bags, their pursuit of our happiness was unstinting. Nevertheless, and this is crucially important, whether you book a suite or not, your treatment will be just as grand - excuse the pun. For example, my wife loved the Sofitel bed. Standard in every room, the SoBed (as it’s known) is the stuff of which dreams are made; luxurious, cocoon-like and soft as clouds. It’s big too and given the extra thick mattress and box spring, it’s higher than many normal Bespoke
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Top, left: The Grand will gladly organise a romantic tour of the canals in a private old canal boat. Top, right: The typical bicycle in Amsterdam, including this one belonging to the Grand, is big and black, and called either an Oma (grandma) or Opa (grandpa) bike. Bottom: The Grand’s bathrooms are wonderfully modern. Bespoke
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Top: Students from the Design Academy in Eindhoven and Droog Design came up with the graphic patterns in the bedrooms. Bottom, left: Karel Appel was commissioned to create this mural for the City Hall canteen, which is now the Bridges Restaurant. Bottom, right: The Librairie d’Or serves a great afternoon tea. Bespoke
126 escape | grand amsterdam
WRITER : Nicolas Shammas
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The Best of Amsterdam ‘As a hotel, the Grand surpasses its city and its country. A combination of charm, talent, impeccable service and vaulting ambition, no wonder it has aspirations of global domination.’
beds, making it very easy to get in and out of. That’s not all. Other commendable touches include Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte bathroom amenities, free internet access, flatscreen televisions, a Nespresso coffee machine and a Bose sound system, all of which are standard in every room. Some aspects of the Grand were a little less usual. Take the pillow menu. Pretty remarkable but when I tested it out by asking for a Tempur pillow, they didn’t have one. Even if they did, I wonder how many guests would make use of such a service? Then there was the bath service, where you call a butler to draw your bath. It’s the kind of facility you’d have to be disgracefully spoilt to ‘need’. Finally, I must mention the ubiquitous “Bonjour” with which every member of staff greets you, it‘s cute and catchy for a French brand but let’s remember this is Holland, not la belle France. Goedendag, anyone? Still, some of the unusual touches are welcome. There is so much to do in Amsterdam and one of the best ways of getting around is on a bike. The Grand has a fleet of its own and they’ll gladly rent you one for a minimal daily fee. But where the Grand truly blew us away was with its food. Its main restaurant, Bridges may seem to be named after the dozens of bridges spanning Amsterdam’s canals but actually, it’s a reference to chef Aurélien Poirot’s cuisine. Married to a Japanese woman and trained under the two legendary Alains - Dutournier and Ducasse - Poirot specialises in dishes that ‘bridge’ cultures. Deftly transforming ordinary ingredients into edible art, he amply deserves both of his Michelin stars. Our six-course meal ranged from succulent sea bream and a melt-in-your-mouth octopus carpaccio, to exquisitely fresh shellfish, tantalising prawn ravioli, wonderful king crab and sumptuous wood pigeon before ending in a flourish of mango crumble. Words can’t do Poirot’s majestic mastery of textures and flavours justice. We were bowled over. Bridges isn’t just a great restaurant, it’s easily one of the greatest restaurants in Europe. A judgement, dear reader, that may be extended to the Grand. As a hotel, it surpasses its city and its country. A combination of charm, talent, impeccable service and vaulting ambition, no wonder it has aspirations of global domination. Still, when it’s us pampered guests who benefit, who are we to argue with hegemony like that? Bespoke
TO SEE Van Gogh Museum Unmissable. The largest collection of the one-eared wonder’s works. You haven’t really seen a van Gogh until you’ve been here. Rijksmuseum (National Museum) Currently closed for renovations, The Masterpieces exhibition in the few rooms still open offer an express tour of Golden Age art.
Singel 404 – Perfect for lunch on the go, they’ve got the best sandwiches in town. TO EAT (dinner) Bridges Restaurant – The best restaurant in the city serves seafood selections from French chef Aurélien Poirot.
FOAM Photography Museum Constantly changing and some exhibitions are stronger than others but make sure to visit the shop where you can buy limited edition prints.
Vijff Vliegen – Eccentric location serving revamped takes on traditional Dutch recipes. They’ve even got a Rembrandt or two on the walls.
Amsterdam by water Taking to the water is a romantic, atmospheric way of seeing the city.
Restaurant De Kas – A former municipal plant nursery turned stunning restaurant serving much of the produce it grows.
Heineken Experience Über-commercial but fun. Learn about the brewing process and then taste the delicious results.
Tempo Deloe – The city’s best and most authentic cuisine from Indonesia, which was formerly a part of the Dutch Empire.
TO SHOP Head to Negen Straatjes for local designers and unique shops and to P.C. Hooftstraat for international luxury brands. Also check out Mooi by Marcel Wanders for the local design hero’s work.
Above: Quirky butterfly chandeliers hang over the lobby as well as the concierge and reception desks, which themselves emit light through marble effect screens.
Cafe de Jaren – Huge café with decent food, free wifi and great views over the Amstel.
TO EAT (lunch) Reypenaer Cheese Tasting Rooms – Plenty of Dutch cheeses to sample and the tuition is light-hearted but informative.
TO GO OUT Stopera - A new building complex in Amsterdam that’s home to De Nederlandse Opera, Het Nationale Ballet, and the Holland Symfonia. Momo – Trendy Asian restaurant with a lively atmosphere, a popular cocktail bar and a live DJ. Twenty Third Bar – Up on the 23rd floor of the Okura hotel, this is the best, most panoramic bar in town. Red Light District – A trip to Amsterdam would be incomplete without some “window-shopping”. Often hilarious.
Bespoke
40 vision | alan faena
WRITER: Michael Tanenbaum
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Art and Soul Syrian-Argentine Alan Faena wears many hats: fashion, real estate development and hostelry. But the hat you’ll always see wearing is white, signature style. Meet the man behind Buenos Aires’ Faena Art District. Bitterly cold days in Buenos Aires can seem a minor injustice. Call it cognitive dissonance fabricated by brochures, but once or twice, you’ll wish that those waterfront gusts could loft you away to any asadvertised place in the universe. Should you happen to possess true telekinetic luck however, landing nearby at the Faena Hotel would be, in a word, tantamount. “Keep Calm And Carry On” advises a windowpane on a door near Alan Faena’s office. Thank you, kindly! I sit there sipping the coffee I’ve been served by his affectionate staff, glancing over my notes. I’m 23 years old, North American, aspiring to enlightenment ahead of fortune - hence a writer, essentially broke. I don’t like coffee. I am about to meet a very wealthy and influential man and I feel as though I am a Seinfeld character dialled up to say something egregiously headshaking. I’ve never been happier. Touché, Mr. Faena. Serenity now. “This is a world of big talkers,” says Faena, 48, sharply dressed beneath his signature white hat, “but there aren’t a lot of people who can deliver. Everything seems very simple in retrospect, but in the beginning it was quite complicated.” At 18, with nothing to lose, Alan Faena took a pivotal gamble. Raised in Buenos Aires by a family of Syrian-Argentine textile manufacturers, the dry ordeal of formal education had always stifled his better instincts. Forgoing university and chasing love, he took off to Saint-Tropez in France, where he joined forces with then-girlfriend Paula Cahan d’Anvers. Together, they developed Vía Vai, a casualwear design label and boutique that quickly became an international smash. Stone credibility, ample fame but not the ineffable glory Faena was after. Only 36 years old, he sold Vía Vai in 2000 and bunkered down to recollect in Uruguay’s marvellous Punta del Este. “Economic crises can cut both ways,” says Faena of the 2001-2002 crash that paralysed the best of Buenos Aires’ developers. “At that moment, all of this was instinct, all of it dream. Everyone in real estate was holding back but I pushed ahead because I again felt I had nothing to lose. I used the moment.” Situated at the east end of Puerto Madero, the Faena Art District comprises six stunning works of architecture, designed by a roster of world-class talent. What began in 2004 with France’s visionary Philippe Starck - Faena’s first crucial adherent to the dream come true - now extends with the coming completion of The Aleph, a shimmering residential complex designed by the legendary Sir Norman Foster. “When we decided to make a new building from scratch, I considered that Norman Foster was the new ethos of architecture,” says Faena, referring to the sleek optimisation and sustainability of Bespoke
Above: Before and after pictures of the Faena Arts Centre, which is set within the machine room of what was once one of Buenos Aires’ largest wheat mills. Right: Alan Faena stands in his Arts Centre, in front of a colourful and rather unique piece by Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto, which invites visitors to take their shoes off and wander around it. Bespoke
42 vision | alan faena
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“This is a world of big talkers but there aren’t a lot of people who can deliver. Everything seems very simple in retrospect, but in the beginning it was quite complicated.”
Left and above: Also set within the same former docklands as the Arts Centre, the hip, moody and utterly seductive Faena Hotel+Universe was built in an old grain elevator. Refurbished and decorated by Philippe Starck, it now has 105 rooms.
Foster+Partners’ designs. “I wanted him to be a part of our whole neighbourhood, to reinvent the traditional Argentine home and bring something new to our city.” The building’s name is inspired in part by the mind-bending short story of Jorge Luis Borges. In this tale, a lovesick Borges calls annually on the home of his deceased obsession, paying his respects in the company of her egomaniacal poet cousin. Concealed in the cellar of this Buenos Aires home, the cousin claims, is the Aleph, “the only place on earth where all places are - seen from every angle, each standing clear, with no blending or confusion.” “For us, The Aleph is a summary of everything that has happened in our district. It’s the summary of architecture, design, culture, art, people, experience, flavours. All of that, in one way, is The Aleph,” Faena says. The building will contain 83 residences with exquisite and spacious interior décor, aimed at redefining urban living while fully integrating the technology, art, cultural life and the natural environs of the Faena Art District. I press Faena further for an elaboration on the ties between nature, love and human instinct. These, I suspect (with a dash of Borges’ jealous, unsparing madness) are what guide the world’s benevolent kings. “For me, everything is about creation and expression,” Faena confides. “Everything was built on that instinct to create, to give the best of myself. In a way, it almost comes from my heart and that is what drives the inspiration.” I am then led on my tour of the Faena Art District by press manager, Florencia Binder. All along Avenida Juana Manso, Florencia notes the abundant use of restored construction materials, the imported Mancunian bricks and a seemingly infinite stream of handchosen features, unprecedented in a community concept. It is frigid outside but I no longer notice. We arrive at the hotel, where we are warmly greeted by an entourage of Experience Managers. There is no front desk here, no stiffly fawning charade. The ceiling appears to tower miles above me as guests saunter by with cherubic smiles, pleasantly at home. We pass through the main corridor, peeking into the Library Lounge, where more guests are joined in spirited conversation. “Every room in the hotel represents a part of the old Argentine tradition,” Faena tells me. “The living room was modelled on the parlours in which the French and British would gather here in Buenos Aires, during the Belle Époque. The Mercado is the cantina. Every place draws its inspiration from the past.” We pause briefly alongside a lengthy bench, velvet-cushioned and crimson-lit by fixtures on its underbelly. A miniature portrait of Eva Bespoke
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Above: Designed by architects Foster+Partners, The Aleph is their first project in Latin America and is a mixed-use complex that will feature apartments, commercial space and eventually a 100-room hotel as well. Once completed, it will represent the final chapter in the rehabilitation of the former industrial port by Alan Faena.
Perón sits gingerly on a mantel by the opposite wall. I start to feel as though I could shuffle about from object to object for days, transfixed not by luxury or covetous longing but by a sense that every last item contains a world of inspiration. The Aleph. What differs between the soul of the Faena group and stone rich decadence is simple: one awaits death, the other destiny. “Buenos Aires is a very international city, similar to New York. I was interested in creating a home for interaction between the local porteños and the international community,” Faena explains. We walk along from here to Los Molinos building, the site of an old silo now converted into the home of the Faena Arts Centre. Creative Director Ximena Caminos brings in a roster of supreme international and local talent - Cuba’s Los Carpinteros collective presently occupy the main space, while the lower hall displays Buenos Aires’ own Manuel Ameztoy. The Collective’s work is interactive and ambitious, coextensive Bespoke
with space and light. It’s charged with meanings both inscribed in the material and in the poignant awareness of its effect on mind and body. I had this thought, looking at all the bricks in Alan Faena’s Universe. You see, as we spoke, the pride in his voice was unmistakable and it seemed to me to come just as much from the journey behind his accomplishments as it did from their impressive fruition – so it suddenly seemed to me as though each brick had its own history, representing a day, a struggle, a setback, an epiphany, dumb luck, a miracle, a heartbreak. Turning to Faena, I ask him what kind of courage it takes to rally people to take a shot at life? With much to learn, I’m asking the question as much for myself as for this interview. He looks me straight in the eyes. “There are very few you can trust, yet you always need people. You cannot do it alone. Trustworthy people are the hardest thing to find, but the most important.”
160 escape | ULTIMATE SPA
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WRITER: Warren Singh-Bartlett
Much Kneaded The Chedi in Muscat recently revealed its new 12,000 square-metre ‘wellness facility’ and after a couple of days of testing it out, Bespoke has judged it worthy of very high accolades.
Greater Muscat is testimony to what an abundance of space and money can achieve when coupled with a tortuous topography. Stretching for over 30 kilometres along the coast, the city is a string of seaside hubs nestled around bijou bays, hilltop colonies and business districts, each connected to the other by expressways that snake through the mountains separating them. Like Los Angeles, Muscat is built for the car. Architecturally, it is a pleasant if uninspiring mix of very similar-looking villas (some so vast they fall into the category of ‘My Own Private Oasis’), strip-malls and gated communities. It’s this city’s setting, a dramatic backdrop of razor-sharp ridges and crumpled bed sheet mountain ranges dotted with watchtowers and small forts, visible from almost everywhere, which rescues it from the soulless sterility of other regional capitals. That and the fact that the entire city seems to be perfumed. For Bespoke
centuries, Oman, or more strictly speaking, Arabia Felix was one of the wealthiest regions on Earth thanks to its trade in frankincense, the odour of choice in temples and homes from Luxor to Londinium. Of course, the camel trains that plied the Incense Route to the Mediterranean are long gone but a frankincense haze still lingers, scenting everything from taxis and restaurants, to shops and private homes. Even the tassel that dangles from the neckline of the flowing robes worn by Omani men comes dipped in frankincense oil, permitting the wearer to walk around in his own exquisitely perfumed world. After a few days in this heady, sensual and (I suspect) mildly narcotic cloud, you come to appreciate the Ancient World’s lust for Oman’s white gold. It takes the edges off the day, encourages a state of perpetual daydream and sets a smile in the heart as well as on the lips.
Keeping that smile on your face is apparently the reason for the Chedi’s existence. If you didn’t already know, the Chedi is Muscat’s hipper-than-thou hangout, the boutique residence of choice for catwalk models, media moguls and design-conscious business travellers. A low, white cluster of buildings scattered through neatly manicured gardens overflowing with water features, it was an early exponent of the Asia-meets-Arabia school of design and service, the heady aloha aleikum experience that has since taken the Gulf, at least, by storm. A sensation when it opened, the Chedi may no longer be as visually distinctive as it was when launched but as it’s matured into dependable excellence, the hotel no longer needs to get by on sensation. Not that it doesn’t still manage to create a splash. In October 2011, the Chedi unveiled its brand new Spa. Located at the far end of property,
the Spa offers much more than a place to relax. The facility, built in keeping with the rest of the hotel, is endowed with a spacious, state-ofthe-art health club, a breath-taking 103 metre-long infinity pool - the longest of its kind in the Middle East - overlooking the beach and, of course, the spa itself. The whole project grew initially out of a desire to expand the gym but as discussions began on the project, the hotel realised it had an opportunity to do more than just add a few new exercise machines. “We were ready to invest, so we thought why not add a pool and while we’re at it, why don’t we put a new spa on top?” explains the Chedi’s affable manager, Yorke Brandes one afternoon in the Chedi’s airy club lounge, The Library. “We called the whole concept The Spa and decided to open it up and offer memberships to Muscat residents.” Bespoke
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Previous: The longest outdoor pool in Oman. Above and left: The new spa facilities at the Chedi boast eight private treatment rooms, segregated steam and sauna rooms, tennis courts, swimming pools and a health club.
There’s plenty to tempt. The new 400m2 health club makes the previous facility, formerly housed in the neat little beach structure that’s now used to hold yoga classes, look like a home gym in comparison. Kitted out with free weights and cardio balls and a range of running, rowing and other sweat-making machines by Technogym, the club is also home to an aesthetically pleasing, but initially somewhat baffling Kinesis Wall, a minimalist mechanical marvel that apparently works the muscles other muscles haven’t heard of. At the far end, you will find a collection of equally unusual but much more exquisite instruments of torture. As you survey their leather handles, chains, trapeze mechanisms, sliding padded benches and half-barrel ‘seats’ that appear to be designed to be lain upon and bent over, you will be forgiven for thinking that you have just stumbled onto a playground of a decidedly adult nature. Rest assured that it's only the Pilates corner. Once you have finished straining yourself at the gym, a steam room and sauna - segregated, of course - is ready to iron out your kinks, while upstairs, the 13 self-contained rooms and suites that comprise the new Spa, are ready to deal with any kinks that the sauna might have missed. The menu here is focused on relaxation rituals, elaborate baths, facials, body polishes and other beauty treatments – yes, for men too – and, of course, assorted Asian traditions of therapeutic massage, whether Japanese, Tibetan, Balinese, Thai, or Ayurvedic, expertly dispensed by the Spa’s dedicated team of specialists. Pumped, stretched and toned, polished, pummelled and pressed, the Spa ultimately delivers you to the languorous delights of the Long Pool. If you’ve timed your day just right, you’ll get to stretch out there, on one of the enormous lounge-style pool beds and sip something fruity as you bask in the last of the day’s heat, before swimming a few leisurely laps as the sun sinks slowly over the horizon. Bespoke
WHAT The Chedi Spa WHERE Muscat, Oman OPENED October 2011 WHY It’s home to the Middle East’s longest infinity pool, because it boasts a collection of some of the most interesting exercise machines in Oman and because it makes the Chedi an even more delightful place to stay than it was before.
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