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An ITP Business Publication

October Vol.7 Issue 10

Spanish Design PROFILE ON EMERGING YOUNG TALENT AND FUNKY FURNITURE

Index 2011 A PREVIEW TO WHAT'S ON AND WHAT'S HOT AT THIS YEAR'S SHOW

A touch of SPICE

DESIGN FIRM TURNS RED TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

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CONTENTS

October 2011 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 10

DESIGN UPDATE

INDUSTRY SPEAK

PROFILE Find out more about ISG.

TRENDS

DESIGNER Q&A CID speaks to Alfred Johnson about his expansion plans.

FERIA HÁBITAT VALENCIA The Spanish Furniture Fair.

CASE STUDY A personal touch given to the interiors of the Ideaspice ofﬁce.

CASE STUDY Two Emirati sisters collaborate on a project for the Effa Boutique.

CASE STUDY An origami-based design in a stationers shop in Singapore.

CASE STUDY Spa design by HBA London in the tallest building in Hong Kong.

DESTINATION FOCUS Saudi Arabia’s interior design industry is booming.

INDEX A preview to the tradeshow.

119

FURNITURE SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

125

PRODUCTS

140

CONTRACTS

144

OPINION Kevin Dean, artist and designer, on his Middle East projects.

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62 Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

COMMENT

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 444 3000 Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director ITP Business Karam Awad Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Editor Jenny Eagle Tel: +971 4 444 3363 email: jenny.eagle@itp.com Reporter Devina Divecha Tel: +971 4 444 3502 email: devina.divecha@itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Director, Construction Group Yazan Rahman Tel: +971 4 444 3351 email: yazan.rahman@itp.com Sales Manager Leigh Roche Tel: +971 4 444 3679 email: leigh.roche@itp.com Business Development Manager, Saudi Arabia Rabih Naderi Tel: +966 1 2068697 email: rabih.naderi@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Simon Cobon PHOTOGRAPHY Chief Photographer Jovana Obradovic Senior Photographers Isidora Bojovic, Efraim Evidor Staff Photographers Lester Ali, George Dipin, Juliet Dunne, Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko, Verko Ignjatovic,Shruti Jagdeesh, Stanislav Kuzmin, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Coordinator Nelly Pereira Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Marketing Manager Annie Chinoy ITP DIGITAL Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan Web Designer Meghna Rao ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin

Face to face

always prefer meeting people in person rather than corresponding over the phone and via email. It adds that personal touch to a conversation and messages can get misconstrued on the internet. That’s why October is such an important month for me. It’s a time to make the most of numerous events happening in the region, put a face to a name, add new people to my contacts book and share discussions about the state of the industry with like minded individuals. On my radar this month is Chelsea College of Art & Design (CCAD), London, hosting a number of courses in association with Big On Learning, at the Pullman Dubai, Mall of the Emirates between October 13-28. It is the jrst time CCAD has come to the Middle East and includes interior designer, Lyndall Fernie, Sue McGregor from Interior Statements, which specialises in projects for hotels, residential developments, private and commercial properties and furniture designer, Debbie Blandford, who has worked on projects with the government of Saudi Arabia. I look forward to greeting many of the guest speakers at Index, such as Khuan Chew, design principal and founder, KCA International, who will be appearing at the APID Interior Design Congress and I want to see the ‘Nomad’ and ‘Evolution’ collections from Bruno Triplet and Porta Romana respectively, who will bring their products to the Middle East for the jrst time. It’s unusual to have so many industry professionals under one roof at one time so it’s great to take advantage of it. And, I can’t wait to feel the buzz of excitement at this year’s CID Awards. It’s great to recognise so many people for their hard work and see the faces of the winners when they are called to the stage. Next month’s issue is going to be bumper packed with details of the award entries and pictures from the night so make sure you dress to impress. I know I will.

Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions Audited by: BPA Worldwide Average Qualified Circulation: 6,118 (January - June 2011) 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.

JENNY E AGLE, EDITOR jenny.eagle@itp.com

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

An ITP Business Publication

October Vol.7 Issue 10

Spanish Design PROFILE ON EMERGING YOUNG TALENT AND FUNKY FURNITURE

Index 2011 A PREVIEW TO WHAT'S ON AND WHATS HOT AT THIS YEAR'S SHOW

Receive Commercial Interior Design every month. To subscribe, please visit: www.itp.com/subscriptions

Cover image: Ideaspice ofjce, Al Diyafah, Dubai. Image by Shruti Jagdeesh.

A touch of SPICE

DESIGN FIRM TURNS RED TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

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DESIGN UPDATE

Colour chameleon ARCHITECT, ITALO ROTA HAS DESIGNED A FLAMBOYANT NIGHTCLUB IN TECOM, DUBAI UAE: Italo Rota, best known for his interior design of the Cavalli Club in the Fairmont Hotel, Dubai, has been hired by Jean Samman, CEO, Byblos Hospitality, to design The Chameleon nightclub, which opened at the Byblos Hotel in Tecom, this month. The Euro 4.5m venue has been under construction for two years and has a 6.5 metre by 5.5 metre chameleon covered in 15,000 LED lights with a tongue that rolls across a heart shaped ceiling as the centerpiece of the club. With over 65,000 LED bulbs incorporated into the design, the lighting will change colour in time to the music.

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Rota said Samman asked him to create something unique and different to anything else in Dubai. He said all his ideas stem from the chameleon itself, which is seen ‘as a dragon, a reptile, something to be scared of, but, the beautiful creature is actually a loving animal, a cuddly pet even’. He wanted to capture the characteristics of the chameleon, such as the colour changing, as the concept for the club. “I had this image for a while about the chameleon and how it changes colour and the signijcance of such a wonderful thing,” he said. “This started as my inspiration,

which has evolved into this fantastic place that is like nowhere else. Your mind will be blown away by the lights, colours and atmosphere and this is exactly the effect we wanted to achieve.” Samman said the quirky interior offers something different for clubbers in Dubai. With VIP rooms, a vintage-style Victorian alcove and a separate restaurant, each room offers a different atmosphere and concept. After entering the lift from the hotel lobby, which is adorned in black and crystal-dusted tiles, guests arrive at the Penthouse level which leads into the club.

The VIP area, has soft-leather sofas and thousands of skylight installations that create patterns on the ceiling. Then, there is a pink dining area, covered in LED lights housed in acrylic wall boxes. The koor is covered in pink and crystal-dust tiles that rekect light throughout the space and has hot pink dining chairs and tables. The colour pink portrays the connotation of love and there are heart shaped windows and a heart shaped ceiling. The restaurant offers Italian and Japanese cuisine by chefs Alessandro Miceli and Myo Zaw Aung (who used to work at Zuma), respectively.

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

DESIGN UPDATE

Turkish delight THE VIBRANT COLOURS OF OT TOMAN KAFTANS ARE INCORPORATED INTO A HOTEL IN ISTANBUL TURKEY: Wilson Associates has completed the jrst phase of its renovation of The Marmara Taksim hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. The refurbishment includes the lobby entrance and reception, lobby lounge, Tuti Restaurant, business centre and lounge, pre-function area and meeting space. Other work, to be completed by the end of the year, includes the Chocolate Shop, Panorama Restaurant, ballroom and conference space, spa, pool and gym. Dan Kwan, senior VP and executive design director, Wilson Associates said the owners of the hotel wanted a unique out-of-the-box design rekecting the richness of the city. The jrst phase took a year to complete from design to completion and due to the hotel’s aged

architectural structure, the building revealed many challenges for the team ie, the design work had to be structurally safe, to avoid disturbing the existing structural elements. “We faced many challenges. Naturally, being an old building, a lot of the history was hidden behind years of renovations and cosmetic changes,” said Kwan. “When we removed everything, all this history was revealed in its full glory. For example, we found columns and beams we thought would not be there. The challenge was trying to tailor-make a new suite around a grand dame.” Inspiration was drawn from the people and history of Istanbul, taking the vibrant colours of Ottoman kaftans and incorporating them into each space of the design.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

While the red tones of the lobby evoke warm feelings of passion and desire, the serene blue accents revealed in the conference rooms bring an air of wisdom and dignity. “Turkey has a rich and varied history, from Byzantine to Roman to Ottoman to Ataturk to modernity: like a jne piece of kaftan fabric, each thread was painstakingly woven into this jne fabric of life, that protects and nurtures the city,” said Kwan. “The kaftan represents all that is beautiful in Istanbul, and what we did was super size the weaving pattern, abstract it and turned it into the architectural elements that you see in the property today. Each area is an abstraction of some pattern from this kaftan, from the ceiling to the screens to the column coverings.

“Inspiration came from the colours of Istanbul, blue for the Bosphorus and red from the setting sun. Red factors heavily into our scheme as it represents the life blood that binds us all and the passion that Turkish culture is known for. “ The design jrm used local artisans and craftsmen, honouring the 20-year-old property’s cultural heritage, installing a glass chandelier, created by local artist Nahide, in the entrance lobby. Nearly all the lighting jxtures and control systems are low voltage LEDs to preserve the natural colours of the materials, highlighting them and not washing out their richness. “Cheap LED lights make everything look ghostly. We took a conscious decision to invest in this technology for the good of everyone.”

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DESIGN UPDATE

Capital designs A FIT-OUT FIRM IN ABU DHABI HAS WON NUMEROUS CONTRACTS, BEATING STIFF COMPETITION UK: London-based The Interiors Group set up its UAE operations in Abu Dhabi in 2009, and since then has acquired and completed several new projects. They include: the ofjce of legal jrm, Herbert Smith; design and construction of ofjces for Hogan Lovells; a jt-out for real estate investors Pramerica; and a new marketing suite for Aldar in Trust Tower, Abu Dhabi. Herbert Smith’s ofjce in Abu Dhabi’s Central Business District, is on the 23rd koor of the Mubadala development in Sowwah Square. The Interiors Group is working with designers Woods Bagot, Chapman Bathurst and CS Technology with project management handled by Arcadis Middle East. The work is expected to be completed this month.

“The design, as you can imagine, is very high-end using specialist materials sourced from around the world. We have managed to ensure that the building restraints are adhered to, but the designer’s and client’s intent is kept,” said Jonathan Milner, general manager, The Interiors Group. The jrm also partners with other design companies while working on projects. Milner said it has consciously chosen to do this to maximise the elements of design. “Traditional design and build companies produce the same look for clients — everything is off the shelf and doesn’t push boundaries anymore. They know a detail works, why change it?” he added. According to Milner, this was a boring way of carrying out a project

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

and doesn’t give value-added designs to the client. “By utilising the capabilities of different designers, we ensure that they are in cohesion with what a client wants and how they work,” he said. The jrm also won the contract for Hogan Lovells’ ofjces in Sowwah Square, which comprises a heavily cellularised koor space arranged over the 20th level of the building. For this, it teamed up with Pringle Brandon for the architectural elements and Wallace Whittle for MEP. For the jt-out of Pramerica, the company partnered with architects and designers, HLW and Wallace Whittle again for the MEP. The jrm also delivered a marketing suite in the Lord Fosterdesigned Trust Tower in the Central Market Development in Abu Dhabi.

The suite designed by Gensler, uses new-to-the-market Optima Partitioning systems, bespoke joinery and kooring systems, Herman Miller furniture and specialist AV presentation systems. “The koor space complements the building’s unique design and illustrates to Aldar’s potential tenants what can be achieved. The space uses a system recently brought into the market by Optima, the glass partition specialists, complemented by bespoke furniture systems from Herman Miller. It also uses LEED carpets from Standard Carpets in the UAE,” said Milner. “Our growth, innovation and expertise in the UK jt perfectly with what is happening in the UAE,” added Andrew Black, CEO, The Interiors Group.

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Onto Design by Matteo Thun

ONTO. A NEW FORM OF BATHROOM DESIGN.

Sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, bathtubs, shower trays, wellness products and accessories: Duravit has everything you need to make life in the bathroom a little more beautiful. More info at Duravit Middle East S.A.L., P.O. Box 13-6055, Chouran-Beirut, Lebanon, Phone +961 1 283429, Fax +961 1 283431, info@lb.duravit.com. Duravit Middle East (Branch), P.O. Box: 293622 – Dubai, Dubai Airport Free Zone - United Arab Emirates, Phone +971 4 7017117, Fax +971 4 7017121, info@ae.duravit.com. Duravit Saudi Arabia LLC, Al Hamra district, Aarafat street, Shahwan commercial center, 3rd floor – Office number 4, P.O. Box 9135, 21413 Jeddah, Phone +966 2 66 580 54 / +966 2 66 176 94, Fax +966 2 66 410 38, info@sa.duravit.com. www.duravit.com

DESIGN UPDATE

A grey anatomy A DUTCH FIRM’S OFFICE IS FIT TED OUT IN FELT TO CREATE A DIFFERENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT EUROPE: Interior architects i29 has designed the ofjces of a digital marketing agency, Tribal DDB, both in Amsterdam, using grey felt. The jrm was not given a brief from Tribal DDB concerning colours or fabrics to be used, only that it had to create an open-plan ofjce. Jeroen Dellensen and Jaspar Jansen, partners, i29 interior architects said the design had to rekect an environment that was friendly and playful but also professional and serious. The new ofjce is located in a building where some structural parts could not be changed, which was challenging. The design team worked hard to jnd a solution to various problems around the structural issues. It required a material that could work as an alternative to the ceiling system,

which covered structural parts like a big round staircase, and would improve acoustics. This led the team to the use of fabrics in the design. Jansen said fabric, as a material, can work on three different levels. “Firstly, it is playful, and can make a powerful image on a conceptual level,” he said. Dellensen said the team also used it to cover the “scars of demolition” in an effective way, as the space was gutted, which damaged the ceiling. Apart from this, it absorbs sound and creates privacy in an open space. “There is probably no other material which can be used on koors, ceiling and walls to create pieces of furniture and lampshades than felt. It’s also durable, acoustic, jreproof

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

and environmentally friendly,” said Jansen. However, he said it wasn’t easy to make all the customdesigned furniture and lamps, walls and ceiling in the same material. The fabric used is a combination of industrial felt and felted by hand (for the lamp shades). It was sourced by the jrm Ecological Textiles and VanVilt, a Dutch studio which specialises in producing custom-made felt objects. The linear design contrasts with the material’s softness. “It was this kind of duality we wanted to articulate: being nice, being friendly, even soft. But at the same time, it needed to be at the top of the game and super professional,” said Dellensen. Having an iconic professional and outstanding workspace but

with minimum cost and low carbon footprint was important, Dellensen said. In addition to the felt, other materials used included white epoxy kooring and steel. The space is spread over 650m² and currently houses 80 members of staff. The designers said the goal was to create interiors that allow staff to interact with each other and be creative, as well as help concentration and increase productivity. Jansen and Dellensen said Tribal DDB’s staff was happy with its new ofjces, especially with large open spaces where they could interact. The Dutch interior architect jrm is working on many projects right now, including several residential projects, a school, and a ‘sociale werkplaats’, a training ofjce for disabled people.

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DESIGN UPDATE

Majestic design CELEBRATING ITS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY IS NEW MAJESTIC HOTEL, SINGAPORE’S FIRST DESIGN HOTEL, WHERE EVERY ROOM IS DIFFERENT SINGAPORE: It’s been jve years since the New Majestic Hotel opened in Chinatown, Singapore, but it still emphasises strong design, local culture and the arts. The architect was DP Architects, and the interior design was carried out by Ministry of Design, under the principal Colin Seah. The hotel, under the management of KMC Holdings Pte Ltd, opened to promote the New Asia genre of hotels, where history coexists with modernity and international trends meet local designs. The owner of the hotel, Loh Lik Peng said he did not give a detailed brief to his designers, instead deciding to work with someone he trusted. He said it was important to give designers autonomy. “I think it (the design) should always be a collaborative effort and something that allows the designers to be creative,” said Peng. From the open concept periodinspired lobby with restored vintage Compton fans, to the pool with glass inserts koating above the restaurant, to the selection of period colonial furniture from Singapore in the 1920s-1960s, New Majestic Hotel is an eclectic mix of heritage. Each of the 30 rooms are different, from its vintage and designer furniture to the customised baths. Room highlights include suites with private gardens and attic style rooms with loft beds with six-metre high ceilings. There are four types of interiors: the Mirror Room, the Loft Room, the Hanging Bed Room and the Aquarium Room. The hotel is housed in a conservation building, which means it came with restrictions on what can be done with them. “These restrictions, which many people saw as a disadvantage,

I saw as an opportunity. Why shouldn’t we do each room differently if we can?” he added. The Mirror Room features mirrors on the walls, climbing up to the ceiling, and returning to the ground to form the bed-head. The Hanging Bed Room has murals spanning whole walls, which form the bedhead behind a modern interpretation of the classic four-poster bed. In the Aquarium Room, a glassencased bathtub dominates the middle of the room. In the Loft Room, resting on slender columns, the sleeping chamber koats above in a light jlled attic space, celebrating the architectural qualities of the classic Singaporean Shophouse. New Majestic Hotel collaborated with Asian Art Options to use local art in the hotel with nine of Singapore’s emerging artists: Safaruddin Abdul Hamid (aka Dyn), Andre Tan, Lee Meiling, Heleston Chew, Tay Bee Aye, Kng Mian Tze, Miguel Chew, Sandra Lee and Justin Lee. Peng said he started out with a long list of local artists and whittled it down to the ones who best jt the vision he had for the hotel. “I often work with professional curators and this helps in terms of getting a critical eye on the works of different artists,” he said. It also features jve rooms personalised by individuals from different jelds of work. Each person was given free rein over their individual rooms – from kooring selection, to the colour of the walls, and personalised interior decoration. Working with niche luxury brand, Ploh, which develops down pillows and bedding, the hotel used the bolster (long narrow pillow) in its design and has added feather pillows, a featherbed, and a lightweight white goose down duvet.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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DESIGN UPDATE

Café lab culture CUT ARCHITECTURES DEFIES A STRICT BUDGET TO CREATE A FUN, SCIENCE-THEMED SPACE EUROPE: Café Coutume, a coffee shop which has opened in Paris, France, has been designed in a minimalist style to resemble a scientijc laboratory using transparent plastic curtains, white-tiled surfaces and lab apparatus. French interior design jrm, Cut Architectures, founded by Benjamin Clarens and Yann Martin, was inspired by a blend of traditional coffee-making and alchemy in creating the design. “The owners asked us for a new kind of café since they were introducing the speciality coffee segment in Paris. However, they still wanted the place to be related to Paris since it represents a French brand,” said Clarens. Cut Architectures tore down the ceiling and took down the

wallpaper from the earlier space to reveal a high ceiling, mouldings, columns and an old shop door, along with bare walls. The high ceiling, according to the designers, is typical of Parisian interiors. The team put together a new oak kooring to further add to the chic and trendy Parisian atmosphere. To carry out the scientijc look, the designers used white square tiles, grid lighting, stainless steel, industrial plastic curtains and laboratory glassware. Plain oak tables were designed for Café Coutume (which refers to the legal customs in France), to represent the fusion of a Parisian interior and a scientijc laboratory. Drinks are served from conical kasks, with an industrial-looking roaster behind a plastic curtain.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

Pastries are kept behind a white tiled cabinet, with plants inside stainless steel sinks. The design, which took four months to complete, rekects a typical Parisian café, which is bright and looks like it has walls that haven’t yet been jnished. “The project had to be managed quite quickly, as we got the brief at the end of October 2010 and construction started in late November. “The café opened in early March 2011,” said Martin. The 90m² space is built with materials that are sourced from several countries. “The tiles are made in Portugal, the wood is plain oak from France and the glassware (lab accessories) is from Germany,” said Clarens. The lightbulbs by London-

based Plumen, are energy saving and received the Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2011. In spite of the stripped-down interiors, the designers said the budget given to them was a problem they tackled. “The budget was quite challenging, so we had to jnd a good balance in the design to respect the budget and offer a new kind of place and interior to the client,” said Martin. The customers at the Parisian coffee shop are intrigued with the unconventional looks of Coutume. “Most of the clients enjoy the interior; they jnd it very cosy and yet different from the old fashioned Parisian style cafés,” said Clarens. “Still, a few customers are asking when the walls will be painted,” added Martin.

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DESIGN UPDATE

Fire and Ice MIELE OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS GALLERY IN DUBAI WITH THE LAUNCH OF ITS LATEST COLLECTION UAE: Miele has opened its new multi-purpose gallery with the GCC launch of the Fire/Ice range of products in Dubai. It was inaugurated by Dr Markus Miele, managing director and coowner of Miele, who had kown in from Germany for the event. The gallery, at Sama Tower, showcases over 80 appliances on the lower koor, with the mezzanine level furnished to host events, from product launches and demonstrations, fashion shows, art exhibitions and training sessions, with a fully equipped cooking station, which can be used for private cooking classes. Also on display is a product history museum featuring some of the company’s early innovations, dating from the birth of Miele 112 years ago.

“The new gallery’s architecture embodies luxury, elegance and contemporary design — three elements that represent the very essence of the brand in a full white setting, extenuating the sense of detail, construction and craftsmanship for which the brand is renowned, appealing to quality conscious consumers of all nationalities,” said Gaby Koudsi, managing director, Miele GCC. A separate room in the centre of the gallery includes the collection, Fire/Ice, with gold and chromium jnishing respectively. “This gallery now takes its place alongside 50 marvellous galleries in Berlin, London, Milan, Paris and Singapore,” added Koudsi. With the introduction of the collection, Dr Miele said the company

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

wanted to create a new look to differentiate it from the rest. Miele conducted a survey across the 47 countries it operates in to see what its consumers wanted. “We had two streams of thought: one came from places like Dubai and Russia, where people wanted more shiny appliances to create a warm feel. But then we got a lot of feedback from places like Italy, where people wanted something cold and minimalistic. When we put that together, we created the Fire/Ice collection,” said Dr Miele. He added the overall design and technology used in the products is what makes it special, along with the enormous size and kexibility of the collection to choose from. “We cater to interior designers and architects who like to experi-

ment with new material, whether that is furniture, kooring or wallcovering. We’ve stretched this to appliances,” added Koudsi. He added the general trend with kitchen design is that it is more integrated within the living space than it used to be. “There are a lot of things you have to think about in kitchen design that you didn’t have to think about years ago,” added Dr Miele. “We’re projecting a 26% growth against last year. Coming up next, we’re starting in Saudi Arabia in Q1 2012, and focusing on business development in Qatar,” said Koudsi. “Dubai is a perfect hub for us to spread the Miele brand around the region. It’s very accessible, even from Germany, and is the kagship for the GCC,” added Dr Miele.

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DESIGN UPDATE

Chair of the board STEELCASE FURNITURE BRAND, COALESSE, LAUNCHES ITS SW_1 CONFERENCING COLLECTION UAE: Coalesse, the premium furnishings brand of US company Steelcase has launched the SW_1 conference room collection to the Middle East, designed by Scott Wilson and Minimal. The collection provides an alternative to generic conference room products and is designed to enhance social connectivity giving users the freedom to change postures and positions while sitting in meetings. The line includes occasional, standard, low conference height tables, low conference lounge and standard conference chairs. Made of aluminum and steel, the chairs and tables are almost 100% recyclable. The upholstery on the chair is designed so they can be updated over time while re-using

about 85% of the existing product. It has snap-off cushions to extend the life and use of the chair instead of having to buy new furniture. Wilson started working for Steelcase in the 90s when it owned IDEO, design consultancy. He is the former global creative director at Nike and founded Chicago-based Minimal in 2007. After setting up his own design studio he was contacted by Bob Arko, VP of design with Coalesse to explore a new collection. “The SW_1 range started as a two-piece collection but has grown to three chairs, an ottoman and over 50 tables ranging from occasional tables, low collaborative conference tables and standard height tables up to six meters long,” said Wilson.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

“We also created a simple accessible power solution called the PowerPod for top-of-table use which has received a strong response.” The PowerPod is a portable power source and accessory tray in one. It can be used for ipods, ipads, cell phones and laptops and has a power strip which works on top of the table. “The Coalesse research provided initial insights. Then this was combined with my experience working in creative cultures such as Nike and the behaviours which occur in these environments,” said Wilson. “From an aesthetic and material standpoint, I wanted to create something that didn’t feel so institutional and felt more inviting and conversational. Something people would look forward to using during long meetings.”

Wilson said it was his jrst foray into contract furniture and there was a lot to learn. He added the conference-lounge chairs provide ergonomic comfort for a more relaxed “lean back” posture and freedom to move and the low collaborative tables offer a more social and informal experience than conventional conference room products, featuring a tablet that extends off the table to create a personal work zone. The collection comes in a spectrum of sizes and materials, including round, square, super-square, rectangle and super-elliptical. All SW_1 products are BIFMAcertijed with a 10-year warranty. SW_1 chairs and tables are produced domestically by Coalesse and built to order in six weeks.

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Viennese whirl STUDIO T WO COMPLETES THE INTERIORS OF THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI UAE: Studio Two Contracting (S2) is an interior contracting jrm specialising in design, jt-out and turn-key solutions. It was asked to design the new ofjce of the commercial division of the Austrian Embassy, which was relocated from Khazna Tower to Al Wahda Tower in Abu Dhabi. The client wanted a simple but inspiring ofjce with maximum use of daylight and a kexible space. The project took over jve weeks to complete covering 230mÂ˛. The interior design was done by Hassan Sherazi, director, S2 and the site management and delivery was carried out by his business partner Amir Shah, director, S2. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trying to create a simple ofjce without it looking naked and incomplete can be more challenging than to overjll it,â&#x20AC;? said Sherazi.

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The main challenges for the team were relocating the oversized furniture, the number of staff in the new ofjce and an awkward shell and core layout on a curved facade with three 1.3m diameter columns centrally located on the ofjce koor. Sherazi reduced the on-site project delivery time from eight weeks for the client to move in on time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The environment offers varied views from different areas of the ofjce, something which we set out to do with the use of simple notions of glass and white walls. We believe a good designed ofjce energises and inspires its employees.â&#x20AC;? S2 draws inspiration from post modernism and deconstruction architects i.e. Morphosis and Coop Himmelblau.

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

DESIGN UPDATE

Quick draw AN ABUNDANCE OF GLASS AND BRIGHT BOLD COLOURS EVOKES A FEELING OF SPACE INSIDE THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL, DUBAI UAE: The Boutique Hotel in Deira, Dubai, is Draw Link Group’s latest venture, bringing together a colour theme of orange, blue, green and yellow alongside the solid elements of the interior design, which includes marble and wood. The abundance of glass, from the translucent lift to the see-through railings, creates a transparent theme in combination with the natural light from the skylight, creating a feeling of space. To add to its décor and ambience, the 103-room hotel has jlled its interior with furniture sourced from brands traditionally unknown in the hospitality domain, such as Fritz Hansen, Eddiar, Andreu World and Gandia Blasco. “As you approach the Boutique Hotel from the outside, you are greeted with an impressive façade made up of a Z-shaped solid surface and a stylish black glass covering acting as a curtain wall. The façade already reveals the multi-coloured scheme used for the levels with illuminated coloured glass panels referring to each colour scheme,” said Daousser Chennouj, general manager and key architect, Draw Link Group. Orange for the jrst koor, green on the second, blue and yellow for the last two koors respectively. The rooms have a two tone colour scheme, combining white and the colour of the koor level. The colours separate the living area (colour) and the sleeping area (in white). The hotel has four executive suites, one on each level. Each one has two rooms, a sitting room and a bar with stools and a bedroom. The project took 26 months from conception to complete. “One of the main features of the hotel’s architecture is the wide-

spread use of solid surface; durable and practical, this seamless and versatile material is privileged for its powerful aesthetic effect,” added Chennouj. “It is the jrst time in the GCC that a solid surface has been used on the outside for a building.” There is a skylight above the main lobby with a discreet glow of colour-changing RGB light. An impressive piece of white artwork goes from the ground right up to the roof, which adds to the grandeur of the space. The relief is a reference to the classic design. “The walls have a marble jnish to them with subtle light effects. Solid surface has been predominantly used for wall cladding and the koor levels. The reception area is covered with wood panels,” said Chennouj. “The sides of each koor are connected by bridges covered in a solid surface and with a transparent glass railing enabling impressive views of the lobby and the artwork. Because this is a hotel of ‘surprise’, the transparency theme allows maximum visibility to guests at all times,” he added. Facilities include three restaurants, two meeting rooms, a business centre, a men’s and ladies spa, gym and swimming pool. There is an international restaurant, a tapas bar and all day dining. On the jrst koor is the business centre and conference rooms. The conference rooms have wood cladding and kexible areas with folding partitions. Chennouj said he drew his inspiration from entrepreneur Ian Schrager, who jrst created the idea of a boutique hotel and affordable luxury through a series of concepts including ‘the hotel as a home away from home’ and ‘cheap chic.’

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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DESIGN UPDATE

Pringle Brandon wins $9.6m contracts INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE FIRM HAS A FOOTHOLD ON THE GCC MARKET WITH INTEREST IN AFRICA UAE: Pringle Brandon is putting its stamp on the GCC with jt out contracts worth more than $9.6 million secured through its Dubai ofjce. The UK-headquartered interior architecture jrm has over 25 years experience in sustainable workplace and hospitality environments, from small boutique ofjces to headquarter buildings exceeding one million square feet. It entered the UAE market in late 2010 in response to increasing demand from multinational and regional clients. “International expansion into the region has been on our radar for several years, and with the world’s leading jnancial institutions heading to Dubai, as well as a rebounding hospitality sector primed for aggressive development, the time

was right,” said Steven Charlton, MD, Pringle Brandon MENA region. A report published by industry specialist UBM Built Environment, estimated the GCC interior design and jt out market would see $8.6 billion worth of contracts in 2011, a 40% increase over the $5.1 billion awarded in 2010. UAE-based business advisory, Ventures Middle East, claims spending on interior design and jt out in the commercial sector alone in the UAE would reach $821 million in 2011, up from $709 million last year, while the UAE hospitality sector shows impressive growth, awarding $1.3 billion worth of contracts in 2011, compared with $406 million in 2010. “We aren’t just space designers; our strategic approach focuses on

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

working with the client from the beginning with location sourcing, then developing the value chain from pricing analysis and costing through to delivering a bespoke design and jt-out,” added Charlton. While the company is a relative newcomer to the market, the UAE design team is made up of seasoned industry practitioners, all of whom are familiar with the regional markets - enabling them to jump straight in and move benchmark projects forward to deliver on time, on budget and on spec. By the end of the jrst quarter this year, the total project jt out value reached over $5.5 million, covering more than 250,000 square feet, and included the 300-key Radisson Blu hotel in Sharjah, Pjzer headquarter buildings for Jeddah

and Riyadh, Hill International’s and Norton Roses’ ofjces in Abu Dhabi, and a number of Dubai projects including Royal Bank of Scotland and Goldman Sachs. A healthy forecast for the rest of 2011 moving into 2012 is envisaged with jt out contracts valued in the region of $4.1 million across 109,000 square feet. Pringle Brandon’s client list includes Microsoft ofjce projects in Abu Dhabi, Boeing Abu Dhabi, as well as research agency TNS in Dubai and headquarters for Halliburton Dubai. “We’re also seeing growing interest from the wider African continent, with the 100-key Starwood hotel development in Nigeria’s commercial and jnancial capital, Lagos, giving us a foothold in the region,” said Charlton.

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DESIGN UPDATE

A walk on the wild side TWO EMIRATI BROTHERS USE CROWD-SOURCING TO DESIGN THE INTERIORS OF THEIR RESTAURANT UAE: Wild Peeta is UAE’s jrst fusion shawarma restaurant with the interiors rekecting the social side of its owners, with elements such as the Thought Wall and Twitter Wall. Two Emirati brothers, Mohamed and Peyman Parham Al Awadhi, started Wild Peeta, and used social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, to advertise themselves and created a fan base before anyone tasted what they had to offer. Mohamed is the voice behind @wildpeeta on Twitter and said its customers and Twitter followers are what he calls “Goam Peeta” (“tribe of Peeta” in Khaleeji). “We have democratised our brand and see our followers as our

invisible board members, who inkuence our business decisions on an ongoing basis,” he said. With this mindset, they used social media to ask its tribe what the interiors of its jrst outlet in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) should look like. Members of the public were invited onto the premises before its opening to give their opinion on how it looked and what could be tweaked. Wild Peeta founders posted questions and polls online to ask people what they wanted to see in their ideal restaurant. The idea for Wild Peeta came to the brothers a decade ago. “As part of our business plan, we had to visualise what it would look like,

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

but we couldn’t afford an interior designer,” said Mohamed. He said it was important to them to have an Emirati identity, which is why pop art donated by UAE national artists adorns the walls. “We did everything in our power to draw out the Emirati element — through the art, through ourselves as we work at the outlet, and through the music ambience.” The predominant colour scheme is orange and green. “We chose those to rekect fast, healthy food. There is also some white and a lot of browns that’s represented in the furniture,” said Mohamed. He added, while the restaurant’s design had to rekect its Emirati

roots, he wanted the outlets to be seen as an international franchise to counterbalance the sentiment in the region, where locally made items are not seen as qualitative as compared to what is imported. The DHCC outlet has since closed, and two took its place: one called Wild Peeta Open Space (OS) at Dubai World Trade Centre and a fast food stand at the Deira City Centre food court. When the jrst outlet in DHCC opened, Mohamed said it was just a matter of painting the walls and putting up frames, since they did not have an interior designer. The Wild Peeta OS opened in April 2011 and Mohamed said the

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DESIGN UPDATE

An integral part of the Wild Peeta outlets is the Thought Wall, a large pane of glass that is used by people to write on with marker pens. Mohamed said this came about thanks to Wild Peeta’s followers, who wanted to write messages on the walls. He said people use it to leave drawings and messages for each other including poems, and areas for children to write on the lower half of the wall. Groups such as the Twitter Book Club and EmiratesMac user group have also held meetings in the restaurant and use the Thought Wall as a brainstorming tool. Even though the OS was redesigned, elements of the earlier store, like the colour scheme and pop art are retained in this space. The students also visited UAEbased interior design jrm, GAJ, which gave the budding designers advice on their work.

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Mohamed said initially, the layout for the Wild Peeta OS had jxed, functional areas, but were advised by GAJ that since the restaurant’s name is “open space”, it would be more interesting to have an open koor plan. Now, nothing is jxed in the restaurant, with customers free to move around at their own leisure. Another element of the interiors is the Twitter Wall. Using a projector, an entire wall is jlled with tweets from Wild Peeta’s followers when they mention the restaurant and/or any events happening there. Mohamed said aside from the design, staff use the Twitter wall to check feedback on their service. “It’s a virtual and transparent feedback board. We’re totally open about it and plan to have it in every future Wild Peeta outlet.” In addition to the two outlets in Dubai, the brothers want to open 100 venues by 2015 in the GCC.

Now that the restaurants have been successful, the Al Awadhis’ are rethinking their interiors again. Currently in the concept design stage, they have retained the London-based jrm, Born Design, to carry out a complete makeover of Wild Peeta Open Space. “This redesign is taking place because we evolved so much. I think we grew out of our image one or two months after opening, and now look like a franchise. Wild Peeta was everything you felt but not what you saw. We’re going to change that now,” added Mohamed.

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interiors of the second outlet was even more special than the last. The aim of the OS was to create a community space for people to use without any obligation to spend money. One of the brothers’ friends, Randah Taher, a lecturer at the Architectural Engineering department, Sharjah University, asked if there was any way she could help. Her students were then given a chance to design the new outlet. Taher put together a team of 15 pupils to conduct sessions to generate ideas for the design. The process took jve months, with the students discussing ideas for people who wanted to sit at the restaurant for an extended period of time. “They discussed everything – from the layout and access to simple things like power plugs and having tables specijcally produced on what they were going to be used for,” said Mohamed.

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DESIGN UPDATE

CID ROUNDS UP WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE WEBSITE, T WIT TER AND BLOGOSPHERE FIVE MOST READ STORIES THIS MONTH

COMMENTS OF THE MONTH

For me, a great and child friendly panoramic in Salford Quays where previously, only grassland and old shipping equipment existed. Mark Whitkeld on ‘Dubai-inspired MediaCityUK crowned worst building in Britain’

Great article guys and thanks for letting us know. We have also added ourselves to the map in the UAE. 1 Sandcrawler receives The International Architecture Awards for 2011

Zen Interiors on ‘Map of architecture and interior design Twitter users takes off’

2 Map of architecture and interior design Twitter users takes off

3 Shortlist announced for ME Architect Awards 4 Design for world’s tallest tower unveiled by Adrian Smith’s jrm

5 25 essential iPad apps for interior design students

A major redesign is needed and so far has not been undertaken. This is a major law in the plan for Masdar development – an eco city with no workable internal transport system solution. It’s pretty, but non-functional at this time. Jerry Schneider on ‘Masdar City will be worth the wait, says Siemens boss’

ON DESIGNMENA’S FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

TOP TWEETS @Arch_Asaad Asaad M. Ali Apparently Zaha Hadid did some Radical Changes to her website. Now the website is worthy for an architect. #WellDoneZaha @INFILLnc Jody Brown Architects are scrappy when cornered - and by “scrappy” I mean “sad”

MAKING CID’s SEPTEMBER 2011 COVER

DESIGNERS & ARCHITECTS ON TWITTER

What will eventually be a regular feature, the jrst in the series of ‘Making of the CID cover’ was for the September issue of the magazine. Just before Ramadan, Simon Cobon, CID’s designer, Mosh Lafuente, ITP’s photographer, and Devina Divecha, CID’s reporter, visited the local case study site, Bloomsbury’s, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi at 7am to get the perfect shot for the cover. http://bit.ly/qwwaKt

DesignMENA is working to create a Twitter list of interior designers and architects in the MENA region, to help create a community of similar individuals. It’s still in its infant stages and anyone who is in the profession should tweet to @designMENA to be added to the list. It currently has a mix of professionals from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and more. http://bit.ly/nJohF1

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

@TheDecorGirl Decor Girl Pantone announces spring 2012 fashion #colors - coming soon to a #home near you! #Interiors almost always follow runway. Nice happy colors! @Digi_Sign Santi Maggio Savasta Herman Miller Airia Desk pulse.me/s/1TbEY

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INDUSTRY SPEAK

Emma Stinson.

Social Designers DOES THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA HELP OR HINDER INTERIOR DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE PROFESSIONALS WHO USE IT REGULARLY?

Dina Murali Belgami.

Mark Schumann. Indu Varanasi.

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ith the boom in networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+, it would seem everyone is using it, including interior designers and architects. It remains to be seen if the Middle East is picking up on what is largely an international trend, where celebrity designers such as British MBE, Kelly Hoppen has over 8,000 followers on Twitter and Karim Rashid, over 6,000. Emma Stinson, founder, Studio Em, said her jrm uses Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn to communicate with its clients, contacts and suppliers, along with a wider audience interested in interior design. “As social media is evolving and becoming more popular it is very important we keep these accounts as active as possible. However it is also important we post the right content and don’t water it down for the sake of being active,” she said. Stinson added she was conscious of companies with Twitter accounts or blogs without new entries for three or four months. “We do not want to fall into this category as it does nothing except to raise negative opinions. An inactive account is far more detrimental than having no account.” However, Indu Varanasi, architect, ir design, discounts the importance of social media in the interior design and architecture jelds. She uses social media both on a personal and professional level, but on a very limited basis, and only to announce an event.

She hinted social media such as Twitter is not a serious mode of social media and said: “We cannot categorise all social media into one bracket. Blogs can be serious channels of information dissemination and opinion generators.” Dubai-based interior designer, Dina Murali Belgami disagreed: “I don’t agree when people say tweeting and blogging are a waste of time. Doing it shows how exposed you are to trends and styles that come and go every day.” This is supported by Mark Schumann, director - programme cost consultancy, Middle East, Davis Langdon, who said while nothing beats direct communication with clients and colleagues, social media gives equal and instant access to a network of like-minded individuals and companies. He added businesses ignoring social media could be at a disadvantage. “In an industry where we tend to win projects and new work through referrals, recommendations and repeat business, social media gives us a simple way to engage with our followers in real-time. In just the few months that I have been using Twitter, I have renewed contact with a number of fellow professionals and businesses from my past, and developed new relationships with people and practices I had previously not been aware of. In some cases, I would not hesitate to put my new contacts forward for opportunities simply due to the inkuence and social etiquette I have seen on Twitter,” said Schumann.

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

INDUSTRY SPEAK

Projects are secured on the basis of the confidence designers are able to convey to the client, not something written online. Varanasi disagreed and said while social media is important to publicise new projects, she has her doubts if it helps getting customers in. “Projects are secured on the basis of the conjdence designers are able to convey to the client, not something written online.” Stinson said the question on the benejts of social media is a double-edged sword. She said before social media, business was still being done, buildings were still being built and interiors were still being designed, companies survived and continued to do so without social media, which is why many say it is not important. “Does it help with customers? There is no easy answer. Have we ever got a project directly because of social media? No. Have we had possible clients contact us because they have seen us on social media or been recommended to us because of it? Yes, so it depends what you see as useful,” she said. Schumann agreed and said he has seen big benejts in his short time on Twitter. “One is the implementation of #ArchitectMap, where I collaborated with Su Butcher, practice manager at Barefoot & Gilles, to create a global map of all architects, designers and consultants on Twitter. The map has jlled up with hundreds of architects and design consultants from around the world. It has snowballed in a short period of time and shows the appetite members of our profession have, both for social media and for looking for new ways to promote themselves.” Belgami said in Dubai, interior designers talk about networking, but never get actively involved.

“Exposure, new clients, enquiries and opportunities. To be seen and heard for free — isn’t that a fair deal?” She added she would like to have a tweetup (a get-together for people who use Twitter) for designers in UAE, to connect at a professional level. Varanasi completely discouraged professional tweeting. “Professional tweeting is something I would not advise; this would be a breach of conjdentiality of the client. Tweeting about products may be okay but why waste time limiting yourself to words? I suggest having a serious blog instead.” Schumann said on a social network, everything a user does is useful in one way or another. “It could always be argued that if you are spending time maintaining Twitter or Facebook wouldn’t that time be better used ‘working’ but I don’t agree. The benejts far outweigh the negatives.” Those using social media for instant rewards need to stop immediately, as people can clearly see them pursuing self-gain, according to Stinson. She added while useful, social media and marketing will never replace old school methods of marketing, and there is no better networking than meeting people face-to-face. Stinson said while she doesn’t see being accessible as being a downside, she warns people have to be mindful they are running a business. “Your competition are following you and reading your tweets. You would never leave your door open to your ofjce and leave it empty for your competitors to root around in, so why would you tweet ‘pitching to XYZ Company

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

today about a new restaurant concept they are looking for, wish us luck,’ This opens the door to them to contact XYZ Company and perhaps pick up some work.” Belgami echoed this and said as a designer, she will not discuss projects she is pitching for, but loves to share her completed work. Varanasi only said time was the biggest problem with being active on social media. Schumann agreed that one challenge is jnding time to maintain various accounts. He said there are a number of tools to help people manage social media accounts, which he has found very helpful. Belgami said there was no need for Twitter updates every two minutes, but an opportunity to be there must not be wasted. But are interior designers and architects picking up on social media in the region? Schumann said he was disappointed, as he expected to jnd more than he has. “You only have to look at the list curated by @designMENA of Middle East architects and designers to see we have a long way to go. If you also look at the Twitter #ArchitectMap and compare the Middle East to the UK, you can see a huge difference in the number of people in our industry who use Twitter in our respective regions.” He said this could be because in the Middle East, professionals tend to be a bit slow in adopting new methods and approaches, especially in the construction industry. Stinson said she is equally puzzled by the lack of interior designers and architects on social media. “Perhaps we are fortunate to have a social media enthusiast in the ofjce that enjoys doing it.”

Varanasi said she doesn’t know how many designers are active on social media, but has seen comments from some on LinkedIn. Belgami said very few are active in the sphere. “I think jrms, whether architectural or interior design, must actively involve its designers to share a trend, a story, a concept, to be seen and heard.” Schumann said future success for winning work and having inkuence in the industry is going to be driven through social media, and advised others to get on social networks like Twitter to interact with customers and peers. Varanasi disagreed and said there cannot be a blanket rule on it. “If the designers have the time to invest in this, they should. But to expect serious enquiries being generated is wishful thinking.” Belgami contradicted this: “I have been lucky to get projects, connect with suppliers from all over the world via my blog and tweets. I have received letters on how my blog has impacted another person’s life/career. Companies not up-to-date on social media have no clue of what’s going on around them. They are dejnitely lagging behind if they consider tweeting and blogging as child’s play. This is here to stay.” Stinson said there isn’t any reason for designers not to be on social networks. “Get on it, tell us about what you do, great designs that inspire you, designs you don’t like, great contractors, poor contractors, brilliant materials or materials that let you down. Let’s start enhancing the design industry and getting the MENA region known as a design hub.”

Companies not up-to-date on social media are definitely lagging behind if they consider tweeting and blogging as child’s play. www.designmena.com

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Case study Marks&Spencer Location Philips Lighting

Deira City Centre, Dubai Fugato, Magneos, Stylid and Dynalite Controls

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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Project info Client Al Futtaim Retail Division Project Marks&Spencer Store Location Deira City Centre, Dubai Luminaires and controls Philips Fugato, Philips Magneos, Philips Stylid & Dynalite Controls Lamps CDMTc Elite 70W Lighting design (optional) Philips Lighting design

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al Futtaim is one of the most progressive regional business houses headquarted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Al Futtaim operates through more than 65 companies across sectors as diverse as commerce, industry and services, and employs in excess of 20,000 people across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Singapore and Europe. Few of the leading brands represented by Al Futtaim are: Marks&Spencer, Toys R Us, Intersports and ACE hardware.

By applying Philips energy effi cient and LED ﬁxtures in the Sales Area, Changing Rooms and Back of the House, Marks&Spencer now enjoys optimum crisp, bright light with a typical energy saving of 20% on its lighting electricity usage in comparison with other stores using conventional light sources.

Al Futtaim were working on the new store concept as per the guidelines set by the M&S international team. Lighting was one of the most important parameters that was paid attention to for this new concept. M&S unveiled its new concept of the changing rooms which was one of the highlights of the store. This store has been installed throughout with energy efficient Philips light ﬁxtures in conjunction with Dynalite controls.

The changing rooms had to be equipped with lighting controls that create interactivity with the shoppers using these rooms. Philips central design team along with the local liaise team designed an innovative lighting solution for the changing rooms using state of the art LED luminaires equipped with lighting controls. For the retail area, Al Futtaim store development team wanted to have a crisp and high colour rendering lighting solution keeping energy effi ciency in mind.

Al Futtaim store development team believes that the lighting solution should be able to reﬂect the true colours of the entire spectrum of the merchandise.

High efficiency Luminaire ensured optimum quantity of Luminaire to achieve the desired lighting results which not only reﬂect savings on the connected load but also on the maintenance schedule. Usage of LED luminaries with lighting controls in the changing rooms creates interactivity with the users and also ensures energy efficiency. Overall, the store was well received by customers and the operations team at the store is very enthusiastic about the store environment created by the success of this store.

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

PROFILE

ISG W H O? ISG Middle East is part of ISG Plc, the award winning, $US 2 billion jt out and construction services business based in London. ISG now employs 2,500 people globally in 31 countries. Our core activity has always been commercial interior jt out, where we have a 25% market share of the London market. However ISG offers more than just delivering great ofjce space. The broader sector capability of ISG is illustrated by the successful hand over of the Olympic Velodrome, the jrst new stadium to be completed for London 2012, while at the same time during the past year, helping our global retail clients to open 637 retail banks, 141 food retail outlets and 123 high street and shopping mall retail projects. Within the Middle East market, ISG does not offer a design service, however we are involved with successful design and build projects collaborating closely with the best design jrms. Testimony to ISG client commitment is that 70% of our activity is repeat business.

W H AT â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S N E W ? This month ISG is sponsoring the Student Challenge at Index. To provide a focused service for our retail clients we have established ISG Middle East retail division. This year wewon Contractor of the Year at the Retail and Leisure Awards and 2011 Fit Out Company of the Year at the Mixology Awards in London. We have just moved to Sama Tower on SZR, Dubai which gives our staff a terrijc work environment easier access and communications with most of our clients within the Dubai central business district. Recently we have established an ISG ofjce in Cairo. In addition, we are currently setting up our Qatar ofjce which will be opening in November 2011.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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PROFILE

US P s Consistency is what we aim to deliver for our clients so that they know what they are going to get from ISG. Delivery of great space every time. We have stability with kexibility. Being part of the larger ISG group gives us capacity to respond to challenging technical projects and our geographical coverage allows us to respond to multinational clients on a global basis. At the same time we are responsive locally. ISG Middle East is set up as a fully functional business with full support services. Our local staff have a clear understanding of the specijc requirements of operating within the Middle East region. We recently picked up the International Project Award at the British Safety Council (BSC) awards ceremony. This award was in recognition of ISG excellence in Health and Safety standards achieved on a special project for a global oil and gas company in Dubai. This was the jrst award of this kind for a project within the UAE. ISG is completely committed to health and safety, and we always aim to bring our high global standards to all of our work within the region. It is this global consistency that sets us apart.

P RO J E C T S ? In UAE during the past year we have recently completed projects for Mubadala, Yahsat, Pjzer, Siemens, Philips, Exxon, Bristol Myers Squibb, RBS, and Latham & Watkins. Currently, in the new jnancial district on Sowwah Island, Abu Dhabi we are working on six commercial ofjce projects. We are also actively working directly for the developer on Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi. The pipeline of new opportunities to work with our global clients is still evenly balanced between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Qatar projects next year will mostly be for existing ISG clients.

CO N TAC T Alan McCready â&#x20AC;&#x201C; managing director Alan.mccready@isgmideast.com Roger Clement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; business development manager Roger.clement@isgmideast.com ISG Middle East Sama Tower, Ofjce 602 Sheikh Zayed Rd, PO BOX 120397, Dubai, UAE

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

TRENDS

The best of the best IN THIS MONTH’S FEATURE, VICTORIA REDSHAW AND SHELLEY POND, TREND FORECASTERS AT SCARLET OPUS, PREDICT A BOLD URGE TO CHALLENGE AND STRIKE-OUT IN NEW DIRECTIONS IN 2013 5

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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TRENDS

ollowing the success of our involvement with Index over the past few years, we were delighted to be invited to speak at the international design exhibition again this year. Preparations for another exciting programme are now well under way as we get ready to conduct our popular VIP Trend Tour, jam-packed full of valuable trend information and the best products and innovations from the show through the eyes of a trend forecaster. This is a snapshot of the best of the best the show has to offer – the perfect way to ensure you don’t miss a thing. In addition, we’ll be presenting an inspiring trend seminar on Tuesday, October 25, at 1.30pm, where we’ll give a short introduction to the forecasting process we follow at Scarlet Opus. Then we’ll be looking in detail at the International Interior Design and Colour Trends that we’ll see evolving through 2012 into 2013, with a particular focus on textiles but also including colours, materials, patterns and textures, shapes, surface jnishes, and styling that will resonate with consumers over the next couple of years. So in this month’s trend feature we want to share a sneak peek at some of the key trends we’ll be talking about next month. At Scarlet Opus we have forecast six Interior Trends for the A/W 2012/13 season. Here is a preview of things to come; We head towards 2013 with a sincere yearning to protect and preserve but also a bold urge to challenge and strike-out in new directions. The past is as much of an inspiration as the future as we explore heritage, craft, folk, traditions, and ancient history together with innovative new techniques, materials, and technologies. The seasons colours both challenge and soothe us: light radiates and cleanses us, colour spectrums surge forth and energise us, plastic brights and felted mid-tones fuse to intrigue us, stormy dark shades fascinate us, and marble-toned neutrals deliver deep serenity. Aurora has an ice-cold, silent, very pure beauty. It is a well-being trend, reinforced by our growing obsession with health and clean air post-Japan’s

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nuclear meltdown. We continue to see biomimetics informing design as architects and designers look at microscopic medicine, biology and chemistry for form and structure. Coloured spectrums of light bursts make up this palette in an ethereal mix of über pale tints and iridescent shimmer. Tokujin Yoshioka’s eight metre-high installation, Rainbow Church, for MUSEUM.beyond.museum in Seoul last year was made of 500 crystal prisms creating a spectacular space jlled with spectrums of refracted light and colour. This dream-like project is a beautiful visual description of this trend. Virtual Reality is hi-tech and conjdently intelligent, exploring the new visual language being created by contemporary light artists. Think LED architecture, urban laser projections, and Holokinetic Art. A move on from our S/S 2012 trend, Colour Capital, this trend works on a more mature palette of modern darkness: cold steel, bolts of electric green, laser blue, and a dynamic violet strobe with neon accents; dense, precise cuts of coloured light playing on a black backdrop. This is plugged-in sophistication. The fourth koor of Madrid’s Hotel Puerta America by Plasma Studio, perfectly captures the mood and dynamism of this electric trend. Old To New, the season’s new fusion trend, perhaps more signijcant than any we have previously explored; bringing together the trend for simplicity and self-sufjciency with an energised integration of technology inspired by plugged-in urban homesteaders. Combining technology and the contemporary aesthetics of fast-paced modern life with rural sensibilities, community spirit, and a nod to nostalgic traditions. Forces of Nature. Earth, Air, Fire and Water: At a time when the forces of nature seem to be conspiring against us, international

designers take inspiration from the natural powers of earthquakes, volcanoes, and intense weather systems. Aspects of hot kowing lava, cracked structures and surface jnishes, lightning strikes, and deconstructed forms converge in this trend built on a dark, stormy colour palette. Ancient Times explores ancient elements from the great civilisations of the Mediterranean. This trend projects a beautifully understated grandeur. Quietly conjdent simplicity comes in the form of an investigation into sculpted and smooth forms and jnishes juxtaposed against the crumbling, crumpled, and peeling layers of architectural ruins. A fascinating balance between a heavy, monolithic minimalism is offset by diaphanous and ornate detailing: a purposeful restraint prevails. Mathieu Lehanneur’s altar and baptistery in St.Hilaire’s Romanesque church in Melle, France epitomises the values of this trend as the dialogue between the classical architecture of aging columns and the biomorphic form of the altar creates a bridge between the past and the present. 1

Emporium is the elaborate sibling to ancient times with a highly embellished, sophisticated glamour. This is a fusion of the great empires as designers take inspiration from ancient treasures and arts as well as the captivating beauty of ancient queens such as Cleopatra and Empress Theodora. Expect to see a 1920s Parisian vibe in Art Deco geo’s alongside Damasks and Eastern inspired scrollwork. Mixed metallic effects work with a rich palette of beautiful, Byzantine jewel tones and an old, aged gold. Step into a new era… we look forward to seeing you at the show.

Hotel Puerta America by Plasma Studio www.plasmastudio. com, photographed by Diephotodesigner. 2 Wall Rupture by Thierry Dreyfus www. atelierthierrydreyfus.fr 3 Squint Showroom www.squintlimited. com 4 St Hilaire Church by Mathieu Lehanneur www.

Forecast by: www.scarletopus.com; visit our blog:www. trendsblog.co.uk; or follow us on twitter http://twitter. com/scarletopus

mathieulehanneur.fr 5 Rainbow Church by Tokujin Yoshioka www.tokujin.com

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

DESIGNER Q&A

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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DESIGNER Q&A

Biomorphic design A LF RED JOHNSON ON T HE SUCCE SS OF ‘F LOAT ING RE TA IL’ SHOPS A ND HIS PL A NS TO E X PA ND INTO T HE US

lfred Johnson entered the world of interior design when he graduated from Edexcel International and was recruited by Christian Mintowt-Czyz, the co-founder of London Design in Dubai as a 20-year-old apprentice in 2000. He remembers he ‘paid his dues’ by working on mundane detailing for the jrst six months of the job before he was invited to work on a concept for Grand Stores with Justin Smith, Christian's partner and creative head and co-founder. This gradually led to bigger clients and Johnson went on to spend jve plus years with the company working with regional giants such as Emaar, Nakheel and Thuraya. Aged 26, he quit the jrm and spent time as a freelancer before he founded Imagination Design with his business partner Amir Zaidi, which was the holding company that led to the inception of Alfred Johnson as a bespoke design brand. Having accumulated a wealth of experience working with his old jrm, Johnson saw a gap in the market that identijed a niche clientele's desire for a new, bold and unadulterated approach to design and reckoned that perhaps his design language could jll the void.

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He is passionate about what he does and setting up the jrm enabled him to artistically explore a particular dialect of design language whilst contributing to the fabric of a growing city. Alfred Johnson, the design brand specialises in all aspects of boutique luxury design and biomorphic interior architecture. The head ofjce is based in Al Quoz, Dubai. As principal of the brand, Johnson’s responsibilities range from meeting new and existing clientele, creating initial dialogue, comprehending the details of the clients brief and being responsible for the creation of conceptual designs for all his clients. He said the role demands a lot of dedication ensuring clients receive original design concepts that translate their requirements, be it commercial or residential. What are you working on at present and why? We are currently working on Alfred Johnson retail's luxury furniture line that explores our biomorphic design language focusing on being practical as well as artistically striking. We have been exploring ways to enhance the luxury living/work experience and this led to us to morphing our design language into various aspects of the

furniture industry. We're currently exploring four new models in addition to our most signijcant pieces. Our current product line includes: Medusa, our conference/dining table that seats 10 plus and can be customised to seat up to 18 people. The concept behind Medusa was a hunger deep within me to create and share my perspective on art with the world and the jrst of many originals. Hand cast created with mild steel sub-sections, hand moulded jbreglass clad exterior, Medusa draws her inspirational shape from the core values of biomorphic design language. The pure shapes of each perspective that morph into one-another draws people into the depths of the product. The consumer has a variety of customisation options in leather, real wood veneer, polyurethane super gloss paint, corian, veneer, chrome, aluminum and crystal encrusted, hence allowing its use to range from commercial, residential and hospitality. Morphing the lines between form, function and the perception of art, we hope to inspire the space that it is used in and aim at giving consumers a new perspective into contemporary luxury. Carmine - a biomorphic statement that re-visits luxury CEO/executive Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

DESIGNER Q&A

1 The HP 'koating retail shop'. 2 A high impact branded retail environment. 3 Biomorphic architecture. 4 Multiple display areas. 5 Stand alone units and morphing counters.

management workstations and its applications. It is cantilevered on a base section of 250mm with supporting MS base plates and concealed wall units. Handmade in cast created GRC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; glass reinforced concrete, its base is brought alive with customisation options in leather, veneer, polyurethane super gloss paint, corian, veneer, chrome, aluminum and crystal encrusted panels with a fusion glass top. Karoline - A complimenting blend between the functionality of a coffee table and the need for a piĂ¨ce de rĂŠsistance within any residence or ofjce space, is customised to the clients requirements and available in combinations of leather, real wood veneer, polyurethane super gloss paint, corian, veneer, chrome, aluminum and crystal encrusted panels. Sophia - A hand moulded end table that brings form and function together in an authentic ensemble creating an assembly of biomorphic design intent in any environment and is available in combinations of leather, real wood veneer, polyurethane super gloss paint,

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

corian, veneer, chrome, aluminum and crystal encrusted panels. Allegra - Be it hospitality, residential or commercial, created as a tribute to the arts, this table brings pure fascination as a design element to any environment. Its options range from leather, real wood veneer, polyurethane super gloss paint, corian, veneer, chrome, aluminum and crystal encrusted panels with a fusion glass top. The inspiration for Allegra came from the artist within me that simply wanted to create.

You have designed a number of "Floating Retail" shops for HP. Tell me more about this? Hewlett-Packard wanted to raise its retail awareness for its products and wanted a concept that would resonate the brand and constant evolution in delivering some of the world's most cutting edge and reliable IT products. Our approach to this was taking a temporary space and converting it into a high impact branded retail environment that would connect with consumers, deliver a constantly evolving consumer message and be cutting edge branded biomorphic architecture. These retail environments enable consumers to view Hewlett-Packard's evolving, cutting edge product line in multiple display areas that range from stand alone units to morphing counters that display specijc multiple product ranges. Whilst creating the interior retail architecture, we wrote and directed a performance that is based on the brand and its products. This aerial performance draws the consumer in whilst promoting HP consumer-lifestyle

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DESIGNER Q&A

6 AMA Group. 7 The AMA Group ofjces covered two koors above The Musee d'AMA. 8 The art gallery has a contemporary interpretation of design. 9 The ceiling had LED illuminated lights.

oriented products. The three aerial artists perform seven routines during the last seven hours of the business day, every hour. Each song was carefully chosen allowing for appropriate integration of its products and services into the performance, thus psychologically enhancing the product and brand's appeal to its clientele and enabling a vibrant retail environment to come alive. The sequel to the Hewlett-Packard Floating Retail has just been completed. HP’s primary retail strategy evolved from stand-alone product display units that we designed last year to a seamless multi-leveled bar that were divided into product zones. The new zones worked on evolving the product experience from being singular to a more lifestyle all in one concept i.e. selling computers with printers, scanners accessories etc as a unijed HP lifestyle for the average consumer. The client wanted the consumer to seamlessly integrate from one zone into another without divisions whilst in the

interior, hence our creation of the two biomorphic multi-level display units on either side. The central experience bar housed its star products, whilst the rear low height wall gave their print accessories a display section within the space. Its new interior included a suspended biomorphic canopy that housed a backlit HP logo and acts as a integrated part of the interior space allowing consumers to connect with the brand’s biomorphic lines.

I understand you recently completed your krst museum in Saudi, tell me about that? The Musée d’AMA was our jrst commission within the public space for the arts sector. The AMA group, whose corporate ofjces were on the top two koors of the building, wanted to showcase its contemporary art collection within its museum to the general public. Our objective was to create a diverse, yet museum type, environment that would allow visitors to view the client's diverse global collection of art. Having viewed a portion of their collection, we planned the space to give visitors the freedom to explore, creating a sub-section for the paintings and sculptures. The ceiling detail was created based on their passion for art that consists of recessed LED illuminated gun-metal steel routed Arabic poetry set against matte white gypsum, allowing visitors to read as they explore the space. The biggest challenge was to create a museum environment within a limited space that had to house a vast

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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Give Your Walls a Protective Shell!

York Contract Wallcoverings introduces YorkGuard Anti-Microbial (AM) Protection for its commercial vinyl wallcoverings. YorkGuard AM is an EPA approved coating that protects York Contract vinyls from mold, mildew, bacteria and odor causing germs. Ideal for healthcare, restaurants, senior living, hospitality, public and educational facilities, YorkGuard AM with Granshield Technology, is the first and only anti-microbial wallcovering protection to offer two-sided coverage, a 5-year warranty, and a non-leaching technology. Hospital tested, safe and effective, YorkGuard AM works continuously at full strength over the useful life of the wallcovering and does not contribute to microbial adaptation

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BAHRAIN - OMAN - QATAR - SAUDI ARABIA - UAE

DESIGNER Q&A

variety of diverse art whilst maintaining original design intent. The region being largely unexplored, we had to ensure the design language was not too cutting edge and had to maintain a subtle yet contemporary interpretation of design.

10 Allegra. 11

What, if any, are the major challenges for you working in the UAE? The UAE provides us with a stellar environment to work and live in. Being a central business hub for the region, we cater to a variety of clientele around the region as well as internationally from our HQ in Dubai. We are aware of the amount of red tape involved in other major cities within the region and think that Dubai and the UAE provide us with a substantial amount of infrastructure to work within as well as with the increasing amount of clientele wanting world class design concepts.

Medusa. 12 Carmine.

You won the Silver Award and received an Honorable Mention at the International Design Awards in Los Angeles.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

Tell me about that, how many awards do you have? The Alfred Johnson Brand received its jrst Silver Award in North America and an Honorable Mention as well for our work on Etisalat within the UAE. Our brand currently has four awards and two honorable mention/jnalists. MENA awards include the Young Designer of the Year and Retail Design of the Year twice and the Silver Award for Commercial Space at the International Design Awards in North America. I hear there is a possible expansion on the cards, where are you moving to? We are currently exploring options of a new venture in the US where we want to expand Alfred Johnson as a retail experience. Our goal is to take our experience with interior architecture and product development to a high street audience, exploring new avenues of growth for our brand. With our comprehensive approach our high street customers will experience biomorphic design on a boutique level.

Where are you trying to take the business now? I believe that as a multi-disciplinary design brand, we have much to offer the architectural and interior industry. Our recent commission to renovate a G+3 ofjce building in Riyadh, KSA will be the jrst for our brand in the conceptual architecture industry. We are looking at collaborating with associates in Qatar, Kuwait and certainly aiming to expand in Saudi Arabia. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next? We're currently working on a commission for a retail-ofjce that has to resonate a variety of Italian interior products for its new venture in Dubai. We're also due to begin work on a mobile-hospitality concept for a Brazilian Food Conglomerate and last but not least, we're expanding our brand's furniture collection and shall be developing new products throughout the year signed personally by myself, thus ensuring that replicas are not made, giving them that exclusivity factor.

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Sequence Night & Day Patricia Urqiuola

Arc Foster + Partners

FINASI L.L.C AI Ittihad Road P.O. BOX 118508 Dubai United Arab Emirates T +971 (4) 2971777 www.molteni.it www Ă&#x201A;UHZP HL

FERIA HÁBITAT VALENCIA

Made in Spain FERIA HÁBITAT VALENCIA IS A TR ADE FAIR THAT BRINGS TOGETHER ALL THE INDUSTRY SECTORS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERIOR DESIGN. THIS YEAR’S EVENT SAW 950 EXHIBITORS AND 60,000 VISITORS FROM MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES 1

he overiding theme of Hábitat Valencia this year was the 10th anniversary of Nude, which celebrates up and coming young talent for those wanting to break into the design industry. Organisers split the tradeshow (September 20-24) into seven sectors; Furniture; Lighting; Home textiles; Bedrooms; Decoration; Kitchens and Outdoor, re-creating the exhibition koor to resemble a huge railway station and introduced a new programme called ‘Flash Hábitat’, to publicise product launches from leading companies in the style of a fashion show. Nude is an international design show where young interior designers, upcoming design studios, freelancers, galleries and manufacturers get a chance to showcase their talent with support from the event organisers, promoting their work and putting them in touch with industry professionals to progress in their career. A total of 40 schools of designs, and design practices, made up the talent from various regions of Spain and some

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came from international countries including Korea, Mexico and France. In the last 10 years, more than 400 designers have emerged from the show to establish a career in the industry including CuldeSac, Odos Design, Borja Garcia and En Blanc, to name a few. For many of them, Nude was the point at which their business careers took off and gave them a platform to show their ‘made in Spain’ designs to carve a niche for themselves in the world of design. 2

The core team of CuldeSac is Alberto Martínez, Pepe García, Francisco Pons and Pilar Roger. Set up in August 2002, the design studio is separated into three areas Espacio Creativo, Communication and Experience with the following jelds of expertise: product and interior design, strategic branding and communication and PR. Projects include; Roca, Madrid, a Vodafone portable shop and a jewellery store in Valencia. Another Nude ‘graduate’ is designer Jose Manuel Ferrero, who was asked to return to the show this year to create the interior space of the pavilion. He said the organisers wanted an area to rekect all the ideas and designs that have fuelled the show for the past 10 years so he brought everything together in a hexagonal space using numerous panels to symbolise ‘an image of nature with a melting pot of ideas’. “I created many panels to rekect the countless ideas on show now and those from before. The space evolves, making the very most of the surface and creating a versatile space,” he said.

1 The entrance foyer of the tradeshow. 2 The 'Flash' space.

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

FERIA HÁBITAT VALENCIA

3 Kangoo by Join Design. 4 Folda by Ham&Cheese. 5 Happy Chairs by Triangulo. 6 Wirelight by Join Design. 7 Close up of the Wirelight bulbs. 8 Stacked Kangoo chairs by Join Design.

NUDE Nude exhibition entries this year, included Join Design, Ham&Cheese Tasty Design Studio, Dicrein and Triangulo design + food. Join Design is a design practice that was formed in Valencia when Inma Bailen and Jordi Alberola decided to work together. The pair trained in Industrial Design at UCH-CEU University, having both taken a Masters in furniture and lighting. As a young design practice they seek to devise innovative, quality products. They base their designs on everyday objects and try to create a fresh twist from a functional, coherant and attractive perspective. At this year’s Nude, they presented Wirelight and Kangoo. Wirelight is a luminaire that provides indirect lighting with a 180 degree focus, while Kangoo is a seat for groups of people with a new use for the back of the seat for customers who are working at conferences or lectures. Ham&Cheese was set up towards the end of 2009 by graphic designer Veronica Colona and product designer

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

Jordi Giusbert, who work in the same way as a combo sandwich, combining simple elements to produce fresh ideas with a special kavour. Having won a bursary at last year’s Nude, the company is back with three creations; Folda, a dining table and chairs, Sonno alarm clock and Brott, an organiser that will transform wires and leads into organic elements. Dicrein is a young design practice made up of Eduardo Tapiador Polo, Lucia Mateo Belda and Letticia Rodriguez Ruano. The various interests of each of the partners make Dicrein a multi-functional practice that offers industrial design, graphic design, market research, research into trends, window

FORMER NUDE PARTICIPANTS • Borja Garcia • CuldeSac • Estudi(H)ac, • Hector Serrano • Nieves Contreras • Miguel Herranz

• Nadadora • Odos Design • Yonoh • En Blanc • Stone Design • Herme&Monica

dressing, photography, decorating and interior design. At the show it was presenting ‘forat de l’ombre’ outdoor furniture. Triangulo consists of three designers; Alejandro Hernandez, Laura Tornero and Guillermo Cerda who specialise in furniture design, product development and food respectively. The triangle represents design, develoment and gastronomy creating ideas for furniture, kitchen utensils, wine bottles, worktops and other gastronomic installations.

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FERIA HÁBITAT VALENCIA

FLASH HÁBITAT Flash Hábitat was set up in the style of a fashion show and gave visitors a quick snapshot of a selection of the best products coming out of the international interiors industry. It saw major companies like Andreu World, Vitra, B&B Italia, Artemide, Lzf (Luzifer) Lamps, Moroso and Emu, among others to showcase new products to a wider audience. Some of the products were; Agatha, Armadillo, Link Chain and Totem lighting by Lzf, four collections by Andreu World called Sail, Reverse, Andreu World Outdoor and Oliva, the System CUbox , an aluminium construction designed by Rafa Ortega for Do+Ce and the Paperstone eco-friendly designer kitchen by Key Cucine. “We found the ideal tool for recruiting major companies that had not come for a long time or had never exhibited before. Flash offers everything exhibitors are looking for in a fair, the opportunity to surprise, seduce and do business,” said Jose Blasco, president, Feria Hábitat Valencia.

Talking about the economic crisis, Blasco said there was no denying that the country was caught in a jnancial situation that was not buoyant but the ‘Made in Spain’ fair is known and valued internationally. “The downturn forced many companies to intensify their focus on internationl markets. “Spanish design has an excellent reputation around the world. It is getting better all the time and this is owing, not exclusively, to top names likes 10

9 Agatha by Lzf. 10 Totem light by Lzf. 11 Woody by Andreu World. 12 Armadillo by Lzf. 13 Sail chairs by Andreu World.

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Patricia Urquiola or Jamie Hayon, but also to a large number of designers and studios that are earning names for themselves worldwide. “For instance, we have Culdesac, Odos Design, Jose Manuel Ferraro, Hector Serrano, to name a few, who are all former participants at Nude.” One of the main themes this year was to create a show layout inspired by a high speed railway network, to create an easier, more convenient, time efjcient and cost effective experience for visitors. It had colour coded tracks on the koor of the boulevard and at the heart of the fair was a ‘Grand Central Station’ with digital information boards showing the times and dates for all parallel events. As well as support from ANIEME (Spanish Association of Furniture Manufacturers and Exporters), Fedai-Dec and Ateval, Feria Hábitat Valencia received advice from ICEX, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade and IVEX, the Valencia Export Development Institute.

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

FERIA HÁBITAT VALENCIA

MUEBLE DE ESPAÑA

14 Lamparas vases by Vondom. 15 Alma by Koo International. 16 Vela by Vondom. 17 Camelot by Koo International. 18 Sanitaryware by Do+ce. 19 Bano by Do+ce.

Mueble de España was created by ANIEME. It celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and has 250 members who attend all the four big interior tradeshows in Europe; Italy, France, Germany and Spain and will visit Dubai’s Index 2011. Aside from non European countries its main destination markets for Spanish furniture exports include Morocco, US, Russia and Saudi Arabia. A total of 72 members exhibited at the tradeshow including Sancal, Capdell, Koo International, Andreu World, Point, Darc, Vondom and Expormim. Point specialises in the design and manufacture of outdoor furniture. Its headquarters are located in Alicante and it was founded in 1920 as a workshop in which rattan armchairs were plaited. Since then, the company, in the hands of the fourth generation of the Pons family, has expanded its reach globally including hospitality projects where it furnished the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai. Other hotel clients include the Marriott, Sheraton, Kempinkski, Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons. 15

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

“The One & Only, Dubai, was an important project for us because it’s a well known hotel and it was a great way to present our company to the main designers,” said Maria Lora, regional manager Middle East, Point. “We supplied all the outdoor furniture to the hotel chain. “The more jobs we get abroad the more designers we can invite to see our brand. They can see the quality of the jnish and we get to promote the name of our company,”

14 16

Point launched two collections at Hábitat Valencia; the Colours Collection and LA; chairs and sunbeds. According to Juan Carlos Muñoz, who has been the president of Mueble de España for three years now having taken over from Enrique Perez who held the post for 12 years, Spain is still a strong market for international companies and despite the global crisis the country is high up on the list of commercial priorities, particularly with a view to the recovery of the domestic market. “The global market is changing. Companies no longer make furniture to sell in their own country but make a projt by partnering with other countries and exporting their goods overseas. The purpose of Mueble de España is to promote the brand and get people talking about our products to increase sales globally. “What makes Spanish products competitive are their creativity and quality. Their creativity can be seen in our furniture, lamps, textiles, kitchens and rugs. Although our classic designs are prestigious in eastern Europe, the Middle East or Asia, many of our cutting edge Spanish companies are selling well in mature markets such as Europe.” The association is embracing social media as part of its global reach and created a twitter page recently. Another of the major events at the show was FEED, the Second International Bloggers and Digital Design Media Seminar where those in digital media in the design industry were invited to get to know Valencian design and tweet it. “Digital media has an important role in the development of the association and one we encourage,” added Muñoz. 19

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FERIA Hﾃ。ITAT VALENCIA

LZF, LUZIFER L AMPS Lzf (Luzifer) Lamps was created by husband and wife team, Marivi Calvo and Sandro Tothill in 1994. They started making handmade lights out of wood veneer for their friends and the business took off from there. It showcased four new products at Habitat Valencia; Agatha, Armadillo, Link Chain and Totem. Agatha and Armadillo were created by Spanish designer, Luis Eslava. The krst light resembles a hanging lamp in the shape of a lower, while the other is made to look like textured armour. Link Chain follows the shape and form of the original Link, created in 2007 by Irish designer, Ray Power and with the collaboration of Spanish designer Marivi Calvo, while, the Totem Lamp is designed by Burkhard Dammer and Calvo. Given its monumental proportions, Totem was conceived for huge areas. LZF LAMPS +34 96 252 4780 sandro@lzf-lamps.com

ANDREU WORLD Andreu World has launched four products this year including Sail, Reverse, Andreu World Outdoor and Oliva. As with a sail, the design of the Sail chair is made of polypropylene and kbreglass and comes in a range of colours. Reverse is a 100% recycable polythylene base with different sizes of table top. It is available in black, white, red, cayenne, chocolate brown and grey. Andreu World Outdoor is a collection of chairs, easy chairs and barstools which are characterised by their braided wide belts in earth brown, sand, graphite and white. It also comes in a chaise logue version with a headrest cushion. Oliva is an occasional table in solid wood, obtained from reforested areas covered by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), ensuring the chain of custody from the origin to the knal product. ANDREU WORLD +34 96 180 5700 aworld@andreuworld.com

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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CASE STUDY: IDEASPICE

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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CASE STUDY: IDEASPICE

Red Spice ON T HE 10 T H A NNI VERSA RY OF IDE A SPICE , T HE F IR M MOVED INTO A NE W SPACE T H AT BROUGHT N AT URE INTO A N OF F ICE EN VIRONMENT

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

CASE STUDY: IDEASPICE

W 1 The break-out area with a lifesize horse. 2 A view of the main ofjce seating area. 3 Conference room with the putting green. 4 The conference room with glass walls. 5 Turf was used even in the overhead lights. 6 The entrance of the Ideaspice ofjce.

hen the 10th anniversary of Dubai-based business consultancy jrm, Ideaspice, came around in September 2011, it celebrated in its second ofjce, designed by its own interior division, Spiceworks. Sajith Ansar, CEO, Ideaspice, said the thought process behind the design was to create a space which the staff would enjoy coming to every day. “A major concept behind the interiors was that we wanted to make it look like a blend of the outdoors and indoors,” said Ansar. Ideaspice moved into the new ofjce in Al Diyafah, Dubai, in July 2011, from Deira. The previous space was smaller at 900 square feet, compared to the current location at 1270 square feet. Ansar said after 10 years, it was time to relocate into a bigger ofjce for the growing jrm. He said it started off as a design company, and has grown to a branding jrm that also provides business solutions. It was this shift in the jrm’s branding that caused the design to have a more serious vibe, yet not lose the quirkiness its jrst ofjce had.

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

“The earlier ofjce had bunkbeds. We even had strobe lights in the bathroom, and a pool table for recreation. That was dejnitely quirky and done up in dark colours. Now it was time to be serious, yet have some twists in the design as well,” said Ansar. There were multiple brainstorming sessions within the Ideaspice team to get a better understanding of where the company stood as a brand and how it wanted to portray itself in the future. “We had to take in all our ofjce/ employee requirements to create this space. The desks have been positioned in an organic and modular form to enhance teamwork and interaction. To make it more personal and customised, all the team members were measured so that the space they use could be specijed according to their individual heights,” added Ansar. He said Spiceworks used lighter and brighter colours as compared to the jrst ofjce, and tried to source materials or items not seen regionally. When people enter the ofjce, a large black horse with a lightbulb

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CASE STUDY: IDEASPICE

7 The Bubble Chair in the CEO's ofjce. 8 The design did away with formal looks. 9 The photographs on the wall were taken by the CEO. 10 CEO's ofjce desk. 11 Ceramic tiles used on the wall

and shade on its head stands to the right, with a break-out area for staff to relax. The main ofjce is a series of inter-connecting tables and chairs. The conference room is housed in a glass box, with green turf and a putting green for mini-golf. It also features a seating area at one end, surrounded by pebbles. Small, white dragonky models are stuck on the walls, on the chairs, on the table dividers and more. All this was done to match the design brief of nature being present in the ofjce. “We felt turf added an outdoor feeling and kept our signature wackiness without going over-the-top. And the dragonkies worked for the same reason, as it gives a sense of lightness and a koating sensation to the ofjce,” said Ansar. The overhead ducting was coated an extra layer to get the desired shade of red, and turf was inserted into the bulkhead lights as well. He said the dragonky gave a feminine feel to the ofjce, as he felt the other materials used were masculine. It also gives an element of surprise, he said. “People feel like they are sitting outdoors; it’s a subconscious feeling but it instantly makes people feel comfortable when they come here,” he added. The life-size horse was another outdoorsy element, Ansar added, and was a symbol of the company’s success. “We’ve completed 10 years as a jrm, during which time we’ve grown to nine ofjces around the world. We wanted everyone to step up internally, and the horse is a symbol to the staff, telling them we’ve been running till now, but now we’re starting to gallop,” he said. Ansar said the project was important and personal to him as CEO, which 9

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

is why he took a hands-on role in the design process. In addition, space designer Rahul Solanki, and Lalu Koch, jt out production manager, worked with him to realise the designs. “Overall the space was required to be fun, using unusual materials but at the same time being functional,” said Ansar. A lot of the materials were found in different parts of the world. “For example, we specijcally wanted ceramic tiles for the executive ofjce and had to hunt around a lot for it. After looking around in many places, we eventually sourced it from Dragon Mart,” said Ansar.

The kooring of the executive ofjce and the break-out area mimics the look of crates with writing stamped on them. “We wanted non-typical parquet kooring, like a crate with something written on it so we had to get it custom-printed,” added Ansar. The parquet wasn’t just used on the koor. In the conference room, it was used on the wall instead. All the furniture was handpicked and shipped from Ideaspice’s company based in China, Dian, which specialises in furniture and product facilities. However, many items, in addition to the parquet kooring, were custom-made. “We wanted a specijc red theme in a Pantone shade. We went to factories and got things done to our specijcations,” said Ansar. The construction of the ofjce faced multiple challenges and issues. “During the course of the construction, we had to change certain elements, but ended up using new ones which are more sustainable and functional,” said Ansar. Another challenge the jrm faced was the logistics coordination and time management for the furniture deliveries from around the world.

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CASE STUDY: IDEASPICE

12 One of the many dragonkies in the ofjce. 13 A red theme was chosen for the design. 14 Custom-made parquet kooring. 15 The funky chandelier. 16 The horse that doubles as a lamp.

“The hardest thing was that we were our own clients, and we had a lot of designs created before selecting anything. We set our standards really high as it had to be better than our old ofjce, which we were very proud of,” he added. While the actual jt-out time took 45 days, it took Spiceworks three months prior to that to jnalise the design. He said an important aspect of the ofjce was the break-out area. “We don’t like people working at a stretch, so a PlayStation was added to the break-out area. It’s also a place for clients to come in and interact, for an informal chat.” Since Ideaspice has ofjces in different parts of the world, a kat screen television was used to make video calls through Skype. The conference room was jtted out for eight people. Ansar said while the room is supposed to be the most serious space in the ofjce, he decided to use turf as kooring as an ice-breaker. He said seeing the turf always brought a smile to people’s faces. In addition to the turf, there is also a putting green, and a golf ball and club,

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

all of which have been used during serious meetings. “In a recent meeting, we had a client tell our architect if he could drop the ball in the hole three times, they could negotiate on pricing.

IDEASPICE SUPPLIERS LIST Fit-out: Spiceworks Laminations: Danube Veneers: Middle East Wood Wallpaper: Yalda Deco Tone Furniture: Dian, The One, 2XL

They actually started playing a game in the middle of a serious talk,” said Ansar. The ofjce also used sustainable materials. Ansar said it uses less artijcial lighting and more natural light within the ofjce. In addition, LED lights are used as they consume lower energy. “Even the materials used within the space are more environmentally friendly. We specijcally used natural materials like concrete, pebbles and turf within the ofjce,” he added. Scheduling timelines is incorporated into the ofjce space on one of the walls, rather than printing them. All of Ideaspice’s systems and processes revolve around a paperless ofjce overall. The young and funky vibe of the ofjce matched the jrm’s vision. “It essentially depends on what business you are in and the kind of vibe you wish to potray. For Ideaspice, it works for the kind of work we do and enhances the outcome of the designs,” said Ansar. He added in the region, there is an awakening in small-medium businesses which have the kexibility to experiment with a youthful feel, to do so. Nowadays clients are asking for “cool designs”, which shows it is fast becoming a trend. The jnal design was a surprise to the team at Ideaspice; only Ansar and Solanki knew what it looked like. “No-one was allowed to see anything: not the renders nor the pictures,” said Ansar. Before moving, the staff were given a briejng on what they could expect from the new ofjce, but were then blindfolded and brought into the space. “We wanted to surprise them and it worked. Since they had no expectations, it was a big shock, but they love where they work,” said Ansar.

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CASE STUDY: EFFA BOUTIQUE

Sister act

SIBLINGS SUM AYA DA BBAGH OF DA BBAGH A RCHIT EC T S A ND EF FA A L DA BBAGH, FOUNDER , EF FA FA SHION, COLL A BOR AT E ON A JOINT PROJEC T

W 70

hen Effa Al Dabbagh, founder and designer of Effa Fashion asked her sister Sumaya Dabbagh,

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

of Dabbagh Architects, to come up with a design for her jrst store in Dubai, she focused on the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo of a bright fuchsia kower to create a concept.

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CASE STUDY: EFFA BOUTIQUE

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

CASE STUDY: EFFA BOUTIQUE

1 The chandelier was from Al Salhiya Lighting Centre. 2 The shop's kower logo appears on the door. 3 Carpet from JAB Middle East. 4 The shop has a contemporary feel.

Sumaya is a Saudi architect educated in the UK with experience in architecture, interior design and project management spanning over 18 years. She set up her company, which focuses on design aspects such as light, space, and materials ‘in relation to the human scale as well as the human experience of space’, in Dubai, in 2008. “Effa’s brief was very simple, and simplicity makes the best projects. It was to provide a modern interior that would rekect the essence of the Effa brand,” she said. “The space had to accommodate display rails and shelves for womens’ ready to wear, abayas and accessories. Changing facilities, a back ofjce and storage space was also required.” The kower, symbolising beauty and femininity, became the focal point for the space, in the form of a custom made carpet as a centre piece. Gold, the brand’s colour depicting rays of sun and illustrating luxury was translated into vertical jns that form the structure of the display units. The circular arrangement of the display unit in the space rekects the soft, feminine aspect of the brand. The result is a contemporary interior that is faithful to the philosophy of Dabbagh Architects as well as the essence of the Effa brand. “As soon as the location was established, the countdown of a three month period started,” added Sumaya. “Meeting such a challenging deadline was made possible by the clear and well-formed vision of the client. “The design was completed in six weeks, construction in another six. “From a retail point of view, it is essential to present the merchandise in the most attractive way possible to maximise sales. “Important considerations such as lighting and product placement were, therefore, carefully studied.” According to Effa, founder and designer of the fashion brand, her aim in opening her jrst boutique was to provide an enjoyable shopping experience for her customers. “It was important for the design of the boutique interior to rekect the Effa style philosophy, and Dabbagh

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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Architects did an excellent job in translating this style architecturally into a retail space,” she said. “The interior design concept is contemporary and timeless and can easily be applied to other Effa boutique spaces in the future. “The way that the interior concept was designed also makes it kexible and easy to develop should the brand diversify into other product ranges. “The result was a space that is the perfect complement to my products,

rekecting the brand image and providing my customers with a stylish and relaxed luxurious retail environment where they can feel comfortable browsing through the collections, enjoy trying things on and making their purchases.” Effa added that she felt fortunate to have a boutique ofjce designed by her sister. The building and the space rekect their main ethos of high quality design: in the materials used and its attention to details. The sisters were born in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but grew up in the UK. Effa is the youngest sibling out of six. Sumaya was the fourth child. Together they have four sisters and one brother, including a sister, Hanan, who used to teach interior design. “It was a very exciting time to be able to work with such a close family member. We have a mutual respect and understanding. I know Effa’s personality very well and her brand essence and she understands my approach to design,” said Sumaya. “Our goals are completely aligned. We both have an interest in each other’s success as well as our own. “In addition, as we are both in creative jelds, we were able to have very good rapport and brainstorm ideas together during our design meetings. It was a fun time.” Although Dabbagh Architects launched in 2008, Sumaya has been working independently since 2004 and completed many projects ranging from residential to commercial. “My jrst independent project was a residential one. A young modern Emirati family approached me for the design of their own home. The villas they occupied needed to be remodelled to jt their changing lifestyle,” she said. “Being an architect, I enjoyed working on a project that required a refurbishment of the interior spaces to fuljll new requirements and needs. "When I initially started working independently, my early commissions were interior jt outs. “Having previously worked on large scale projects, such as the Childrens’ City, in Dubai, I enjoyed working on the details of a small scale project.

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CASE STUDY: EFFA BOUTIQUE

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

CASE STUDY: EFFA BOUTIQUE

EFFA STORE SUPPLIERS LIST Carpet: Custom made in Germany by JAB Middle East Wooden flooring: UK, supplied by Aim Pro Middle East FZE Light fittings: Al Salhiya Lighting Centre, Dubai, UAE Chandelier: Made in Italy, supplied by Al Salhiya Lighting Centre, Dubai. Loose Furniture: Clients own supplier Reception counter and display cabinets: Custom made by Contrast LLC Interior Design & Decoration Signage: Exact Sign, Dubai, UAE

5 Display rails for womens' abayas and accessories. 6 Exterior shot of the boutique.

“This kind of work helped to form strong relationships with clients that would continue to kourish and provide an invaluable insight into what makes a project successful. “Design is not the only criteria, we are also in the business of providing a service. I believe the quality of our service is what attracts repeat clients to return for further commissions as well as new clients through word of mouth and personal recommendations." Her jrst building commission was started in 2007 and completed in 2010, where she developed a boutique ofjce building in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. It also houses Dabbagh Architects' ofjces. Sumaya said she felt fortunate to have her ofjces in a building designed by her own company. Speaking of the boutique, she said the design of Effa Fashion went very smoothly, but her main challenges were during the construction stage of the project with its contractors. “In this difjcult market, we found that sometimes contractors overstretch themselves and their resources by over committing to too many clients, in order to compensate for lower prices due to the slow economic market. This meant that we faced frustrating delays. The contract’s initial duration was four weeks. However the actual duration was stretched to six weeks,” she added. “In retail, trends tend to come and go fast, a bit like fashion. “At Dabbagh Architects we tend to focus on producing a design that

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

5 6

responds to the client’s needs and the project’s unique criteria, rather than following fashion. “Following popular styles blindly is akin to being a fashion victim. We aim to produce designs that are not affected by transient styles and trends. Our ultimate aim is to produce timeless design,” she added. Dabbagh Architects is currently in the design stage for several projects in UAE. These are commercial as well as residential types of work.

It also looking at expanding into the Saudi and Qatari markets as there is considerable growth in various sectors in those countries at present. It recently added two new members to its team; a structural engineer and an architect who will work on projects further ajeld. “We are excited by the prospects and look forward to completing new fuljlling and prestigious projects and developing fruitful relationships with new clients,” said Sumaya.

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CASE STUDY: RI STATIONERS

Papermate WHIT E CORP OR AT E INT ERIOR DE SIGN TA KE S T HE T HEME OF ORIG A MI A ND INT RIC AT E PA PER FOLDS TO CRE AT E A S TAT IONERS SHOP IN SING A P ORE 76

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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CASE STUDY: RI STATIONERS

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hite Corporate is an interior design company which was set up in Singapore in 2001. It has three afjliated companies, White Space Living, Substance Living and White2 Partnership, providing design consultation and project management services for residential and commercial projects. White Space Living focuses on Singapore’s public housing apartments, while Substance Living serves condominium, terrace house and bungalow projects, recently expanding into A&A (Addition & Alteration) work and construction. White2 Partnership was formed in 2004 to focus on commercial projects like show kats, ofjce, retail stores, F&B outlet, education facilities and hotels. Roy On, business development manager, White Corporate said the owner of RI Stationers, Kathleen Loi, approached the company via its website to design her shop. She liked the concept and design which it proposed for the store and there was an easy chemistry between the client and the design team. The brief was to design a store with a neutral palette to highlight its products, which are mainly locally designed journals, photo albums and greeting cards that come in a myriad of colours. It was also asked to use cement screed jnishing to create a raw feel and back-to-basics interior for the store ambience. The team was led by Thomas Tham and Ummi Nadhirah Binte Harun. “We take every project very seriously. Especially for commercial projects, it is not just about having an impressive design. But a design that is functional for the client’s daily business operation,” said Harun. “Thus, besides equipped with the latest commercial design trend, we must also have an in-depth understanding of the client’s business operation module and knowledge of their products or services. So that the design will be one that is exquisite and yet functional.” On said the team conceptualised the store based on an origami theme and its intricate paper folds and got some design advice from Ted Givens, AIA (American Institute of Architects). Givens, a partner at 10 Design in Hong Kong, is an award winning lead Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

CASE STUDY: RI STATIONERS

1 RI Stationers has a neutral palette to highlight its products. 2 The store uses jnishes like walnut wood and glossy white laminate. 3 The display counter has pigeon holes for pens and pencils. 4 A selection of colourful paper ribbons. 5 Items on display include journals, photo albums and greeting cards.

designer on projects ranging from exclusive resorts and hotels to large corporate headquarters. The overall concept of the design rekects the basic product of the store which is paper. The design team incorporated a neutral colour palette to act as a backdrop for the colourful products that are on display and sold in the store and combined raw jnishes like cement screed with a more rejned jnish like walnut wood and glossy white laminate to strike a balance. “We put in extra attention to the carpentry detailing to suit the client’s needs. The display counter is customised to include pigeon holes for their pen and pencil products. We created a light box display shelf for the client to highlight their new arrival products,” said Tham. “Another important feature is the glass showcase which our client uses to showcase how they can customise or personalise the products specijcally for their customers. “We designed the pull out trays to display their wrapping papers.

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

In this way, customers can view the whole wrapping paper design easily. "We have also designed the greeting cards display area as part of the whole feature wall.” To create a focal point, White2 Partnership designed an origami patterned ceiling at the centre of the store where the cashier is stationed. Indirect lighting on the false ceiling and feature wall gives the store a soft ambience combined with halogen lights to highlight the products. Two big dandelion shaped pendant lights, which hang down from the ceiling directly above the island counter, give the store an intimate, relaxed and cosy atmosphere. Due to the shape of the plan, it also managed to create two store rooms for the client so that the owner gets to use one of them for storage and the other one as a mini ofjce. The whole design concept was jne tuned throughout the course of one month. After conjrmation, it was given another month for the renovation work. As the store is located within a

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CASE STUDY: RI STATIONERS

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6 9

6 The shop counter. 7 The products come in a myriad of colours. 8 Detail was paid to the shelving. 9 Dandelion shaped pendant lights. 10 Pull out trays for wrapping paper.

shopping mall, work could only be commenced during none retail hours. “The workload was unlike residential projects, which usually have a deadline between one to six months depending on the scale of project,” said Harun. “However, for commercial projects, whether it is an ofjce or retail store, only two weeks to a month time frame is given to deliver the project. Thus, project management to ensure it delivers on time is very crucial.” The koor plan that the team was given has an 800mm wide round column

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

smack at the front of the store, which is unsightly near the entrance. To hide it, White2 Partnership designed a window display feature with origami folds to showcase the new arrival products and on sale items. It also designed a back lit signage that faces the oncoming human trafjc from the walkway in the shopping mall to create awareness to the shoppers and capture their attention when they walk by. There is another round column at the back of the store but instead of hiding

it, the team turned it into a feature by using the client’s graphic prints to wrap around it. This helps to add some colour to the interior and gives the store a more cheerful vibe. “Usually, when undertaking a commercial project, we will try our very best to fuljll the client’s request. This is because no-one knows their products better than themselves. As an interior designer, we have a role to play in proposing ideas which can transform the store to highlight their products and turn it into a unique

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CASE STUDY: RI STATIONERS

11 Locally designed journals and photo albums. 12 The showcase with examples of customised products. 13 The display shelf. 14 Visual detailing for customers. 15 Origami themed walls.

shopping experience for their customers," said On. "Their requirements also give us a better understanding of their store operation. Therefore, it is a piece of very essential information to us so that we can apply that during our design process. So when the project is completed, it will be one that is functional to their business needs." “Hence, we got our inspiration from our client’s vision and through analysing and understanding their needs; we turned the idea into reality.” On added that in a cosmopolitan society like Singapore, every shop is now moving towards creating a branding of its own by using unique design concepts and materials. “There is no one particular style that every client or designer follows right now. The challenge for retail store design is how we can blend in the design to suit the culture and lifestyle of their respective consumers,” he said. “With globalisation and the social media, the Gen Y consumers are very well informed with their interests. 12

This group of customers do not buy a particular product just for what it is or simply engage a service plainly for their needs. What they are actually going after when buying is the entire concept behind a product. Therefore, these pose a very challenging task to designers when it comes to designing a shop. “Now, a good shop design has to take into consideration all the above mentioned factors so that it can play a part in creating a good brand and engaging with its customers.”

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

White Corporate celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and has been steadily growing its client portfolio with more than 300 projects to date. It recently expanded its team and has moved into a 3,500 square feet ofjce. The new ofjce has been equipped with the latest technology in web conferencing, which will enable the designers to communicate and do business with clients and partners from any part of the world. It is also working with local and overseas property developers on their residential, commercial and industrial projects in Singapore. “After a decade establishing the company in Singapore, we are challenging ourselves to expand outward from our comfort zone,” added On. “We are looking forward to engaging in projects from overseas, specijcally Asia Pacijc and UAE. We want to establish ourselves as one of the leading design jrms in these regions. White Corporate is always looking at ways to maximise the potential of space to improve verbal and visual contacts, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design.”

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CASE STUDY: RITZ CARLTON ESPA

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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CASE STUDY: RITZ CARLTON ESPA

Height of success

USING T HE T HEME OF A SILK WOR M’S COCOON, HBA LONDON COMPLE T E S A SPA BY E SPA IN T HE TA LLE S T BUILDING IN HONG KONG

ith a location more than 300 metres above the frenetic streets of Hong Kong, hospitality design jrm, HBA (Hirsch Bedner Associates), has created an escape from the metropolis, for guests who visit the Ritz-Carlton ESPA in the International Commerce Centre (ICC). At 484 metres (1,588 feet), it is the tallest building in Hong Kong and the jfth tallest in the world after the Burj Khalifa, Dubai

(2,717ft), Abraj Al-Bait Towers, Mecca, Saudi Arabia (1,971ft), Taipei 101, Taiwan (1,670ft) and Shanghai World Financial Centre, China, (1,614ft). The design jrm won the brief through Susan Harmsworth, founder and CEO of ESPA International, after cooperating on a number of spa designs in the past. HBA presented its portfolio to the hotel operations team and owner/developer SHKP (Sun Hung Kai Properties) and won the contract. The Ritz-Carlton occupies the uppermost 15 levels of ICC and ESPA is located on the 116th and 118th koors. Inge Moore, principal, HBA London said she was looking for a theme which would ‘evoke feelings of reassurance, shelter and nurturing within the lofty conjnes of the towering structural envelope’ as a base for his design. At the same time, she wanted to make the most of the setting and allow guests to simultaneously feel attached

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

CASE STUDY: RITZ CARLTON ESPA

3 1 ESPA nail salon 1. 2 Fitness area reception 1. 3 ESPA reception 1. 4 Reception 2.

to the city with its breathtaking views yet totally insulated from the hustle and bustle below. To create a sanctuary of softness from the stressful urban surroundings, he came up with the idea of a silkworm’s cocoon. Curved niches, gently diffused lighting and kowing spaces all contribute to a comfortable style, one that feels cosy and inviting, contemporary but not cold. “The silkworm’s cocoon - a soft, white pillow of delicately spun silk - provided a perfect metaphor and design

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

inspiration for The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA,” said Moore. “We sought to emulate this place of peaceful, protected transformation by using its physical form and conceptual ideology as a guideline for every design detail in the spa, from the space planning to the materials specijed to the lighting scheme. “As an allusion to the coiled contours of the chrysalis’ woven jbres, “straight” edges have been avoided; for example, the reception desks have an oval outline, changing room benches

are styled in kidney-bean shapes, and the corridor and room layouts follow organically curved lines. The appearance of the jnely textured horsehair, which clads some of the walls is a subtle suggestion to the mulberry tree slivers which are naturally embedded in the cocoon.” HBA also teamed-up with artist, Eva Menz, to create a koating installation crafted from porcelain “butterky cocoons” that are suspended in strands from the ceiling. Linear LED cone lights have been concealed within the centres

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CASE STUDY: RITZ CARLTON ESPA

5 Treatment Room 1. 6 VIP alcove. 7 ESPA VIP bath.

of intermittently positioned cocoons so that the source of illumination is not apparent and guests do not experience a harsh glare. The cabling is integrated into the strands so that it becomes part of the artistry. Above the sculpture, lowvoltage downlights create dramatic effects by casting shadows and rays which bounce off the adjacent walls. Moore said the most challenging part of the design was the fact that there is no ‘view’ to focus on from the window other than the clouds. “Hong Kong is a vertical city of tall buildings, and the polluted smog which drifts in from the factories at the outskirts of the city is a real problem. Normally this can be seen when one looks onto the horizon, but every now and then the atmospheric conditions clear-up so that all one sees are sunny blue skies and white clouds,” she said. She added another issue was the low ceiling heights formed by the slab-toslab construction of the high-rise tower. “The spa areas comprise one section of the 116th koor, and the club lounge

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

and restaurant form the other parts. And then, on the 118th koor, guests visit the pool and the gym. In between these levels, the 117th koor houses a good deal of the building’s services. So there were many logistics to contend with in the layouts,” she explained. “A cause for consternation amongst the planning team was how guests would feel being in a space that was so high-up. It was essential they feel secure in a space so far off the ground, so satisfying this concern was an integral aspect of our decision making process.” The design team wanted to blur the boundary between a monolithic structural envelope and the expansive 360° vista so spa guests could feel “connected” to the city but not “in” it. It chose a colour palette to represent clear blue skies, golden rays of sunlight and the sparkling lights from below. It had to be meticulous in its planning so that the electrical, plumbing, and lighting layouts were compatible with the plant on the 117th koor. Health and safety was very important, and the designers collaborated carefully with

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CASE STUDY: RITZ CARLTON ESPA

8 Nail Salon 2. 9 The bathroom. 10 Relaxation Room. 11 Porcelain Cocoons. 12 Treatment Room 2.

the engineering team to make sure everything would work and create a positive experience for guests. “As far as logistical or materialsrelated challenges, the structural design was planned to accommodate the use of our FF&E, and for example, the saunas and jacuzzis on the top koor,” said Moore. “With such a large tower, everything was transported via the service lifts; it would have been impossible to hoist a crane up to that height, and the glazing was already in place. All the products we specijed were well thought out so they were a size that could jt into the lifts and jre-rated. “We intentionally specijed materials that convey a sense of being “grounded”, as seen for example in the bronze metal-infused timber kooring, the substantial felling alabaster reception desks and the manicure station hewn from hardwood solids. It was important to create a place where the body could “think” and be more powerful than the mind, where guests could have time to decompress and “jgure out” elements 9

in their lives that they are often too busy to focus upon. Therefore we could not design a space that would accost people with its complexity; these functions should always be behind the scenes, because the sight of that stray wire or kashing red light can induce feelings of edginess and weariness.” The project took 18 months from conception to completion. Moore said working in diverse cultures is so interesting because every culture has a different process for achieving the end

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

result. She would like to do more projects in Asia, as the spa experience is an intrinsic part of its cultural traditions. “It was a remarkable opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind spa escape at the top of one of the world’s tallest buildings,” she said. “Luxury is more broadly dejned today than ever before, and what is immediately identijed as a luxurious environment in LA is different than one in London or that along the Mediterranean Coast. But what people do want in many instances is something original and authentic; so what this means is that there is more scope than ever before to envision narrative work afresh, to garner ideas from the site’s location and even borrow inspiration from one part of the world that is right for a project in another part. Today, the creators of luxury spaces need to travel extensively and keep their senses open to the world wherever they visit.” HBA London is currently working on the Westhofen Spa and Resort in Frankfurt and designing a signature spa at the Rafkes Istanbul Zorlu Centre.

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Ballroom, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

Lasvit cordially invites you to visit our “Mysterious Forest” at INDEX International design exhibition, on the Concourse from 22-25 October 2011 at the World Trade Centre, Dubai. Lasvit [las’vit] – noun Origin: Czech Republic Meaning: love and light – Designer and manufacturer of decorative bespoke light sculptures and glass art installations for the world’s hotels, restaurants, palaces, and other public areas – The emotion felt when embracing true beauty and radiance in the same moment Light — Design — Experience www.lasvit.com

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DESTINATION FOCUS

Slow and Steady A STRONG REAL ESTATE MARKET IN SAUDI AR ABIA IS BOOSTING THE INTERIOR DESIGN SECTOR eddah’s real estate market is benejting from the recently announced 500 billion Riyal jnancial stimulus package, according to the latest City Projle released by Jones Lang LaSalle MENA. “Like the rest of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is particularly well positioned to benejt from this massive kow of public capital into housing and infrastructure,” said Soraka Al-Khatib, co-head, Jones Lang LaSalle Saudi Arabia. According to the report, the ofjce market continues to become more tenant-favourable as market competition increases, leading to lower rents and more options available to occupiers. The hotel market is also doing well, said the report. Driven by rising investment in tourism infrastructure and development of the city’s leisure offerings, long term prospects for Jeddah’s hotel sector remain positive. Mohammed Nawarah, country manager – KSA, DORMA, which has been in the Saudi market for over 18 years, said there is a great market in Saudi Arabia for interior design jt-out. The booming construction industry is inkuencing the interior design sectors, with the most vibrant being ofjce buildings, like the King Abdullah Financial District. “In the King Abdullah Financial District, there are more than 60 towers of ofjces and apartments; it is proposed

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that designers from around the world work on these,” said Nawarah. Deborah Blandford, UK-based interior designer, has been working with Saudi Arabian clients in London since 1985, and eventually was hired for projects in Saudi Arabia for private residences. “The industry is very strong and there are a number of world class developments taking place there.” She added in the 1980s, there was an Arabic style far richer and ornate than Europe when it came to interiors. “I am very interested in Arabic design and sought to combine this style with a contemporary twist. Products now are available globally and the trends are for simpler interiors; in addition all designers have to consider universal themes such as sustainability and accessibility.” Nawarah said he has noticed a trend in the Kingdom to have modern, smart ofjces. He said frameless partitions and automatic entrances jt into this trend. “We provide them with new technology for automatic doors and have patented a technology for door operators called CS80 Magneo which uses something called magnetic levitation.” Blandford said the only challenge she has faced is the speed of procedures. She added it is often a slower process and the initial negotiations take longer. “For instance I did a job for the Saudi Arabian government — designing

accommodation for the Saudi army and it seemed to take a long time to actually settle all the working arrangements and scope of the project. I was installed in a small kat opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge with a French architect and we designed the interiors. It was challenging in that we did not really have a brief apart from the size of the spaces and what needed to be provided, so in that sense there was a lot of FF&E but no real style preferences,” said Blandford. The main challenge for Nawarah is to design the ofjce or apartment considering the religious and cultural aspects of the country. “We have to design ofjces to avoid interaction between men and women. While clients want the latest design and technologies, they want the jt out done without compromising on their religious or cultural values,” he said.

1 Skywalk of King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). 2 Interior of KAFD.

Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

DESTINATION FOCUS

A shining design T HE ORUBA GALLERY IN RI YADH BENEFIT ED WIT H T HE USE OF ENERGY SAVING LIGHTS

1 DTS’ work on the Oruba Gellery. 2 Rendering of the painting area. 3 Creating a cozy art gallery in Riyadh. 4 Bringing out the best through lighting. 5 Rendering of the restaurant.

audi Arabia-based light design jrm, DTS, has worked on the design of an art gallery and restaurant in Riyadh, using advanced lighting technology. Founded in 2010, by Abdulaziz Al-Azem, DTS provides professional lighting designs for different types of projects, from residential to public, urban and landscape. The Oruba Gallery is a 740m2 space spread over two storeys, where one of the main demands of the client was to have the latest lighting technology available in the market. “This was a very interesting project for us; it was a combination between an art gallery and a restaurant which created a unique interior atmosphere,” said Al-Azem. He added, the client wanted to create a good mood lighting for the restaurant, while having suitable jxtures to enhance the works of art, where most of the objects were paintings. Al-Azem said once DTS landed the contract, the design team immediately started thinking of how it could use the most advanced and latest lighting

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

technology available. The designers’ concept was to create an art gallery which boasts of quality and corresponds to the experience of dining as well. “We call our concept ‘the cozy art gallery’,” said Al-Azem. “We decided to specify LED luminaires from high-end European brands such as ERCO (Germany), XAL (Austria) and DGA from Italy. This produced a higher efjciency, as most of the luminaires are linked to a lighting control system,” he added. A small lounge bar and art gallery will be housed on the jrst koor, where DTS worked on illuminating the paintings and other artwork. “For this area, we used a track light system in combination with Logotec LED spotlight from ERCO. The advantage of using this is its kexibility. Even if the object which we want to highlight is moving, we can adjust the spotlight with the track light to match its movement,” said Al-Azem, He said the Logotec LED spotlight from ERCO was chosen because of its technology, and its ability to have a wide range of beam distribution from a

narrow one to wide kood. He also said it is the best light source to bring out the details in objects like paintings. The second koor consists of the restaurant and paintings hung on the walls. “This koor is the most critical area because of the function of the mixture,” added Al-zem. On this koor DTS used LED recessed directional spotlight from ERCO for highlighting the paintings and the dining tables. In order to create the cozy mood ambience, DTS combined technical luminaires from ERCO with those from XAL Austria. It also used a decorative luminaire from XAL called JANE, which is a very small system LED recessed on the ceiling highlighting a metal chain curtain. The combination between LED and metal chain created a sparkling effect. It also used the LED stripe for the cove lighting instead of using a kuorescent tube. In the end, it also used a lighting control system from BTICINO. Al-Azem said the most challenging part was to work out how to combine the mood lighting for the restaurant and technical lighting for the art gallery.

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DESTINATION FOCUS

“For instance, to maintain a certain amount of light in the painting, we had to choose lamp sources that were not emitting UV and IR radiation. On the other hand, we had to create moody lighting for the restaurant, that had a cozy ambient feel which helps the customers to relax and which will present the food more attractively,” he said. DTS is now working on a range of projects, from interiors of religious buildings to exterior façade lighting. “We are working on projects for a mosque in Jeddah, a design for three storeys of furniture showrooms in Riyadh, retail lighting for Thawb shop in Riyadh, a villa in Dammam, façade lighting for an ofjce tower in Jeddah and more,” said Al-Azem. He added, there are many prestigious projects in progress in Saudi Arabia, which is positively impacting the interior design industry in the country. “Many people now in Saudi Arabia are slowly realising the importance of good interior design. So we can say that interior design in Saudi Arabia is now tremendous,” he added.

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

Index: Bigger and better INDE X CELEBR AT E S IT S 21S T A NNI VERSA RY T HIS Y E A R E X PA NDING IT S T R A DE SHOW WIT H SI X PRODUC T SPECIF IC SHOWS A ND 800 E XHIBITORS F ROM 49 COUNT RIE S. IT IS HELD AT DUBA I WORLD T R A DE CENT RE F ROM OC TOBER 22-25.

aula Al Chami, event director, Index, took over from her predecessor, Lu Buchanan, in November 2010 to oversee the expansion of the trade show’s projle in Dubai and launch the international design exhibition into Saudi Arabia in 2012. She has been with dmg :: events for 11 years and was previously event director for The Big 5 and before that, The Ofjce Exhibition. Working across a diverse portfolio has given Al Chami the opportunity to work on large complex products, as well as niche events. “When I took over Index, I understood very quickly that the market required a place where inspiration could thrive. It is this proposition that has guided us in developing an already established 21-year strong event toward its next stage of development. Exhibitors and visitors will now have the opportunity to see an amazing 11 features dedicated to six product specijc shows, 20 free of charge seminar sessions and two conferences — unprecedented for any design show in the region,” she said. Al Chami’s favourite part of the show is its variety. She said the sheer breadth of exhibitors that join the event from so many countries brings a great diversity and, based on the changes occurring in the mature markets of the west, the GCC remains an important part of the world for manufacturers and distributors to do business. “The GCC has been able to recover far quicker than what we are seeing in Europe and North America where uncertainty still remains, particularly with talk of a double-dip recession coming. The oil rich nations of the GCC with its young, afkuent populations have fared much better with GDPs being reported up to 10%, unmatched by Europe or North America,” she added. In the last quarter of 2011, the most buoyant countries awarded real estate projects include KSA, UAE and Qatar amounting to US$4.3 billion.

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Of this jgure, the highest grossing projects being awarded were the commercial and residential segments. With interiors and jt out accounting for 10-30% of these project values (depending on the high end nature of the project,) 2012 could prove to be a fruitful year after a cautious start to 2011. “Index brings exceptional value to the market, which can only be positive, as no other interiors and design event in the region delivers the same calibre of exhibitors, innovative content and a large buying audience,” said Al Chami. “The region has an afkuent end-user community, which not many developed markets can boast, particularly with the vast sovereign wealth of the GCC. Its nations are relatively young and so continue to push forward with their infrastructure development plans. This region undoubtedly has an important buying audience, which is why Index’s One VIP Programme is so important in ensuring these key buyers are brought to the show from across the region to meet with our exhibitors.” Index 2010 saw over 600 VIP buyers involved in 112 projects with budgets amounting to over $83.5 billion attending the programme. Al Chami plans to bring further product development to the show next year and one of the highlights is taking the show to Jeddah in May. “Saudi Arabia is the largest growing economy in the Middle East with an estimated GDP of $578bn, making it one of the largest in the world,” she said. “The availability of vast amounts of oil - 22% of the world’s reserves, huge government spending on infrastructure projects - budgeted at US $400 billion to purely manage its growing population, 70% of which are under the age of 30 accounting for 26 million people rising to 29 million by 2013. Investment of $66 billion has been earmarked for new homes by the General Housing Authority and it is estimated spend in the next 12 months for residential interior jt out and commercial interior jt out will be $715 million and $821 million respectively." Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

Meeting point T HE T HIRD CONT EMP OR A RY M A JLIS COMPE T IT ION 2011 SAW ENT RIE S F ROM 70 INT ERIOR DE SIGNERS A ND INT ERIOR A RCHIT EC T S

ndex has announced the six jnalists who will compete for the title of Contemporary Majlis Competition winner 2011. It is the third time the competition has been held at Dubai World Trade Centre and, unlike previous years, it was open to any qualijed interior designer or interior architect. There were 70 applications in total from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, North Africa, South Africa and the US, and according to organiser, Malini Dean, dmg :: events, the standard of submissions based on the concept, use of material and design as a whole was very high. “At the heart of any Middle Eastern home, the majlis is traditionally the place where families meet and socialise with friends," she said. "The younger generation is now looking for an environment that celebrates Arab culture, but also embraces cutting edge, innovative design. Index is an international event with a strong Middle Eastern inkuence, so we are keen to celebrate local culture and

promote innovative design. Over the years the competition has attracted great interest from attendees keen to see how senior designers approach such a challenge to deliver a modern day majlis from conception to completion. “In 2009, Zain Mustafa of Zain Mustafa Design won accolades for his striking and colourful design space and in 2010, Rashida Rajkotwalla, DWP wowed the judges with her winning majlis, which captured the kuidity of movement whilst drawing inspiration from the literary arts and Bedouin culture.” The judges selected the entries based on six main themes; Design innovation, Creative use of fabrics and materials, Use of innovative furnishings, Practicality and usability of the design, Does the design work as a whole and is it a contemporary majlis. Questions asked were; • Did the designer create a design concept that is pioneering, innovative, inspirational, thought-provoking and cutting edge? • Did the designer create a design using

original and innovative textiles and materials which could be sustainable and are aesthetically pleasing, but also practicable? • Is the furniture comfortable and following good proportions and high standards? • Does the design marry the traditional majlis with cutting-edge contemporary design whilst maintaining Arabic culture? The jnalists are Sinmar Al-Said, managing partner, Internal Line Interior Design(ILID), Ghandour El Habre, senior interior designer, Khatib & Alami, Mimi Shakshashir, managing partner, co-owner and designer, O'de Rose, Carrie Das, design manager, AHK International, Basak Yuksel, senior designer, PF Emirates Interiors LLC and Rania Mahmoud Hamed of Von Saldern Hamed Design. The six jnalists will now showcase their designs at Index 2011 and be judged on their actual build of a contemporary majlis with the winner being announced on October 22 and featured in CID’s daily show paper, the Index Inspiration Daily on October 23.

JUDGE CHAIRPERSON

JUDGE

Elise A. Nassour Head of Studio, Engineer's Office Elise A. Nassour is an interior architect, with over 15 years of experience. In Dubai she has been working on different types of projects with a focus on high end residential villas and palaces both in the GCC and the MENA Region.

Jenny Eagle Editor, Commercial Interior Design Jenny Eagle became the editor of Commercial Interior Design magazine in April this year. Prior to that, she was deputy editor on Facilities Management Middle East, a sister ITP title. She previously worked for the Sun in London.

Robert Reid Asst. Professor, American University of Sharjah A Canadian national, Reid graduated from New York's Pratt Institute in 2000 with a master's in interior design. He is a practising interior designer and faculty member of the College of Architecture, Art and Design at AUS.

Rashida Rajkotwalla Lead Designer, Design Work Portfolio Winner of the best designer award at the 2010 Index majlis competition, Rashida Rajkotwalla has been in the Gulf for 14 years. Her projects include the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, Berjaya Jeju Resort Korea and the Aldar HQ.

Dariush Zandi Design Director, Total Art Dariush Zandi has spent over 13 years working as a senior architect and town planner for Dubai Municipality. His work includes Sheikh Saeed House, and Dubai Museum and he is chairman of UAE Architectural Heritage Society English Chapter.

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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4 1 Basak Yuksel. 2 Mimi Shakhashir. 3 Sinmar Al-Said. 4 Carrie Das. 5 Rania Hamad. 6 Ghandour El Habre.

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Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

ndex 2010 saw a return to quality and a diversity that seemed to have abandoned this fair in previous years. Out were the cheap Chinese products and in came items of a much higher standard. As with everything, this return to quality did not happen by itself; dmg :: events saw the need to improve the fair and set up an Index steering committee. A series of designers from Dubai’s design community, (including me), were invited to brainstorm at a series of events. We discussed what needed to happen to bring this exhibition to the level of other international fairs. It included what local designers needed to see, what lectures or personalities we would benejt from and what events would be most popular. Many of the ideas and concepts were not implemented last year, as time was against us, although, I am sure this year’s show and the ones to come will bring unexpected surprises. As a designer based in Dubai I jnd Index incredibly useful. We all lead such hectic lives with deadlines that become shorter and shorter that we rarely get a chance to meet other designers or suppliers unless it is project specijc. Having the chance to spend a day studying what our suppliers have launched and discover new ones makes us overall more competent. Chatting with colleagues, jnding out how their projects are fairing and helping each other gives you a sense of community. I personally feel part of our job is to keep abreast through local and international publications as well as visiting fairs. This knowledge allows us to inform our clients of the best possible options. Many of my client’s keep me on my toes and they are incredibly up-to-date with the latest trends. I look forward to Index and seeing quirky designs from the region. Isabel Pintado, associate partner, Godwin Austen Johnson.

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Head B count WE A SK F I VE INDUS T RY PROF E SSION A L S WH AT T HE Y HOPE TO SEE AT T HIS Y E A R ’S E X HIBIT ION

ooming, yesterday? Failing, today? Hectic, tomorrow? Dead, again? Over the past decade any person working in Dubai witnessed the use of these words plentiful times, to describe the dramatic kuctuation of the market – specijcally when talking about construction/design. In the fancy old days, we, architects and designers; were always in the middle of the scene: overworking every single day, to create fantastic buildings, exciting spaces and exteriors and interiors with the wow factor. In those days, Index was an event I looked forward to and waited for. It was a real hub for interior design, housing not just diverse exhibitors from across the globe, but attracting a diverse international audience, with different professions, experiences, and needs. Everyone benejted from the show and some of us spent three days slowly going through each bit of it, to learn about the latest market trends, products and technology. This is why we attended and will still attend: to try and jnd all these aspects we were used to, with the same intensity, lively atmosphere, and the passion of everyone attending. Unfortunately, last year’s event withheld the main players in the market, very few exhibitors brought in something new, not many stood out, and only a few tried to grasp visitors’ attention. I was not very disappointed seeing as I have attended the tradeshow the year before and thought there was dejnitely an improvement, but neither was I impressed with the overall outcome. However, I look forward to Index 2011 as I hope to see an improvement, not just with the number of halls the exhibition is occupying, but with the quality of the show and what it offers to an aspiring market striving for character, originality and quality. Rama Turkmani Mouton, interior designer, Design Worldwide Partnership. Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

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s a supporter of independent designers and artisans I hope to meet young emerging designers from the Gulf region and the Middle East at Index. The industry is thirsty for a new Middle Eastern urban approach. With all the exposure we receive when touring a city like Dubai, young upcoming talents should be our focal point in addition to world known brands and designers. Mentoring sessions and discussing creative start-ups are very much needed. Plenty of graduates with a design degree tend to approach a business idea with the lack of conjdence and expertise. A small push is welcome in my opinion. Design Talks was my favourite last year; I enjoyed Victoria Redshaw’s presentation of design trends and Alison Laws’ case study of setting up a retail outlet. I hope to see more of that, if not workshops and design boot-camps. The section of fresh graduates was certainly interesting last year. I am hoping to see a more proactive approach like offering these young designers a retail space for PopUp stores; this will help them to think like professionals and motivate them to start their own business. Design bloggers and small sized e-retailers is a modern addition to the industry. Highlighting important new jelds of our daily life is welcomed as it will bring a modern twist to this year’s exhibition; it’s the right time to develop the classic concept of an exhibition and surprise the visitors with such new additions. Makers and handmade furniture designers, compared with sweat shop furniture, are absent. Valuable crafts and those talents creating them are vanishing from the busy city. Contemporary embroidered pillows, hand knitted ottomans with quirky colours would be a great addition to this year’s exhibition. Sarah Saleh, managing director, Boxed.

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

his year UBIFRANCE, the French agency for international business development, will be promoting French products and French expertise and looks forward to identifying possible international partners in the region. The domestic market is full of opportunities; A diverse population, high purchasing power, modern infrastructure, active business tourism and a powerful trade hub, Index is the right platform for all of these. With interior projects worth US$ 722 million representing a 49% share being completed in the jrst jve months of 2011, UAE was the largest market in design projects followed by Saudi Arabia with 31%. With this in mind, the Middle East is one of the most important markets in the world for companies involved in the interiors sector. Index has a prominent role as a tradeshow in the jeld of architecture and design. Exhibitors can benejt from an excellent opportunity to gather in Dubai to rekect on the past and more draw plans for the future. The French exhibitors organise professional design-oriented programmes during the show, allowing participants not only to refresh their information about the market but to meet VIP key buyers as well as the Design Talks Seminars featuring the most inkuential and distinguished industry people who speak in seminar sessions and panel discussions to give the show’s visitor audience an insight into current hot topics of the industry. Some of the French products on offer have received the EPV label, a recognition mark awarded by the Ministry of the Economy to distinguish French jrms with excellent hand crafted and industrial expertise. The Index French Pavilion features 26 companies in Hall 3. François Sporrer, French trade commissionner and director, UBIFRANCE UAE.

s a designer, it is always fascinating to gain exposure into the thought processes of other designers. Creative brains feed on imaginative thinking and reinterpret this into their own work. For instance, you can see the inkuences of fashion and interiors continually overlap and reshape each other. In our jeld, it is not just encouraged but essential to understand this and the inspirations of other designers. On our radar this year is seeing the work of young designers, particularly in areas such as Scandinavia, Japan, North American and Lebanon. Young designers are always full of energy and enthusiasm. They are never afraid to break boundaries and they have the courage to express their individual and forwardthinking approaches. People coming from different countries share with us the colours, shapes and design language that dejne their particular region. It is the combination of these elements that become inspirational for designers on both sides. Furthermore, Dubai is the ultimate expression of the union of contemporary and Islamic design. A workshop exploring how these designers view Dubai and their expression of this mix would be interesting. As a contrast to young designers, it would be great to see renowned designers such as Richard Neutra, Daniel Libeskind, and Lebbeus Woods who inkuenced the industry. Retrospective seminars that honour the works of brilliant masterminds in architecture and interior design such as Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Loos and Craig Ellwood would also be an exceptional feature of future Index events. Current stars such as Philippe Starck and Fabio Novembre would also highlight and attract regional designers to attend the event. Designers are always hungry for innovation and forward-thinking. Julijana Mitic, project leader, Pringle Brandon.

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BESPOKE RUGS FOR CONNOISSEURS

Lilies of the Valley - Diana Tozzi, 2003. This design was inspired by the personality of the Russian Empress, Catherine the Great. Lily of the Valley was her favorite flower, and she also loved to see it as a motif for her favorite things. This rug was drawn from Catherine's fan which is currently is a historic artifact being kept in the Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg. The rug is meticulously crafted in the hand-knotted technique in this finest of wool. Private collection.

NEW YORK | MIAMI

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.ditozzi.com

PIDA 2011 winners E ACH Y E A R , T HE ORG A NISER S OF A N ITA LI A N INT ERIOR DE SIGN A ND A RCHIT EC T URE COMPE T IT ION SH A RE T HEIR WINNING ENT RIE S WIT H A NOT HER COUNT RY TO SHOWC A SE IT S ENT RIE S. T HIS Y E A R IT PA RT NERED WIT H UA E

he fourth Ischia International Architecture Prize (Premio Internazionale Ischia di arhitectura), PIDA, was held at La Colombaia villa, the former residence of Italian jlm director Luchino Visconti, from July 18-24 this year. The awards competition, organised by the National Bioarchitecture Association, (ANAB), Compasses, Naples Architect Council and PIDA Association recognises the most beautiful hotels and spas in the world and received 32 entries for the two categories of Architecture and Interior Design. Each year, the organisers share the entries with another country to learn different ways of architecture and interior design. Last year, it was with the US and American Institute of Architect. This year, it has partnered with UAE where the winning entries will be showcased at Index at Dubai World Trade Centre. “We chose to partner with the UAE this year because it has a number of signijcant projects that have been realised through hotel and spa design including the Burj Al Arab, Atlantis and

Burj Khalifa,” said Giovannangelo de Angelis, president, PIDA. “The competition’s Architecture prize was awarded to Rosario Cusenza and Maria Salvo for their environmental recovery of an abandoned quarry on the island of Favignana and its conversion into a four star underground hotel; the Interior Design prize went to Mauro Piantelli (studio DE8) for the Yas Marina Hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE.” The interior of the Yas Marina Hotel is a collaboration between DE8 Architetti and Asymptote Architecture. “Contrary to what happens most of the time when the interior does not rekect or give justice to the architecture, the project was born from a clear objective to make the inside aesthetically consistent with the outside, not withstanding the functional logic behind every line,” said Piantelli, DE8 Architects. “The interior vis-à-vis the exterior is not just a communication of literal forms, but at the same time, coherent strategies and well orchestrated emotions to the users. True to the idea of the architects, the interior creates

an architectural symphony with the building, never overlapping, but rather making it more expressive, evident and effective." Special Jury Prizes were given to Mario Cucinella, winner of the PIDA Sustainability award, for his interest in issues related to environmental design and sustainability in architecture, Italo Rota, winner of the PIDA Career award for his hotels, which propose an approach to design that offers an unconventional mixture of colours, materials, lights and traditions and Luigi Filetici, for Photography. There was also an award for a design workshop, held in July, “From Eco-Monster to EcoBeauty”, which called for the conversion of a concrete skeleton in the town of Forio d’Ischia into the new Carabinieri headquarters. The architects who participated in the workshop, coordinated by Mario Cucinella, are all recent graduates, selected based on their CV. Of the submissions received, 12 candidates were selected based on their jnal grades including Galina Bogdanova and Sarah Khawaja from the American University of Dubai.

1ST PLACE

2ND PLACE

3RD PLACE

Yas Marina Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE DE8 Architects Architect: Mauro Piantelli

Spa Chakra, Doha, Qatar PEIA Associati Exequo with Majestic Resort, Galzignano Terme (PD) Architects: Mariaugusta Mainiero, Giancarlo Fantilli, Roberto Grio and Marco Montagliani

Armonia Wellness Centre Santeremo in Colle (BA) Architect: Annamaria Terlizzi

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11 – 14. 1. 2012

More prospects for the industry: Ideas Crossing Sustainability in interior design. New fashion labels. The future themes of the industry. Pioneering trends. Suppliers from all over the world. You’ll ﬁnd all this at Heimtextil, your leading international trade fair for textile interior design in Frankfurt. For more information visit www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com mary.ann.oliva@uae.messefrankfurt.com Tel. + 971 4 389 45 00

(Standing from left to right) Christian Merieau, head of events committee, APID and Hazim El-Khatib, vice president, APID. (Seated from left to right) Laila Suhail, chief executive ofjcer, DEPE and Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, president, APID.

FoID A PID H A S PULLED TOGE T HER A N AC T ION PACKED SHOWC A SE OF E VENT S FOR INDE X

PID will launch a triple showcase of events for visitors to Index including the Cuboid exhibition stand and lounge area, Interior Design Congress and the Festival of Interior Design (FoID) with themed activities across the UAE. As part of FoID, the interior design association has partnered with Dubai Events & Promotions Establishment (DEPE), an agency under the Department of Economic Development, to generate instore promotions from October 2225, and presentations in retail outlets related to interior design. The announcement is in line with DEPE’s mandate to develop, promote, and support the retail and events sectors, ensuring year-round attractions and reasons to visit Dubai, its festivals, malls, souks, and high streets.

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“With over 1,000 retail outlets in Dubai alone, the furniture, interior design and its supplier industry is considered to be one of the main pillars in Dubai’s retail sector, and we want to further enhance its performance,” said Laila Suhail, CEO, DEPE, otherwise known as Dubai Events. “We are committed to working closely with APID in ensuring the success of the jrst ever Festival of Interior Design by encouraging the retail segment to participate and hold attractive sales and creative promotions during the event. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to strengthening Dubai’s economy.” The partnership was agreed upon at a recent meeting at The Pavilion - Downtown Dubai, which was attended by Suhail and Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, president, APID,

and included Hazim El-Khatib, VP, APID, and Christian Merieau, head of events, APID. “APID remains steadfast in its commitment to develop the interior design industry in the UAE and our partnership with Dubai Events is a welcome boost that aims to activate Dubai’s retail sector for 10 days including the four day festival,” said Al Awadhi. “We thank Dubai Events and we are conjdent that their involvement will elevate the festival and help provide a platform for the retail sector and improve the industry as a whole.” FoID is being presented as an showcase that will bind and unify interior design professionals in the Middle East region under the patronage of Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

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INTERIOR DESIGN CONGRESS Index is hosting a one day Congress during the Festival of Interior Design (FoID), featuring four key note speakers and panel discussions. It will also host a Forum Luncheon for the FoID Congress delegates. When: October 22, 2011 Where: Al Multaqa Ballroom, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Speakers: David Trubridge is a furniture designer based in Havelock North, New Zealand. He uses only natural materials to reduce the effect on the environment and has a degree in naval architecture. Hadi Teheran studied architecture from the Technical University of Braunschweig and taught at the Technical University in Aachen. In 1991, he founded the ‘BRT Architekten Firm’ in Hamburg and established his own company, Hadi Teherani AG, in 2003. His works can be seen from Dubai to Hamburg and Moscow to Istanbul, reflecting designs of modern cityscapes in international cities. Khuan Chew is the design principal and founder of KCA International, interior architectural firm. She has been involved in the construction and building industry for over 20 years, with key projects in the UK, USA, Middle East and the Far East. The company’s portfolio showcases a diversity of work that ranges from exclusive penthouse apartments, yachts, country houses and royal palaces to international airports, five star hotels and public buildings. The interior of the Burj Al Arab was designed by Chew. Other projects include the Sultan of Brunei’s Palace, Dubai International Airport, Jumeirah Beach Resort Development and Madinat Resort. Rogier van der Heide is a designer based in the Netherlands and has contributed to public and commercial places all over the world. He studied at the Institut Superieur des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Belgium and the Amsterdam School of Arts. He has also worked as a director for Arup, an international design and consulting firm. In March 2010, van der Heide joined Philips Electronics as VP of Philips and chief design officer of Philips Lighting.

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David Trubridge 'HOW DOE S DE SIGN SPE A K FOR HERE A ND NOW ? ' David Trubridge graduated as a naval architect from Newcastle University, UK, but since then has worked as a furniture designer/maker and architect. He settled in New Zealand after a long yacht voyage with his family. His design process combines innate craft knowledge, sculptural abstraction and computer design technology. He is New Zealand's best-known furniture designer and regularly exhibits overseas in Australia, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Japan. ‘I left my home country Britain largely because I found the weight of tradition to be overbearing and stiking my creativity. I am not condemning tradition because it is such a rich, important part of our culture; I am only pointing out how hard it is to jnd your own original way as a contemporary artist within its enveloping blanket. In New Zealand, I found a young country full of space, both physically obviously, but also metaphorically because the glass walls that restrict potential were so much further away. I feel UAE offers a similar opportunity to creative people with its fresh energy and rapid expansion, so naturally this attracts me. However, the sheer scale of the opportunity means a heavy responsibility is also placed onto designers. There is a fatal temptation to superjcially fuljll a brief with stock generic designs that have little connection to the place, that do not tell the local stories, or worse, stoop to cheap pastiche of cartoon

simplijcations of what is loosely considered local design. This is where good design practice is so important. It especially presents a very exciting challenge to those who, like me, see design as a cultural expression more than as a lever for commercial gain. In my lecture I explore how to create design that is fresh, new and relevant, without being novel, contrived or superjcial. How can design speak of this place in this time, and be used for a greater purpose, such as telling our stories, rather than to just sell products? I jrst look at successful cultural expression in past societies and examine how they came to work so well. I describe my own design process for getting a deeper sense of integrity and wholeness. I advocate that designers should jrst gather together everything that makes a place in history — stories, culture, geology, kora and fauna — and jlter it all through our own artistic vision. This gives us the vocabulary or the building blocks, with which to then design. Without your own self-developed vocabulary you can only shufke existing forms and ideas, resorting to gimmicks, irony and one-line jokes to attract attention. A true design process will, by default, carry an inevitable kavour of time and place, just as the same sandalwood produces different scents in different lands. The result will be original and innovative without being contrived. I suggest how this process can help build a cultural identity for Dubai and the UAE.'

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DESIGN-CENTRIC EVENTS The Pavilion will organise a three day programme with designers including Beau McClellan, Joost Bakker, Danillo Mandelli, Amartey Golding and interior design forecasters, Scarlet Opus.

Beau McClellan.

The Pavilion, Downtown Dubai, will host three days of design-centric events for FoID (October 22-24). The programme includes design talks, movie screenings, networking events and other activities under the themes - ‘Prognostication’ day, ‘Preservation’ day, and ‘Illumination’ day. “We are very excited to host these events as part of the inaugural FoID as this will also allow us to live up to our vision of being a prime venue where local artists can meet, hold art exhibitions and host lectures and workshops," said Yasmine Rasool, art coordinator, The Pavilion. “Our partnership with APID reflects a common goal of being able to showcase the creativity of emerging talents in the UAE and act as a strategic platform to discuss new trends and issues in the artistic community.” ‘Prognostication’ day, on October 22, will include a seminar entitled ‘Catch the Colour’ by

Deepa Bhatia.

NCS, movie screenings, and a presentation on the latest design trends by Scarlet Opus, trend forecasting and business development firm for interior products and services. ‘Illumination’ day (October 23) features a presentation by Danilo Mandelli from Viabizzuno on the ‘8 rules of Light’, a workshop and themed soiree by lighting design expert Beau McClellan. ‘Prognostication’ (October 24) day has a screening of the movie ‘Greenhouse’ followed by a video teleconference with its creator, Joost Bakker. The day concludes with a networking event featuring young British artist, Amartey Golding. Bakker draws on ‘horti-culture’ to make artful commentary on the world’s wasteful ways. Working with the discard of human activity, he has been commissioned to design furniture, vertical gardens and event spaces in his trademark style juxtaposing nature and industry.

Joost Bakker.

McClellan is a renowned artist and award winning lighting design expert. Under his design firm, Beau McClellan Design, he has created a collection of lighting based products and has been commissioned to render lighting design services for film, set design, music and advertising. His work can be seen across major projects in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. British artist, Golding, draws large figurative portraits on paper and canvas mixed with photography, focusing on the thoughts and contemplations of the individual and their identities. He puts his art on the streets and in galleries, which resembles his feeling of being at home and working in any environment or crowd. In 2009, he had his first solo exhibition ‘Charcoal Diary’ at Showcase Gallery in Dubai, and two more successful solo exhibitions, ‘One for Sorrow, Two for Joy’ in 2010 and ‘Thorns have Roses’ in 2011.

THE JAM JAR Popular art centre unites with APID to launch design competition The Jam Jar, a creative space in Al Quoz, that works to promote artists and support the development of Dubai’s arts scene, has partnered with APID to launch a product design competition, that will see four designs sold at a charity auction, at the FoID Gala Dinner on October 22. Entries for the product design have to fit into one of three categories; innovative interior finish, interior furniture or accessories. The 10 shortlisted entrants will produce a life-size product and judging will take place from October 16-22.

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“We are very excited to host the exhibition that will showcase the top 10 finalists of the inaugural ‘Product Design’ competition,” said Deepa Bhatia, head of art consulting, The Jam Jar. The successful Platinum winning design will be sold at a charity auction and the designer will receive a one year APID membership and publicity through CID’s daily show paper the Index Inspiration Daily. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be on display to the public during FoID.

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Index Artist’s Avenue A REGION A L FOCUS ON T HE REL AT IONSHIP BE T WEEN INT ERIOR DE SIGN A ND A RT

s one of the specijc shows within Index, this year’s interior design tradeshow will feature what is known as the Artist’s Avenue. It will have an art gallery on the show koor created specijcally for interior designers, art procurement professionals and art enthusiasts to meet up-and-coming artists and view their latest works. In addition, there will be a number of galleries surrounding the venue, offering visitors an art space that will publicise a wide range of art and include informal talks. The exhibiting artists and galleries are: George Bassil, Amal Al Shamsi and Marina Harris, Mondo Art Gallery, Dubai; Chrissie Jenkins; Naqsh Gallery - Jordan and Dubai; Carrie Wareham and Marian Lishman, Black Sheep Gallery; Bernadette Taborda France; Bait Muzna Gallery, Oman; Simin Tajik (Bamboo Gallery) Iran; Neil Corder; Samantha & Steve Chambers, The Big Art Co. Dubai; Feras Sabra, Pro Plus Creative Lebanon; Mattar Bin Lahej Dubai; Andreas Denstorf, Platux – Germany; and Mackenzie Art - Dubai.

BLACK SHEEP GALLERY

THE BIG ART CO. DUBAI

What’s on? Carrie Wareham’s and Marian Lishman’s current artwork. Why? Having attended Index as a visitor before, it seemed like the majority of interior design professionals would visit the show making this an obvious choice of venue. Thoughts on Index: I hope to gain lots of new contacts in the industry, to remind them there are artists in Dubai who can fulfill interior jobs to keep work within the country.

What’s on? We will be displaying some large scale murals and artworks, 3D relief wall designs, architectural wall panels and custom made sculptured designs for feature walls. Why? It's the perfect platform to launch Big Art Company and target prospective clients. Thoughts on Index: It's a great opportunity for independent artisans to be recognised. I think it gives Index a progressive personality and makes the show more interesting.

NEIL CORDER

PRO PLUS CREATIVE LEBANON

MACKENZIE ART

What’s on? I will be showcasing a mix of local brass and silver works shot in an abstract way. Why? I wanted to push my presence in the contemporary art world. Thoughts on Index: I attended as an exhibitor last year and once before as a visitor. I hope to build relationships and develop new ones within the interiors world. I also definitely want to check out my competitors.

What’s on? We will be displaying hand engraved wood panels and 3D sculptures. Why? Index is an important opportunity for us to showcase our new works and trends, and to meet with architects and interior designers, as well as decision makers and individuals who appreciate art. Thoughts on Index: Mini events, mega results; at least this is what we expect from the Artists Avenue at Index Dubai 2011.

What’s on? An opportunity to see the very large scale artworks we can carry out. Why? I really like the idea of a specific space for artists. I think it will be beneficial for everyone to have the diverse creativity of artwork concentrated in one area. Thoughts on Index: I’ve been a visitor before and exhibiting will offer an opportunity to meet designers, architects or visitors not familiar with the bespoke services we offer.

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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INDEX EXHIBITORS YOU SHOULD VISIT I

ndex, the International Design Exhibition, is the Middle East and North Africa’s largest international design exhibition. Over 800 exhibitors from 49 countries, representing hundreds of international brands, will display their products across 10 halls occupying up to 20,000 square metres of koor space. Halls 1-8, Sheikh Rashid Hall and Sheikh Maktoum Hall will be assigned to the exhibition. This year the exhibition will sport a new look by introducing a line up of six product-specijc shows under the Index brand:

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Furnishings, InRetail, Kitchen & Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles. This new structure will make it easier for visitors to navigate through the exhibition halls and to jnd what they are looking for, and allow exhibitors to effectively present their products and services to the right audience. There will also be 20 national pavilions at the show to provide product specijcation by country, within the appropriate product sectors. The exhibition reshape has been directed by Paula Al Chami, the new event director, appointed

in November 2010, after having been in the same role for The Big 5 Building & Construction Show and the Ofjce Exhibition previously. During Index 2010, over 25,000 professionals attended Index & InRetail over the span of four days. The show also delivered an attendance of over 600 project buyers at the event accounting for billions of dollars worth of purchasing power showing the events’ importance and achievement in the current climate. “Index is a very interesting show. We had lots of visitors from different countries like Oman and

India, we made lots of contacts and generated orders. People are closing deals with us,” said Roberto Garcia, sales area manager Middle East, Andreu World. According to independent market research company, Vivid Interface Ltd, 93% of Index & InRetail 2010 visitors rated the show as being very or quite important for jnding new products. With the 21st edition of Index taking place from October 22-25, 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Commercial Interior Design speaks to the exhibitors at Index you should know.

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By Ola Pankiw, sales and marketing director

Company prokle ohpopsi.ae produces individually designed, feature wallcoverings which are enviro-approved and made-to-measure. We use spectacular images, your client's brand and core messages to create stunning, memorable results for interiors and exteriors: commercial/ofjce, retail, leisure, hotels, clinical, residential. We can use your client's images for truly unique decor. It is a fresh and new way for your client to convey their brand, products and ambitions. Our inhouse graphic design team and CGI department provide professional experience whether you require whole solutions or support for just parts of your proposal. Tell us about your project and we'll advise the best product and design to ensure your client is delighted. Ask us about our satisjed clients. Originally British, ohpopsi.ae has a long history of design, production and strong client relationships.

Oh Popsi By Dusanee, senior export manager

Company prokle We are not simply a manufacturer, but have the capabilities in-house to take projects from concept all the way to installation. Our 160,000 square metre modern factory employs 1,200 people and houses an entirely vertically integrated production, including jbre and yarn extrusion, wool and synthetic yarn spinning, dyeing, twisting, heat setting, weaving, tufting, and jnishing. We are proud to be local leaders in the Reuse, Recycle, and Reduce movement, and are the jrst in the region to obtain and comply with both quality and environmental ISO certijcations. Like an Eames lounge chair, even the untrained eye can see the difference between our carpets and our imitators.

Stand number? Rashid Hall, Thailand Pavilion, A221

Contact? Dusanee (senior export manager) Email: dusanee@carpetsinter.com Tel: +662 318 3670

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

Fax: +662 3537 | +662 318 3433 You can also visit our website for more information: www.carpetsinter.com

We are now expanding in the Middle East and internationally, providing fresh ideas and products and a great client experience. ohpopsi lets you create wonderful feature wallpaper for any wall. You can choose from over 3,000 stunning images or upload your own image for your own unique look.

Stand number? Hall 4 C176

Contact? Ola Pankiw Sales and marketing director hello@ohpopsi.ae Tel: 0161 923 0234 www.ohpopsi.ae

What are you promoting? Unique client-branded designs on wallcoverings for interiors, exteriors and glass, made-to-measure.

Any news? As we are now expanding in the Middle East, we will soon open an ofjce in the UAE. Look out for us.

Carpets Inter

What are you promoting? Carpet tile, Nylon PVC or Cushion backing (Recycled Material), PP PVC Tile.

Any news? On May 9 2011, NSF International certijed that Carpets Inter products conform to the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 140 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sustainable Carpet Assessment. This is another step to upgrade Carpets Inter's existing NSF standard to a higher level of certijcation. Wool Cushion Back Carpet Tile was upgraded from Silver to Platinum level, and Wool Broadloom was upgraded from Silver to Gold level. This standard is the most comprehensive and rigorous benchmark in the US kooring industry. Carpets Inter is the only one carpet manufacturer located outside the US to achieve the NSF 140 Platinum. Currently, there are 12 companies to be certijed with the Platinum mark and 11 of those companies are based in US.

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Al Aqili Furnishings By Shahriar Khodjasteh, group marketing director

Company prokle Al Aqili Furnishings is a leading kooring and interior solution specialists, comprising of multiple divisions and outlets. After 14 years of continuous satisfaction, AAF represents 50 of the world’s jnest suppliers and providers specialising from interior design to furnishing and lighting, offering the local and regional markets a one-stop shop for all furnishings needs and requirements. AAF evolved into one of the Middle East’s leading furnishings providers after establishing itself as a kooring specialist with Carpetland, a name that represents the world’s top brand names all under one roof. Al Aqili Furnishings interiors division, with a reputation for uncompromising quality and dedicated service has furnished and jtted some of the region’s prestigious projects and become a stakeholder of the region’s famous landmarks and businesses. Curtainland, with a product portfolio providing upscale upholstery fabrics and drapery fabrics as well as jnished curtains and draperies, table linens, cushions, bed coverings and accessories, a wide range of products and specialised services that are as unique as its customers individual needs. Belight provides a host of lighting solutions covering a huge range of lighting products suitable for residences, retail

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outlets, hotels, ofjces and outdoors. Ofjceland is a one-stop shop for state-of-the-art ofjce furniture. Stoneland offers a variety of hard koor products, from ceramic tiles to marble, granite, glass tiles and mosaic. In addition, Al Aqili Furnishings has recently introduced its jne furnishing divisions that include a plethora of prestigious, world renowned brands such as; Francesco Molon – manufacturer of high-end, handmade Italian furniture. A wide selection of contemporary and classic furniture can be found at Decoworld, which is another very successful retail format of Al Aqili Furnishings, the stylish and superior house of quality furniture and accessories that caters to the most sophisticated residential and hospitality demands.

Stand number? Stand Numbers 2A 101; 4A 168 & 7A 301

Contact? George Joshua, assistant marketing manager - events

What are you promoting? Al Aqili Furnsihings as one of the giants of the furnishings industry in the GCC with expanding divisions and services.

Any news? We won the project for the Nikkie Beach Resort, Doha, Qatar. Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

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By Lars Narfeldt, founder

Tel: +971 4 330 6899 www.thekollektion.com

Company prokle Kollektion & Co is a new retail experience offering a wide variety of unique, elegant and functional Scandinavian design brands with superior quality, exceptional grace and timeless appeal. We currently represent a wide variety of brands, which include the following: Eco-Boråstapeter, Mr Perswall, Design House Stockholm, Sagaform, Muuto, ORDNING&REDA, black+blum, String, Edblad, oddbirds, Sjöö Sandström, minustio, Skultuna and Boblbee.

What are you promoting?

Stand number? 1 D46

Any news?

Contact?

Kollektion & Co

Lars Narfeldt founder Kollektion & Co Kollektion General Trading LLC Star Giga House Building Ofjce 9, Level 1 PO Box 127058 Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai, U.A.E

By Ivan Zupanovic, head of international project sales and export

Phone: +971 4 268 9993 muaz@germanhome.net

Company prokle

What are you promoting?

Swiss bathroom company Laufen has been at the forefront of design, quality and function for over 100 years. Offering a holistic approach to bathroom design, Laufen draws its inspiration from contemporary trends in architecture and lifestyle. Working with some of Europe’s leading architect-designers, including Dutchman Wiel Arets and Italian architectdesigners Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, Laufen offers complete bathrooms as well as modular concepts.

Taking centre-stage are the manufacturer’s latest sanitaryware collections designed with the hotel sector in mind. The Living Square washbasin has seemingly endless countertop space plus ample open storage beneath while the Palace washbasin has the look of a cutting edge ceramic block with an integral elegantly-curved basin which can be cut to size to jt snugly into any bathroom layout. Also on show is the striking Il Bagno Alessi One collection available in a unique warm velvety grey jnish and Lema, the eco-friendly waterless urinal.

Kollektion & Co is promoting three wallpaper brands; Mr Perswall, ECO and Boråstapeter as well as four home accessories brands; Sagaform, Black+Blum, Design House Stockholm and Muuto within our portfolio; all timeless classics with a Scandinavian look and aesthetics. We will also be using products from our other brands at the stand, so we encourage our visitors to go on a look out.

We are particularly pleased to announce that we are launching Muuto in the Middle East at Index this year. Muuto, the young but already internationally successful Nordic design company, strives to add new chapters to the Scandinavian design history and thereby put the region back in the lead on the international design scene. That is why they chose the name Muuto — inspired by the Finnish word ”muutos”, meaning change or new perspective.

Laufen

Stand number? Hall 7 Stand E301.

Contact? Ivan ZupanovicWahlenstrasse 46 CH-4242 Laufen / Switzerland Phone: +41617657611 ivan.zupanovic@laufen.ch Local Distributor: German Home PO Box 80088, UAE

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

Any news? The products chosen for display at Index offer just a small taste of the quality and innovation Laufen offers. Such is the versatility of our offering that several of our latest ranges have been designed specijcally for the hotel environment, yet are suited to the domestic setting where luxurious large washbasins are now very much en vogue.

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Nordic Homeworx By Vadim Horna, managing director

By Pauline Madani, managing director and owner

Stand number?

Company prokle

Contact?

In 2006, Nordic Homeworx was established in a highly competitive market amidst the thriving economic development of the UAE. Our main focus has been carrying forth our corporate values of quality, services, and commitment to our customers. Nordic Homeworx is a Swedish-owned and managed company, and we are the sole agent of Kährs Real Wood Flooring brand in the Middle East, specialising in the supply and installation of engineered hard wood koors. Kährs is one of Europe’s leading producers of wood koors. With more than 150 years in the business, it is also one of the oldest as well as the most innovative. Kährs koors can be found anywhere from private homes, ofjces, shops, hotels, concert halls, theaters to sport arenas, across the span of the globe. But Kährs heart lies in the production plant and head ofjce in the small town of Nybro in the southern Swedish province of Småland, where Kährs was founded in 1857.

T. +971 4 341 5010 F. +971 4 341 5020 info@nordichomeworx.com

Stand number? MC55

Company prokle Lasvit is a Czech Republic based company, which designs and custom manufactures bespoke contemporary light jttings and large glass art installations mainly for the public areas of the world’s most prestigious hotels, palaces and private residences and offers a one-stop package starting from design to installation at site. We have an unrivalled understanding of the nature and character of glass and offer a commitment to deliver a unique design within the boundaries of time and budget. As testimony to our wealth of experience, some examples of our work can be seen at the Ritz Carlton DIFC and Royal Enclosure of Meydan Grandstand in Dubai, Fairmont Hotels in Beijing and Singapore, Shangri-La in Hong Kong and Tokyo, The Four Seasons in Macau and Beverly Hills and many other prestigious locations around the world. For further information and a quick look at a selection of our completed projects and more, you should visit our website at www.lasvit.com.

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Contact?

Hall 1, Stand 1D47

What are you promoting? As we are the exclusive UAE distributor and Middle East agent for Sweden’s Kährs wood kooring, we are promoting a natural product of the highest quality in the Middle East.

Any news? Kährs constantly strives to further underpin its commitment to the environment and to create operations that are sustainable in the long term. Now, its long-term environmental work has resulted in a number of wood koors receiving certijcation according to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). In total, 13 of Kährs wood koors have been certijed. In addition, all oak koors produced in Sweden can on demand be produced with an FSC marking. Contact Nordic Homeworx for further information.

Lasvit

Vadim Horna Lasvit (Gulf) FZE PO Box 262731 Dubai, UAE Tel.: +9714 881 4546 E-mail: gulf@lasvit.com Web: www.lasvit.com

What are you promoting? We are promoting our lighting sculptures, Icefall, Twill, lasvit Crystal Wall and Leaf.

Any news? Just in few weeks time, several prestigious projects in the UAE for which Lasvit designed and manufactured luxury light jttings and glass art installations will go online and be viewable by the public. These UAE-based projects include The Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, The ADNEC Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, The Rocco Forte Hotel in Abu Dhabi or Rihan Heights in Abu Dhabi. Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

FURNITURE SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

ith furniture used in commercial spaces, it’s important to have variety, be kexible and cost-effective. Now the latest watchword added to the mix is sustainability. Whether it is in outdoor or indoor furniture, commercial spaces need furniture that is timeless and will last for years to come. However, Antony Guss, VP, Casualife said it is hard for customers to be certain what they are buying is good value for money when there seems to be not many standards in the industry. “Case in point: a leading restaurant opened for less than one year already is requesting tenders for re-supply of its wicker furniture. Why? Because the synthetic wicker used was of insufjcient quality, for the local Gulf market that has a very harsh climate. In this case the

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client failed its purchasing due diligence. A one-year life is well below what can be purchased; clients of that business also made claims against the proprietor for damage to their clothing which was caught by the broken strands of wicker,” said Guss. Value for money, the design aesthetics and maintenance considerations are some of the things people need to consider before furnishing their commercial space. In addition to this, trends in the furniture industry also need to be taken into account. Green furniture is also a factor, but how sustainable is furniture used in the Middle East? “As far as furniture goes, there is obviously an inherent conkict with sustainability given the materials used. As a manufacturer, we implement the designer’s concepts and directions and we are seeing

greater awareness and actual specijcation of more sustainable products. Whenever possible, we will try to take this further with recommendations that enhance this without compromising the furniture’s design, functionality or budget (for example by using different materials or production techniques),” said John McLennan, managing director, Indigo Living. He added, furniture design is taking on a fresher approach with more contemporary, modern and exciting designs being incorporated. There is a move towards lighter materials, fabrics and colours; sleeker designs – less ostentatious at jrst sight but, in McLennan’s opinion, better designed and more on-trend. Another trend which seems to be gaining popularity is using retro and French-inkuenced designs. Apart from distressing or creating

vintage-looking furniture, French motifs such as keur-de-lys and quatrefoils seem to be seen in many designs. Colours and designs of furniture almost always seem to follow the fashion runway’s styles. Interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard said he is often very inspired by fashion in his designs. “Whether a current colour palette combination, a shape that maybe inspires me for a furniture detail or some embroidery on a shirt that I can use to border a chair or the leading edge of drapery; I think that fashion and interiors go hand in hand and as such are inspirational to both industries,” he said. As furniture is one of the important elements of interiors, Commercial Interior Design speaks to furniture suppliers you dejnitely should know.

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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW By Atieh Sabba, marketing & sales manager

Tell us about your company? Cachet, which is the most recent business launch of RAME Design Solutions, will be the retail showroom that holds the internationally acclaimed high-end furniture and lighting brands, such as Beby Italy & Diluce, Carpanelli, Porta Romana and Jonathan Charles. These brands are very different from one another in style, jnishes, and overall feel, yet all are very similar in representing authenticity, luxury and craftsmanship.

What projects have you worked on? Each brand has its own success story of major projects around the world. For example, you can jnd Beby Italy’s masterpiece chandeliers at La Fenice theatre in Venice, La Scala in Milan, not to mention luxury hotels and palaces in KSA, UAE and Paris. Porta Romana’s pieces are coveted by major design jrms around the world and can be seen at Beau Rivage Palace in Switzerland, St. Regis - Worldwide, Westin, are only few recent projects.

RAME By Matteo Pellegrini, general manager

Tell us about your company? Finasi LLC is a Gargash Group company, established in UAE in the spring of 2007, with the purpose of making some of the most respected brands in the industry accessible to discerning customers in the Middle East. As the UAE arm of Molteni Group, one of Italy’s leaders in furnishings, Finasi offers the full range of Molteni &C home furnishings, Dada S.p.A. kitchens including the Armani/Dada range, and Citterio S.p.A. ofjce furnishings.

What projects have you worked on? Some of the prestigious projects that Finasi has undertaken/completed are as follows: Burj Khalifa, UAE; Capital Club, Bahrain; Commercial Bank Plaza, West Bay, Qatar; Cartier Boutiques; Rosewood Apartments, UAE; Mirdiff Villas, UAE; Al Badia Villas, UAE; High-end private villas, GCC.

Recent news? The Armani Group and the Molteni Group, through joint partnership, have

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produced the third kitchen system under the brand name of Armani/Dada. Called Checkers, this model was launched in UAE earlier this year. Finasi has recently tied up with Panzeri Italy to represent their range of high quality lighting products, adding yet another dimension to homes and ofjces.

Recent news? We are launching our Cachet showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road with our opening event being in conjunction with Index, as a Silver Sponsors at Festival of Interior Design we would like to provide to the designer the chance to see the entire collection of our brands.

Key challenges in the industry? There are always some challenges for the calibre of brands which we carry, with the recent jnancial and political uncertainties, making it exigent for such brands to prosper. Nevertheless, our passion and belief in the strength of these brands has further prompted us to expand. All one needs to do is watch, for example, the craftsmanship videos of Jonathan Charles or Carpanelli on their websites, or see a piece in person to understand where this belief stems from.

How do we contact you? Sheikh Zayed Road, Safa 1st - Street 22A, Building 111 – SR 01. Tel:+9714 380 8018 Fax: +9714 3808 198 Email: cachet@rame-ds.com

Finasi

Key challenges in the industry? One of the major challenges lies in educating potential customers to distinguish the quality of our products. Our products are produced 100% in Italy, following comprehensive research on all aspects of design and material strength. The uniqueness of all our brands is that they continuously strive for innovation in design, functionality and durability.

How do we contact you? PO Box 118508 Dubai, UAE. Tel: +9714 297 1777 Fax +9714 297 1717; jnasi@jnasi.ae www.jnasi.ae www.molteni.it Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW By Mithun Nambiar, head of strategy planning & business development

Tell us about your company? Al Reyami Interiors is the kagship company of the Al Reyami Group, specialising in interior jt-outs and commercial furnishings with an exceptional focus on high-end ofjces. Over the course of the past two decades, we have tied up with a multitude of reputed international furniture brands as their exclusive distributor for the Middle East. Some of these well known brands include Knoll USA, Sinetica Italy, Rockworth Thailand, Maars Netherlands and Okamura Japan among others.

What projects have you worked on?

Al Reyami By John McLennan, managing director

Tell us about your company? Indigo Living operates across the whole spectrum of interior solutions, from retail to large FF&E projects. We have three retail stores which are very popular with the interior design community. The second is furniture rental: anything in the stores can be leased from us for up to two years; this is really good for show-kats and mock ups. Project work is our biggest division and are renowned for our custom manufacture of high-end FF&E for the hospitality industry.

What projects have you worked on? Our jrst project in Dubai was The Westin. Since then we’ve worked on The Address Marina, Yas Links Golf Club, Traders Hotel Abu Dhabi. We’ve also supplied Emirates Airlines with more than 5,000 units of staff accommodation. Internationally, we’re active in India with DLF and in the Far East.

Recent news? We launched our new kagship store on Sheikh Zayed Road in May. In October

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

We have an immeasurable client base across diversijed sectors which include banking, hospitality and government organisations. A few of our prestigious projects include Meydan corporate ofjce, RTA Head Ofjce, headquarters of various banks such as ABN-Ambro, Union National Bank, Al-Hilal Bank and the Dubai Islamic Bank.

we will be re-launching our interior designer loyalty programme which will confer a 20% discount for all members plus a host of other benejts like previews of new collections, in-store events and personal advisors. We’re very busy with a host of projects here in the UAE but also in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Recent news? We have recently inaugurated our new 40,000 square feet state-of-the-art showroom in Abu Dhabi featuring a whole host of ofjce furnishings designed to cater to various tastes. Furthermore, in line with expanding our footprint, we have partnered with Rockworth in opening a 200,000 square feet LEED Gold certijed factory in the south of India to manufacture and supply commercial furniture to the Indian subcontinent and the MENA region.

Key challenges in the industry? We have noticed over the past couple of years that there is a remarkable shift towards cheaper alternatives with a price-over-quality mentality. Changing this mindset of the buyers poses a great challenge. However as the market improves we are conjdent that we can overcome this trial.

How do we contact you? Toll free number: 800 REYAMI. You can also reach us at +9714 336 4666. Website: www.reyami.com Email: rof@emirates.net.ae.

Indigo Living

Key challenges in the industry? The market is dejnitely improving: we were receiving RFQs through Ramadan which is unusual. We are seeing a lot of old projects being resuscitated and whilst this is obviously positive, it can be difjcult working with specs and designs that in some cases are three to four years old and have not been revised to rekect current circumstances; in many cases the original ID jrm is no longer involved and this obviously makes things even harder, especially when no one has been appointed instead.

How do we contact you? info@indigo-living.com PO Box 282425, Dubai, UAE T: +9714 339 7705 www.indigo-living.com

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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW By R Kumar, managing director

Tell us about your company? Spacewell Interiors was established in 2007, specialising in turn-key ofjce interiors (design, jt-out and furnishings). Today Spacewell has grown to a medium-sized company employing six architects, three designers, four engineers, over 12 persons in sales/marketing/admin/jnance, and more than 65 skilled workmen to execute works at site (total staff strength 90). We have a corporate headofjce and showroom in Dubai (Tecom), with a branch ofjce in Abu Dhabi. We represent major international brands such as Haworth, Fritz Hansen, Orangebox, Fursys, Sidiz, Egetaepper, EFG and Markant.

Recent news? We have established a showroom (level 20, Al Shafar Towers, Tecom), have become a dealer for Orangebox from UK, just completed a major design/jtout and furnishing project for Naburs Drilling International, and Cameron Petreco Process Systems.

Key challenges in the industry? Maintain sustainable sustainability practices, economical ofjce solutions without compromising quality, being able to clearly distinguish between aesthetics, functionality, sustainability and affordability (or ability to combine all the four together), sourcing talents (human resources) are the key challenges faced by the industry.

What projects have you worked on? Major recent projects includes turn-key interiors (design, jt-out and furnishings) for: Mercedes Benz, Chrysler Corporation, Hyundai Motors, Sumitomo Corporation, Royal Bank of Canada, Naburs Drilling, Cameron Petreco Process, Brabus Middle East, Motorola, Emitac Blackberry.

Spacewell By Shahriar Khodjasteh, group marketing director

Tell us about your company? Since established in 1997, Al Aqili Furnishings has and continues to consistently deliver value, innovation and premium brands as the region’s leading kooring specialist and interiors solutions provider. The steady growth and conjdence in meeting increasingly sophisticated business and residential market needs is underlined by world-class partnerships with over 50 global brands that form the depth and breadth of an interiors solutions portfolio of kooring, fabrics, lighting and residential and ofjce furniture, catering to the contract, distribution and retail sectors of the furnishings industry. A wide selection of contemporary and classic furniture can be found at Decoworld, the name for style, design and quality furniture and accessories catering to the most sophisticated residential and hospitality demands. The “By Appointment Only” Francesco Molon showcases the world’s jnest offering in the design and production of

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classical furniture; a mixture of luxury, elegance and premium quality that can only match the vision of excellence at Al Aqili Furnishings.

What projects have you worked on? Nikkie Beach Resort, Doha, Qatar; Cin Cin Wine Bar, Fairmont - Dubai, UAE; Dubai Airport Concourse Hotel - Dubai, UAE; Park Place Hotel/Furnished Apartments - Dubai, UAE.

How do we contact you? Tel: +971 4 447 7301 Level 20, Al Shafar Tower, Tecom Fax: +971 4 4477302 PO Box: 125783, Dubai, UAE Mob: +971 50 5592092 kumar@spacewellinteriors.com www.spacewellinteriors.com

Al Aqili Furnishings

Recent news? AAF is participating in three largest exhibitions, Index 2011, Gulf A la Carte and INFDEX Qatar.

Key challenges in the industry? The key challenge is the slow pace of the market right now.

How do we contact you? Decoworld Pyramid Centre Umm Hurair Road Dubai, UAE Tel: +9714 335 6811 Fax: +9714 335 6812 pyramid@decoworldme.com Commercial Interior Design | OCTOBER 2011

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SILENT GARDEN

FOUGERE

DAUPHINE

AVENUE

‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ PRODUCTS THAT ADD TO ‘QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE’

PRODUCTS

New on the market PICCIOT TO Picciotto is an original stool with an ivy cap on the top, while the frame is inspired by the south Italy waistcoat. It was created by the Italian designer Fabio Vinella and it joins design and Italian fashion.

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The word “picciotto” refers to a young Sicilian boy with a coppola hat, the typical south Italy hat, famous worldwide thanks to several Italian movies like Cinema Paradiso. Picciotto has also won

an award in the USA Design Competition Accenti d’Italia. FABIO VINELLA +39 333 891 8957 www.fabiovinella.com

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PRODUCTS

ALLURE BRILLIANT Allure Brilliant is the new line of faucets from GROHE. With exact edges and cuts, the surface rekects the light. Elongated cubes with chamfered edges rise from

every faceted surface to meet at precise intersections. Its spout, a cut-out square called the Aqua Window, allows a different view of the water kow, which makes

TOUCH20 TECHNOLOGY With Touch2O functionality, users can tap anywhere on the spout or handle to start or stop the kow of water. Water turns off automatically within one minute after the faucet is tapped on. With Touch2O.xt Technology, users can also have an entirely hands-free experience. The faucet automatically responds when

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the slim design look even lighter and more elegant. Another design feature is the rectangular mousseur, whose shape matches the design of the faucet and

provides a wide water kow. GROHE +9714 331 8070 www.grohe.com

PERFORMING SHOWER users approach the sensing jeld, which is all around the faucet. No infrared sensor is used. Moving hands out of range intuitively shuts off the water kow within seconds when not needed. DELTA FAUCET +9717 243 1232 www.deltafaucet.com

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

The new Performing Shower by Dornbracht allows users to change the water kow based on its natural forms. From a powerful cascade of water, delicate or strong spray, to the sensation of heavy rainfall, it introduces a range of showering jxtures for water. It also includes an entirely new range of rain showers.

The rain showers and the handheld showers are available in champagne, chrome, gold, platinum, platinum matte, black matte and white matte. These are designed by Sieger Design. DORNBRACHT +9714 335 0731 www.dornbracht.com

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PRODUCTS

ONCE UPON A TILE SERIES In October 2011, InterfaceFLOR released its Once upon a Tile series of latest carpet tile collections in the Middle East, which is targeted at architects, kooring contractors, specijers and interior designers

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throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. The latest series is made up of the following collections: Concrete Mix, Scribble, Vintage — Ornate & Rejne, Circles, Consolidation,

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

Vintage — Reissue & Nebbia, Cellular and Luxury Living. INTERFACEFLOR +971 4 335 2499 www.interfaceflor.eu/mea

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PRODUCTS

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PRODUCTS

PLOOOP CHAIR London-based designer Timothy Schreiber has launched the carbon jbre version of his Plooop Chair. He worked with Fi-tech Ltd, aerospace and motorsports carbon jbre manufacturers, to

HUSK produce it. The Plooop Chair is 5mm thick and weighs 2.5 kg. TIMOTHY SCHREIBER +447748562949 www.timothy-schreiber.com

Patricia Urquiolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Husk for B&B Italia is a hard shell with a series of cushions. With a wide range of colours and jnishes of the shell, the swivel base-frame with four spokes and covers, Husk can

change its look. It uses recycled and recyclable materials. B&B ITALIA +97150 557 4677 www.bebitalia.com

BACHAG CHAIR Director of iDealgraphy, Joongho Choi has designed the Bachag Chair made from wood and aluminum. According to Choi, it was meant to create a mix and match style of furniture and fashion. He said he wanted to show contrasting images of different expressions. It was designed to be structurally sound, user-friendly and be comfortable. JOONGHO CHOI +88 10 9149 2402 www.idealgraphy.com

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OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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German Bronze Masters - the Best in Bronze Living Culture & art Â&#x2021; H[FOXVLYH OX[XU\ EURQ]H DUW IURP *HUPDQ\ Â&#x2021; /LPLWHG (GLWLRQV IURP IDPRXV DUWLVW Â&#x2021; %HVSRNH DUW PDQXIDFWXULQJ DQG FXVWRP GHVLJQV

),1( $576 :RKQNXOWXU /WG IURP *(50$1< LV WKH SURGXFHU RI ID PRXV (XURSHDQ $UWLVWÂ¶V EURQ]H FUHDWLRQV ZH HQVXUH WKDW ZH GHOLYHU WKH FOLHQWÂ¶V YLVLRQ WR VXSHULRU TXDOLW\ DQG XQLTXHQHVV

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PRODUCTS

HANNA WERNING WALLPAPER Hanna Werning has launched a new wallpaper collection for Boråstapeter, her third for the jrm. The colour explosion combines exotic surroundings with Nordic nature. Flora and fauna inspire the patterns of Werning’s collection, with

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names such as Solkoja, Rävdunge and Klättervippa — all referring to Swedish nature. The collection also features elements like clinging vines, kowers and the occasional parrot. It consists of 20 wallpapers, of

which six are taken from the jrst collection that Werning designed for Boråstapeter. BORÅSTAPETER +9714 330 6899 www.thekollektion.com

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Discover the art of storytelling The wallpaper collection Communication is a tribute to storytelling. An art form that shapes us as human beings. Discover more wallpaper patterns on the web at www.mrperswall-gcc.com

â&#x20AC;?My grandmother always told me that the books that help you the most are those which make you think. That is a special message I can relate to everyday when I look at my living room wall.â&#x20AC;? Sophia, Writer, 28 years

Design: Library taken from the collection Communication. See the whole collection at www.mrperswall-gcc.com

PRODUCTS

20X50 CER AMICS The 20X50 collection is a unique size offering from RAK Ceramics that integrates a novel design solution to meet the demand of the growing trendy urban lifestyle. The collectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trendy tile size of 20x50 strikes a perfect balance of vivid colours and surface textures having unique effects to create a fresh look with umpteen ingenious combinations. Ideally suited for urban-chic style bathrooms and kitchens with a striking range of options at a competitive price. RAK CERAMICS +9717 244 5046 www.rakceramics.com

L ANZA FROM ROMO Lanza is a newly launched furnishing fabrics collection of small scale weaves ablaze with colours. Bright, contemporary colours and soft elegant shades are skilfully combined with neutrals and metallics to create striking visual effects in this collection of stripes and small scale geometric weaves.

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HAYNES ROBINSON RUGS Colours and patterns available include Pesto, Jaipur Pink, Siver Blue, Whitewash, Pumice, Carbon and Viridian. The collection is available in GCC and India. DESIGN COORDINATES +9714 351 7168 www.romo.com

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

A range carried by Dubai-based The Oriental Woven Art is the Haynes Robinson collection. This collection is designed by American carpet designer, Haynes Robinson, who traveled to remote southern Iran to connect people of diverse religious, political and cultural backgrounds through art, colour and design.

The traditional Persian knots, passed down to the woman of the Qashqai tribe by their ancestors, are used to create each carpet. Natural dyes are used to colour the wool and silk. THE ORIENTALIST WOVEN ART +9714 394 6989 www.theorientalist.com

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PRODUCTS

K ASHIDA CL ASSIC Kashida is a newly established Lebanese product and furniture design company, which brings Arabic letterform to interior spaces. The company was co-founded by Mirna Hamady and Elie Abou Jamra, both graphic design graduates from the American University of Beirut. The word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;kashidaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the Arabic term for the glyph that is used to elongate the spacing between two letters, creating a smooth bridge between them. Launching as a start with its Kashida Classic line, the company will product new designs several times a year. KASHIDA +97150 499 6651 www.kashidadesign.com

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THIS IS A MANNEQUIN …it just takes a special eye to see it

Scan the QR code and become part of the INDEX evolution

The most innovative design starts with a designer’s vision. Visitors to INDEX understand that great design is much more than simply assembling, arranging or editing, it is something that is felt! Showcasing products and services that range from traditional to quirky, opulent to minimalist, INDEX provides all the creativity and inspiration you need for your next design project. To ﬁnd out more and to register online, visit:

www.indexexhibition.com/attend

WHERE INSPIRATION THRIVES

w w w.indexexhibition.com

Halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Sh. Rashid Hall and Sh. Maktoum Hall | Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Opening Hours: 22 October 11:00 - 19:00 (public admission) 23 - 24 October 11:00 - 19:00, 25 October 11:00 - 18:00. No children under 18 years of age permitted to the exhibition.

PRODUCTS

GECKO IN THE BOX — SPLENDO

BRUYNZEEL STOR AGE SYSTEMS

From Creation Baumann, get a gift box of laser-cut components of self adhesive textile, which allows experimenting on window glass. Available in different shapes and colours, no suspension technique or conversion is

Bruynzeel develops space saving storage solutions for archives, ofjces and repositories for clients like government agencies, libraries, museums, universities, jnancial institutions and health care sector. It has now expanded

necessary. It can be used several times, leaves no residue and loses none of its adhesive power. WARPS AND WEFTS +9714 355 4867 www.warpsandwefts.com

to media storage, paintings and medical warehousing — using anti microbial powder coating. BRUYNZEEL 800 FAMCO (32626) www.famcouae.com

AR ACNE The Aracne table resembles a spider based on the design of its supporting structure. It is made from die-cast and extruded aluminium components, which are glued together and painted in j ve different colours. The range tries to be sustainable by using 35% recycled aluminium.

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Aracne’s kexibility lies in the possibility of matching the base and the top in the customer’s preferred colour combinations. EUMENES +39 02 36647900 www.eumenes.it

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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CONTRACTS

Project Focus COMMERCIAL INT ERIOR DESIGN IS COMMIT T ED TO HELPING ITS RE ADERS GROW T HEIR BUSINESSES, SO WE HAVE T E A MED UP WIT H VENT URES MIDDLE E A ST TO BRING YOU T HE L AT EST T ENDERS FROM AROUND T HE REGION ON A MONT HLY BA SIS.

U A E P R O J EC T S D ATA B A S E PROJECT TITLE

CLIENT

CONSULTANT

MAIN CONTR ACTOR

VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

City of Lights - C10, C10A and C11

Tamouh Investments

Palm & Turner Architects

China State Construction & Engineering Corporation

101 - 250

Project under construction

Mixed Use

Royal City Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi

City Seasons Group

James Cubitt & Partners

Tae Young Contracting

101 - 250

Project under construction

Hotel

Al Yahar Mall

SAS Investments

Shankland Cox

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Bidding underway for the main contract

Shopping Center

Marina Bay in Najmat on Reem Island

Damac Properties

Architectural Consulting Group Al Shafar General Contracting

Project under construction

Mixed Use

Al Falah Development in Abu Dhabi - 2000 Villas

ALDAR Properties

Al Torath Engineering Consultants

El Seif Engineering & Contracting Co.

251 - 500

Project under construction

Residential Development

Deyar Al Mafraq

Tourism Development & Investment Co.

Arif & Bintoak Consulting

Not Appointed

251 - 500

Bidding underway for the main contract

Residential Development

ADNOC New Headquarters

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum (HOK)

Six Construct

490

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Ahalia Hosptial in Mussafah

Ahalia Hosptial Group

Society Technology House

Al Mansouri 3B ( Brothers ) Constructions

Project under construction

Hospital

Arjaan Hotel Apartments in Adnec

Bin Hamoodah Properties

GA Architects & Engineers

United Engineering Construction (UNEC)

31 - 100

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Jubail Market in Sharjah

Government of Sharjah

Godwin Austen Johnson

Sun Engineering & Contracting 47

Project under construction

Shopping Center

Nemat Mall in Al Ain

SAS Investments

Shankland Cox

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Bidding underway for the main contract

Shopping Center

Residential Villas in Khalifa City B

Mr. Muhammed Saeed Al Muhairy

Fourth Dimension Consulting Engg.

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Bidding underway for the main contract

Residential Development

Franco Emirien Hospital in Airport Road

Franco Emirien Hospital

Heberger Engineering

Target Engineering

Project under construction

Hospital

SCA Building in Garhoud

Securities & Commodities Authority

Archon Engineering Consultants

Bu Haleeba Contracting

31 - 100

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

17 Non Process Buildings Ruwais Reknery Expansion

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

Derby Design

Ed Zueblin AG

31 - 100

Project under construction

Others

Exemplary School For Police Academy in Al Ain

Police Projects Committee

Architecture & Planning Group Force 10 General Contracting

16 - 30

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Watani Residential Development 600 Villas and 48 Buildings

Sorouh Real Estate

Ewan Arch. Engg./WSP Group

Not Appointed

251 - 500

Bidding underway for the main contract

Mixed Use

B2B Commercial Building at the Grand Mosque Area

Tourism Development & Investment Co./Emirates Property Investment Co.

Khatib & Alami Consolidated Engg.

Ali & Sons Contracting

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

134 Townhouses and Villas in the Garden Views

Nakheel Corporation

Dimensions Engineering Consultants, Dubai

Ghassan Ahmed Al Khalid Contracting Co.

2.5 - 15

Project under construction

Residential Development

488 Villas in Yas Island

Urban Planning Council

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Project in concept stage

Residential Development

Hospital in Ghyathi

Seha - Abu Dhabi Health Services

James Cubitt & Partners

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Bidding underway for the main contract

Hospital

The Agora Mall

ARJ Group

Access Engineering Consultancy

Modern Executive Systems Contracting

250 - 500

Project under construction

Shopping Center

Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Al Hamra Village

Al Hamra Real Estate

Home of Architecture

Al Hamra Construction

Project under construction

Hotel

Hangar in Al Ain Airport

Abu Dhabi Airports Co.

Arak Engineering Consultants

Al Mahala Contracting & General Transport

Project under construction

Airport

Two Mosques in Mohammed Bin Zayed City

Abu Dhabi General Services PJSC

Al Arabi International Engineering Bureau

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Award awaited for the Others main contract

Medical Complex in Arzanah

Capitala

HDP Overseas

Al Habtoor Leighton Group

31 - 100

Project under construction

Hospital

Hospital in Sila

Seha - Abu Dhabi Health Services

James Cubitt & Partners

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Bidding underway for the main contract

Hospital

3 Commercial Buildings in Muroor Road

Abu Dhabi Commercial Properties

Syrconsult

Al Nasr Middle East General Contracting

31 - 100

Project under design

Commercial Buildings

Note: The above information is the sole property of Ventures Middle East LLC and cannot be published without the expressed permission of Ventures Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

140

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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The Ofﬁce Exhibition Show something new

Take the opportunity to show something new at The Office Exhibition . You’ll find thousands of architects, designers and project managers visiting the show to find the latest in design, innovation and best practice.

Book your stand now Contact Tim Wilson, Project Manager t: +971 4 438 0355 e: timwilson@dmgevents.com

15 - 17 May 2012 Dubai World Trade Centre theofﬁceexhibition.com

Organised by

Co-located with

Knowledge partner

CONTRACTS

B A H R A I N P R O J EC T S D ATA B A S E PROJECT TITLE

CLIENT

CONSULTANT

MAIN CONTR ACTOR

VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

61 Townhouses at Jaww

Ministry of Works & Housing

In House

Zayani Trading & Contracting Company

Project under construction

Residential Development

20 Storey Residential Building near Hoora

Faisal Sharaf Group

Faisal Sharaf Engineering

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Project under design

Residential Buildings

Zawia 03

Nardin Properties

Mohamed Salahuddin Consulting Engg. Bureau

Charilaos Apostilides

16 - 30

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Jeyoun - Phase 1

Alargan International Real Estate

City Engineering

Abdulla H. Al Darazi & Sons Company

Project under construction

Residential Development

Residential Compound at Al Murqh

Mr. Saud Kanoo

Middle East Architects

Bassman Contracting

Project under construction

Residential Development

Fakhro Tower

Mr. Yousef Fakhro

Modern Architects

Kooheji Contractors

16 - 30

Project under construction

Mixed Use

Data Services Center Building in Bahrain

Ministry of Education

Syrconsult Consulting Engineers

Aradous Contracting

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

YBA Kanoo Tower in Diplomatic Area

YBA Kanoo

Middle East Architects

Charilaos Apostilides (Chapo)

31 - 100

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Four 6-Storey Apartment Buildings at Salmabad

Ministry of Housing

In House

Al Ghanah Contracting

Project under construction

Residential Development

Ghazi Al Qusaibi Secondary School for Girls in Hamad Town

Ministry of Works & Housing

In House

Aradous Contracting

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Six Villas in Saar - Pack 2

Mr. Turani

City Engineering

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Project under design

Residential Development

Expansion of Bahrain Training Institute in Isa Town - Phase 2

Ministry of Works & Housing

In House

Technical Construction Company WLL

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Survey & Land Registration Bureau HQ

Ministry of Works & Housing

Saudi Designers Engineering

G.P. Zachariades (GPZ)

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Labor Accommodation in East Riffa

YBA Kanoo

Aref Sadeq Design Consultants

Skyline Trading Corporation

2.5 - 15

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

156 Townhouses at Darkulaib

Ministry of Housing

In House

Abdulla H. Al Darazi & Sons Company

Project under construction

Residential Development

Ajyaal Residence

Al Dahiya Constructions & Real Estate

Middle East Architects

Bassman Contracting

16 - 30

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Home Care for the Elderly in Riffa

Ministry of Social Development

Tashreeq Engineering

Al Farea Contracting Est.

2.5 - 15

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Mosque in Hidd

YBA Kanoo

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Award awaited for the Others consultancy contract

Shura Ofkce Council Building in Gudaibiya

Ministry of Works & Housing

Dheya Towkqi Engineering Bureau

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Project under design

Commercial Buildings

60 Townhouses at Askar

Ministry of Works & Housing

Urban Vision

Abdul Aziz Al Sayed Trading & Contracting Est.

Project under construction

Residential Development

Amwaj Waves

Lona Real Estate

Davenport Campbell Middle East

Charilaos Apostilides (Chapo)

396

Project under construction

Residential Development

Renaissance Bahrain Hotel at Amwaj

Ossis Property Developers

Davenport Campbell/MSCEB

Charilaos Apostilides (Chapo)

16 - 30

Project under construction

Hotel

Future Bank Head Quarters

Future Bank

Middle East Architects

Al Ghanah Contracting

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Academic Building in Sanad Elementary School

Ministry of Education

In House

Saraya Contractors

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Note: The above information is the sole property of Ventures Middle East LLC and cannot be published without the expressed permission of Ventures Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

142

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

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OPINION

Flower power BY KE VIN DE AN

eople often contact me with unusual and intriguing projects. I’ve been asked to paint an almost life size mural of a rainforest for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, postage stamps for a small island in the Caribbean and to design tableware for a manufacturer in Russia. But I never imagined I would ever design a marble decoration within one of the largest mosques in the world, a commission that, in many ways has changed the course of my life. It began with a call from the architect Dr Salma Damuluji in 2003 asking if I might like to produce design proposals for an 18,000m², marble courtyard, (or Sahan). It sounded amazing, if somewhat unreal, but a few weeks later I was standing amongst huge concrete domes, archways and bulldozers the proposed courtyard was nothing but sand. Yet, seven years later this iconic construction, The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, opened its doors to the public for the jrst time. I was given some sketches of what Sheikh Sultan, (Sheikh Zayed’s son) envisaged for the mosque’s courtyard koor and I understood why I had been chosen for the commission. Rather than using traditional Islamic geometrics, Sheikh Sultan wanted to use a free kowing koral design, similar to many of my textile designs. After submitting drawings for the courtyard, he asked me work on

144

designs for four archways and the koors in the southern and northern entrances. Also, the main Prayer Hall entrance koor and walls. In each entrance I used kowers from particular hemispheres, ie plants from the southern hemisphere are depicted in the southern entrance and plants in the northern entrance are from the northern hemisphere - I felt this would emphasise the fact that Islam is an international faith. The construction of the Grand Mosque was also a very international project, employing engineers, architects and artisans from across the world, I was able to work with the UK consulting engineers, Halcrow, Italian architects Spatium and Fantini Mosaci, also from Italy, who fabricated the whole of the marble courtyard koor. Since opening in 2010, the mosque receives about 250,000 visitors a month, it’s amazing to think of so many people walking on and looking at my designs. I have been

OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

travelling to the UAE regularly ever since, seeing clients, working with galleries and giving arts workshops in schools. I also have my agents in Dubai, Carol and Andrew Prince of RWN Trading. I like the energy and ambition of the UAE, it is a country that looks to the future rather than at its past. The architecture is simply amazing and I adore Dubai’s new metro system. People are so friendly, and I admire the way so many nationalities have integrated into UAE society. I gave a talk at a school in Dubai recently and I was told there were children from 84 countries on the school register. Over the past three years I have been developing my own range of wallcoverings and textiles, I have shown them in New York and Paris and I want to create a collection for the Middle East. It is an exciting time for art and design in the UAE, it seems to me, that the country has almost everything, a great

infrastructure, a skilled workforce and an economy that seems to be growing once more - factors that can only foster a burgeoning cultural sector. Architects and developers are willing to be creative and bold and there is an impressive range of galleries to be found, often in surprising locations - the industrial sector in Al Quoz in Dubai for example. I’m sure that when The Louvre and Guggenheim open, the country will become one of the cultural capitals of the world. At the moment I’m busily working on an exhibition at The Majlis Gallery in Dubai, for the end of October. I have been creating large monoprints and watercolours of plants from around the globe, in many ways it all links to my work at The Grand Mosque – and as I said before, The Grand Mosque changed the course of my life. Kevin Dean, artist & designer, www.kevindean.co.uk

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