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CONTENTS

January 2015
VOLUME 11 ISSUE 1

DESIGN UPDATE
A round up of the latest design
news in the MENA region and
abroad, including a a preview of
Archimedias revived showroom
as well as Dubais potential bid
for the World Design Capital
2018.

34

16

DESIGNMENA SUMMIT
2014
The second annual
DesignMENA Summit was
recently held and we made sure
to provide an intense review on
the different talks, case studies
and opinions that were shared.

26

INTERVIEW
This month we meet Rim
Guirari, interior designer at
Creneau International, who
tells us about the perks of an
international background in
design.

34

CASE STUDY
The new Eagle Hills ofce by
Bishop Design is raw, rustic and
ultimately a modern homage to
the steam punk era.

40

TREND REPORT
Check out the 20 new trends
ready to take over 2015!

54

FEATURE
This month we meet with
various experts from the hotel
industry to tell us where hotel
design is headed.

66

40
www.designmena.com

PRODUCTS
A roundup of the latest products
from the market.

72

OPINION
Judd Lord from Delta Faucet
talks about staying up to date.

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

COMMENT

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0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRUNeil Davies
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*URXS3XEOLVKLQJ'LUHFWRU Ian Stokes
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(GLWRU Rima Alsammarae
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5HSRUWHU Aidan Imanova
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6DOHV0DQDJHU Teri Clarke
Tel: +971 4 444 3679 email: teri.clarke@itp.com
%XVLQHVV'HYHORSPHQW0DQDJHU6DXGL$UDELD
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678',2
+HDGRI'HVLJQ Daniel Prescott
6HQLRU'HVLJQHU Anjana Jain
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6HQLRU3KRWRJUDSKHUVRajesh Raghav, Efraim Evidor
6WDII3KRWRJUDSKHUV Lester Apuntar, Aasiya Jagadeesh, Mosh
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Come and go

his month we drafted up a trends report, as is our


tradition every January. And in most industries,
driving trends always seem to come and go in
the blink of an eye. This is true for fashion and
OFTENjLMANDMUSIC(OWEVER WHENITCOMESTOINTERIOR
design, trends are long-lasting, dictating the market for
decades at a time.
Such is the condition of trends in interior design that trying to scout new ones
INTHESECTORFORATRENDSREPORTISOFTENDIFjCULT
(OWEVER THISYEARSOMETHINGCHANGEDAND)VEONLYJUSTRECENTLYBEENABLETO
PUTMYjNGERONWHYTHATIS7HEN+ARIM2ASHIDSPOKEATTHE$ESIGN-%.!3UM
MIT HELDINEARLY$ECEMBER HENOTEDTHATWEAREATTHEADVENTOFTHEDIGITALAGE
!NDINTHISNASCENTPERIODOFAPERPLEXINGCHANGEINHUMANITYSHISTORY WEARE
WITNESSINGDEVELOPMENTSNEVERSEENBEFORE)TIS INOTHERWORDS THEjRSTTIME
)VESEENTRENDSTHATHAVENTBEENREPORTEDINEARLIERYEARSORPERHAPS HAVENeT
been expected to last.
3UCHTRENDSINCLUDE$PRINTINGANDTHEONSLAUGHTOFFUTURISMINDESIGN4HESE
trends are explicitly related to the time and era that we are currently living as they
are tied to the technological abilities of man. And because of them, new styles
and aesthetics are marking the modern day. Aesthetics, like sinuous curves and
unconventional volumes, that may have been attempted in the past but with the
new technology, these stylistic endeavours have taken on new dynamics.
)TISMOSTCERTAINLYANINTERESTINGTIMETOLIVEIN AND)CANTHELPBUTMAINTAIN
ANOPTIMISTICOUTLOOKASWELLASACURIOUSTICKTOSEEJUSTWHERETHESENEXT
months will take us.

0$5.(7,1*
+HDGRI0DUNHWLQJ Daniel Fewtrell
(YHQWV0DQDJHU Michelle Meyrick
0DUNHWLQJ0DQDJHU Dominic Clerici
,73*5283
&KDLUPDQ Andrew Neil
0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRU Robert Serafin
)LQDQFH'LUHFWRU Toby Jay Spencer-Davies
%RDUGRI'LUHFWRUVK M Jamieson, Mike Bayman,
Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin

RIMA ALSAMMAR AE
rima.alsammarae@itp.com

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An ITP Business Publication

January Vol. 11 Issue 01

World Design
Capital
SHOULD DUBAI BID?

Trend report
CHECK OUT THE TOP 20
TRENDS FOR 2015

An ITP Business Publication

December Vol. 10 Issue 12

The essential guide for Middle East interior design professionals

ANYBODY WHO'S ANYBODY


MADE IT ONTO OUR HOT 50 LIST

An ITP Business Publication

Where
eagles dare

December 2014 Vol.10 Issue 12

2 JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

Cover image:
)NSIDE%AGLE(ILLS
OFjCE

COMMERCIALInterior design

Published by and 2015 ITP Business


Publishing, a division of the ITP
Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the
B.V.I. under Company number 1402846.

2ECEIVECommercial Interior Design


every month. To subscribe, please
visit: www.itp.com/subscriptions

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Middle East
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DesignMENA
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DESIGN UPDATE

The at-home cinema offers 3D sound system

Archimedia develops showroom


TECH EXPERTS DEVELOP DUBAI-BASED SHOWROOM TO FEATURE HIGH-END WORKING ZONES
UAE: International technology
giant, Archimedia, has recently developed its working showroom in
Oud Metha, Dubai, where customers can now get the full experience
of the companys expertise.
Having been located in the
same location for nearly 10 years,
Peter Aylett, technical director,
Archimedia, notes that while the
company looked to relocate it
ultimately decided that it wasnt
a trend-following company, but
rather one that would always be
sought out.
Aylett explains: About two
years ago, we started the conver-

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

sation about possibly moving,


because once upon a time, this
was the centre of the universe
and there were loads of passing
cars but now Dubai has shifted.
7ECOULDNTjNDSOMEWHERETHAT
was reasonably priced and that
jTOURSPACENEEDS ANDANYWAYS
we concluded that were not a
passing trade kind of company.
Were a company that people seek
out and come to see us. So that
was sorted and we chose to spend
some money on this place.
The space has always been a
working showroom, but recent renovations have revived the space

and brought it up to date. Today,


the entrance level houses the
technology testing area, where experts work out the ideal solutions
for various sound systems, as well
as other displays that boast more
basic television sets and stereos.
The entrance level, according
to Aylett houses the pieces that
need minimal time to install. The
second level of the showroom is
where more high-technology setups have been located.
The second level boasts four to
jVEROOMSTHATHAVEDIFFERENTEXperiences on offer. Its where youll
jNDTECHNOLOGYTHATREQUIRESBE-

ing integrated into the fabric of the


building. From at home cinemas to
three-dimensional sound systems,
to speakers hidden by plaster or
translucent fabric, Archimedias
showroom provides something to
meet just about any need.
Aylett explains: If youre spending a decent amount of money on
SOUNDEQUIPMENTANDSPEAKERS 
you really need to take the time to
decide whats right for you. Whats
betteran Audi, BMW or Mercedes? Theyre all fantastic, but
it really comes down to personal
preference. Its about what feels
right for you.

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Archimedia provides technology expertise for all spaces

0LASTER COVEREDSPEAKERSBODEWELLFOROFjCESPACES

Accessing your content is made simple with smart technology

Sound systems can also be covered by translucent fabric

From middle to high-end


brands, Archimedias showroom
displays a number of products
from brands like LG, Bowers &
Wilkens and Wisdom Audio.
Designers and customers alike
that purchase systems from
Archimedia arent getting a boxed
television set, rather theyre getting an entire system thats been
programmed to perfectly suit their
needs and deliver the cleanest,
sharpest sound.
The way the industry is going,
people know companies like us
for technology in the home. But
really, its now becoming technology for the individual. You will
get up in the morning and youll

www.designmena.com

use technology in your home,


youll get into a car and youll use
TECHNOLOGY YOULLGETTOYOUROFjCE
and youre still using technology,
says Aylett.
So what were doing now is
making that whole experience
seamless. So wherever you go in
your life, your technology, your
content and your stuff and the
way you like to do things follows
you around where you go. Its
technology for people rather than
technology for the home.
Aylett further notes that while a
lot of the technology on display is
for individuals, corporate agencies
BENEjTQUITEALOTASBETTERTECHnology thats used in boardrooms

Systems suit different size rooms

and so forth, create a convenient


ATMOSPHEREATTHEOFjCE
Archimedia has showrooms
across the MENA region including
international cities like Dubai, Cairo, Riyadh, Casablanca and Beirut,
with each one of the showrooms
staying true to the Archimedia
brand image. While the company
looks to create a consistency
throughout the various Archimedia
locations, the Dubai one in Oud
Metha hosts a number of art
pieces hung throughout the space,
which creates a gallery-type feel.
Omar Hikal, Archimedias CEO,
explains: The artwork throughout
the space is a result of a collaboration with an art gallery called

Artspace. And we plan on having


revolving art collections in the
space and doing exhibits for artists and photographers.
The artwork throughout the
space isnt the companys only
foray into the art world. According to Aylett, the showrooms
open layout will bode well for the
companys interest in hosting art
and music events. Aylett explains:
The reason the space is like this,
with loads of open area is because
we want to offer it as an events
space as well, so weve been
having talks with jazz trios, string
QUARTETS ARTISTSvITSASMUCHOF
an art gallery or events space as
anywhere else.

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

DESIGN UPDATE

/FjCEDESIGNBY7ORKSPACE)NTERNATIONAL

Workspace comes to Dubai


SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN COMPANY OPENS NEW SPACE IN DUBAI WITH PLANS TO SETTLE IN D3
UAE: $UBAISGROWINGREPUTATION
as the regional hub of design and
architecture is leaving massive
impressions across the globe,
as American, European and East
Asian companies are looking to set
up local branches.
Workspace International, an
award-winning Scandinavian inteRIORDESIGNjRMISONESUCHCOMpany that has recently launched an
OFjCESPACEIN$UBAIS-EDIA#ITY 
with plans for it to eventually settle
IN$UBAIS$ESIGN$ISTRICT
Dubai has built a reputation for
being open to new ideas and ways
OFDOINGTHINGS$UBAISPRAGMATIC 

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

open attitude and people wellexposed to global trends is an


important matter for us too. We
have experienced that customers
WANTTOHAVE@NEWBLOODANDNEW
ideas, says Ippa Hertzberg, managing director, Workspace.
The growing demand for trendy
style and designs with ScandinaVIANTOUCHISALSOPLAYINGASIGNIjcant role as to why we launched in
Dubai. From the business point of
view, the business is blooming in
THE5!%ANDTHERESGOODDEMAND
After the announcement of the
Expo 2020, everyone is more encouraged to come and develop.

Workspace offers everything


from concept design consultancy
TOBRANDINGFORHOSPITALITY OFjCE
and retail projects. It works to rekECTTHECLIENTSBUSINESSSTRATEGY 
vision and values through interior
design schemes. Kenny Hytnen,
partner and head designer, points
out that at Workspace, the team
is not only driven by its passion
to create seamless environments
where users are excited to explore
the space, but the most important
asset is that we can help increase
OURCUSTOMERSSALES0EOPLEBUY
based on their perceptions and
these are heavily dictated by the

effectiveness of a business brand.


On the Workspace team are not
only designers and architects, but
also psychologists, engineers,
HR specialists and economists.
Together the many experts create
various design schemes ideal and
most suitable to each client.
At Workspace, says Hytnen,
we believe that in order to
design the best space, there is a
need to understand how people
are inspired, how they choose a
hotel or decide to go to a certain
restaurant or mall.
With a holistic approach
and interdisciplinary team, the

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DESIGN UPDATE

Boardroom design

Workspace consults psychologists to understand how people work

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Living area youll nd countless ideas for interior
design, furnishing and decoration in all styles
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Frankfurt, Germany
7ORKSPACE)NTERNATIONALSPECIALISESINOFjCEDESIGN

Social space design

outcome is not only a great


DESIGN BUTITHASASCIENTIjC
approach too. And that is the key
to our success.
As of yet, Workspace has
gained a lot of momentum, with
a number of requests coming in.
According to Hertzberg, the design agency has recently created
RETAILSHOWS OFjCES SCHOOLSAND
private homes. We also believe
strongly in our branding concept
consultation. There seems to
be a need for it on the market,
CONjRMSSOMEONE
Hytnen adds: Dubai is
very much on the edge when

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talking about lifestyle, design


and people. We think that our
way of design will be very much
welcomed here.
The unique thing about
Workspace International is that
we do not only employ architects
and designers, but we also have
brand specialists, economists
and psychologists working for
us tooSo we really go into
peoples minds. You not only get
a great design, you get a scienTIjCAPPROACHTOO4HATHASBEEN
proven to be the best way for our
customers to get their return on
investment, notes Hytnen.

try

Partner coun

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

DESIGN UPDATE

Brand Creative sees expansion


LOCAL DESIGN CONSULTANCY AGENCY SEES BRAND EXPANSION WITH NEW OFFICE IN INDIA
UAE: Award-winning design
agency based in Dubai, Brand Creative, has recently opened a new
branch in Kerala, India, where a
TEAMOFjVEWILLNOTONLYSHARETHE
WORKLOADWITHTHE$UBAIOFjCEBUT
will also take on further projects
from their respective area.
It wasnt about world-domination, jokes Carla Conte, creative
director, Brand Creative. One of
our most senior guys came to me
to tell me that his house in India
was completed and that his wife
wanted to move back to raise their
family; he also told me he didnt
want to leave Brand Creative, and
WEDEjNITELYDIDNTWANTTOLOSE
him as part of the team.
So we went back to him with
an offer, to make him as a director

"RAND#REATIVEOFjCEIN$UBAI

4HE$UBAIOFjCE

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

INANEWOFjCEIN+ERALA"ECAUSE
WERESELF jNANCEDTOBEGIN
withwe never went to the bank
to get a loanwe said we would
jNANCETHE)NDIAOFjCE BUTWE
also wanted to be hands-on with
who comes in and becomes part
of the team. This is not a satellite
OFjCEWITHPEOPLEANDFACESWE
dont know.
f7EHAVEABOUTjVEPEOPLEIN
India and we have 13 here, so
it feels really strange because
I couldnt imagine a time when
Brand Creative was going to be
more than four people.
Conte insists that the decision
to expand was a people-based
decision rather than one centred
on strategic growth. However,
she does recognise that the new

dynamic has allowed the Dubai


branch to focus more on creativity,
WITHTHE)NDIAOFjCEBEINGMORE
technically inclined.
In addition to the recent change
in the work process, Conte notes
that because she has one of her
most senior staff based in the
+ERALAOFjCE THEjRMISNOWABLE
to take on projects in India.
#ONTECONjRMSTHAT"RAND#REative has witnessed a double-up
INPROjTSTHISYEAR3HEEXPLAINS
Its phenomenal the amount of
people who have approached
us, even from an international
realminterest has come even
from Europe. So were working on
a project in Italy, were working
with Germans on the Abu Dhabi
TERMINAL)NTERMSOFjGURES WEVE

almost doubled from 2013 to


2104. The end of the year for us is
February and were already forecasting for next year and within
THEjRSTFOURORjVEMONTHS WE
know what were working on which
was not the case going into 2014
from 2013.
!SIDEFROMTHENEWOFjCEIN
India, Conte and her partner
Mohammed El Hijazi, director of
client services, are currently working on a new furntiure line, which
will be launched later next year.
Brand Creative is also working
on The Avenues mall in Oman,
WHICHSHOULDBEjNISHEDCOME
April. Additionally, Conte notes
that a number of requests have
already come in from India with
the opening of the new branch.

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DESIGN UPDATE

Attitude is key to
workspace design
Human Space organised the talk

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Phil Hutchinson prepares for talk

!TTITUDEISKEYTOOFjCEDESIGN SAYS(UTCHINSON

10

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

HUMAN SPACE INVITES PHIL HUTCHINSON TO


DISCUSS KEY FACTORS IN WORK PLACE DESIGN
UAE: One of the regions most
POPULAROFjCEFURNITURESUPPLIERS 
(UMAN3PACE ORGANISEDATALKAT
-EDIA#ITYS2ADISSON"LU(OTEL 
where guest speaker Phil Hutchinson discussed the importance of
QUALITYOFjCEDESIGN
As director of strategy at BDG
Architecture Design as well as an
expert on workplace strategy and
DESIGN (UTCHINSONBELIEVESTHAT
the key to creating a successful
OFjCEINTERIORISUNDERSTANDINGTHE
DIFFERENCEBETWEENATTITUDEAND
AGE7HILEMANYASSOCIATECONtemporary attitudes with younger
GENERATIONS ANDTRADITIONALATTITUDESWITHTHOSEOFANOLDERAGE 
(UTCHINSONjNDSTHATTWOMEN
BORNINTHESAMEERAMAYBESTRIKINGLYDIFFERENTINTHEIRATTITUDES&OR
ANEXAMPLE HECOMPARED0RINCE
#HARLESOF7ALESTO/ZZY/SBOURNE
f"OTHWEREBORNIN BOTH
GREWUPIN%NGLAND BOTHMARRIED
TWICE BOTHHAVETWOCHILDREN BOTH
AREWEALTHYANDBOTHLIKEDOGS
7ENEEDTOPLANFORTHEATTITUDE
ANDAPPROACH NOTTHEAGE tSAYS
(UTCHINSON
&OR(UTCHINSON THETERM@ATtitude refers to not only the companys agenda and approach to
SELF BRANDING BUTITALSOREFERSTO
THEINDIVIDUALWHOSEIDEAOFWHAT
a workspace is may differ from
MORECONVENTIONALNOTIONS
He says: The future of the
WAYWEWORKISUNDERPINNEDBY
ATTITUDEWORKISWHATWEDOAND
NOTNECESSARILYWHEREWEARE4HIS

means the traditional desk is not


ANAPPROPRIATESOLUTIONTOPROVIDE
the majority of us with the optimum
SPACETOWORK!NDWECANLOOKATA
wide range of different settings and
LAYOUTSTOSUPPORTWHATWEDOt
Hutchinsons lecture also foCUSEDONTHEIMPORTANCEOFMOVING
AROUNDFORANEMPLOYEE NOTING
THAT@SITTINGISTHENEWSMOKING
!CCORDINGTOTHEEXPERT OFjCE
WORKERSCANBURNANEXTRA
CALORIESPERDAYJUSTBYSTANDINGAT
THEIRDESKASOPPOSEDTOSITTING)F
an employee worked while standINGFORAMERETHREEHOURSADAY 
(UTCHINSONSAYS ONECANENJOYTHE
BENEjTSOFOVERALLWEIGHTLOSSAND
it should create a demand for more
STANDINGDESKDESIGNS
!NOTHERISSUERAISEDBY(UTCHINson was that the future of the
WORKPLACECENTRESONAGILITYf!GILE
WORKINGISNOTJUSTABOUTPEOPLE 
BUTALSOSPACE tHESAYS WHILE
pointing out that agility lays in ofFERINGGREATERCHOICESFORSETTINGS 
DESKSHARING CENTRALISEDSTORAGE 
INCREASEDPROVISIONANDTHEUSE
OFSHAREDWORKSPACES ASWELLAS
protocols or guidelines for the use
OFAREAS
Hutchinsons talk focused on a
VARIETYOFISSUESCONCERNINGTHE
@7ORLDOF7ORK ASHEPUTSIT WHILE
THESELECTEDAUDIENCEOFDESIGNERS 
architects and end-users were
ABLETOBENEjTFROM(UTCHINSONS
experience of working with multiNATIONALCLIENTSANDPUBLICSECTOR
AUTHORITIES

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DESIGN UPDATE

Dubais potential bid for World Design Capital


DUBAI SHOULD LOOK TO BID IN UPCOMING WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL COMPETITION SAYS LOCAL EXPERT
UAE: Peter Di Sabatino, professor
at the college of architecture,
art and design at the American
University of Sharjah, as well as
a member of the International
Council of Societies of Industrial
Design (Icsid), is looking to promote Dubai in Icsids initiative for
the World Design Capital.
Icsid has recently announced
the launch of the application
cycle for the 2018 World Design
Capital, marking the initiatives
sixth cycle. It invites cities from
around the world to submit bids
that illustrate the impact of design
on their city as well as showcase
examples of design being used as
a tool toward development.
Di Sabatino says: We already
have so many things going on

that happen independently of


each other like the DesignMENA
Summit, Design Days, Downtown
Design, Index, City Scape, all the
galleries, publicationsPart of being a World Design Capital would
bring all those things together and
create something to rally around.
And I think the timing is ideal,
especially with Dubai being the
World Expo site in 2020. What a
great build up to that if the World
Design Capital would be in Dubai
in 2018. It would create this
incredible momentum. It also coincides with the intended completion of Dubai Design District. It
cements it, it celebrates it and it
propels it forward. It could also
create a national design policy.
According to Di Sabatino, there

is already a great alignment


between the World Design Capital
initiative and Dubais present and
future vision in place. As he put
IT ITSANATURALjTASTHE7ORLD
Design Capital looks not only at
architecture and design, but also
urban planning and mapping, as
well as the strength of the creative
community. And to Di Sabatino,
Dubais creative community is
shooting forward.
The bids to win the title of
World Design Capital undergo a
stringent evaluation process and
are judged by a jury panel that
CONSISTSOFjVEINTERNATIONALREPresentatives hailing from various
professional backgrounds.
It seems that we just need
everybody to understand the

Helsinki, World Design Capital 2012

Seoul, World Design Capital 2010

Taipei, World Design Capital 2016

Torino, World Design Capital 2008

12

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

alignment thats already in place


between World Design Capital and
Dubaiand I havent seen any
negative reactions, the only thing
I can imagine preventing Dubai
from entering the race is that
there is already so much going
on that theres already too much
in the bucket. But it seems to be
a perfect opportunity for whats
already happening in the city and
with whats coming in 2020.
The World Design Capital is one
of Icsids international programs
that works toward the organisations drive for a better world
through design. Previous World
Design Capital winners have used
the title for city promotion, to nurture economic activity and encourage peer-learning experiences.

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citteriospa.com

FINASI LLC
AL ITTIHAD ROAD P.O. BOX 118508 DUBAI
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
T +971 4 297 1777 WWW.FINASI.AE

INDUSTRY SPEAK

Crossing
borders
ARE REGIONAL DESIGNERS ACHIEVING GLOBAL
SUCCESS? AIDAN IMANOVA REPORTS.

Khalid Shafar

Christina Morgan

14

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

3UPPORTFORDESIGNANDYOUNGTALENTCONTINUESTOGROWINTHE-IDDLE
%ASTWITHVARIOUSPROGRAMMES
BEINGLAUNCHEDTOPUSHREGIONAL
designers under the spotlight. And
ALTHOUGHWEARESEEINGANARRAYOF
INSPIRINGWORKREGIONALLY AREWE
PUSHINGLOCALDESIGNERSTOWARD
INTERNATIONALSUCCESS
7HENSPEAKINGTODESIGNERSAND
INDUSTRYSUPPORTERS MOSTCLAIMED
THATREGIONALDESIGNHASNOTYET
REACHEDITSFULLPOTENTIALABROAD 
WITHONLYAFEWNAMESTHATARE
CURRENTLYSPEAKINGFORTHEENTIRE 
THRIVINGINDUSTRYINTHEREGION
%MIRATIDESIGNER+HALID3HAFAR 
founder of the Khalid Shafar brand
AND+!3!SHOWROOMIN$UBAI
notes that regional designers need
TOBEMOREEXPOSEDINTERNATIONALLYTOSHOWCASEDESIGNFROMTHE
Middle East.
!SSOCIATEAT0ALLAVI$EAN)NTERIors, Christina Morgan also added
that regional design is not quite
THEREYETtONAGLOBALSCALE fEVEN
THOUGHTHEREISAGREATERAWARENESSOFLOCALTALENTREGIONALLY7E
AREYETTOSEEHOMEGROWNBRANDS
TAKECENTRESTAGEOUTSIDEOFTHE
REGION tSHESAID
)MPROVEMENTINTHEQUALITYOF
design exhibited in the region is
SOMETHINGMOSTDESIGN SAVVYINDIVIDUALSHAVEAGREEDON$URINGTHE
$ESIGN-%.!3UMMITLASTMONTH 
ONEOFTHETALKSSPARKEDADISCUSSIONABOUTHOME GROWNTALENT
kOURISHINGABROAD0ROGRESSWITHIN
THEDESIGNINDUSTRYWASAGREED
UPONAMONGSTALLTHEPANELLISTS
f)THINKWEVEIMPROVEDASjRMS
INTHE5!% tSAID)SABEL0INTADO 
MANAGINGDIRECTORAT,7$ESIGN
Group. She added: Theres a
SUBSTANTIALINCREASEINQUALITY

And another thing thats quite


INkUENTIALISTHECONjDENCEWEVE
GAINED)NTHEPAST THEREWAS
ASECTIONWENEEDEDTOIMPORT
DESIGNERSINTOTHE5!%TOPRODUCE
THESTANDARDOFWORKTHATWERE
PRODUCINGNOW BUTTHATISNTTHE
CASEANYMORE!LOTOFOURWORKIS
NOWOUTSIDEOFTHE5!%WHICHIS
SOMETHINGTHATWEVEBEENGOING
AFTERAVIDLY BECAUSEWEFEELWE
HAVESOMETHINGTOOFFERt
-ORGANBELIEVESTHATALTHOUGH
INTERNATIONALACCLAIMISGREATFOR
regional designers, it shouldnt be
THEENDOFASUCCESSSTORY
f)NTERNATIONALACCLAIMANDFAME
are the next steps and shouldnt
BETHEENDGOAL2IGHTNOWTHE
INDUSTRYANDDESIGNCOMMUNITY
NEEDSTOFOCUSONSUPPORTINGLOCAL
TALENT3HOWSLIKE$ESIGN$AYS
$UBAI $OWNTOWN$ESIGN GOVERNMENTINITIATIVESLIKE$UBAI$ESIGN
$ISTRICTANDINDUSTRYSPECIjCCONFERENCESLIKE$ESIGN-%.!3UMMIT
ALLSERVEASANEXCELLENTPLATFORM
FORDESIGNERSTOSHOWCASETHEIR
WORKANDDESIGNPHILOSOPHY t
SHESAYS
3HAFARALSOAGREEDTHATTHEMORE
opportunities are presented to reGIONALDESIGNERSTOSHOWCASETHEIR
WORK THEMOREIMPROVEMENTITWILL
FOSTERWITHINTHEINDUSTRY
f;7ENEEDTO=CREATEOPPORTUNITIESANDPLATFORMSFOR;DESIGNERS=
TOTRAVELABROADTOSHOWCASETHEIR
WORKANDCONNECTWITHINDUSTRY
peers and international brands.
;7EALSONEEDTO=MAKEFUNDING
AVAILABLEFORDESIGNERSTOBEABLE
TOPARTICIPATEININTERNATIONAL
PLATFORMSANDEXHIBITIONS tEXplains Shafar.
3HAFARHADRECENTLYEXHIBITED
HISWORKATTHE,ONDON$ESIGN

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LAMIA BEN AYED

INDUSTRY SPEAK

Festival, amongst other regional


talents through an exhibition
called Middle East Revealed
organised by Wallpaper* magazine
which presented a contemporary
exploration of Middle Eastern
products design.
Pieces of Shafars Illusion
series were displayed, along with
other emerging and established
names in the Middle East design
industry including Emirati designer, Aljood Lootah. Other designers
such as Taher Assad-Bakhtiari,
Nada Debs and Fadi Sarieddine
were also present at the exhibition, representing countries like
Lebanon, Turkey and Iran.
Shafar explained that the exhibition was eye-opening to many
visitors who were viewing contemporary design from the Middle East
FORTHEjRSTTIME
I always see people associate
it with certain attributes, certain
styles, certain colours, and I think

what we did with this exhibition


was give people an idea that
Middle Eastern design is not
necessarily what people assume
it is, he explains.
It is not Orientalism, it is not
ethnicity, and it is not always
classical or glam-and-glow.
We can be subtle, we can have
simple lines, we can be modern,
we can have certain materials
that are not always luxurious,
but ones that can be rustic. So I
think we gave people a good mix
of products on display.
He added that although, the
pieces exhibited were representations of contemporary design,
the Middle Eastern identity was
not at loss.
Just because we are working
with a contemporary style it
doesnt mean that we are losing
our identity within our creations.
There was always a subtle touch
of the Middle Eastern feel in

all the products, either in the


craftsmanship or the materials, or
calligraphy. So there was always
a spirit of the region and I believe
that we had sent a clear message
of this to the public.
Lama Ben Ayed, founder of creative gallery space Musk and Amber in Tunisia, exhibits works by
region talent, established brands
and up-and-coming designers.
She commented that exhibitions
such as this helps Middle Eastern
designers and creativity from the
regional gain importance across
the globe.
The perception of Middle
Eastern design internationally is
gaining importance thanks to exhibitions that are taking place in the
Middle East but also worldwide,
she says.
f)THINKTHEREISANEWkAIRFROM
the Middle East that needs to
be joined with the international
sphere of design. It is now becom-

ing a new, big family where designERSFROMALLCONTINENTSAREUNIjED


with one work that is design.
This is both challenging and so
unexpected and so interesting,
she adds.
Musk and Amber had recently
exhibited at Downtown Design,
combining works by six Middle
Eastern designers from all over
the region including Saudi Arabia,
Lebanon and Tunisia.
f4HE5!%ISDEjNITELYONTHEDE
sign map, says Morgan. We have
the worlds tallest tower, an iconic
work of modern architecture, with
designers from other parts of the
Middle East already rooted in the
international design scene.
We see works of local students
from the American University of
Sharjah being exhibited at international fairs like Salone Internazionale del Mobile. It is evident design is a huge part of the regions
cultural fabric, she says.

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Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

15

DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

16 JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

Summit review
THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE SAW A MUCH IMPROVED SECOND EDITION THIS YEAR,
HELD AT DUBAIS JW MARRIOT T MARQUIS. WITH HUNDREDS OF DESIGN AND
ARCHITECT AT TENDEES, CID MARKS UP THE DAY-LONG SUMMITS HIGHLIGHTS.

www.designmena.com

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

17

DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

NUMBEROFIMPORTANTTOPICSWEREDISCUSSEDATLENGTHATTHISYEARS$ESIGN-%.!3UMMIT
4HEPROGRAMINCLUDEDPANELDISCUSSIONSON5!% GROWNTALENT $UBAISDESIGNIDENTITY
ANDBLURRINGTHEBOUNDARIESBETWEENART ARCHITECTUREANDDESIGN4HEPROGRAMALSO
BOASTEDANUMBEROFCASESTUDIESTHATREkECTEDONARETROACTIVEMANIFESTOFOR$UBAIAND
anchoring in architecture. Highlighting the event was keynote speaker Karim Rashid who discussed
THEFUTUREOFDESIGN WHILEWORKSHOPSONDESIGNANDARCHITECTURECONCLUDEDTHESUMMIT
&IRSTUPWASTHEPANELDISCUSSIONON5!% GROWNTALENT0ANELLISTSARGUEDHOWINkUENTIALWORK

created in the UAE is on a global level and how


local designers and architects should encourage projects Made in the UAE.
f)THINKWEVEIMPROVEDASjRMSINTHE5!% t
SAID)SABEL0INTADO MANAGINGDIRECTOR ,7$E
sign Group. Theres a substantial increase in
QUALITYANDANOTHERTHINGTHATSQUITEINkUENTIAL
ISTHECONjDENCETHATWEVEGAINED)NTHEPAST 
there was a section that we needed to import
designers into the UAE to produce the standard
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THATWEREPRODUCINGNOW BUTTHATISNTTHE
case anymoreA lot of our work is now outside
OFTHE5!% WHICHISSOMETHINGTHATWEVEBEEN
GOINGAFTERAVIDLY BECAUSEWEFEELTHATWEHAVE
something to offer.
&IRAS!LSALIH SENIOR60ANDMANAGING
DIRECTOR -IDDLE%ASTAND!FRICA 7ILSON!S
sociates commented that in order to push local
DESIGN WEMUSTjRSTfDEjNEWHATISITTOBE
home-grown.
Associated Sponsor

I guess its got something to do with the


experience. A local person has experience with
THEMARKETANDKNOWSTHEDESIGNLANDSCAPE t
ADDED!NDREW(UGHES PARTNERAT0UMPKIN
!RCHITECTURAL$ESIGNS
%MIRATIDESIGNER+HALID3HAFARAGREEDTHATfIT
is about a complete understanding of the local
environment.
The understanding can be different for an
%MIRATI BECAUSEWEHAVEROOTSANDOURANCES
tors have been here so our understanding of
THEAREAISDEEPANDGOESBACKFAR3OIFITSRE
LATEDTOTHECULTURE THEREAREWAYSOFRESEARCH
but if you want to dig deep an Emirati would
be more attached and have stories that maybe
EXPATSWOULDNTKNOWABOUT&"FOREXAMPLE 
sometimes want to create an Arabian theme.
7HATISTHAT!NDHOWCANWEGOTOTHENEXT
STEPBEYONDTHE-ADINAAT*UMEIRAHSTYLE tSAID
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18 JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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The Worlds Finest Water Features

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DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

Shafar.
He continued: I think when we look at or
understand the culture, its not about the surface of the architecture or design space, were
talking about the services that will be provided
in the space and when you lay it out, thats
what makes it successful. Its not just about the
materials and colours, but also how people will
interact in the space.
&OLLOWINGTHEjRSTPANELDISCUSSIONWASA
case study by Ignacio Gomez, partner, Godwin
Austen Johnson Architects. Gomez noted
Dubais growth as a cosmopolitan city and compared its development to that of other major
cities like Manhattan and Miami. By creating
a timeline that highlights each citys most
INkUENTIALPERIODOFTIME 'OMEZPOINTEDOUT
THAT$UBAISINkUENTIALPERIODOFTIMEWILLEXIST
INTHENEXTCOUPLEOFYEARS
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20 JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

Gomez said: Is Dubai the Manhattan of the 21st century? Why


limit yourself to one option when
you can have everything. Dubai is
not only the Manhattan of the 21st
century, but also the Miami and
the Zurich.
Dallas, Miami and New York all
had their periods, now the future
is next. The mixture of art and
culture.
Following Gomez, a panel discussion on Dubais design identity
took place. The panel discussion
featured academic and architect
Shams Naga, interior designer
Pallavi Dean and architects Issam
Ezzedine and Nigel Craddock
Ezzeddine, principal design architect of the National Engineering
Bureau, said: There are fantastic
cities in Dubai and most of the GCC
countries, but they really lack the
town squares, plazalook at Europe, what is the best thing? When

www.designmena.com

you go you sit in a plaza, we have


to learn this from Europe. People
go to dine and interact eye to eye.
Parks and gardens are different from town squares because
people will go and isolate themselves. The town square needs
to be interactive. In fact, people
come to know each other when
they interact, now you know your
NEIGHBOURFORjVEYEARSBUTYOU
dont talk to him.
While Dean and Craddock
noted that climate and weather in
the UAE was likely the key factor
preventing many outdoor developments, Ezzeddine retorted noting
that in many European countries
the weather is only pleasant for a
mere three to four months, while
the rest of the year boasts cold
temperatures.
According to Ezzeddine, Dubai
in fact does maintain great
weather for the majority of the year

especially when compared to other


regions, making it an ideal zone for
more community lifestyles.
The future of design was a
heated topic of the day, as following Gomez and the second panel
discussion was key note speaker
Karim Rashid. Rashid focused on
the need to embrace the current
digital age as the future of
design.
The Cairo-born designer
explained that we are now "living
in the turning point of the digital
age which we should embrace to
take a further step into the future
of design by looking at existing
CRITERIATOjNDSOLUTIONSt
Design now has become a pretty loose term and its everywhere,
everywhere to the point where you
see designer coffee and designer
pizza. But the reality is that design
is about working with this notion
of contemporary criteria. And

when you think of contemporary


criteria, you think of the world we
live in, he explained.
He also spoke about the contrast between living and designing
in the analog age versus designing
in the digital age.
If you go back to Bauhaus,
youll see that products and the
objects in the architecture was
more or less driven by the extent
of the technological abilities. So
in a way, we were limited by the
technology, said Rashid.
Now you look at something
that happened exactly forty years
ago, which is the digital age,
which came about and turned
everything upside down. It is the
major schism between analog of
100,000 years of humanity and
forty years of the digital age.
He continued: And in that
analog age, how did we shape
the world that we live in? Well in

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

21

DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

the analog age, we shaped it by the machines


controlling us and in the digital age we tend to
control the machines. In other words, we have
complete control of the physical and virtual
world now. And in fact anything at this point,
because of the digital age, one can manifest
anything one can imagine.
The blurring of boundaries between architecture and art was the subject of another panel
debate with Frank Gehrys Guggenheim Bilbao
heralded as one of the best examples.
Architect Andre Meyerhans was part of the
on-stage group. He said: What the debate
soon agreed upon was the necessity to look beyond the original premise and take into account
mathematics, physics and fashion. Bringing
PEOPLEFROMALLTHESEjELDSTOGETHERISTHEWAY
that design can develop further.
Middle East Architect of the Year Salim HusGold Sponsor

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22 JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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Sotel Hotel, Dubai

Le Mridien Hotel (Reno.), Abu Dhabi

Hilton Hotel, Mecca

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Beirut

Doha

Amman

hudalighting.com

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Riyadh

DESIGNMENA SUMMIT 2014

sain spoke on how building design should be


connected to its immediate environment and
not stand alone.
There could be an old Roman road running
through a site which is not immediately obvious
to anyone without the use of a historical map,
he said. But if that is part of the site then it can
BESOMETHINGTHATISREkECTEDIN
a design.
Hussain used the example of the Sydney
Opera House with its billowing sail like roof as
ANEXAMPLEOFHOWASTRUCTURECANREkECTITS
surroundings.
He said: I think its very important that we as
architects need to respond to the place not to
our assumptions. We need to look at where we
are and respond to where we are.
The past can be used as a starting point
we can take from it and learn from it for our
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24 JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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INTERVIEW

The
global
citizen
A S A N INT ERIOR DE SIGNER AT CRENE AU
INT ERN AT ION A L , RIM GUIR A RI H A S WORKED ON
A NUMBER OF FA MILI A R PROJEC T S ACROSS T HE
REGION. A ND WIT H A BACKGROUND T H AT SPA NS
ACROSS BORDERS, SHE H A S PROVEN HER INN AT E
TA LENT FOR DELIVERING VA RY ING ST Y LE S A ND
A E S T HE T IC S.

26

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

INTERVIEW

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

27

INTERVIEW

A
1
Rim Guirari.

28

t 27 years old it would seem


that Rim Guirari has accomplished a stunning amount.
From exhibiting twice at the
Designers Days in Paris to delivering a number of projects in the UAE
with Creneau International including
hospitality and residential projects.
Guirari has also exhibited her own
personal work in industrial design.
With a masters degree in interior
architecture, product design and
visual communication from Paris

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

lEcole Bleue, Guiraris creative interest transcends design sectors. Having


grown up in a family of engineers, it
would seem that Guirari's childhood
was filled with design and architecture reveries.
Being in a family of engineers
gave me the inspiration to be a
designer, says Guirari. I have an
eye for beautiful objects and properly
designed elements, whether it is for
spacing, furniture, decoration, urban
shapes, fashion or accessories. I have

always felt that engineers have genius ideas that can be pushed further
and translated into aesthetically and
functionally improved products."
Guirari adds: Luckily, seeing my
parents in the engineering field made
me want to complement their work, in
a certain way.
Guirari was born and raised in
Abu Dhabi before moving to Paris
for seven years, where she not only
studied but would begin to build a
name for herself. Her first foray into

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INTERVIEW

2
Cooking suite design
by Guirari.
3
Kitchen design for an
upcoming project.
4
Guirari looks to
include contemporary
forms.

30

becoming an established designer


in the global sense was when she
exhibited various product designs at
the Designers Days in Paris, Cite de
la Mode et du Design.
Among her products exhibited at
the French fair, was a lighting feature,
a table as well as a wall panel.
Guirari explains: I exhibited twice
at the Designers Days to present a
lighting feature made out of plaster
and a metallic table that I designed.
I also created a beautiful wall panel
called Soft Wall for public spaces
where people can lean on it comfortably while waiting for a friend, a
meeting or a train.
Soft Wall can be integrated in an
interior or an exterior environment
and is made out of layers of epoxy
resin, and hard and soft foam. The
structure is very comfortable, the
shape and colours give a new identity
to the wall. The wall is alive and all

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

the curved shapes extend outward.


Guirari was offered the opportunity
of a lifetime when a friend of hers introduced her to someone at Creneau
International who was looking for an
interior designer to take on a wide
workload at the companys Dubai
office. Creneau International is perhaps best known in the region for its
exclusive rights to the Belgian Beer
Caf branch.
Since joining the Creneau International team over two years ago, Guirari has delivered a number of projects
from coffee shops to restaurants and
bars. On top of the list of projects
that Guirari has personally worked
on include Leopolds of London at the
Galleria in Sowwah Island, Culinary
Boutique on Jumeirah Beach Road,
Wildfire at the Galleria as well as a
private residence in Cayan Tower.
Guirari says: Each project is
unique and requires some flexibility

in terms of style and influence. At


Creneau International, I can sometimes be involved in doing a typical
traditional French brasserie, an
industrial bar, or even an Emirati
inspired caf, and each of these has
to be executed with good taste.
But if you ask me personally,
I enjoy contemporary forms, and
particularly the Swedish design that
has unique and trendy lines, complemented with a subtle combination of
faded and natural colours.
Having been in France for nearly
a decade, returning to the UAE has
been an interesting experience for
Guirari, who has taken note the different dynamics at the helm of the
regional design sector.
According to the designer, there
is a new wave of local designers and
artists that is constantly growing in
the area, making the design field in
the Middle East a promising sector to

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INTERVIEW

TECTUS
the adjustable
concealed door hinge.

be working in. Guirari lists emerging artist communities in


Kuwait, Qatars art scene and master planning in the UAE
on top of her list.
She adds: Design in the Middle East is very promising
and I am very excited to observe the evolutionSaadiyat
Island will be the cultural hub of the Middle East, Design
Days and Art Dubai exhibitions are held once a yearI
feel that the Middle Eastern generation is getting more
involved in art, exhibitions, museums, and part of it is due
to our environment that is intriguing.
For instance, in Dubai, you can see in every corner
curious stores or caf designs, and most of the designs
are showing trendiness, and new ways of living and
experimenting with things. We, designers, are eager to be
different and always achieve more to be outstanding.
According to Guirari, Creneau International is doing
really well, with a number of requests coming in for many
food and beverage concepts, new restaurants and bars,
as well as refurbishment projects.
Guirari says that she most recently enjoyed designing
Culinary Boutique Caf, which is set to open in a few
weeks. The concept, which fuses a caf with culinary
classes, centres on a community style caf and the art of
eating, learning and celebrating.

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high load values


up to 300 kg
maintenance-free
slide bearing
technology
three-dimensional
adjustability
opening angle 180
wide variety of finishes
UL listed and warrington
certifire approved model versions

SIMONSWERK Middle East


Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Fon: +971-4-8857050
+971-4-3625652
Fax: +971-4-3908935
www.simonswerk.ae

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

31

INTERVIEW

Guirari adds: The ground floor


is a contemporary caf area, where
people can lean on a special wooden
structure that starts from the wall,
continues to the ceiling then ends
up as a bench seating. There is also
a venue that can be used for events,
parties, team building and the upper
floor is purposely built for kitchen
classes where learning is the main
component, and of course in a pleasant atmosphere.
The colour palette matches the
identity of the client: very fresh and
modern. The design is contemporary
with a subtle Arabic touch on the
decorative elements, and the materials are carefully chosen to make this
place unique.
At the moment, Guirari is working
on a number of new projects with
Creneau International, including coffee shops in the UAE. Among the new
projects are a grab and go concept
called Pret-to-go, an all-day dining
design as well as a caf called Cake
at the Ritz Carlton in DIFC, and a
French brasserie in a Crowne Plaza.

4
The Culinary Boutique
is an up-and-coming
project by Guirari.
5
Pret-to-go by Guirari.
6
A grab and go concept
by Guirari.

32

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

Interiors &
Furniture

Chicago Maintenance & Construction Co LLC

800 CHICAGO
www.chicago.ae

Interiors & Furniture


PO Box 27499 Dubai, UAE
T: +971 4 388 4469
F: +971 4 346 5859
E: trading@chicago.ae

CASE STUDY

34

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

CASE STUDY

Where
eagles
dare
NE W INDEPENDENT COMPA N Y, E AGLE
HILL S, T URNS TO BISHOP DE SIGN
FOR WA REHOUSE- INSPIRED OF F ICE
DE SIGN IN A BU DH A BI.

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Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

35

CASE STUDY

1
Inside the Eagle Hills
OFjCEBY"ISHOP
$ESIGN
2
4HERECEPTIONAREA

36

new independent real estate


investment and development
company, known as Eagle
Hills, has recently moved to
THETHkOOROF!BU$HABIS#APITAL
'ATE4OWER"UILDING$ESIGNEDBY
$UBAISAWARD WINNINGBOUTIQUEDESIGN
jRM "ISHOP$ESIGN THENEWMODERN
OFjCEHASARAWANDRUSTICAPPEAL
PERFECTLYEXECUTEDTOSUITTHEWARE
HOUSE LIKELOOKTHATTHEINITIALBRIEFHAD
ASKEDFOR
0AUL"ISHOP MANAGINGDIRECTOR 
"ISHOP$ESIGN EXPLAINSTHATTHESPACE 
WHICHMEASURESATM2, was meant
TOACCOMMODATEAREASINCLUDINGTHE
RECEPTION AWAITINGAREA VARIOUSMEET
INGROOMTYPESANDCOMMUNALBREAK OUT
ANDREFRESHMENTFACILITIES4HENEW
OFjCEWASALSOTOINCLUDEACOMBINATION
OFPARTIALLYCLOSEDANDOPENPLANOFjCE
ENVIRONMENTSIDEALFORPRIVATEMEETINGS 

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

PERSONALTIMEFORSTAFFORGROUPDISCUS
SIONSANDCOLLABORATIONS
Bishop says: The design aesthetics
WERETOEMBRACEANDCONVEYTHESENSE
ANDAMBIENCEOFANURBANWAREHOUSE 
RAWANDUNjNISHED4HISWASTOINCORPO
RATEANECLECTICVARIETYOFBOTHVINTAGE
ANDCONTEMPORARYFURNITURESELECTIONS 
MATERIALjNISHESANDACCESSORIESGIVING
THESPACEANOVERALLREjNEMENTAND
ELEGANCE
(EADDSf%VERYITEMTHROUGHOUT
WASTHOUGHTFULLYANDPAINSTAKINGLY
SELECTED ALLOWINGFORATRULYINTRIGUING
VISUALDYNAMICTOBEESTABLISHEDTHAT
BESTREkECTSANDDEjNESTHECLIENTS
BRIEFWITHOUTAPPEARINGTHEMATICORFAUX
INANYWAY5LTIMATELY THEFOCUSOFTHE
DESIGNWASTOCREATEAFULLYOPERATIONAL
OFjCEENVIRONMENTINCORPORATINGALL
THESESENTIMENTSBOTHSPATIALLYAND
AESTHETICALLY ASSETOUTBYTHECLIENTAT

THEONSETOFTHEPROJECTt
4OCOMMUNICATETHERAW URBAN
EXPRESSIONAS"ISHOPPUTIT THEDESIGN
TEAMUSEDEARTHYMATERIALSLIKEBESPOKE
CONCRETEFORTHEWALLSANDkOORS ASWELL
ASAVARIETYOFBRICKTYPESANDCOMBINA
TIONS#ONNECTINGTHESPACESTOGETHER
AREELEMENTSLIKEORIGINALVINTAGEFURNI
TURE LIGHTINGANDACCESSORIES
By applying modern and contem
PORARYITEMSANDjNISHES THEVARIOUS
PIECESARESEAMLESSLYBROUGHTTOGETHER 
WITHBASEjNISHESMAINTAININGARATHER
MINIMALISTLOOKINCLUDINGCONCRETE DIS
TRESSEDWOODENTIMBERSANDBLACKENED
'ALVANISEDSTEEL
)NADDITIONTOTHEVARIOUSZONES
PREVIOUSLYLISTED THEOFjCEALSOBOASTS
NINEOFjCESPACES SIXHOT DESKINGUNIT
AREAS DININGAREASINCLUDINGACAF
ANDANESPRESSOBAR ANDTWOGENERAL
SEATINGAREAS4HEOPENPLANAREAAC

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CASE STUDY

3
Workstations
WEREPROVIDEDBY
3UPERSTUDIO

38

COMMODATESOVERPEOPLE
Bishop adds: The main challenges
OTHERTHANTHATOFWHICHWASTOAC
COMMODATEALLTHECLIENTSSPATIAL
REQUIREMENTSANDINTERNALDEPARTMENTAL
RELATIONSHIPS WASTHATOFCREATINGAN
EQUILIBRIUMBETWEENTHETWOVERYDIVER
SIFYINGSTYLESNOTONLYFROMANAESTHETIC
PERSPECTIVEBUTALSOONEOFADAPTINGTHE

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

VINTAGEFURNITUREPIECESNOTCOMMONLY
USEDINANOFjCEENVIRONMENTt
"ISHOPALSONOTESTHATINUSINGFURNI
TURETHATWASANUNCONVENTIONALCHOICE
FORANOFjCEDESIGN HEHADTOMODIFY
THEPIECESSOASTOfFACILITATETHEOPERA
TIONALANDFUNCTIONALREQUIREMENTSOF
BOTHTHEINDIVIDUALANDOFTHECOMPANYt
Another challenge that the design

TEAMFACEDWASTHEAPPLICATIONOFTHE
STRONGSENSEOFSTYLEANDAESTHETICS
OFTHEGIVENBRIEF WITHOUTITBECOMING
THEMATIC)TWAS INASENSE TOMAINTAIN
ASMUCHAUTHENTICITYASPOSSIBLE
"ISHOP$ESIGNWORKEDWITHANUMBER
OFSUPPLIERSTOBRINGTOGETHERTHEENTIRE
SCHEME2ESTORATION(ARDWARDWAS
CONTACTEDFORTHELOOSEFURNITURE LIGHT

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CASE STUDY

INGANDACCESSORIES WHILE3UPERSTUDIO
PROVIDEDTHETASKFURNITUREANDVARIOUS
DESKSYSTEMSTHROUGHOUT&INASIPRO
VIDEDTHETASKCHAIRS
4HROUGHOUTTHEOFjCEAREANUMBEROF
SMALLTRINKETSANDBELONGINGSTHATGIVE
THESPACEASENSEOFTIMEANDHISTORY 
WHILETHEEXPOSEDSOFjTSANDHEAVYUSE
OFGLASS STEELANDCONCRETEMARKTHE
INTERIORASAREkECTIONOFTHENOW
"ISHOPEXPLAINSf4HEENTIRESPACE
ISINITSELFTHEBREAK OUTFEATURE FULLOF
TEXTUALLAYERINGOFBOTHMATERIALSANDA
PHYSICALLAYERINGOFSPACE2AW URBAN
and contemporary are harmonised with
THECURIOUSARRAYOFACCESSORIES OBJECTS
ANDTHEDIFFERINGFURNITURETYPESAND
STYLESUSEDWITHINt
The concrete, metal, wood and leather
USEDTHROUGHOUTADDSAMASCULINE
FEELINGTOTHESPACE WHILETHEkOORTHE
CEILINGWINDOWSDRAWWARMTHFROMTHE
NATURALSUNLIGHT%VERYELEMENTOFTHE
design, down to the paper holders on

FAST FACTS ABOUT THE EAGLE


HILLS OFFICE


5

4
&INASIPROVIDEDTHE

TASKCHAIRS
5
Small trinkets

THROUGHOUTBRING
together the overall
SCHEME
6
4HERECEPTIONAREA

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Award-winning boutique
EFTJHOkSN#JTIPQ%FTJHO
DSFBUFEUIFJOUFSJPST
.BKPSTVQQMJFSTJODMVEFE
3FTUPSBUJPO)BSEXBSF 4VQFSTUVEJPBOE'JOBTJ
5IFTQBDFJODMVEFTOJOF
PGkDFTQBDFT TJYIPUEFTLJOH
VOJUBSFBTBOEUISFFNFFUJOH
SPPNT
&BHMF)JMMTJTBOFXJOEFQFOEFOUDPNQBOZDPODFJWFECZ
&NBBSDIBJSNBO.PIBNFE
"MBCCBSUIBUTFSWFEUPEFWFMPQJDPOJDDJUZEFTUJOBUJPOT
BOENJYFEVTFDPNNVOJUJFT
5IFJOUFSJPSCPBTUTBSBXBOE
WJOUBHFTUZMFUIBUTQFBLTUP
TUFBNQVOLBOEXBSFIPVTF
BFTUIFUJDT
$PNNPONBUFSJBMTJODMVEF
DPODSFUF CSJDL XPPEFO
UJNCFSTBOECMBDLFOFE
(BMWBOJTFETUFFM

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

39

CASE STUDY

THEINDIVIDUALWORKSTATIONS HAVEBEEN
CONSIDEREDANDMETICULOUSLYCHOSENTO
CREATEAWORLDTHATSEEMSTODRIVEITSELF
ONTHEIMPORTANCEOFMODERNITY
4HEOFjCESINHABITINGCOMPANY 
%AGLE(ILLS ISAGLOBALDEVELOPEROF
MIXED USE MASTER PLANNEDCOMMUNI
TIES)TSOPENOFjCELAYOUTREkECTS
ITSVALUESANDPRINCIPALSOFCREATING
SUSTAINABLELIFESTYLES
Bishops adds: This concept created
TAKESONAFRESHANDSOMEWHATDIFFERING
approach to the standard commercial
working environments that are common
place within this region, not only in its
creative open plan spatiality and work
ETHIC BUTALSOINTHEAPPLICATIONOFITS
@STEAMPUNKINTERIORPHILOSOPHY7HAT
THEPASTWOULDLOOKLIKEIFTHEFUTUREHAD
happened sooner?
f4HATWASACHIEVEDANDEXEMPLIjED
THROUGHTHEUSEOFDIVERSIFYINGINTERIOR
STYLINGANDjNISHESTHATWASAPPLIED
WITHINESTABLISHINGASUBTLEDISCOURSE
ANDEQUILIBRIUMBETWEENTHEVINTAGE 
reclaimed and restoration pieces
COUPLEDWITHAMORECONTEMPORARY
DESIGNSELECTIONt

7
Many pieces were
CHOSENCAREFULLYSOAS
TOCREATEANAUTHENTIC
INTERIOR
8
#OMMONMATERIALS
INCLUDEWOOD 
concrete, leather and

40

METAL

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

TREND REPORT

THE NEW YEAR MARKS


A NEW BEGINNING,
AND WHAT BET TER
WAY TO START THAN
BY FRESHENING UP ON
NEW TRENDS FOR 2015

DESIGN TRENDS
42

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

TREND REPORT

3D PRINTING
3D printing has been steadily taking over the world in recent years.
From design to fashion, the newest
technological advancement is
SEEPINGINTOMOSTCREATIVEjELDS
and adding a whole new dynamic
to craftsmanship. With 3D printing here to stay, we can foresee
entire interiors boasting threedimensional printed products
ANDDESIGNSFROMCHAIRSTOkOWER
vases. And such a change will alter
the style and look of products
as we know them. The sinuoous
curves and organic appearance
associated with 3D technology will
be in effect wherever you look. At
the moment many designers in the
region havent begun experimenting with 3D technology, but as it
swiftly takes more of a lead on a
global platform we see the trend
TRICKLINGITSINkUENCEINTOMORE
regional sectors and markets.

THE FUTURE
The future is now. While design
has always and foremost marked
the present world while drawing
references from the past, the
future has often been thought of a
time that cannot yet be spoken of
or designed for. Thats changing,
and its changing fast. Designers
are beginning to create for the
future now and shaping experiences that are yet to be felt or dealt
with. From full-blown interiors to
an amorphous stool, the design
world is quickly looking ahead for
inspiration. Drawing inspiration
from an unknown time removes
boundaries and limits an what's
'authetic', 'legitimate' and 'appropriate'. The future is entirely up to
us, and we're taking the wheel. As
a leading trend, the future is
leading to an untapped pool of
creativity that were just now beginning to understand as well
as explore.

www.designmena.com

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

43

TREND REPORT

TECH- DRIVEN
Much like 3D printing and futurism in design,
tech-driven interiors and product designs are
not just about situating furniture around a
big blu-ray screen. The world of technology
has delved much deeper than its usual
high-end plasma screens and now includes
an array of products not yet experienced.
These products include speakers that can be
plastered over and hidden as well as sound so
clean you might forget where you are. Interior
automation has been making massive waves
in recent years and designers are just now
learning how to integrate the new work into
their schemes.

ECLECTIC FUSION
/LDERGENERATIONSWILLBETHEjRSTTOTELLYOU
that kids these days have too much going
on, from working on various interfaces at
once to constantly absorbing information.
The era in which we live is dependent on
overstimulation, so much in fact that its
REDEjNEDWHAT@OVER STIMULATIONEVENMEANS
Design is no stranger to the art of provoking
space users, and fusing eclectic patterns,
forms and shapes in one space is quickly
becoming a form of craft. Karim Rashid is a
master of eclectic fusionwhile his spaces
are always seamless and coherent, if you were
to look at each element one by one you would
realise just how much detail has been thrown
into one room.

ART REFRESH
Let us start by explaining that art has always
been an appreciated style of life for us.
Maybe it lost its presence in the general
social conscience for a while, but for us at
Commercial Interior Design, weve never
once stopped looking for it. Thats why it
pleases us so much to see designers taking
fearless steps toward incorporating artistic
measures in their work. From bespoke lighting
installations to treating rugs as canvases, the
art of design has been revived and sauced
UPABIT4HEjRSTPLACETOWITNESSTHEBRAVE
turn this year has been at a number of trade
fairs like Cevisama and Maison et Objet,
where stand after stand spoke loudly through
creative set displays.

44

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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TREND REPORT

OPEN OFFICE
/PENOFjCEDESIGNSARENTEXACTLY
@NEW BUTTHEYRESTILLAROUND
ANDWEDONTSEETHEMGOING
ANYWHEREFORALONG LONGTIME
2ECENTRESEARCHENDEAVOURSHAVE
SHOWNTHATTHEMODERNEMPLOYEE
USESSPACEDIFFERENTLYTHANPREVIOUSGENERATIONS!NDTHESENEEDS
MUSTBEMET7HILETHEYWERE
MOSTLYMAINSTREAMINWESTERN
PARTSOFTHEWORLDFORQUITEA
WHILE THEOPENLAYOUTISTAKING
ABIGGERSTANDINTHEDESIGN
LANDSCAPEOFTHE-IDDLE%AST
&ROM%MAARSNEWHEADQUARTERS
IN$OWNTOWN$UBAITO"0SNEW
$UBAIBRANCH OPENOFjCELAYOUTS
AREBECOMINGMOREAPPRECIATEDIN
THEREGIONWITHBIGBRANDNAMES
INCORPORATINGOFjCEDESIGNINTO
THEIRCORPORATEREBRANDING!ND
COMPANIESLIKE"ISLEY/FjCE
&URNTIUREARELAUNCHINGNEWCOLLECTIONSTOSUITJUSTTHISTREND

NATURAL
INDOORS
&ROMSHININGGREENASTROTURFTO
MASSIVEECO WALLSTHATDISPLAY
LARGEVERTICALPLANTATIONS BRINGINGNATUREINDOORSHASBEEN
AROUNDFORASLONGASHUMANKIND
STARTEDBUILDING4HEREWASALWAYSSOMETHINGREFRESHINGABOUT
HAVINGAPLANTNEARYOU ORSEEING
WOODANDGREENERY!NDRECENTLY 
WEVESEENTHISDESIREGOFROMSIX
TO WITHDESIGNERSLAUNCHINGA
NUMBEROFCREATIVESOLUTIONSTHAT
INCORPORATENATURALMATERIALSAS
WELLASPRODUCTSTHATAREFOCUSED
ONINDOORPLANTS&ROMMINISCULE
GREENHOUSESBEINGINCORPORATED
INTOTABLEDESIGNSTOPRODUCTS
THATENCOURAGETHEGROWTHOF
MOSS BRINGINGNATUREINISA
LASTINGTRENDINOUREYES WITHITS
RECENTREVIVALGOINGSTRONGTHESE
NEXTMONTHS

46

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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TREND REPORT

GEOMETRY
From textile to product design, geometric forms and shapes seem
to be everywhere. The cutting edges and sharp lines are pleasing
to those who have grown bored of the minimalism and softness so
prevalent in recent years. Theres also something futuristic about
incorporating geometry into design, as it also allows for a great
way to mix in different colours and asymmetry. Like peering into a
kaleidoscope, geometric forms can be overlapped and fantastical or
they can be simple and plain-formed. Its a versatile trend that has
caught our eye.

BIRDS
Birds, birds, all types of birds. From hand-painting them onto textiles,
to incorporating rustic looking bird cages into schemes, to literally
attaching a birds silhouette onto a design, birds are everywhere in
this industry. Maybe its because of the tropical trend thats taking
over the fashion world that birds have somehow magically seeped
into design, but in any case, were not that bothered by it but rather
perplexed. Searching for products for each issue of Commercial Interior Design has brought us face-to-computer with countless industrial
designs that incorporate the chirping animal in one way or another
and it seems like its going to continue for another 12 months.

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Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

47

TREND REPORT

WALL GRAPHICS
It has come to light that a number
of companies have rebranded
their corporate image this year,
and if they werent rebranding
they were redesigning their
international headquarters. From
the more regional Emaar to the international Coca-Cola, corporate
images are adapting to the new

age that appreciates funky, youthful reminders of the companys


identity. This trend has shown
itself more rigorously in the
design world, as many projects
from the Middle East to the United
States are including graphic imagery on the walls throughout an
entire space.

THE POWER OF
THREE
Three is the new four. Gone are
the days when tables and chairs
balanced on an even amount of
four legs and here to stay are
the days where three is simply
enough. From Afterooms designs
for Menu of its three-legged
chairs to this table by Architonic,
the power of three is being more
and more accepted as a traditional norm as opposed to the
usual four. And why shouldnt
it be, when it creates a stylistic
dynamic that felt lacking in previous years? This trend seems to be
connected to physical art forms
like yoga, as it takes its power
from innovative ways of balance.

48

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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TREND REPORT

STRIPES
From many to few, stripes always
seem like the right choice to
make. Theyre sleek, bold, contemporary and often add a bit of
edge to an interior. Companies
like Interface seem to be big
fans of stripes, as they not only
allow for the inclusion of various colours but they also bring
together a space in an unusual
way. By incorporating a number
of striped patterns into a space,
one can achieve a bohemian like
aesthetic while still staying current and modern.

MARSALA
Pantones colour of the year is marsala, or in other words, a deep
grape red. Its an earthy, romantic colour that is best applied to walls
or textiles. According to Pantone, the colour is one that enriches our
MIND BODYANDSOUL EXUDINGCONjDENCEANDSTABILITYt4HECOLOURIS
also subtly seductive and draws you in with its innate warmth.

CONVENIENCE
You might be thinking that convenience isnt so much of a trend as it is
a symptom of human laziness, and we are here to tell you that youre
actually partially right. However, the power of this so-called symptom is so strong that it dictates the success of product launches.
From smart phones to tables, the ease of convenience is so appealing
that the market is constantly hungry for it. From the way a table opens
to the manner in which a chair folds into itself, the level of convenience a product design boasts is integral to the success of it. Even in
an open space, users want their layouts to make sense and to speak
to their daily habits, and with new technology just hitting the market,
we foresee 2015 being a big year for convenience.

50

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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TREND REPORT

SPRING IN
BLOOM
Spring is this years season from
which to draw inspiration. A
number of recent product designs
just hitting the market have been
inspired by the natural shape of
kOWERSINBLOOMANDENCHANTED
forests lit up at night. Like these
lights designed by Kristine Five
Melvaer, spring in bloom is a
trend deep in its offering of
inspiration. Its sensitive and
sweet, and allows a platform for
which product designs warm you
just by looking at them. The idea
of spring has also encouraged
some headway made in new
DESIGNSFORkOORLAMPSTHATOPEN
up to toward the top as though
reaching for the sky.

LETS GET PLAYFUL

ORGANIC FORMS

$ESIGNISAGREATjELDFORCREATIVITYFORANUMBEROFREASONS ANDATTHE
top of the list is its wide spectrum that allows designers to be playful
on one end. And while being serious is good, its not always necessary.
Its nice to see a design thats a bit witty, humorous and playful. Like
this light called Boo Lamp. Small in size, with a shape that evokes a
Pixar character, being playful in design makes end-users happy. Other
playful designs we saw come out recently is Nendos Winnie the Pooh
series of glasses for Walt Disney.

This one shouldnt be a surprise, especially with the upswing of 3D


printing that makes creating products with organic shapes much
easier. It also coincides with the trend of bringing nature indoors, since
straight lines and edges are not an earthy manifestation, but rather one
designed at the hands of man. Soft sinuous forms are battling it out
against geometric shapes on the global forum, and were not entirely
sure whose winning. Its safe to say that both speak to different, yet
prevalent aesthetic preferences.

www.designmena.com

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

51

TREND REPORT

COPPER ACCENTS
Copper seems to be the metal of 2015, with
copper accents slowly coming to light for
various parts of an interior. From lighting
pendants to stool toppers to bathroom taps
launched by leading bathroom suppliers,
copper is refreshing to see, especially when
added in small doses. Also important to
note, that the colour of copper also seems
to be making a lot of headway. While some
designers are refraining from using the actual
material, theyre turning to incorporating the
colour of copper into their designs. Eitherway,
the durable metal is most certainly taking the
limelight away from gold.

ART RUG
The craft of rug making is one of the oldest
art forms, with its craftsmanship being
one that has survived the test of time.
Traditionally being a skill that is passed
from generation to generation of a single
family, todays designers are turning to rug
making and coming up with contemporary
designs not before seen in the sector. Karen
Michelle Evans is one such innovator that
has taken the risky lead in creating bespoke
rug designs that display creative imagery
reminiscent of a Monet painting. While Evans
applies traditionaly notting of the silk and
wool threads, her designs are abstract and
whimsical. They inspire the end-user to run off
in a day dream, as a grand painting does.

SUSTAINABLE
SOURCES
Sustainability is not new to anyone, however,
going out of ones way to source sustainably
is, especially when it comes to product
design. Often with regards to wood, a number
of designers are looking to order materials
from sustainable sources. This trend only
speaks to one truth: while sustainability
has been on everyones radar for quite a
long time, there have always been a small
few who have hoped this would simply go
away. However, with product designers
sourcing sustainable materials, it means that
sustainability is becoming a way of life as its
reaching out to all levels of design.

52

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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HOTEL DESIGN

The key to
hotel design
COMMERCI A L INT ERIOR DE SIGN
TA LK S TO A NUMBER OF E XPERT S
F ROM T HE REGION WHO AGREE T H AT
T HE KE Y TO GRE AT HOT EL DE SIGN IS
GRE AT BAT HROOM SCHEME S.

54

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

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HOTEL DESIGN

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Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

55

HOTEL DESIGN

1
Preciosa's design
FOR2AFkES(OTEL 
Istanbul.
2
Preciosa's design for
Rosewood Hotel, Abu
Dhabi.

56

ecently, Commercial Interior


Design reported that Dubai
is currently on the crux of
ANOTHERjVEYEARBOOM 
with the construction, design and
architecture sectors taking the biggest
upswing. As a number of new projects
come underway, projects that were
ONCEPUTONHOLDHAVEALSONOWBEEN
GIVENTHEGREENLIGHT
Michaela McClelland, business

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

ANDBRANDDEVELOPMENTDIRECTORAT
Preciosa, the high-end Bohemian
GLASSANDCRYSTALPROVIDER PREVIOUSLY
explained to CID that the growth has
ALREADYSTARTEDANDITISVISIBLEWITH
THEVASTAMOUNTOFPROJECTSBEING
CURRENTLYLAUNCHEDANDDEVELOPED
INCONCEPTPHASE/VERALL WEARE
EXPERIENCINGANEWjVE YEARCYCLE 
which will peak during the Expo 2020.
Only time will tell how much the region

LEARNEDFROMTHEPREVIOUSECONOMIC
CRISISANDHOWMUCHWECANIMPROVE
this time around.
Christopher Broadbent, senior director, Design Work Portfolio, second
McClellands comments further noting
that many of the new projects are reSTARTS MEANINGTHEYWEREPREVIOUSLY
SUSPENDEDANDHAVEBEENREACTIVATED
He also noted that while the market
in the entire GCC is gradually making

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HOTEL DESIGN

3
Bathroom design by
Ideal Standard.
4
Ideal Standard says
that organic design
will soon be preferred
for bathroom
schemes.

58

a comeback, the market is certainly


PICKINGUPSPECIjCALLYHEREIN$UBAI
AND!BU$HABIt
The opened gate to projects has left
a number of regional designers and
suppliers positively overwhelmed with
the amount of work to do in the coming years before 2020, so what exactly
should be the focus? Our experts say
hotel bathrooms and bespoke lighting
are on the top of the list.
Jaroslav Bejvl, art director, Preciosa,
says: Hotel bathrooms are gaining an
importance, it is a space where luxury

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

is reaching new horizons. Interestingly, it is increasingly becoming more


integrated into the bedroom space,
which is a visible new direction.
For example, our latest project in
Qatar with Marcel Wanders, the Falcon
Towers Hotel, has bathrooms that
are designed very much like a living
roomwhere you want to spend your
LEISURETIMEt
Bejvl adds that lighting in bathroom
design is of optimum importance, noting that a change in the approach to
lighting in bathroom spaces is visible.

According to Bejvl, in recent years,


chandeliers have prominently entered
the world of bathrooms and are beCOMINGVERYNOTICEABLEt
$IMITRA$OTSIA MARKETINGMANAGER
for Ideal Standard, a bathroom solutions provider that operates in Europe,
the Middle East and Africa, expands
on Bejvls comments noting that
bathrooms are no longer driven solely
by their function but are now being
treated as social spaces that are also
ideal for relaxation.
$OTSIANOTESf"ATHROOMSARENO

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HOTEL DESIGN

longer just a functional space for


cleansing the body. Nowadays, as life
gets more stressful, were interested
in cleansing the mind as well. Over
the past few years, we saw a trend
for minimalism in bathroom products
but we think that the style statement
of the next few years will be towards
more organic and natural designs,
with smooth contours and tactile,
rounded forms.
According to Dotsia, these changes
in bathroom design and the new
trends in products for the bathroom
are most noticeable in high-end hotels
as well as boutique hotels. But she
ISCONjDENTTHATTHESETRENDSWILL
ultimately bring their way into the
domestic market in the next year.
Dotsia also remarks that the Middle
East is a unique market with its own
set of challenges. She argues: The
Middle East presents its very own
SPECIjCSETOFDEMANDS7EAREULTRA
aware of the water-saving require-

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Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

59

HOTEL DESIGN

5
Preciosa's lighting
design in Istanbul's
2AFkES(OTEL

60

ments of the region and have done our


utmost to design products that not
only look beautiful and perform to an
extremely high standard, but also help
conserve as much water as possible.
The high-end luxury market here
in the Middle East also means that
we cannot rest on our laurels when
it comes to aesthetics. In both residential and hospitality environments,
clients here demand the very best in

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

terms of form and functionthats


why were continually developing new
designs to meet these extremely high
expectations.
Martin Fryzelka, business develOPER 0RECIOSA CONjRMS$OTSIAS
remarks, saying that the hospitality
sector in the Middle East maintains
very high standards and constant
prospects for development, it gives
great opportunities for interesting

projects across the region. Luxury


segment is dominant and this brings
inspiring design concepts, which are
starting to visibly shape the look and
feel of todays Middle East.
Both Ideal Standard and Preciosa
are looking forward to 2015, as they
both have a number of hotel projects
LINEDUP(UDA,IGHTING ALIGHTING
company founded in Beirut, Lebanon
in 2000, also notes the upswing of

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HOTEL DESIGN

recent projects taken on by the design


team. Huda Lightings marketing team
HASCONjRMEDTHATWITHTHE.EW9EAR
APPROACHING ITISLOOKINGFORWARDTOA
NUMBEROFNEWPROJECTS
Dotsia adds: The year 2015 is
already scheduled to be extremely
busy for us. There are already projects
in the pipeline for the next year. Were
planning some amazing product
LAUNCHES WHICHWECANNOTREVEALJUST

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YET NATURALLY3UFjCEITTOSAYTHATYOU
CANEXPECTTOBEVERYNICELYSURPRISED
BYWHATWELLBEREVEALINGNEXTYEARt
Fryzelka describes similar sentiments noting that the Preciosa
TEAMISLOOKINGFORWARDTOTHENEW
CHALLENGESHEADINGITSWAYFROMNEW
projects. Additionally, the companys
headquarters in Czech Republic is exPANDINGITSRESEARCHANDDEVELOPMENT
department. According to Fryzelka,

the coming year is bearing a number


OFNEWOPPORTUNITIESFORTHE"OHEMIAN
lighting company.
Dotsia concludes: The regional
GROWTHISALSOESCALATINGATAGOOD
PACE ASWEHAVESIGNEDUPTOWORK
WITHSOMEOFTHEMOSTPRESTIGIOUS
projects in the region. Were expecting
TOSEEGROWTHAS-IDDLE%ASTCONTINUESITSCONjDENTEXPANSIONINPREPARATIONFOREVENTSLIKE%XPOt

6
Huda Lighting's
scheme for Dubai's
Four Seasons Resort
and Hotel.

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

61

BATHROOM SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

OFFICE

3500,)%239/53(/5,$+./7

FjCEDESIGNISONE
OFTHEBIGGESTAND
MOSTPROjTABLE
SECTORSINTHEDESIGN
INDUSTRY!NDRECENTLY THE
REGIONALOFjCEDESIGNMARKET
HASBEENkOURISHINGASANUMBER
OFCOMPANIESSPECIALISINGIN
WORKSPACEDESIGNARERELOCATING
TO$UBAI!DDITIONALLY RECENT
TALKSWEREHELDABOUTTHEKEY
FACTORSMOSTIMPORTANTTO
SUCCESSFULOFjCEDESIGN
7ORKSPACE)NTERNATIONAL AN
AWARD WINNING3CANDINAVIAN
INTERIORDESIGNjRM HASRECENTLY
LAUNCHEDALOCALBRANCHIN$UBAI 
WITHPLANSTOULTIMATELYSETTLEIN
$UBAIS$ESIGN$ISTRICT
)PPA(ERTZBERG MANAGING
DIRECTOROF7ORKSPACE
)NTERNATIONAL SAYSf$UBAI

62

HASBUILTAREPUTATIONFORBEING
OPENTONEWIDEASANDWAYSOF
DOINGTHINGS$UBAISPRAGMATIC 
OPENATTITUDEANDPEOPLEWELL
EXPOSEDTOGLOBALTRENDSISAN
IMPORTANTMATTERFORUSTOO
f7EHAVEEXPERIENCEDTHAT
CUSTOMERSWANTTOHAVE@NEW
BLOODANDNEWIDEAS4HE
GROWINGDEMANDFORTRENDYSTYLE
ANDDESIGNSWITH3CANDINAVIAN
TOUCHISALSOPLAYINGASIGNIjCANT
ROLEINWHYWELAUNCHEDIN$UBAI
&ROMTHEBUSINESSPOINTOFVIEW 
THEBUSINESSISBOOMINGINTHE
5!%ANDTHERESGOODDEMAND
!FTERTHEANNOUNCEMENTOFTHE
7ORLD%XPO EVERYONEIS
MOREENCOURAGEDTOCOMEAND
DEVELOPt
!CCORDINGTO(ERTZBERGASWELL
AS+ENNY(YTNEN PARTNERAND

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

HEADDESIGNERFOR7ORKSPACE 
$UBAIISAREGIONALHUBFOREDGIER
DESIGNANDLIFESTYLE)TSTHE
IDEALLOCATIONFORCOMPANIESAND
DESIGNERSALIKETOEXPERIMENT
WITHDIFFERENTINTERIORSOLUTIONS
ANDWAYSOFSELF EXPRESSION
(YTNENADDSf7ETHINKTHAT
OURWAYOFDESIGNWILLBEVERY
MUCHWELCOMEDHERE)TISA
DESIGNPLACEt
!NUMBEROFTALKSWERE
RECENTLYHELDTODISCUSSKEY
FACTORSINDESIGNINGSUCCESSFUL
OFjCEINTERIORS!MONGTHESE
TALKSWASONEHELDBY(UMAN
3PACE WHERE0HIL(UTCHINSON 
DIRECTOROFSTRATEGYAT"$'
!RCHITECTURE $ESIGN DISCUSSED
ANUMBEROFELEMENTSTHAT
DESIGNERSSHOULDCONSIDERWHEN
APPROACHINGANEWOFjCEINTERIOR

f4HEFUTUREOFTHEWAYWEWORK
ISUNDERPINNEDBYATTITUDE
WORKISWHATWEDOANDNOT
NECESSARILYWHEREWEARE4HIS
MEANSTHETRADITIONALDESKIS
NOTANAPPROPRIATESOLUTIONTO
PROVIDETHEMAJORITYOFUSWITH
THEOPTIMUMSPACETOWORK AND
WECANLOOKATAWIDERANGEOF
DIFFERENTSETTINGSANDLAYOUTS
TOSUPPORTWHATWEDO tSAYS
(UTCHINSON
(EALSONOTESTHATISSUES
RELATINGTOTHECOMFORTAND
HEALTHOFEMPLOYEESNEEDTOBE
REVIEWEDBYOFjCEDESIGNERSAS
WELL(ESAYSf!WELL DESIGNED
WORKSPACEISNOTSIMPLY@NICETO
HAVE ITISVITALTOTHEBUSINESS
PERFORMANCEOFORGANISATIONS 
AFFECTINGPRODUCTIVITYOF
EMPLOYEESt

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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

&URSYS
Tell us about your company?
Weve been in business for more
than three decades. Some of our
main focuses are furniture and
SPACESOLUTIONSFOROFjCE EDUCATION ANDHEALTHCARESECTORS7E
HAVEjVEMANUFACTURINGFACILITIES
THATAREMANAGEDBYOURSELVES
and around 70 partners worldwide that continue to expand.

What are your best selling


products?
4SERIESISBEINGCHOSEN
ASTHECHAIROFCHOICEBYA
RAPIDLYINCREASINGNUMBEROF
corporations worldwide due to
its unparalleled combination of
ERGONOMICFEATURES COMFORT 
ANDVALUEFORMONEY4HAS
BEENSELECTEDBYMAJORGLOBAL
corporations (like IBM Europe
WHODEMANDED CHAIRS 
ANDARANGEOFLEADINGCOMPANIES
ANDGOVERNMENTDEPARTMENTS

What projects have you been


involved in?

What are you most looking


forward to in 2015?

7EHAVEWORKEDONPROJECTSOVER
THELASTTWENTYYEARSIN-IDDLE
Eastern countries. To name a
FEW+ING!BDUL!ZIZ5NIVERSITY 
+HALIFA5NIVERSITY %MIRATES
!IRLINE !$./# 1!0#/ 10 )"- 
3OFTBANK 3AMSUNGAND,'

7ELOOKFORWARDTOBECOMING
ONEOFTHEBESTOFjCEFURNITURE
ANDSERVICESCOMPANYINTHE
-IDDLE%ASTBYSUPPLYINGQUALITY
FURNITUREFOROFjCESANDPROJECTS
7EWILLALSOBEEXPANDINGOUR
TERRITORYTOEDUCATIONALAND

HEALTHCAREMARKETSIN&URSYSWILLBECOMEATOTALSOLUTIONS
COMPANYFORTHEVARIOUSSECTORS
THATARERELATEDCLOSELYTOPEOPLE

8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV
&URSYS-IDDLE%AST#O,,#
%INFO FURSYSMECOM
WWWGLOBALFURSYSCOM

United Office
Tell us about your company?
We are pleased to announce that
we have been awarded the super
brand status for 2015! This is
DUETOOUREXCEPTIONALSERVICE 
QUALITYANDAFFORDABILITY7E
HAVEANEXCLUSIVECHAIRGALLERY
ANDANOFjCESOFALOUNGE ASWELL
ASOFjCEDESKS WORKSTATIONS
and conference tables. Our
FURNITUREISFROM*APAN )TALY 
'ERMANY +OREA -ALAYSIA #HINA 
)NDONESIA 4HAILAND &RANCEAND
the USA.
Our showroom is open from
AMTOPMEVERYDAYEXCEPT
&RIDAY6ISITUSTODAYTOSEETHE
BEAUTIFULCOLLECTIONSOFNEWLYARRIVEDOFjCEFURNITUREFORRETAILAND
COMMERCIALPROJECTS

What are your latest products?


/FjCEFURNITUREWILLALWAYSHAVE
SOMETHINGTHATMEETSTHELATEST
TRENDSTOOFFER2ECENTLYWEHAVE

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ADDEDDESIGNERCHAIRSMADEIN
*APANBYDESIGNER+EN/KUYAMA
7EALSOOFFERHIGH QUALITYSOFAS
from the far East.

What projects have you


recently been involved in?
(ONESTLYSPEAKING WEAREMORE
INVOLVEDINRETAILOFjCEFURNISHING WHEREWEFURNISHMEDIUM
SIZEOFjCES"UTWEAREFULLY
PREPAREDTOTAKEUPANYPROJECTS

as we have dedicated suppliers


ANDINTERNATIONALDESIGNERSASsociated with us.

MOREPROJECTSANDNEWBUSINESS
opportunities come 2015.

8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV 
What are you most looking
forward to in 2015?
We have a positive business
approach with dedicated service
to our clients. We will also be
INTRODUCINGNEWOFjCEFURNITURE
FORRETAILANDOTHERPROJECTS7E
believe that the UAE will have

We are located on Zabeel Road.


Our contact details are:
0/"OX :ABEEL2OAD 
+ARAMA $UBAI 5!%
4  
& 
%INFO UNITEDOFjCESYSCOM
WWWUNITEDOFjCESYSCOM

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

63

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

!RTE#OMOBY/ASIS

Tell us about your company?


With concern and passion for
HEALTHYOFjCEDESIGN WEHAVE
BEENOFjCESEATINGPROVIDERSFOR
dynamic spaces since 1998. Today, Oasis Furniture has become
a market leader in Malaysia, with
EXPORTSTOMORETHANCOUNtries, proving our competence in
THEjELD!RTE#OMO ABRANDBY
Oasis, lives to respond to todays

increasingly diverse working


environment, wich involves fastpaced decision-making.
With our commitment, inspirable design is promised for you
where the element of fun is being
added at your space where its
lightness fosters idea gathering
ANDSOCIALIZING%NCOURAGING
7ORKINGATA7%0LACETHROUGH
our design, we promote the col-

laboration and unique ideation


blend across different generations.

are well equipped to spread our


creativity juice across worldwide
market.

What are your best selling


products?

What are you most looking


forward to in 2015?

Our creative research and development team together with our


product designer, Sujaklosophy,
came out with a collection of
products that foster collaboration
and idea generation such as BracCA !RTE#OMO BEINGINSPIRED
BYLEGOAND2ANZZA !RTE#OMO 
BEINGINSPIREDBYKINGjSHER
This collection aims to create
an inviting space for everyone to
collaborate and add a fun element
INTOTHEOFjCEENVIRONMENT!RTE
#OMOISDESIGNEDTOBEkEXIBLE 
multipurpose, versatile, colourful
and most importantly to boost
CREATIVITYJUICEkOW

)N !24%#/-/ISLOOKING
forward to deliver Sitting Like No
Other concept to the audience. FoCUSINGONDELIVERINGGOODEXPERIENCETOOFjCEUSERSDURINGTHE 
HOURSATOFjCE WEWANTPEOPLE
to enjoy a healthy seating & stay
happy at a dynamic workplace.

What projects have you been


involved in?
!24%#/-/HASSPREADITSCREATIVITYJUICEACROSS-IDDLE%AST 
!FRICAAND!SIAMARKETANDWE

Intermetal

64

For more information please visit


our website at:
www.arte-como.com

)NTERMETALHASSUPPLIEDOFjCE
furniture to prestigious customers
THROUGHOUTTHE5!%AND'##VIA
our wide distribution channels.

Intermetal has specialised in the


design and manufacture of quality
furniture for 25 years. Our manufacturing facility is fully equipped
with CNC bending and routing
machines, robotised welding,
powder coating and chrome plating lines, advanced woodworking
and upholstery. With the ability to
monitor all areas of production,
Intermetal can guarantee quality,
durability and timely deliveries
when short lead times are given.

With the increased demand for


collaborative workspaces, we
have launched a new range of
modular workstations that are
MULTI FUNCTIONAL kEXIBLEANDTHAT
will make it easy for companies to
GROWANDEXPAND
With many options available,

Oasis Furniture Industries


Sdn. Bhd.
.OAND *ALAN0ERINDUSTRIAN
'EMILANG 4AMAN0ERINDUSTRIAN
'EMILANG"ATU *ALAN-ERSING 
+LUANG *OHOR -ALAYSIA
4 
& 
%MARKETING ARTE COMOCOM

What projects have you been


involved in?

Tell us about your company?

What are your best selling


products?

8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV

What are you most looking


forward to in 2015?
Companies are becoming more interconnected, and with employees
having more say in how they work,
THETRADITIONALOFjCEISNTTHERIGHT
jTFORTODAYSMOBILEWORKSTYLE
With this in mind, Intermetals
design team has created a new
LINEOFkEXIBLEANDCOLLABORATIVE
workstations and height adjustable desks and tables.
each collection is complemented
BYAWIDERANGEOFEXECUTIVE
desks, storage units and ergonomic seating solutions. Our
design team understands that the
way we work is constantly changing and it continues to
EXPLORENEWSHAPES MATERIALS
and manufacturing methods to

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

create furniture that is easy to


assemble, move and that has the
ability to evolve with your company. Intermetal supports its wide
customer base by providing space
planning to ensure the furniture
MAXIMISESTHEOFjCESPACEAND
contributes to increased productivity in the workplace.

8IFSFEPXFkOEZPV
Intermetal Ltd.
Dubai Investments Park 1
0/"OX
$UBAI 5!%
4EL 
&AX 
sales@intermetal.com
www.intermetal.com

www.designmena.com

WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE 2015


DUBAI, UAE

ITS NEVER TOO EARLY TO START PREPARING FOR THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MIDDLE EAST AWARDS!
Now in their 8th year, the awards recognise the industrys best performances and gather the FM community for the social event of the year. Mark
the date and do not miss your opportunity to be part of the definitive industry gathering of the year.

SILVER SPONSORS

CATEGORY SPONSORS

VISIT WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM/FMAWARDS OR CONTACT ONE OF OUR TEAM TODAY.


For sponsorship enquiries, please contact:
Vinay Ravindran, Sales Manager
Tel: +971 4 444 3155
GSM: +971 55 810 1197
Email: vinay.ravindran@itp.com

For any other enquiries, please contact:


Daniel Fewtrell , Head of Marketing
Tel: +971 4 444 3684
Email: daniel.fewtrell@itp.com

PRODUCTS

New on the market


BRIGHT WOODS
The new glow in the dark collection by Giancarlo Zema Design Group is
a luxury series that aims to evoke an enchanted forest that lights up at
night. Designed for Luxyde, the collection uses natural materials like
wood that display several resin rings scratched onto the surface. From
hotels to nautical furnishing, the Bright Woods collection creates an
awe-inducing interior that is bound to be remembered by all who visit
the space. The glowing light comes in a variety of colours besides the
usual yellow glow, including purple and blue.

GIANCARLO ZEMA DESIGN GROUP


TEL: +39 064 5421 022
www.giancarlozema.com

66

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

PRODUCTS

BLOOM LIGHT
$ESIGNEDBY4OM2AFjELD THE"LOOM,IGHTPENDANTDISPLAYSPETALS
OFBENTWOODSHAPEDINANIRREGULARMANNERAROUNDTHECENTRALBULB
!VAILABLEINSUSTAINABLYSOURCEDASH OAKORWALNUTWOOD ORINACOMBINATIONOFOAKANDWALNUT THE"LOOM,IGHTDESIGNISANEARTHYPIECEOF
ART4HEBALANCEDYETASYMMETRICSHAPENOTONLYSPEAKSTORISK TAKERS
ASITBREAKSAWAYCOMPLETELYFROMTRADITIONALLIGHTPENDANTDESIGN BUT
ITALSOAPPEALSTOTHENATURE LOVERSASITBOASTSASENSEOFCOMPLETE
HARMONYDESPITEALLOFITSLOOPEDDETAIL

TOM RAFFIELD
TEL: +01 326 722 725
www.tomraffield.com

SPRING
4HERECENTDESIGNBY+RISTINE&IVE-ELVAERSTRETCHESTOWARDTHECEILING EVOKINGLIVEkOWERS4HESIZEOFTHELAMPS WITHTHETALLESTONE
MEASURINGATTWOMETRES ISMEANTTOGIVETHEIMPRESSIONOFAGLOWING
WOODLAND4HEkESH TONEDTEXTILETHATFUNCTIONSASTHESHADEBECOMES
TRANSPARENTWHENTHELIGHTISTURNEDON YETOPAQUEWHENITSOFF-ADE
OFWELDEDSTEELCORDWITHELASTICTEXTILECOATING THE3PRINGLAMPIS
CHARMINGANDWHIMSICALINITSDESIGN

KRISTINE FIVE MELVAER


TEL: +47 905 73287
www.kristinefivemelvaer.com

www.designmena.com

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

67

PRODUCTS

COFFEETABLE
Designed by Astfrei,
Coffeetable boasts a statement-making design. Fusing concrete with wood and
copper, the designer has
managed to create a seamless coexistence between
Earths most common
materials. As one leg is a
wide concrete cylinder, the
other is elegantly slim and
copper plated, the table
illustrates the designers
experimentation not only
with various materials, but
also with size and form. The
asymmetric legs support
a table top that is made of
walnut wood and comes
WITHASATINjNISH
ASTFREI
E: info@astfrei.ch
www.astfrei.ch

LOGOS
This quirky bookshelf design by Vincent Insinga in
collaboration with Margraf
is a modular, marble bookshelf. The contemporary
DESIGNISAIMEDSPECIjCALLY
at those who are trying
to complete their modern
interiors. The Logos bookshelf can be freely arranged
INANYCONjGURATION WITH
the blocks attached to raw
steel back panels via industrial magnets. The back
panel can be constructed to
match any wall size, while
a bracing rod in the middle
of the back-panel prevents
strain from deforming the
panel.

MARGRAF
TEL: +39 0444 475 900
www.margraf.it

68

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

PRODUCTS

ACCO
Florian Schmid set out to
create an expanded version of a twisted wet stick,
giving a light and elegant
impression. The geometry
of the tables pattern and
its wooden sticks provide
a solid base while boasting
a lightweight appearance
at the same time. Acco is
made of solid beech wood,
while glass forms the table
top. Schmids design is an
ideal choice for quirkier interiors as its style is playful
and light, while its material
and colour palette allow it
to fuse well with a multitude of design schemes.

FLORIAN SCHMID
TEL: +49 01 6097 674 726
www.florian-schmid.com

CHELSEA CHAIR
Another design by Tom
2AFjELD THE#HELSEA
Chair, has a light-hearted
character that just makes
you happy. Illustrating the
beauty of steam-bending,
the chair is made of ten
individual pieces of sustainably sourced English
oak wood that have been
curved to create a seamless
design. Four sturdy legs
are counter-supported by a
single piece of steam-bent
oak that curves in a theatrical manner between them.

TOM RAFFIELD
TEL: +01 326 722 725
www.tomraffield.com

www.designmena.com

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

69

02/$5#43

FIBR A
4HECOLLECTIONOFWALLANDkOORINGCOVERSWASDESIGNEDBY-ONICA
'RAFFEOFOR2EXA$ESIGN)NSPIREDBYWEAVETEXTILEPROCESSING THEDESIGNEDCOATINGISHANDDRAWNBY'RAFFEOHERSELFANDTRANSMITSASORTOF
SOFTNESSANDCRAFTSMANSHIP4HESTYLEISFRESHANDSOPHISTICATED AND
ISAVAILABLEINTHREECOLOURSINCLUDINGALIGHTGREY SOFTBLUEANDCREAM
4HEVARIOUSDESIGNSINCLUDEVARIOUSPATTERNSFROMARROWSTOCRISS
CROSSEDLINESTHATIMITATETHEAPPEARANCEOFSTRAWWEAVING

REXA DESIGN
TEL: +39 0434 593182
www.rexadesign.it

SWING
!HIGH ENDARTPIECEBY!LDO"AKKER 3WINGISANIMAGINATIVETAKEON
SEATINGDESIGN-ADEFROMMAPLEWOODTREATEDWITHIRONSULPHATE 
THENEWDESIGNWOULDBEANIDEALCHOICEFORCOMMERCIALSPACESLIKE
MUSEUMS GALLERIESANDHIGH ENDRETAILSPACES#ONSISTINGOFTHREE
CURVEDPIECES 3WINGAPPEARSTOBEADELICATESTRUCTURE ANDITISITSASSUMINGFRAGILITYTHATISMOSTENDEARING4HESIMPLE HONESTDESIGNWAS
PRODUCEDBY2UTGER'RAAS

ALDO BAKKER
TEL: +31 6 225 57199
www.aldobakker.com

70

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

www.designmena.com

PRODUCTS

GIGIO TABLE
Part of Fiore Rossos latest collection, MyYour, Gigio Table is made
of advanced polyethylene known as poleasy, which is exclusively
patented by the designer. According to Fiore Rosso, the new material
allows the designs to perform better in terms of durability, washability
and colour brightness. As part of the series, Gigio is a stylish design for
outdoor settings as it complements most outdoor furniture and would
certainly mix well with high-end luxury club settings. The white base is
available in a range of bright colours including yellow, green and pink.

FIORE ROSSO
TEL: +971 04 338 5045
www.fiore-rosso.com

www.designmena.com

Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2015

71

OPINION

Finger on
the pulse of
design
BY JUDD LORD, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF INDUS T RIAL DESIGN, DELTA FAUCE T COMPANY

aving worked in the design sphere


for over 21 years, I have witnessed
jRST HANDHOWINTERIORDESIGN
trends have changed over the
years and how they continue to evolve from
kORALINTERIORS TOPLAINBLACKANDWHITE TO
COLOURBLOCKING)MCONSTANTLYAMAZEDBY
HOWNEWTRENDSEMERGEFROMPASTINkUENCES
&ORTHISREASON )AMASTAUNCHBELIEVERIN
THENECESSITYOFKEEPINGABREASTWITHDESIGN
TRENDSANDTOKEEPANOPENMINDBECAUSEYOU
never know where your next inspiration may
COMEFROM
,OOKINGATPRODUCTDESIGNMORESPECIjCALLY 
good design is where functionality meets
AESTHETICS)WORKONTHEDESIGNOFFAUCETS
FORTHEKITCHENANDBATHROOMANDMOST
people do not realise how much thought,
design and engineering goes into such a
SMALLBUTESSENTIALITEMWITHINTHEHOME
7ATERISONEOFTHEWORLDSMOSTVALUABLEAND
scarce resources, particularly in the Middle
%ASTREGION)TISIMPERATIVEPRODUCTSARE
NOTJUSTON TRENDANDDESIGN CONSCIOUS BUT
ALSOCAPABLEOFHARNESSINGTECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCES&OREXAMPLE4OUCH/4ECHNOLOGY
allows the user to tap anywhere on the faucet
TOSTARTANDSTOPTHEkOWOFWATERBETWEEN
USES THEREFORECONTRIBUTINGTOAGREENER 
MORESUSTAINABLECOMMUNITY
While functionality is paramount, one
challenge product designers often face is
meeting the needs of a wide audience with
ASINGLEDESIGN)NADDITIONTOKEEPINGUP
TO DATEWITHCURRENTANDUPCOMINGINDUSTRY
TRENDS )CHALLENGEMYSELFTOjNDINSPIRATION
INTHEWORLDAROUNDME4RAVELINGISAKEYPART
OFMYRESEARCHASINSPIRATIONCANBEFOUND

72

JANUARY 2015 | Commercial Interior Design

ANYWHERE FROMARCHITECTURE TOART NATURE 


CULTUREANDFASHION
4AKINGALOOKATSOMEOFTHEWORK)AM
MOSTPROUDOF YOUWILLBEABLETOSEE
HOWEACHPRODUCTISUNIQUEINITSDESIGN
&OREXAMPLE ONEOFTHEBATHCOLLECTIONS)
DESIGNEDWASINSPIREDBY/LD7ORLDWROUGHT
IRONWORKSUCHASTHE%IFFEL4OWERIN0ARIS
and another collection has distinctive curves
and expressive lines that convey the elegant
FORMOFASWAN
)NTHEDESIGNSPHERE WEMUSTALWAYSBE

FORWARD THINKING KEEPINGOURIDEASFRESHAND


CREATIVEINORDERTOMEETTHEEVER EVOLVING
NEEDSOFTHEDESIGNCOMMUNITY-YDESIGN
team is constantly identifying trends and
inspiration across design, travel, fashion and
MORE WHETHERANEWjNISHORTHERESURGENCE
OFAVINTAGESTYLE/URPRODUCTSUNDERGO
arduous research, evaluation and testing
ANDTHEYNEEDTOBEDESIGNEDTOLASTFOR
YEARS4OINNOVATEOURDESIGN WECONTINUE
TOBEVIGILANTABOUTjNDINGWAYSTOINSPIRE 
MOTIVATEANDEXCITEOURCONSUMERS

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