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An ITP Business Publication May Vol.7 Issue 5Qatar boomDESIGNERS GO BACKTO NATURE FORPROJECT INSPIRATIONGlitter ballTHE CORINTHIA INSTALLSBACCARAT’S LARGESTEVER CHANDELIERAll ina day’sWORKOUTCAST’S OFFICE CREATION FOR LAWYERS JONES DAY

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The Middle East‘s Premier Conference and Exhibitionfor Lighting Design and Technology12 – 14 September, 2011Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre,Dubai, United Arab EmiratesBook your stand now!Email us at light@uae.messefrankfurt.comPlease quote reference code LTEA110 when enquiring aboutspace availabilitywww.lightme.net

Light Middle East provides the only dedicated lighting platform in the regionand brings together a unique international talent of industry professionalsand government officials involved in projects in the GCC and Middle Eastregions in search of innovative solutions and lighting design applications.What‘s unique about Light Middle East?• One of the 6 global exhibitions in the portfolio of Light+BuildingExhibitions.• Green Middle East Conference on Day 1, dedicated to sustainabledevelopment in the Middle East, co-organised by Sesam BusinessConsultants.• World‘s premier lighting designers presenting best practices at LightFocus Conference at Day 2, co-organised by PLDA.• 85% exhibitor satisfaction at meeting objectives at the 2010 show.• Over 200 exhibitors from 20 countries will be a part of the 2011 show.• 6,500 industry professionals expected to visit the 2011 show.

CONTENTSMay 2011VOLUME 7 ISSUE 511 DESIGN UPDATE36PROFILEFind out more about IndigoLiving, a furnishing retailcompany opening a new store.38DESIGNER Q&ACID speaks to Patrick Daniel,co-founder of interior designfi rm, Blue Camel Design, aboutpost recession challenges.36384646SHOW REPORTCID does a round-up of the keytrends at the Milan Furniture Fair2011, speaking to Mariel Brownand Karen Rozenkranz of designcompany Seymourpowell aboutinnovative design pieces.54CASE STUDYJones Day law fi rm interiorsrefl ect a design that makes useof traditional hospitality featureswhile pushing the boundaries.66CASE STUDY1,001 crystal baubles fromBaccarat make up the largestchandelier in the glamorousCorinthia Hotel London.91HOSPITALITY ANDOFFICE SUPPLIERS YOUSHOULD KNOWHospitality and offi ce companiesyou can’t afford to ignore.105PRODUCTSNew products on the market.118CONTRACTSContract tenders in the region.120OPINIONCEO of Theme World, GordonCruickshanks, on sculptures incommercial interior design.66www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 7

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DESIGNERS GO BACKTO NATURE FORPROJECT INSPIRATIONTHE CORINTHIA INSTALLSBACCARAT’S LARGESTEVER CHANDELIERAn ITP Business Publication May Vol.7 Issue 5COMMENTRegistered at Dubai Media CityPO Box 500024, Dubai, UAETel: 00 971 4 444 3000Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030Web: www.itp.comOffices in Dubai & LondonITP BUSINESS PUBLISHINGCEO Walid AkawiManaging Director Neil DaviesManaging Director ITP Business Karam AwadDeputy Managing Director Matthew SouthwellEditorial Director David InghamEDITORIALSenior Group Editor Stuart MatthewsEditor Jenny EagleTel: +971 4 444 3363 email: jenny.eagle@itp.comReporter Devina DivechaTel: +971 4 444 3502 email: devina.divecha@itp.comADVERTISINGSales Director, Construction Group Yazan RahmanTel: +971 4 444 3351 email: yazan.rahman@itp.comSales Manager Leigh RocheTel: +971 4 444 3679 email: leigh.roche@itp.comBusiness Development Manager, Saudi ArabiaRabih NaderiTel: +966 1 2068697 email: rabih.naderi@itp.comSTUDIOGroup Art Editor Daniel PrescottArt Editor Simon CobonPHOTOGRAPHYChief Photographer Jovana ObradovicSenior Photographers Isidora Bojovic, Efraim EvidorStaff Photographers Lester Ali, George Dipin, Juliet Dunne,Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko, Verko Ignjatovic, Shruti Jagdesh,Stanislav Kuzmin, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh RaghavPRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTIONGroup Production & Distribution Director Kyle SmithDeputy Production Manager Matthew GrantProduction Coordinator Nelly PereiraManaging Picture Editor Patrick LittlejohnDistribution Manager Karima AshwellDistribution Executive Nada Al AlamiCIRCULATIONHead of Circulation & Database Gaurav GulatiMARKETINGHead of Marketing Daniel FewtrellMarketing Manager Annie ChinoyITP DIGITALDirector Peter ConmyInternet Applications Manager Mohammed AffanWeb Designer Meghna RaoITP GROUPChairman Andrew NeilManaging Director Robert SerafinFinance Director Toby Jay Spencer-DaviesBoard of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman,Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary SerafinCirculation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3000Certain images in this issue are available for purchase.Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visitwww.itpimages.comPerfect matchIam delighted to announce that The InternationalDesign Exhibition, better known as INDEX, has appointedCommercial Interior Design as its ofcialpublisher for the show and, as the team responsiblefor the Middle East’s market-leading interiors trade title,we will publish both a show map and a daily newspaper,called the INDEX Inspiration Daily.Organised by dmg :: events, INDEX, held from October22-25 at Dubai World Trade Centre, celebrates its 21st anniversarythis year and for the rst time it has a number ofnew additions including six dedicated sub-sections; Furnishings, InRetail, Kitchen& Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles.The trade show is and remains the Middle East and North Africa’s largest andmost diverse international design exhibition. It has more than 900 exhibitors from49 countries, representing literally hundreds of well known international brandsacross 10 halls occupying up to 20,000 square metres of net oorspace.Other highlights include an Artist’s Avenue, the APID Festival of Interior DesignCongress, and the INDEX Student Challenge 2011.The INDEX Inspiration Daily will be written live at the show by the CID team andin addition to any updates on the exhibitor activities, the magazine will cover keyindustry trends and innovations, as well inspirational case studies.This is a great opportunity for you, our readers, to come and introduce yourselvesto the team and tell us what part you have to play in the commercial interiordesign industry and stand out among the crowd.More than 10,000 copies of the publication will be distributed from key locationsat the exhibition, and a digital version of the magazine will be sent on a dailybasis to the INDEX and Commercial Interior Design databases.The daily newspaper will be both a great read and an essential tool for showvisitors. It will provide readers with compelling interior design news; informationon innovative products, and new launches appearing in the region for the rsttime. I personally look forward to being a judge on the Contemporary Majlis Competitionto see how entrants give this Arabian space a unique contemporary twist.Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C. DubaiSubscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptionsAudited by: BPA WorldwideAverage Qualified Circulation: 6,166(July- December 2010)The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissionscontained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views containedin this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advisedto seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publicationwhich is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’sparticular circumstances.The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or anypart of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ortransmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. Anexemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.JENNY EAGLE, EDITORjenny.eagle@itp.comQatar boomGlitter ballPublished by and © 2011 ITP BusinessPublishing, a division of the ITPPublishing Group Ltd. Registered in theB.V.I. under Company number 1402846.Receive Commercial Interior Designevery month. To subscribe, pleasevisit: www.itp.com/subscriptionsCover image:The boardroomat Jones Day lawrm, DIFC.All ina day’sWORKOUTCAST’S OFFICE CREATION FOR LAWYERS JONES DAYwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 9

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DESIGN UPDATE2011 UAE interior design spend: $22bnTOTAL SPEND FOR THE UAE’S INTERIOR DESIGN INDUSTRY IS EXPECTED TO GROW TO US22.5BILLION IN 2011, REFLECTED BY THE INCREASE IN PROJECTS IN THE REGION SAYS PROLEADSUAE: The Association of ProfessionalInterior Designers (APID),said current projects in the GCClike hotels, mixed-use projects andvillas prove there is demand forinterior design services.The strong growth balances thenumber of projects from 2009 to2010, which totaled $22.5 billion,with the UAE representing twothirdsof the total project value.“The Middle East region’s interiordesign industry is currently witnessingrapid growth and development,strongly reected in the highnumber of design projects thataccompany the current batch ofworld class development projects inthe region,” said Farida Kamber AlAwadhi, president, APID.“The increase in world-class developmentprojects and the inuxof leading interior design brands inthe region is a reection of the industry’srobustness and resilienceamidst the economic downturn.“APID afrms its commitmenttowards representing the bestinterests of the region’s designprofessionals and to provide themwith a strategic platform that willallow them to strengthen businessrelationships and provide key opportunitiesfor them,” she said.The Proleads report states forecastedspending on interior projectsin all six GCC countries is estimatedto have reached $56.9 billion in2010 and will increase in 2011.The spending refers to variousxtures and facilities like curtainwalling, doors, windows, canopyand skylights, stone cladding,swimming pools, garbage disposal,window cleaning, parking management,lifts, sanitary ttings, lightttings, external lighting, car park,landscaping, signage, kitchen,laundry and furniture.The projected increase has encouragedAPID to launch and adoptnew initiatives such as the ‘Festivalof Interior Design’ (FOiD), which willbe held from October 22-24, 2011in Dubai, to strengthen its ties withthe interior design industry, connectingwith new markets, focus onexisting business relationships andforging new partnerships.The event will highlight the role ofinterior design in everybody’s livesand the work of emerging talentand design rms in the region.The festival will be accompaniedby the ‘Interior Design Congress,which will run on October 22, andwill include four keynote speakersand two panel sessions featuringwell-known design personalities.“APID remains steadfast inits commitment to improve thestatus and work environment ofinterior design professionals in theregion, by implementing strategicinitiatives and programmes thatare aimed at further developingand improving their interior designskills,” added Al Awadhi.“These strategic programmesalso give the region a better understandingof the interior design segmentand the design professionalsthat make up the industry. We areupbeat about this projected growthand have set our sights on reinforcingour presence in other areasin the region, envisioning a widerreach for APID members.”www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 11

DESIGN UPDATELouis Vuitton Mall of the Emirates refurbDESIGNER OPENS FIRST FAMILY ROOM AS A TRIBUTE TO CHILDREN AND ARABIAN ART CULTUREUAE: Louis Vuitton has reopenedits store in the Mall of the Emirateswith a display paying tribute toDubai, children and Arabian contemporaryart and culture.The renovation reects a futuristicand contemporary style similarto Peter Marino’s interior architecturalconcept for other Louis VuittonMaisons which can be seen inthe Champs-Elysées in Paris andNew Bond Street in London.The Mall of the Emirates storeis decorated in beige and brownmarble stone with soft beige carpeting,off-white bleached Aniegrewood panels and product displays.As a tribute to children, it hasopened the rst family room in aLouis Vuitton store with an artworkcalled The Travelling Elephant,created by Lebanese artist NadimKaram and a group of children fromDUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates.The piece of artwork will be donatedto START charity foundationin the Middle East.“We are delighted to celebratethis broadened and fully renovatedluxury space, and to reiterate ourengagement to Dubai and to itscitizens paying homage to art andculture and supporting educationand children,” said ValérieChapoulaud-Floquet, president/CEO, Louis Vuitton South Europe.“Our new Louis Vuitton storein the Mall of the Emirates is theperfect platform to showcase LouisVuitton’s close relation with thearts and with artists in the region,as well as our commitment to givingback to the community,” addedChapoulaud-Floquet.In the Middle East, Louis Vuittonopened its rst store in Kuwait in1983. It opened its rst store inthe Mall of the Emirates in 2006.12 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATEDepa posts$54m loss last yearTHE COMPANY HOPES TO RETURN TO STRONGPROFIT LEVELS IN 2011 AFTER 2010 SLUMPUAE: Interior contractors Depa,which specialises in luxury hotels,yachts and apartments, posteda $54m loss last year, claiming itwas “the most difcult year in thecompany’s history”.The majority of losses came fromwriting down the value of a contractto construct the interiors of theBurj Khalifa. The company is alsoin a dispute over variations madeto its order and delays, but did notdisclose the name of the companyin question. Revenues fell by 32.5%to $490m for the year, compared to2009. This, they said, was ‘primarilydue to a drop in construction-relatedactivities in the UAE and someother countries across the region’.Contract prot margins fell to 6.3%from 16% in 2009.“Last year was Depa’s ‘recessionyear’. The company operates in thelast leg of the construction cycleand lags the peaks and troughsof other contractors by an averageof 18 months, resulting in 2010’sdifcult operating environment,”said Mohannad Sweid, CEO, Depa.“This followed a compound annualrevenue growth rate over four yearsof 75.5%. We expect prots in 2011and 2012 to be stronger.”According to Sweid, although2010 was a challenging year, itused the time to focus internallyto streamline the business andrestructure the company.Depa has a number of projectsin the pipeline, including theIntercontinental Hotel in Angola,the Conrad Hotel in Dubai, the IPICHeadquarters in Abu Dhabi andDoha City Centre.“Depa has a very strong backlogof projects, which currently standsat over $600 million,” he added.The company expanded into Malaysia,Azerbaijan, Thailand, Syriaand Yemen last year to diversify itsincome sources. It acquired Dubaistone producer Carrara and Singaporefurniture maker Design Studio.The latter is Depa’s main entry intothe Chinese market.It won major contracts in theregion last year, such as a $19.6mdeal in Syria for furnishing theYasmeen Rotana Hotel in Damascusand a $28.3m deal for the InternationalPetroleum Investment Companyheadquarters in Abu Dhabi.“In the short-term, we expectgrowth to come from the GCC andAsia, particularly following theacquisition of Design Studio. In themedium-term, the Asian and GCCinterior contracting market is expectedto keep growing, in part dueto Qatar’s successful bid to host the2022 FIFA World Cup. In the longterm,we feel that selected Africanmarkets will also grow, as well asCentral Asia and certain Europeantarget markets,” added Sweid.The company recently identiedseveral opportunities in the Europeanmarket including a £2 millionfurniture, xtures & equipment contractfor the Raithwaite Hall CountryRetreat in Yorkshire, UK, which willgive the rm a footing in the widerUK FF&E market.“As we identify new markets inwhich to operate, we have foundthat we are often in the strongestposition if we execute as much aspossible off-site, in Dubai, and thenship the items required on the project.This has allowed us to successfullyexecute a number of projectsaround the world which many of ourcompetitors would not have beenable to take on,” he added.14 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATESilver liningPRINGLE BRANDON CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR AND HAS OPENED AN OFFICEIN DUBAI THANKS TO THE POST RECESSION RECOVERY AND A SLEW OF CHEAP EMPTY BUILDINGSUAE: Partners Jack Pringle andChris Brandon, of UK based PringleBrandon, came to the UAE two andhalf years ago to explore the possibilityof opening up an ofce. Thetime was not right as the recessionwas tightening its grip.With recovery underway, it hasnow launched an ofce with sevenstaff based in the Gold and DiamondExchange, Dubai. It focuseson corporate, hospitality and residentialprojects, which include theofce t-out of Hogan Lovell in AbuDhabi and a refurbishment of theRadisson Blu hotel in Sharjah.“The more we think about it,Dubai in 2011 looks like Londonin 1992. The market is recovering,the town is full of empty buildings,grade A space is now affordableand successful businesses need to‘move on’,” said Pringle.“We think the time is right to enterthe market. We’ve found goodlocal talent to head up the ofce(Steven Charlton, MD, and DianeThorsen, design director) and webelieve we can hit the top spotquite quickly in the UAE to matchour London rating.”According to Pringle, survivingcompanies from a recession areambitious and want to move to thenext phase of their commercial life.“The market is slowly comingback and we expect it to be characterisedby a ‘ight to quality’. Inother words, successful companiescurrently working in substandardspace in the UAE will want to takeadvantage of grade A space comingon the market, at a reasonablerate, and trade up,” he said.“After ‘the ight’, we expect around of refurbishment, maybeeven redevelopment of the oldstock, most of which looks prettytired. Dubai is past the tippingpoint of its development, it’s toobig to fail, but this time in a goodway. It has a critical mass of of-ces, hotels, apartments, housesand restaurants. In the near futureAbu Dhabi will catch up and it willbe a very different scene.”Pringle plans to open an ofcein Abu Dhabi and sees the UAE asa powerful base from which to doprojects in the wider region.As managing director of the UAEofce, Charlton’s role is to buildupon Pringle Brandon’s UK success.The company celebrates 25years in 2011 and is no stranger tothe Middle East, having previouslybeen involved in projects such asthe master planning of TwentyFour54 in Abu Dhabi.“Having worked in the regionfor four years, I have seen the marketchange dramatically due to thenancial difculties,” he said.“Many companies have adaptedwith the market and the needs ofthe client, however, some havefailed to grasp the change and areno longer as relevant in terms ofcompetition. This understanding ofthe client’s needs is where PringleBrandon will focus its energy.“We believe there is a clearniche in the market for a designconsultant who is a specialist; wehave no intention of trying to dowhat our industry partners do. Wefeel this is something clients wantin the region rather than companieswho do a bit of everything butdo not specialise in anything.”Thorsen moved to the UAE in2008 to look for opportunities toexpand and work with an internationallyacclaimed company. Shepreviously had her own practiceand worked on a number of projectsin the Middle East in 2000.As design director she is responsiblefor delivering designs that tthe brief, budget and timeline.“When I came to the UAE in2000, I was struck by the lack ofprofessionalism, knowledge andsensitivity to creating a uniquedesign language that reects theethos of the region,” she said.“We are approaching thisventure with our eyes wide openand believe that our passion fordesign and tenacity will ensure oursuccess. I have not been scared offby the nancial crisis or the challengeswe face. I am personallylooking forward to professionaldesign companies working in aspirit of healthy competition.”16 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATEHelping handKART DESIGN HAS ALLUDED TO THETRADITION OF PREPARING FOOD AND EATINGWITH YOUR HANDS TO CREATE A SYMBOLICSTRUCTURE FOR A DOWNTOWN DUBAI VENUE18 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATEUAE: A new restaurant and cafehas opened in Downtown Dubaicalled Loui’s. Interior designer,Mustafa Khamash, managingdirector, Kart Design, has createdtwo giant sized gold colouredhands from the oor to the ceilingas the focal point inside the venue.This is the fourth conceptKhamash has created for theclient, Gabr Kenger, who opensthe restaurants then franchisesthem out. The other three areChandeliers, Dubai Marina, Shu inJBR opposite JBR park and Smintnext to the American hospital. Allthe restaurants are medium tohigh level in terms of design andits food and services.Khamash said he wasn’t given abrief as such for the restaurant becausehe has worked with Kengerbefore and knows that he alwayswants to be one step ahead of thecompetition in terms of the designand quality of material to attractmore people from a commercialpoint of view.Mustafa said countries likeFrance and Italy are known fortheir speciality cuisine but, in theUAE, the focus is on the quality ofspace and design and the food andservice come second.He said the only problem inDubai is people will copy designswhich leads to other people stealingthe idea which then becomesjunk and mass produced in China.“This time I wanted to createsomething that is not easy to copyand where others don’t know howto source the material. I wanted todo something of an exhibition levelscale that was out of the ordinary.”He said his inspiration comesfrom his travels and furniture designexhibitions and his favouritedesigner is Philippe Starck, whoonce created a large scale duckas well as a Duravit factory in theshape of a giant WC. “It’s his senseof humour I like,” added Khamash.“I look at all the daily elementsof a restaurant that you need, suchas tools like a knife and fork, butthen I realised that in an industrysuch as this where the waiterscarry the food and the chefs cookin the kitchen, the hands are themost important tool and I wantedto reect that in the design.”There are two structured colonsin the middle of the restaurant andKhamash used the hands to hidethem so that they are not visibleto guests.He also looked at thedemographic of the Downtownarea, which is a mix of old traditionand modern trends with a mixedcultural diversity of about 280nationalities, who live in the area.The menu reects this culturalmelting pot with its food includingArabic, Japanese, Italian, andKhamash draws attention to it inthe design of his motifs on theceiling. Each symbol carries a differentletter of the alphabet fromeach of the various nationalities.It is a mix of old and new withabstract motifs in between.Khamash worked with variousconsultants on the project includingReema Abanna graphics, AlHuda Lighting and Al Abbal, whichwas the general contractor and didthe interior t-out.“Each single element of thedesign and MEP (mechanical,electrical, plumbing) proposal hadto be approved by Emaar. It took16 months to deliver and the rstseven months of that were spentseeking approval from the rightpeople,” said Khamash.“The goldshimmer of the curtains representsthe luxury of Dubai and the antiquegold of the hands is highlighted atnight through the lighting.”Khamash turned to the expertiseof UK artist, Gordon Cruickshanksof Rock Scuplt to create the gianthands. Cruickshanks is renownedfor the work he does including articialfaçades at the Atlantis andSki Dubai. The hands are sprayedwith plaster, hollow inside andweigh 50 kilos each.The use of colour for the materialof the chairs reects spices in thekitchen; cumin is commonly usedin the Middle East as well as theburgundy of saffron.“The colour of the materialcomes from the kitchen not fromme. Dubai is famous for tradingspices years ago. I am not creatinganything out of the ordinary. All theelements are already there. Theyare all around you.”The colour of the yellowish marblecompletes the colour theme ofthe space with its gold, yellow, orange,reddish hue and the oor isblack to neutralise the other areas.“Lighting comes up from the oorto brighten the hands and neutraliseall other objects so your eye isimmediately drawn to that, otherlighting is a soft light dimmed toset the ambience,” he said.The restaurant and cafe seats90 people inside and 150 outside.It has an open plan kitchen andseparate smoking lounge.Kart Design has been operatingin Dubai for seven years and hasa team of 12 with ofces in Syriaand Qatar. The company recentlywon its rst project in Abu Dhabi todesign the interior of a food courtfor Mushraff Mall that seats 1,200people, split into three sections.It is the rst project for KartDesign in Abu Dhabi and Khamashhopes it will lead to other newbusiness opportunities in the area.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 19

| B5 The Art of Living

DESIGN UPDATEJapanese infusionDESIGNER, NORIYOSHI MURAMATSU, LOOKSBACK AT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ZUMAFOUNDER, GERMAN CHEF RAINER BECKER, AS THEBUSINESS PREPARES FOR A MAJOR EXPANSIONUAE: Zuma will celebrate its 10thanniversary in 2012. It has verestaurants in London, Hong Kong,Istanbul, Dubai and Miami andplans to open three more: Bangkokin September, Beirut in Decemberand Abu Dhabi in May 2012.The interior of all ve chains isdesigned by Noriyoshi Muramatsu,of Tokyo design rm, Studio Glittand Peter Bruce at AMBB will betting out the Abu Dhabi venue.“Zuma is a big part of who Iam. It is a great privilege to haveworked with Rainer all theseyears,” said Muramatsu.The Zuma concept is based onthe four elements of earth, re, waterand air. It is a fusion of modernarchitecture and traditional Japanesecuisine, inspired by informalJapanese dining known as Izakaya;nomihodai (“all you can drink”)and tabehodai (“all you can eat”).The restaurants are made up ofthree components including themain kitchen, offering a selectionof contemporary dishes, the SushiBar and the Robata Grill, a conceptoriginating from the cooking styleof northern Japanese shermen.“We have deliberately avoidedusing traditional Japanese furnishingsas part of the interior, suchas tatami low seating mats andlanterns, and have instead focusedon a modern take of the Japanesegarden, represented by the bamboostructure in the middle of theroom, inspired by bamboo forestsin Japan. The wires holding up thesculpture are images of rain, theuse of wall-to-ceiling glass bringsin the light and rusted walls representre elements,” he said.Muramatsu has used naturalmaterial and resources as muchas he could in the design butfound that when he used naturalwood for the ooring it started torise with the humidity, previouslyunheard of in Zuma’s other venues.As a result, the oor in the Dubairestaurant had to be lined withconcrete rst. “It’s interestingrecreating similar spaces in differentlocations because eachvenue is unique in its design andenvironment and we have to adaptto these conditions,” he said.“With natural wood, I wantedto create a sense of earthiness.Other materials include metal andstones, which won’t have to bereplaced often. I like the idea ofthe rustic walls evolving over timewhich adds character to the décor.“Usually a lot of people changethe interior over time, but here itis well kept and maintained andBecker’s concept is well preserved.“Even though the restaurantswill be in the Middle East, eachone will have its own personalityand vibe. Reiner doesn’t want torecreate the Japanese theme butwants to bring it to an internationalaudience,” he added.Speaking about the Middle Eastexpansion, Ajaz Sheikh, director ofoperations, Zuma, said expansionthroughout the region made sense.“Beirut’s thriving dining sceneand reputation as a luxury destinationmakes it an unmissableopportunity while Abu Dhabicontinues to establish itself as theregional cultural capital,” he said.Aside from Zuma, Muramatsuwill be completing a new hoteldesign, unique to Thailand, twohours outside Bangkok, which willopen in March next year. He alsohas several restaurant projects inJapan and other retail shops andrestaurants in San Francisco, US.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 21

DESIGN UPDATEA slice of FranceTHE NEWLY OPENED PASCAL TEPPER BAKERY BRINGS FRANCE’S FOOD AND INTERIORS TO DUBAIUAE: The Pascal Tepper bakeryin Dubai Media City (DMC) is thebrand’s rst outside of France. Theinterior design reects the brandpersonality and appeals to thosewho work in DMC, said Maria Vaadis,lead designer, MKV design.The goal of the design team wasto create an interpretation of theboulangerie that was relevant tothe area and the people who workthere, while using the brand coloursof Pascal Tepper: fuschia and green.“Chef Pascal played a central rolein cooking up the interior design.He very much wanted us to considerthe look and feel of a contemporarykitchen, while giving ample sight tothe actual preparation and baking,so that the dining experience isinteractive,” said Vaadis.She said the focal point of thebakery is the open kitchen. “It’s allabout transparency that brings thekitchen into the space outside,”she added. Siegfried Nierhaus,managing director, Atlas Hospitality,agreed: “When we designed it,we decided to put the oven in therestaurant so customers can almosttaste the avour of the bakery.”“I think the biggest challengewas to try and bring that warm andcomfy feeling within modern andclean lines,” said Vaadis.The bakery is spacious and mixesclean lines with decorative nishes,vibrant tones with stainless steeland traditional materials with contemporaryfurniture and ttings. Thewalnut timber oor, timber shelvingand the use of glass tiles contrastswith Tom Dixon pipe pendant lightsand white moulded cafe seating.In addition to colours, spaceplanning was of high importanceto Vaadis and her team. “We wereconscious of the need to accommodatethe requirements of differentgroups of people - shoppers comingin for take-away, those wanting tosit briey and people wanting tolinger. So we zoned spaces visually,using lighting, furniture heights andsoft/hard nishes to identify eacharea. Although the zones are welldened they also work very welltogether,” she said.The four dining areas can seatat least 60 guests at a time. Thezones include a library lounge, ahigh-table standing room, a privatearea opposite the coffee bar and anoutdoor dining area.The bakery’s interior designevolves constantly. Nierhaus saidin one week he saw three peopleusing the high-tables and over 100waiting for a seating area. Now onerow out of two in the high-tablesarea has been removed.“Our motto is to give the customerswhat they want. We need a lotof tables for four and six people,and we might even put in a table foreight and 10 somewhere becausewe know people are asking for it.We adapt to the situation,” he said.Materials used were sourcedboth locally and abroad. The walnut-colouredooring and black andwhite marble table tops are fromSharjah and the main pieces of furniturewere made in Dubai. When itcame to equipment, the ovens andcoffee machines are from Italy andFrance and Tom Dixon lights wereimported from the UK. “We liketo mix things from local supplierswith unique pieces that come fromabroad,” Vaadis said.The 400 square metre bakery isthe rst to open this year. One moreoutlet will be opened in Dubai andanother in Abu Dhabi.“In Europe, you have a standard.But in the Middle East you raisethe bar. Pascal Tepper’s conceptis about food, decoration andpeople,” said Nierhaus.“We tried to marry the feel of atraditional French bakery with amore modern outlook and I thinkwe succeeded,” said Vaadis.22 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATE100 Objects of Desire receivesrst Gold sponsor - B5 The Art of LivingCOMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IS GETTING READY TO HONOUR ALL THINGS INSPIRATIONALWITH ENTRIES FOR THE EVENT ROLLING IN FROM COMPANIES WITH A KEEN EYE FOR DESIGNUAE: B5 The Art of Living, is therst gold sponsor of CommercialInterior Design’s (CID) 100Objects of Desire, which willcelebrate all thingsinspirational atan exclusivelaunch partyin June.It hassubmittedthe DöttlingColosimowatch casefrom German safemaker Döttling forentry in an exclusive magazinesupplement, 100 Objects ofDesire, published by CID.Named after legendary Chicagomobster boss “Big Jim” Colosimo(1878–1920), the Colosimo fromDöttling is the world’s smallestsafe, constructed on a scale of1:13 and weighing just 66lbs.The interior ttings of the DöttlingColosimo watch case canbe customised to suit the client,including an integrated Döttlingwatch winder (mains or batteryoperated),and a humidor withintegrated air humidier.“The Döttling Colosimo watchcase is the result of three yearsof development, which we atDöttling like to call ‘haute safeology’,”said Markus Döttling,managing partner, Döttling.“It can be equipped alternativelywith a Döttling precisionwatch winder or with a cedarwood humidor insert and integratedair humidier. This makesit the proud custodian of the mostprecious items of its new owner,who will repeatedly be temptedto celebrate the mechanical spectacleof opening the door.”Patricia Boettcher, founderof B5, exclusive distributor forDöttling in the region, was instrumentalin entering the DöttlingColosimo watch case into CID’s100 Objects of Desire.“The Colosimo is an aestheticgem, something whichhas amazing intricacies, yetremains contemporary in its overalllook and feel,” she said.“Döttling’s inspiration for theworld’s smallest functioningsafe was masterful, creative andproves that we can in fact lookat the innovations as far back asthe turn of the century, to createsomething that is really unique tocurrent day luxury design.”HOW TO ENTERCID’s 100 Objects of Desirewill be revealed at a privateparty, in Dubai, on June5 2011.It will be attendedby interior designers,industrial designers andthe purveyors of the objectsof desire.To submit your suggestionsfor the 100 Objects of Desiresupplement, please email:jenny.eagle@itp.com or tosponsor the event, please email:leigh.roche@itp.com.24 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CITYSCAPE ABU DHABIMixed bagCONSULTANTS ARE DIVIDED OVER CITYSCAPE’S NEW VIBE1All in all, Cityscape has had itpretty good over the last 12months. The Saudi Arabianlegs of the property roadshow have been a huge success, andthe relaunch of Cityscape Dubai was,while quiet, appropriate with its newemphasis on bringing global investorsinto regional markets.But Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2011 wasalways going to struggle to live up tolast year’s installment. The launchof the 2030 plan, complete with animpressive model of the new city, gavethe event a buzz which it was going tond difcult to replicate one month on.Despite the presence of no less thanthree members of the UAE royal family,the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centrewas eerily quiet – a fact that did notgo unnoticed amongst the numerousconsultants that had paid for stands.Indeed, even last year – with the volcanicash cloud grounding many ightsfrom Europe – there were more peoplein Abu Dhabi.However, some consultants feelthat the low-key atmosphere is to theevent’s credit.Nathan Hones, generalmanager at Abu Dhabi-based rmStride Treglown, says that it has givenhis rm the opportunity to get a foot inthe door with some of the UAE’s biggest28 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CITYSCAPE ABU DHABI21Visitors overlooking amodel of the circularAldar HQ building.2The crowd atCityscape Abu Dhabi2011 on the rst day.3Exhibitors showing offtheir building models .4Cityscape Abu Dhabi2011 with manyproperty models.developers, which include TourismDevelopment & Investment Company(TDIC) and Aldar.“The thing is, you can have 150conversations with the wrong people oryou can have ve or six with the rightpeople which makes the whole eventworthwhile,” he said. “You can’t justpitch up and hope people come to yourstand. You have to go and gure outwho the best people are to speak to,and then go and see them.”The prevalence of government agencies– particularly the Abu Dhabi UrbanPlanning Council (UPC) – undoubtedlypresented good networking opportunitiesat this year’s Cityscape Abu Dhabi,and gave other rms the opportunity tosee their projects publicised.“Let me put it this way, there areno surprises but there are quite a fewinteresting projects,” said BradfordBatcheller, director of public relationsand corporate branding, KEO.“Some of the things we’ve workedon, like South of Shamkha and theADEC schools projects are all very exciting.It’s even more exciting becausewe’re seeing so many of our projectsbecome real. It’s good to see there’sstill life in the market.“The infrastructure is under way andthe next step is the construction of thefacilities. There’s a lot of action withsome of our projects becoming realand events which are ongoing and ourclients moving to the next stage.”Lucy Casey, business developmentmanager at Aedas — speaking on therst day of the event — agreed.“It’s good to see all the majordevelopers still here and promotingAbu Dhabi. It’s a bit quiet right now butI think the next two days will be thebusiest. It’s also great to see what theAbu Dhabi UPC are doing right now withtheir 2030 model,” she said.Meanwhile, Stride Treglown’s Honessays smaller rms at Cityscape benetby getting the opportunity to speak todevelopers and potential clients whomay not have heard of them. “It’s lessabout people looking for work andmore about networking,” he said.3 430 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

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INDUSTRY SPEAKLeveraging abilityor maximisingrevenueIN UAE’S POST BOOM MARKET, INTERIOR DESIGNERS CHOOSE TODIVERSIFY OR SPECIALISE. CID FINDS OUT WHICH ONE IS BETTER123As we embrace globalisationand enter into new and emergingmarkets, or in the case ofthe UAE, a post boom market,how companies change and adapt theirbusiness practices is of utmost importancein relation to how the interiordesign industry develops.“The booming UAE market I enteredinto in 2007, from a highly developedand somewhat prescribed Londonmarket, to where we nd ourselves nowin 2011, post boom and emerging fromthe ashes of the economic crisis thatfollowed, is very different both in termsof the professional landscape, the mainindustry players and the business prioritiesand directions many companieshave set,” said Steven Charlton, managingdirector, Pringle Brandon.“In recent times many of our competitorshave diversied both in terms ofdesign specialities that are offered– commercial, retail, healthcare, education,hospitality etc, but also enteringinto new consulting elds and offeringclients project and cost managementservices all under one company banner.“In many cases this diversicationhas been to tap into new markets aswe embrace globalisation, and this iscommendable given the opportunities inthe region but in other cases it appearsto increase revenue streams in a tighterand more competitive market withouthaving the expertise or capability to dothe task justice,” he added.Charlton argued interior designersshould not try to be experts in all eldsbut stay in one in which they excel.He said by diversifying too quickly, orspreading themselves thin, those in theprofession are doing a disservice to theirclients and to the industry.Lee Roberts, an interior designer inthe Middle East agrees. He said in orderfor a designer to prosper one must nda niche. Whether the niche is an assetworth selling or merely a gimmick isirrelevant, as either can make one standout in the crowd.“Carving a position for oneself in thedesign industry requires dedication andcommitment and it’s not easy. It cantake years to nd one’s forte,” he said.“Just as a designer needs to nd hisarea of expertise, design agencies needto rene business models to have anaim and specialty. Harnessing the besttalent and securing high quality humanresources is one of the more difcultchallenges design businesses are facedwith, yet when it is achieved the companyreaps a high level of reward.”According to Roberts, some businessesare lacking in the knowledge andexperience to offer the best solution forthe client but having the humility to acceptyour limitations is invaluable.“Designers will push themselves, butbeing caught out in the long run to be inadequatecannot only damage their ownreputation but also that of the interiordesign industry as a whole,’ he said.Charlton said this is especially true ofthose offering project management andcost management services to the marketunder the lead consultant role.“As designers and architects we havebeen trained, and practice in the areas1Lee Roberts.2Steven Charlton.3Mark Evitts.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 33

INDUSTRY SPEAKwe have a passion in. As strange as itmay seem, project managers and quantitativesurveyors studied and practicein their chosen elds as they also hada passion for this – and a passion forone’s chosen career is the building blockfor a professional approach,” he said.Mark Evitts, project director, Arcadis,disagreed. He said the onus is on industryprofessionals to collaborate andcross promote for the client’s good.“A developed and structured marketwhere we continuously deliver qualityproducts for our clients is not unreasonableto ask for, but we may just have tobe unreasonable to create it,” he said.Evitts said he was amused by Charlton’sassertion that it was strange tothink project managers and quantitysurveyors have a passion for their choseneld because traditionally the architectwas always the lead consultant.“Project management is a relativelynew profession and most of today’s professionalpractices can trace a historyback to a traditional quantity surveyingpractice. Project managers themselvesevolve from many different professionalbackgrounds including architects butshare a common thread of understandingof what is required to deliver aproject using a balance of process andcreativity,” he said.“The importance of providing independentprofessional advice cannot beoveremphasised. A project manager assiststhe client with selecting the mostappropriate design team for the project,and prepares contractual agreementson their behalf.“The design and delivery programmesare clearly identied in the agreement,and the designs and specicationsare independently veried to ensurethat the client’s requirements are met.The quantity surveyor establishes theoverall budget, not just the constructionbudget, and ensures that the project isdesigned and constructed within thatbudget. All change order requests areindependently reviewed ensuring accountabilityfor additional costs.”However, he agreed for interior designprofessionals to proffer themselves asan integrated design and build solutionplaced them at risk of losing theiridentity, both to clients and to fellowprofessionals. He even challengedthat offering project management andcost management services does notmaximise revenue as the roles becomediluted into the overall offering for potentiallylittle or no additional fee.“There is a place in the market forthe integrated solution, for example incomplex environments such as SaudiArabia where multinational corporationsacknowledge the need for a collaborativeapproach; but the lead consultantA market where we continuously deliverquality products is not unreasonable to ask for,but we may have to be unreasonable to create it.should still remain the project managementprofessional,” he added.Charlton said he truly believes it is notpossible to cover all aspects of designsectors with the relatively smallerdesign teams which currently exist inthe UAE interiors market. He said it isparamount to work with rather thanagainst industry colleagues to raise thebenchmark of design in the region andget recognised for design innovation.Roberts added there are certainqualities needed to be a designer, oneof which is the ability to view the worldwith fresh thoughts and ideas.“Armed with a strong foundation ofdesign principles a designer can movefrom graphic design to product designor architecture to fashion design andwith fresh thinking and sound designqualications the solutions could bestartling but this type of movement isnot the norm,” he said.“The recession created opportunitiesfor both design agencies and clients,as it allowed for new relationshipsand fresh thinking from both ends andopened closed doors. However theknee-jerk reaction for some companieswas to expand into different elds to securebusiness through troubling times.“This is not to say intelligent diversi-cation cannot be successful, as it canbe, it is often illustrated in design agenciesthat they expand into previouslyunexplored areas in order for improvingbusiness and continuing the developmentsof designers within,” he added.Evitts said the economic environmenthas been changing internationally forat least the last two decades. Therehas been a dened shift in trade andbusiness opportunities across the worldand with innovations in informationtechnology there has been a signicantincrease in the international mobility ofpeople, capital, and knowledge.“Here in the UAE we are a melting potof cultures and nationalities, and ourclients can range from multinationalcorporations to local small and mediumenterprises and almost everything inbetween. Fundamentally however, inthe context of their real estate requirements,clients are generally eitherinformed or uninformed,” he said.“The informed client will often haveat least one team member from a realestate background, have an understandingof the various roles of the industryprofessionals, and previous experienceof procuring a project from inception tocompletion. The uninformed client incontrast displays an element of inexperiencein terms of the roles of the industryprofessionals, and the complexitiesof procuring a project.“Whilst the informed client may notalways set realistic objectives in termsof project cost and programme, they,more often than not, appreciate thebenets of appointing the appropriateprofessionals to manage those objectives.In contrast, the uninformed clientis more likely to be attracted to seeminglysimple solutions to both deviseand achieve their objectives.Add into this the vagaries and thecomplexity of the GCC market and it iseasy to see why an organisation offeringto manage the entire process would bean attractive proposition.”34 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

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PROFILEIndigo LivingWHO?Indigo Living began nearly 30 years ago in1979, as Banyan Tree Ltd, a unique homefurnishings retail operation. In 2004, BanyanTree merged with Options Home Furnishings,a furniture rental & home/projects furnishingscompany. Out of the merger came Indigo LivingLimited, an innovative new company offeringinterior and furniture services to our clients.In 2005, we established ourselves in theMidde East with the foundation of our ofceand rst showroom in Dubai. Since then wehave expanded to three retail stores whilst ourproject business has grown exponentially inthe region and now includes ongoing activitiesin Qatar and Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE.As a project expert in FF&E, Indigo Livingspecialises in high quality turn-key work forthe hospitality industry. We custom design,manufacture and furnish hotels for propertydevelopers and owners, interior designers,hotel operators and main contractors. Indigocurrently manages an international portfolioof projects in Hong Kong, China, Singapore,India and the Middle East. On the retail side,launching three fresh collections a year, Indigoprovides an exciting interiors range to its customersacross Asia and the Middle East.WHAT’S NEW?We’re opening our new regional agshipshowroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in May,featuring the Kelly Hoppen Home and EsquireHome ranges. In addition, we’re introducingan in-house professional design consultant toassist our retail shoppers in optimising theirshopping experience at Indigo and to ‘speakthe same language’ as our growing number ofinterior design customers and help them getthe most from our products and services.36 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

PROFILEWHY?We have been planning a agship store inDubai for some time. This really puts us on themap in every sense - we nally have a ttinghome for our beautiful products. We werepreviously an ‘Al Quoz secret’ but since weexpanded into Mall of the Emirates the customerresponse has been fabulous, so taking afurther step with a proper showroom that’s sovisible and accessible is great.USPs?We are designers and manufacturers of customisedFF&E for the hospitality industry. TheID community likes working with us becausewe can turn their concepts and specicationsinto life without compromise according to“what’s in stock”. All the hospitality work wedo is created uniquely for each client accordingto their project’s specic design direction.Starting with shop drawings (where we alsogive qualied feedback according to eachitem’s aesthetics, robustness and budgetaryimpact) through to prototype, mass order,logistics, installation and site management –we manage the whole chain.PROJECTS?We’ve had a busy few years with a number ofreal marquee projects in this part of the worldincluding The Address Marina, Dubai; TheWestin, Dubai; Traders Hotel, Abu Dhabi; YasLinks Golf Club, Abu Dhabi. We’ve also donelots of work with Emirates Airline deliveringa specially designed range for over 4,000 oftheir crew and staff in the UAE. Internationally,the stand out projects we’ve done include TheVenetian Four Seasons in Macau whilst thework we did at the Marina Bay Sands developmentin Singapore is fabulous – six completelydifferent restaurants for six different celebritychefs through six different interior designers –a really challenging project.CONTACTJoe Hepworth,General Manager, Middle East.Ofce 120, Oasis Centre, Sheikh Zayed RoadP.O. Box 282425, Dubai, UAETel: +971 (0)4 3397705Fax : +971 (0)4 339 7704Email: jhepworth@indigo-living.comWeb: www.indigo-living.comwww.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 37

DESIGNER Q&A38 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGNER Q&AOut of the blueBLUE CAMEL DESIGN OFFERS TURNKEY INTERIOR SOLUTIONS FOR COMMERCIALAND RESIDENTIAL CLIENTS INCLUDING INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANCY, CONCEPTDEVELOPMENT AND CUSTOM MADE FURNITUREPatrick Daniel is an engineerby profession having studiedcivil engineering with a focuson environmental studies, atConcordia University, Montreal, Canada.He started his career working in theUS, then moved back to Dubai in 2000and worked for IT company Mindware,in Internet City before setting up BlueCamel Design with his partner, BrunoNakad in 2004.Nakad is an interior designer by professionand was doing a lot of freelancework at the time when Daniel suggestedthey set up a company together. Nakadand Daniel, currently managing director,are jointly responsible for all the businessmanagement and operations of thecompany, whereby Nakad focuses onthe creative aspect of the rm.The two grew up together in theirhometown of Dubai and have knowneach other for over 33 years. Blue Camelhas a team of architects, interior designers,quantity surveyors and projectmanagers who have been in the industryfor over 12 years.The company has since expanded intove other divisions by setting up sistercompanies: Pink Rain, a visual effectsand animation studio; Bulb GeneralTrading, which deals in light ttings,xtures, switches, and sockets; CUBE,a joinery/wood workshop and a glassfactory called Italy Glass Industries.Daniel said the services all complementone another as the rm offers turnkeyinterior solutions. Most companiesfocus on interior design or t out. BlueCamel offers both to the client, takinga project from interior concept designthrough to handover of site.It employs a team of 35 at the designand project management ofce, 130-140 staff at CUBE in Al Quoz, and 50staff at the Italy Glass factory in Sharjah.The company aims to be LEED certi-ed (Leadership in Energy & EnvironmentalDesign), by having LEED certiedstaff members and applying designand t out concepts to improve energysavings, use of green raw and nishingmaterial, and overall improved indoorenvironmental quality.What commercial projects are youworking on?We have just nished the refurbishmentof the First and Business Class receptionlounge (designed by LUSSO) of Emiratesairline at Dubai Airport, Terminal 3. Wehave also just completed the designand t-out for the ofces of I2BF (aninternational clean technology assetmanagement group with a global investmentmandate) at the DIFC, Dubai.We recently completed Sumo Sushi& Bento, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi,where we had to supply green efcientmaterials in line with MASDAR designand t out requirements. We are alsoworking on some F&B outlets includinga Jordanian shisha restaurant, TCHETCHE at the Burj Boulevard, and a startup concept restaurant/coffee shopcalled Nolu’s Cafe, in Abu Dhabi. Ourworkshop, CUBE, is executing the t outfor the upcoming, renowned Royal Chinarestaurant at the DIFC.We are one of the few internationallyappointed workshops that areauthorised to manufacture and produceshop xtures for Juicy Couture and subsequentlyhave worked on Juicy Coutureat Emirates Towers, Marina Mall, Mallof Emirates, Abu Dhabi Marina Mall,Al Faisaliah and Kingdom Mall Riyadh,KSA, Juicy Bahrain City Center and AlAali Mall, Juicy 360 Kuwait, and JuicyCouture Lebanon. That said, in terms ofvalue, our projects are not consideredhuge on the scale of a hotel or shoppingmall, however, they are the right sizeand t for our operations and targetmarket. Furthermore, we do not employa sales person; rather, most of our workis done via word of mouth or through ournetwork of friends in the UAE.What kind of impact did the recessionhave on your business?The recession did affect us, much likeeveryone else in our industry, in thesense that projects and nancial resourcesare limited, businesses are notwilling to invest as much on the designand t out of their spaces, and overall,everything is now done at a lower cost.We have also seen a drop in protmargins, as smaller companies with verylimited projects offer cheaper pricessimply to win contracts; at times evenoffering clients cost price, or even belowcost prices. Having said that, we have toreduce our prot and cost margins to beable to compete with such companies.Unfortunately, the practice of not knowingyour cost, and offering cut-throatprices is not a healthy way to work andin the long run will result in the closureof such rms since any sustainable businessrequires prot for maintaining andsurviving this downturn.The construction boom kept us sobusy designing and tting out ofcesas existing companies were growingin size and wanted to expand into newofce spaces, let alone the inux ofbusinesses that wanted to set up inDubai and set up fast. Now, t out forofce/commercial space has decreasedsignicantly; this is further supportedby the abundance of free ofce spacethroughout Dubai. F&B and retail projectsare alright since clients get betterprices now for rent from the big RealEstate players and malls and it is alwaysabout location, location, location.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 39

DESIGNER Q&A11A view of the AlgebraCapital ofces atDIFC, Dubai.2,3I2BF Global Venturesofce at DIFC, Dubai.During the recession we saw a shift inour business to residential projects. Weare generally considered a commercialbased company, business to business,but recently started taking moreresidential projects that tend to takelonger to complete because they requirea more personal touch. Residentialcustomers benet from the recessionsince they now get a better bargain ontheir t out because of a lower cost ofraw material.What changes have you seen sincestarting the business seven years ago?People are more aware of the type ofnishing and materials they can getbecause of various completed interior2 3design and t out projects in Dubai/AbuDhabi, around the region, and also dueto media publicity. Thanks to magazinessuch as yourselves, newspapers, theweb and social networking sites, morepeople get to see more things, and arethus exposed to a spectrum of designs.Simply look at the different types andstyles of hotel projects that have beencompleted in Dubai. We have some ofthe grandest, most luxurious hotels inthe world in terms of their interiors. TheAtlantis hotel, Armani Hotel, EmiratesTowers, One&Only, The Palm, to namea few. People may dispute that somehotels here, such as Burj Al Arab, lookgaudy but at the same time they are‘out there’ and unique. One of the mainreasons people come to Dubai is to seeits opulence and grand designs. Dubaiis like the Monte-Carlo of Monaco - ithas the glitz and glamour and that’s whypeople visit.I have heard Dubai is not known for itsquality, would you agree?Not necessarily, it depends.If we speak of interior design, I dobelieve Dubai has seen a spike ininterior design quality development.Since Dubai grew to be the region’s hub,this has affected the quality of productsand services. We have access to variousmaterials, whether produced in China,Europe or the America’s thanks to thefact that many factories and suppliershave come here from abroad and havebrought their products with them.If we speak of t out and nishing, it’sfair to say that the labour workforce hereis not necessarily as skilled as in othercountries, but because of the constructionboom and the desire to excel, manyhave learned and have been exposed toproviding better quality of work.That said, there have, however, beeninstances and cases where developersand t out contractors have deliveredpoor quality of nishing. Customerstend to forget that if you push to nishthings in a shorter period of time thenyou don’t always get the desired qualityyou are looking for. It’s a real challengetrying to complete work in a short periodof time whilst still maintaining quality.40 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

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DESIGNER Q&AIt’s not that the labourers are at fault,rather if you want things done quicklythen customers should expect a lack ofdetailing and nite shing. Also, you payfor what you get. If you want a higherquality of nishing, you pay a premium.What challenges do you face in theindustry right now?Clients are very budget consciousnowadays because the liquidity is notavailable and banks are not giving outloans as readily as they used to. Wewere all involved in a vibrant real estatemarket that has since died. Commercialdevelopment is at a standstill and thereis plenty of free ofce space. Apartfrom the multi-nationals, hardly anyonespends as much on ofce nishing. Themain challenge currently is to developsavvy designs using budget-orientedmaterial. This means having to have agood relationship with your supplierswho can provide you with inexpensivematerials yet make sure everythinglooks good at the same time.Another challenge, common amongstall construction and t out companies,is collections. In fact, things havechanged quite a bit. We spend 50% ofthe time trying to collect our money and50% bidding for projects. People don’tlike to pay for a project, it’s almost asthough it’s a disease. People retain theirpayments here, usually the last payment,and you have to beg, plead andharass them into paying their nal dues.Furthermore, it has become commonpractice, a fashion trend if I may say,that customers request a discount onthe last payment in return for settlementof the nal bill.It is frustrating because the marginsare already low and we are not makingmuch of a prot in the rst place.The collection of payments may havebeen like this before (during the boom)but then you had more jobs on the go soyou didn’t really pay as much attentionto the outstanding ones. During theboom new jobs were nancing olderjobs, but today it is very important tokeep the cash ow coming in.Have peoples’ tastes changed at all?Nowadays, more businesses andpeople lean towards modern, industrial,designs. Also, clients are moreenvironmentally aware and want tomove towards more green technologiesand materials. Green has a higherinitial cost, but in the long term it savesmoney. Customers also want somethingdifferent from the crowd and it’s a challengenot to repeat the same designs.It helps to brainstorm ideas within ourteam and we hear about new thingsfrom suppliers who bring in materialsand products to show us. We also haveanother advantage since we own ourown workshop/factory and have a 3DCNC (Computer Numerical Control)machine. If I want to carve a pattern fora client, I can do it in wood or acrylicand we can custom-make paneling andfurniture pieces.5 6442 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

St.Trop, Design by Philippe StarckST.TROP STEAM SHOWER.WELLNESS IN TOP FORM.Sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, bathtubs, shower trays, wellness products and accessories: Duravit has everything you need to make life in thebathroom a little more beautiful. More info at Duravit Middle East S.A.L., P.O. Box 13-6055, Chouran-Beirut, Lebanon, Phone +961 1 397329,Fax +961 1 397330, info@lb.duravit.com. Duravit Middle East (Branch), P.O. Box: 293622 – Dubai, Dubai Airport Free Zone - United ArabEmirates, Phone +971 4 7017117, Fax +971 4 7017121, info@ae.duravit.com. Duravit Saudi Arabia LLC, Al Hamra district, Aarafat street, Shahwancommercial 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

DESIGNER Q&A74,5,6Coldwell BankerMiddle East, EMAARSquare, Dubai.7DNATA Travel Shopinterior design inDubai.8,9Ishraqah ForDevelopment ofce,EMAAR Square.How do you feel about large interiordesign rms moving into the area?I do believe large, international designrms complement our business model.To start off with, big corporate interiordesign rms tend to work on larger projectssuch as shopping malls and hotels.They won’t look at the smaller projects.There is no competition in that respect.Large design rms have larger overheadsand payrolls. I can’t commenton how aggressive these rms can beon offering budget-oriented servicesfor small sized projects. By housingour own design team and interior tout crew we can offer better value formoney. This is our advantage.On the ip side, and because of ourin-house t out team, we can partner8 9with big design rms so they, in turn,can provide their clients t out services,since many of these large design rmsdo not have their own workshops here.Our business model is spread outwhereby 15% of our work is purelydesign, 15% of our work is purely t outand 70% of work is design and build.What’s new for Blue Camel in 2011?We are looking to move into otherregions because the number of projectsin the UAE has reduced. Projects are limited,which means more interior designers/contractorsare attacking the samepiece of pie. In order to survive you haveto expand and grow in other areas.Obviously, there is a lot of uncertaintyright now given the wave of new revolutionsin the Arab world. Egypt, Tunis,Bahrain, Libya, etc will not be easy.These are developing markets so it’simportant to see what the future of thisuncertainty will bring. Maybe in four tove years time it will give people moreaccess to things. There is a lot of moneyin Saudi Arabia, and this is anothergreat market to approach especiallyinQatar with the 2020 FIFA World Cup.Working in the Middle East is notlike in Europe where the borders areall open. The borders here are all controlled.You can’t just take your labourerssomewhere else. You have to partnerwith a local company to get sponsorshipto work in that country and seek governmentalapproval for visas. I look forwardto seeing more of a politically open relationshipbetween GCC countries wherewe don’t have to jump through so manyhoops to enter new markets.BLUE CAMEL SUPPLIERS• BSH Walls and Floors• Al Aqili Group• Alomi Flooring• Al Marge Marble and Granite• Metal Forms• Bisazza• NGC Nafees• Span Trading• Graniti• Av Pro• IBN Al Bahr Electrical Works• Al Arif HVAC Systems44 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

MILAN FURNITURE FAIRMARIEL BROWN AND KAREN ROSENKRANZ, OF DESIGN AND INNOVATION COMPANY,SEYMOURPOWELL, SPEAK TO CID ABOUT THEIR KEY TRENDS FROM THIS YEAR’S EVENT46 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

MILAN FURNITURE FAIRThis year marked the 50th anniversaryof the popular MilanFurniture Fair where visitorswere keen to explore thebroader relationship between cuttingedgedesign and cultural trends.According to Mariel Brown and KarenRosenkranz, of design and innovationcompany, Seymourpowell, highlights ofthe event included Raw, a take on lastyear’s trend where designers combinecontemporary forms with traditionalmanufacturing techniques, and EasternInuence, a trend that has been gainingstrength over the last few years wherethere is a melding of cultures as designerslook to the East for inspiration.“The global recession, concerns overfuel shortages, highly documentednatural disasters, and political unrest allcontributed to a feeling of unease, thedesire to be self-sufcient and to live ‘offthe grid’,” said Brown.In Milan, the design response to thistrend was seen through the creation ofproducts encouraging independence.“One of our favourite design expressionsof this trend was Jorge Mañes’project Ultreia, which explores analternative and more exible process ofmanufacturing,” said Rosenkranz.“He created a portable self-sustainablefactory on wheels comprising of arotational moulding machine, a tent anda solar panel. To show off Ultreia’s capabilities,Mañes cycled his factory aroundthe 700km El Camino ancient pilgrimroute in Spain. On his two-week trip hecreated a series of products that wereinformed by the locations, materials andpeople he met along the way.”Ultreia celebrates the sociable natureof this trend and reects the need towork together with like-minded peoplewho make a success of the concept of‘off the grid’ living.The Survivalist trend is intrinsicallyeco-friendly in nature and as such, Seymourpowellsaw examples of designersexploring new uses for waste products.From Mieke Meijer and Vij5’s KrantHout,which is wood created from oldnewspapers to Gionata Gatto and MikeThompson’s Trap Light, which convertswaste energy back into visible light. Theemphasis is on creating less of a drainon the world’s resources and re-thinkingthe way we make life’s necessities.Brown added Studio Formafantasmahas taken the thought of using sustainablematerials to the extreme end withits project Botanica.“Imagine a post-fossil age where fossilenergy sources have been completelyexhausted. Botanica is based on theprinciples and science of botany andtakes inspiration from the 18th and 19thcenturies, a time when scientists rstbegan experimenting with plant secretionsto create new material sources withplasticity,” she said.“The studio explores plant derived materialsincluding Rosin, Dammar, Copal,Natural Rubber, Shellac and even BoisDurci, a 19th century material composedof wood dust and animal blood. To underlinethe origins of these new resins,Formafantasma created plant like forms,whilst colour palettes of natural amberand honey-like tones were chosen toevoke early bakelite objects.”With Botanic, Studio Formafantasmahas created a strikingly ingenious projectthat is both archaic and contemporary.Whilst this new aesthetic may not appealto every taste, it has a strong impact inthe long term.To many, the Survivalist trend impliesa rustic design language, however,renowned Anglo-Indian design duoDoshi Levien showed this trend canlook sophisticated when it presented itsproject Impossible Wood.“Impossible Wood uses a new material(a synthetic bre) that is an eco-compatiblecompound, which can replacethe usual plastics while maintainingcharacteristics of pliability and strength.The elegant chair is testament to the factthat Survivalist living ideals needn’t beniche,” said Rosenkranz.NEW MYTHOLOGYFolklore and mythology offer an opportunityto magically escape the boundsof human existence and reconnect withthe planet. Designers are going back tothe early origins of man and are reviving1www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 47

MILAN FURNITURE FAIR2 3 41Twilight installationfor Moroso byTokujin Yoshioka.2Ultreia, a selfsustainingfactory,by Jorge Mañes.3Impossible Woodby Doshi Levienfor Moroso.4Survivalist design:Trap Light byMike Thompson.5Another design piecefrom the Survivalists:Vij5 by Kranthaut.forgotten customs, skills and narratives.Old traditions are re-appropriated formodern times to imbue products withcharacter and soul that respond to aneed for storytelling and narrative.Front, an all-female design collectivefrom Stockholm, has always been interestedin stories communicated throughdesign objects. For its most recentproject, Story Vases, Front worked incollaboration with the Siyazama projectin South Africa, which promotes womenwho work with traditional bead craft.The vases tell the personal stories ofve women living in remote villages inpost-apartheid South Africa. The projectis an example of how designers can takeon a cultural role by raising social awarenessand empowering local communitiesthrough their creations.On a more playful note, Rosenkranznoticed designers mixing narratives andtechniques from different periods to createnew and imaginative objects.Taking inspiration from Finnishfolklore, history and nature, design duoKlaus Haapaniemi and Mia Wallenius’Mammoth tapestry for Established &Sons gives a modern twist to mythology.Made using a 15th century crafttechnique, the characters of folklore arealigned with the motif of an eruptingvolcano - a reference to last year’s ashcloud in Milan.“Harking back to more primitiveroots, we found the primal aesthetic (aprominent feature at last year’s fair) wasexplored further, especially by youngerdesigners. As part of the Thinking Handsexhibition in Ventura Lambrate, Israelidesigner Hadar Snir exhibited a set ofknives for modern carnivores.The captivating knives, made fromcast aluminium, evoke images ofpre-historic artefacts and respond to amore emotional and instinctive level ofconsciousness,” said Brown.“We noticed a new trend for designersdisplaying tribes of objects, assembledartefacts one would expect to see in amuseum cabinet. Amba Molly’s Mitoseproject and Yael Barnea Givoni’s PartingLine both explored variations of one recurrenttheme, responding to a growingdesire for the unique and imperfect.“Whilst the individual objects havetheir own identity, it is only when they5are shown as a collection that they forma family or tribe, telling a much morecomplex and textured story. What willresonate with consumers in the futureis the idea of owning something uniquethat is nevertheless part of a bigger storyor community,” said Brown.REASSEMBLEThe New Utility trend, which rstemerged back in 2008 as a responseto the recession, had moved on. Wherethe robust and indestructible was oncecelebrated, this year’s show indicated alighter weight trend was developing.“Reassemble takes many of the conceptsof New Utility and expands them toexploring products that are easy to takeapart, mend and recycle,” added Brown.48 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

MILAN FURNITURE FAIR6The sustainableBotanica by StudioFormafantasma.7Another design:Botanica by StudioFormafantasma.8A design inspiredby new mythology:Zor by Hadar Snir.9Creating the StoryVases by Front for theSiyazama project.10Showing the beadwork to go onto theStory Vases by Front.“A wonderful example of this is theBourellec brothers Baguette Chair forMagis. The Baguette Chair is distilleddown to the essential using the leastpossible materials and parts.What makes this chair feel particularlyprogressive is its lightweight appearance,which has been enhanced bythe form of the back of the chair that isreminiscent of a knife blade.”Tord Boontje’s Stitched Collection forMoroso was also made of minimal parts.He had created lamps chairs andtables out of plywood that has beenstitched together.“As a society we have grown accustomedto assembling at pack furniture,however, easy disassembly is a dreamthat has, until now, evaded us. Jore vanAst’s Clamp Table for De Vorm is a wonderfullyuncomplicated example of knockdown design,” said Rosenkranz.“The table is comprised of four individuallegs with clamps that can be ttedto the table top and then just as easilyunscrewed. What’s particularly usefulabout van Ast’s work is the fact that thelegs can be adjusted to t on top anytable top or surface.”Seymourpowell believes in the wakeof the economic downturn, people’svalues have shifted and people arewitnessing a trend in which perceptionsof luxury are changing.“Many people have rejected ‘bling culture’and its overt displays of wealth andare instead embracing experiences anddemanding products that have a moretimeless aesthetic,” added Brown.“A natural home to luxury, the Milanfurniture fair has over recent years offeredus a fantastic insight into this trendof simplicity. So we were once againkeen to nd out how the new luxuryaesthetic is developing.“An obvious rst stop was Hermés’show La Maison, which was the Frenchbrands rst ever appearance at the fair.In a house made of cardboard by ShigeruBan we found their two new furniturecollections Matiéres by Enzo Mari andMétiérs by Antonio Citterio both of whichdisplay beautifully rened expressions ofwhat we call Restrained Luxury.“They achieved this by focusing onHermés heritage of artisan craftsmanship.What we felt really added to the86971050 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

„Whirlwind“ Center Cut Restaurant,The Ritz-Carlton,Dubai International Financial Centre

MILAN FURNITURE FAIR11Twilight installationfor Moroso byTokujin Yoshioka.12Stitched Collection byTord Boontjefor Moroso.13Métiéres La Maison,Hermés byAntonio Citterio.14Matiéres collection,La Maison, Hermésby Enzo Mari.sense of luxury was the quality of all thematerials they had used.Clémence bullcalf leather plays akey role in the collection and gives animpression of longevity.’Another design house that capturedthe crowd’s attention due to the qualityof materials and manufacture was Séwith its latest additions to its Autumn2010 collection II by Jamie Hayon atSpazio Rossana Orlandi.Sé describe themselves as being ‘atthe forefront of a new spirit of luxury’ andits new Bala solid ceramic side tablesused beautiful crafted carrera marbletops. Sé’s exhibit illustrated that althoughthe concept of luxury is changing,people will continue to desire preciousand rare objects even in the future.11 12Also showing at Rossana Orlandi butwith a different approach to luxury wasNica Zupanac whose pieces explore theideal of comfort. Her Homework Chair,Homework Table, Homework Cabinetquestion self-discipline or the lack of it.“I think we all feel, especially in theWest, a little bit too comfortable. I thinkit’s really time for a more self-restrainedapproach to living. I used this literallyin the measurements of the pieces, forexample in the Homework chair whichis quite small so that it’s really not socomfortable,” she said.“If we are comfortable all the timethen I believe we stop thinking critically.”A continuation of last year’s etherealtheme was the trend for transparent,uid objects, not only in a literal sense,but also in terms of providing a calmingand tranquil atmosphere, helping to declutterour homes.“It was the Japanese designers thattraditionally employed this purist aestheticthat also stood out at this year’sSalone. It is important to note that thespaces in which these invisible pieceswere presented had also been carefullyconsidered, giving the visitor a pleasantbreak from the hustle and bustle ofMilan,” said Brown.“A master of poetic design, Tokujin Yoshioka’sTwilight installation for Morosowas a prime example of this trend. Variationsof his Moon chair were presentedin a white, atmospheric environment,only revealing the subtle differences intexture through reection of the light.”In summary, Rosenkranz said thisyear’s show was a real turning point,with designers taking on a more culturalrole. She said social aspects of designwill also become increasingly importantand designers are no longer just producingpieces, but are asking people tocontribute and become more involvedwith the creative process.“We are also pleased to see that thepreviously very male dominated markethas started to become more feminine,with more and more talented femaledesigners leaving their mark.And whilst there will always be a placefor high prole designers, we feel thatwhat resonates with consumers todayis a much more simple and honest approach,”she added.13 14SEYMOURPOWELLSeymourpowell, part of the LoewyGroup, is a design and innovationcompany founded in 1984 byRichard Seymour and Dick Powell.The London-based rm employs 85people, and has a design studio,research centre, materials library andprototyping workshop.Seymourpowell has a holisticapproach to design and innovation,combining experience and up todate intelligence about people,markets and businesses. It can workout future scenarios to give clientscon dence in its decision making.52 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

This App mobilises your homeControl your KNX installation with a Smartphone by Smart Remote.Use your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad as a remote control with JUNG. The JUNG App Smart Remoteenables a comfortable control of the entire KNX installation - i.e. lighting, blind/shutter, temperatureand even multi media systems.United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi :P.O. Box 36223, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.Phone: + 971- 2 448 1846Fax: + 971- 2 448 1845Doha - Qatar :P.O.Box 22652Phone: +974 4441 9459/4437 6784Fax: +974 442 9659United Arab Emirates Dubai - Garhoud :P.O.Box 77391, Dubai, U.A.EPhone: +971- 4 282 6070Fax: +971- 4 286 5626United Arab Emirates Al Ain:P.O. Box 68566, Al Ain – UAEPhone: +971 3 764 6648Fax: +971 3 764 6628Kuwait :P.O.Box 43748 Hawally32052 KuwaitFax: +965 2266 3152E-mail: info@icas.aeWeb: www.almazrouicas.comgb.jung.deknx.org

CASE STUDY: JONES DAYLaw & orderOUTCAST HAS COMPLETED ITS FIRST OFFICE INTERIOR REGARDING A DESIGN THAT HASPUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF A TYPICAL COMMERCIAL SPACE, USING A SOLUTION ROOTED INTHE TRADITIONS OF HOSPITALITY54 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: JONES DAY1www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 55

CASE STUDY: JONES DAY21The open planreception areaat Jones Day.2The intricatewooden ‘ns’stand at theentrance.3The staffboardroom.4The lightingxtures in theboardroom.ones Day is not your average Americanlaw rm. It has approximately2,500 lawyers across 37 locationsworldwide and earlier this year announcedit was opening three associateofces in the Kingdom of SaudiArabia in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar.It moved to a new ofce in Dubai thismonth where it commissioned Outcastto create a complex blend of hospitalityand commercial interior design for the33rd oor of Currency Tower, DubaiInternational Financial Centre (DIFC).Originally intended as a penthouseapartment, the space was double theheight of a normal ofce, at about 10metres, surrounded by full height glassand a three metre garden terrace. Theviews over Dubai are breathtaking.3 4“We needed Outcast to design thespace so it would serve as a functioningofce to meet these needs efcientlyand practically. But we didn’t want todestroy any of the natural elements ofthe space – the double-height, open-airfeel; the oor to ceiling glass windowswith terric 360 degree views of theentire city and the Persian Gulf; andthe beautiful outdoor terrace that runsthree-quarters of the way around thespace,” said Sheila Shadmand, administrativepartner, Jones Day.The three distinct challenges for thedesign team were those affecting thedesign, space and technical details andit was clear from early on the success ofthe project would depend on identifyingand addressing each challenge atthe outset before any work began.“The rst design challenge was aquestion of approach. Commercialspace is typically horizontal, andwe had a vertical space. We wereconvinced it would require some largearchitectural treatment before we couldtake it to the next level,” said JustinPenketh, managing partner, Outcast.“Spatially, the principal challengewas how to create a commercialenvironment in a 10 metre high space.Ofces need ceilings, and it’s simplynot feasible to have an associate orpartner sitting under a 10 metre ceiling.Plus, aesthetics aside, we would haveto light and cool these ofces somehowand that meant a spatial transformationfrom vertical to horizontal space insome areas of the ofce.“Technically, we had already decidedon a bold approach to the architecturalelements. That meant going ‘big’. Theboardroom door was going to be oversix metres high. The main entrance‘ns’ (as we called them) were sevenmetres high and we were clearly goingto need to construct a mezzanine ofsome kind over the working parts ofthe ofce to create ceilings for the staffofces. Aside from this, we had to try toretain the impact and the drama of thespace that inspired Jones Day to leasethe building in the rst place.”Penketh said it was like being askedto cut a diamond; the result would befantastic if you got it right, but any mistakeswould be potentially disastrous.56 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: JONES DAY5A view of thereception fromthe mezzaninelevel.6The huge woodendoor that opens ontothe boardroom.7The mezzaninelevel.8A view of the ‘ns’from themezzanine level.“We knew the standards and expectationsof the client would be extremelyhigh, but there was no real indication atthat stage as to what the project wouldeventually become,” he said.The client asked for three things regardingthe brief. As Dubai is a regionalhub for the Middle East, the Jones Dayofce had to be a focal point for itsglobal clients. The interior had to reectat the type of organisation it was. Itneeded to visually interpret the rm’ssolidity, commitment to the region, andreect the value it places on clients.To achieve this, the interior neededto be bold, contemporary, internationaland localised and nished to a highstandard. Attention to detail was unprecedentedand everything was about‘getting it right’.“Any design is only going to be asgood as the client wants it to be, andit took a great deal of ambition andconviction to make this project what itis,” said Penketh.First, Outcast agreed with the clienthow to split the back and front of houseareas. The back of house would containthe working ofces of the partners,associates and staff and the front ofhouse would be the main reception andclient handling area.“From a design point of view, thismeant treating the two areas quitedifferently, but in such a way that thephysical transition from one area toanother was as clean and logical aspossible,” added Penketh.5 6OUTCAST DESIGNOutcast was established in Dubai in2008 with the objective of bringingmore air, creativity and structureto the hospitality and commercialsectors within the Gulf region.It saw a niche in the market for adesign company with a combinationof creative talent, managementservices, and client servicing, andthat companies in the region werestruggling to offer it at the right level.Outcast’s vision was ambitious,targeting leading multi-nationalcorporations for commercial projects,and major developers and operatorswithin the hospitality sector.7 8“Although the distinction in designwas intended as perceptible, the twoareas needed to work together in a waythat the quality of the interior remainedrst class throughout the ofce.“On a grander level, our decisionto use bold architectural features forthe front of house was thoroughly supportedby Jones Day. This gave us theopportunity to push the boundaries ofa typical commercial space, and look toa solution more rooted in the traditionsof hospitality,” he added.Thanks to this approach, Outcastintroduced a split level marble staircasewith seven metre ‘Fins’ in themain reception, a six metre traditionalarabesque boardroom door, an audiovisual wall and chandelier lighting.“However, virtually all of the majorfeatures were going to raise uniquetechnical challenges for the team thatwould only be overcome with intelligentdesign,” said Penketh.“For example, for the ns, there wasno way of transporting seven metresections of delicate and fret-cut timberusing standard transport and a serviceelevator. The solution had to be in thedesign and construction method itself,for which the client needed to involvestructural consultancy. The same problemsapplied to the boardroom door,which was manufactured new in threemetre sections, antiqued and stressedoff site, and delivered and installed inabout 20 different pieces over a periodof four weeks,” he added.58 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

Win one of ten tickets tothe Dubai Design SummitExclusive offer for CID readersTo celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Office Exhibition, we want to make you a winner.Not only will you be a winner by attending the show and experiencing education,innovation and networking like never before, you also have a chance to win one of tentickets to the Dubai Design Summit held in September.To enter all you have to do is pre-register for the show, enter the promotional code CIDWIN10,and attend The Office Exhibition held from 17-19 May 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.If you have already registered and would like to enter the draw, send an email tocidwin@dmgevents.com with your name, phone number, email address and thepromotional code CIDWIN10.Terms and conditions can be found at www.theofficeexhibtion.com/cidt&cPre-register today and go in the draw to winwww.theofficeexhibtion.com/cidwinOrganised byKnowledge partner17 - 19 May 2011Dubai World Trade Centretheofficeexhibition.com

CASE STUDY: JONES DAY9Ornate furnishingsreect a mix ofold and new.10140 year old Iraniancoffee pot made fromcamel bone.11The Jones Dayboardroomtable.12The mezzanine levelsits above the ofcesat Jones Day.Spatially, the decision was takento build a mezzanine over the backof house, and to take advantage ofthe maximum possible height of thefront of house. The next decision wasregarding the mezzanine. Would it bestructural or functional, purely as a ceilingand decorative feature. In the naldesign, the team decided to turn themezzanine into a structural oor, whichpresented major logistical challenges.“We were now adding to the structureof the building itself, while beinglimited to the size of the steel andequipment that we could bring intothe building. In the end, the steel wasbrought up in sections and welded andbolted on site. The concrete oor waspoured, and after only a few weeksdelay to the original programme, theoor was nished and we overcameone of our most signicant technicalchallenges,” said Penketh.The concept design only took acouple of weeks, although in reality,the team was still designing elements,such as the boardroom door, right upto its installation.The internal construction works wereoriginally intended to last 18 weeks,but the decision to include a structuralmezzanine (during the t out) did havean impact on the overall programme.“Given the complexities of thedesign, the logistical challenges thatarose from the decisions undertakenduring the build, and the attention todetail that Jones Day dedicated to theproject, it still managed to be completedon schedule,” added Penketh.“This was helped by the main contractor’sexibility and determination topush things through, and the collectiveeffort of the professional project team.“From the start of the design,through to Jones Day occupation, theproject took just under eight months.”Shadmand added because Dubai isa regional hub for the work it does inthe Middle East and around the world,it needed a multi-layered but efcientlyfunctional space, one that can handleevery day work by its lawyers, but alsoevents for its clients such as the closingof a major, multi-party, cross-bordertransaction or hosting an all-partysettlement conference or an arbitration.91011“We searched long and hard to ndthis truly unique space that would tour needs. It is open and light, whichoffers a pleasant working space for ourlawyers, staff and clients,” she said.“What Outcast came up with was aperfect and beautiful solution: to havemulti-purpose and movable elementsthroughout the space, such as the mezzaninegallery and the partition wall inthe boardroom.“We recently hosted a client receptionfor 100 people in our ofces. Therecurring comment heard over thecourse of the night by our partners whohad travelled from New York, Washington,London and Hong Kong to meet ourregional clients was this was the loveliestofce they had seen in Dubai andthat they want to use our space, for notonly their regional meetings and matters,but also their global ones. We areclient-focused in everything we do andif our clients are happy, we’re happy.”In terms of overall design and infrastructureof space for a commercialinterior project this is a rst for Outcast.Penketh said it has dealt with similardesign challenges in the past, butwould normally only expect this toapply to spaces such as atriums, shoppingmalls and hotels.“I don’t think it would have beenpossible for us to have achieved theclient’s objectives without our backgroundin both the commercial andhospitality sectors,” he said.This year alone, the company hascompleted projects for Bristol MyersSquibb, PricewaterhouseCoopers andis currently working for General Motors.“What has been one of the most rewardingexperiences for Outcast, is wehave been reappointed by Jones Day fortwo of their three ofces in Saudi Arabia.Winning new clients is great, butthere is something special about beingreappointed by a major client after sucha challenging project,” he said.FAST FACTSMain contractor: KPSMEP consultant: Clarke Samadhinand AssociatesIT and AV consultant: IT Serve62 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: JONES DAY12www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 63

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTEL66 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTELL nd n callingTHE NINTH CORINTHIA HOTEL LONDON EXUDES DECADENCE WITH THE INSTALLATION OF ONEOF THE LARGEST CHANDELIERS EVER CREATED USING 1,001 CRYSTAL BAUBLES BY BACCARAT1www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 67

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTEL21Baccarat’ssignature singlered crystal.2The largestchandelier of its kind,which has 1,001crystal baubles.3The Full Moon crystalchandelier hangs in adomed glass atrium.4The Corinthia HotelLobby Lounge.The £300m Corinthia Hotel Londonis the ninth collection ofve-star hotels founded by thePisani family of Malta, locatedin the heart of the capital overlookingTrafalgar Square and the River Thames.The venue, which opened last month,is housed within a grand Victorianbuilding, with 294 rooms, including 43suites, some of which are located overtwo-storeys, inside historic turrets, withprivate lifts and terraces.The two-bedroom Royal Suite, atmore than 470m 2 , will be the largesthotel room in London, and can be connectedto adjacent rooms to provideadditional accommodation.Some of the world’s top designersand architects are behind the project.Interior design is led by GA DesignInternational, which is also creatingthe hotel’s 3,300m 2 ESPA spa (set tobe the rst of its kind – laid out overfour levels, with pioneering design andtreatment offerings), as well as thesuites, public spaces and one of tworestaurants called The Northall, whichserves mainly British food.Luxury interiors’ designer, DavidCollins, is creating the hotel’s bar, Bassoon,and sh and seafood restaurantMassimo. The interior design has a mixof sophisticated luxury and ‘residential’style: which is a home-like take onhospitality and service.“The brief was to provide a worldclass luxury hotel. The design wasto be a ‘Grand Hotel’, with all thatimplies, but with a modern outlookand all contemporary facilities,” saidTerence McGinnity, executive director,GA Designs. “Where possible, existingfacilities and details were maintainedand the original design intent of thebuilding respected.”The Victorian exterior houses fullyreconstructedelegant and contemporaryinteriors set around an inner foyerand garden, restaurants, luxury spa, aconcept cocktail bar, boardroom meetingfacilities and an original restoredgrand ballroom.The inspiration was based on grandEnglish homes but with a subtle contemporaryinterpretation. Oak timberswere used throughout in the joinerygiving a warm ambience, combined3 468 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTEL5The Lobby entrance,at Whitehall Place.6The Northallrestaurant whichserves British cuisine.7David Collin’sMassimo Restaurantand Oyster Bar.with leathers, warm limestones andsilks. Timber borders line the edge ofall the guestrooms while polished plastersand Calacatta marble were usedthroughout the bathrooms.The building was once used by theMinistry of Defence and as such, therewas no specic heritage listing on thevenue. That said, Corinthia and GADesign wanted to respect the originalas much as possible and have takengreat care to restore and renovate thebuilding as if it was a listed building.The architectural team also workedvery closely with Westminster Councilto ensure the integrity of the exteriorwas maintained.“The rst primary challenge was torecognise the base structure and potentialof the building following the yearsof adjustment and insertions by theMinistry of Defence,” said McGinnity.“The entire building, including theoriginal courtyard, was a warren ofofce spaces and meeting areas withlayers of lowered ceilings.”GA Design took the decision to stripall this work out, including all the builtwork in the courtyard and take thebuilding back to its bare bones.“Only when we viewed it in this mannerdid a more complete solution to theplanning become apparent. We wantedto address both sides of the building,using the original Northumberland Avenueentry and mirroring it with a morediscreet guest entrance on Whitehall.This gave us a nice ow through thebuilding with a perceived public faceand a private entry. It also opened upthe concept for a central focal gardenroom (lobby lounge) with the 7m highvaulted dome,” he added.“We wanted to maximise the publicareas but also wanted to maintain theoriginal courtyard concept. The crescentshaped courtyard is at the heart of thebuilding and is anked by open andclosed colonnades that lead to functionareas and the central lounge.“Above, on the guestroom oors, wehave maintained the original corridorlocation and ow as much as possibleand have generally combined what wastwo original guestrooms into one givinga fantastic oor area for standardguestrooms ranging from 43m to 50m.56770 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTEL898The Sir Arthur ConanDoyle Suite.9One of the hotelrooms at theCorinthia Hotel.10The Royal Suite, ismore than 470m 2 andis the largest hotelroom in London.We have also added an interior wing ofrooms that spans across the courtyard.All interior rooms open up to thecourtyard and boast full height openingglazed doors onto discreet balconies.”All the standard bathrooms arenished in Calacatta marble and CaesarBrown all individually sourced by GADesign. Polished plaster also features inapprox 50% of the rooms. The standardrooms have a variety of layouts andfeature two different colour schemes.All standard rooms feature grand scaledbathrooms with natural daylight.“The seven feature suites are all individualand located over two storeys withthe upper levels located in the buildingturrets. All the upper suites also havespectacular terraces with some of London’smost memorable views up anddown the Thames to Big Ben and theHouses of Parliament and across to StJames Park,” said McGinnity.The ‘Full Moon’ crystal chandelier isdesigned to reect the splendour of the21st century grand hotel and was createdby Parisian designer Chak Gasmiand produced by Baccarat, the prestigiousFrench crystal manufacturer.It is the focal point of the main hotelarea and hangs in the central domedglass atrium, designed to represent theshape of the moon.It is the largest chandelier of itskind ever created, with 1,001 crystalbaubles in three varying sizes, whichhas light emitting from each crystalplus Baccarat’s signature single redcrystal lying at the heart of the piece.The Full Moon has low energyconsumption because it uses specialistLEDs, which consume a minimumamount of energy and have a sevenyear lifecycle.Chak worked closely with GA DesignInternational, as the central domedglass atrium was created specically tohouse the 4.15 metre wide chandelier.It weighs two tonnes and 531 cableshold the crystals in place.Chak said he had three main challengesin creating the chandelier andinstalling it in the hotel. The rst waslimited time, half the normal time itwould take to create such a chandelier,the second was that the structurehad to be invisible, the design and1072 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTEL11121311ESPA Life atCorinthiareception.12ESPA Life atCorinthia cafe.13ESPA Life atCorinthia pool.engineering teams had to conceal 20kilometres of electrical cable and thethird was the lighting technology, tomake the light sources disappear.To prevent delays, Chak Studiomanaged all the engineering anddesign aspects of the project. Baccaratcould then concentrate its time andenergy on production. It partnered withMTS, a prototype company, to work onthe structure and commissioned LeDeun Luminaires, which is known forits expertise in lighting museums andluxury brand agship stores.“Installation was another challenge:to hang the two tonne weight, 4 meterdiameter monumental chandelier,we had to preassemble all the piecesbefore in the MTS workshop. Then ateam of six multidisciplinary people(architects, designers, engineers) weremobilised on site for 10 days during theinstallation,” said Chak.“The Corinthia Hotel London lobbyis situated at the centre of the hoteland next to the building courtyard, soI imagined that the chandelier shouldnaturally light the hotel and its yard. Iwanted to create something that couldbe seen from the top, the bottom andthe sides with the same perceptionfrom all angles.“I wanted to create a larger domethan the initial one, and a dome morein harmony with the spherical form ofthe chandelier I was in the process ofdesigning. I wanted to create a glasscase for the moon.“To make this project lighter inweight, I decided to light up only theexterior line of the chandelier on whichI placed 1,000 clear crystal baubles. Ithen placed a 1,001 bauble in the heartof the full moon; a red one, to honourthe Baccarat tradition.”Chak used to be the art director forBaccarat until 2009 so he knew thebrand inside out and had some initialinnovative designs in mind that hewanted to use for the chandelier, whichis worth more than US $1million.Global architecture and luxuryinterior design practice David CollinsStudio was involved in the hotel’s bar,74 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: CORINTHIA HOTELBassoon, and seafood restaurant Massimo.With its high vaulted ceiling theoverall space of the restaurant has afeeling of grandeur but is slightly softenedthrough the addition of a shallowceiling and graceful lunettes aboveeach of the windows.“I liked the idea of cocktails, musicand people mixed together and as aresult hit upon an old idea I had someyears ago about using music as a codeand language to express design,” saidCollins. “Design and music are aligned:the symmetry, balance and harmonyare all subliminal reminders of how theenvironment inuences us. Going forward,music will be playing a more andmore important part in the soundtrackof my designs,” the designer added.The overall mood of relaxed eleganceis followed throughout using a renedcolour palette of black, white andrich green. In the dining area, leatherseating is nished with a deep greentrim, whilst in the bar area contrastingnavy leather has been used. The projectdisplays the quality and detail associatedwith the Studio, incorporating thevery nest materials such as woods,marbles, leathers and glasswaresourced from around the world.“Our vision was to make this restaurantsimple, informal, enjoyable andbeautiful – as always translating wordsinto reality is a journey, and this onehas been exciting and fun,” he said.A residential style private diningroom, seating 18, complete with a theatricalshow kitchen for the renownedchef Massimo Riccioli, celebratedowner of La Rosetta in Rome, completesthe project. Here Massimo and his teamwill create a constantly evolving menuwith typical Roman passion.“Having visited La Rosetta in RomeI realised Massimo was no ordinaryItalian chef and so I wanted to ensureI responded with a design like noordinary Italian restaurant. The proximityto Piazza del Pantheon held greatimportance to me and it is somethingI wanted to capture and reect in thearchitectural elegance such as thecolumns in the restaurants.”www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 75

DESTINATION FOCUS: QATARQatarboomWITH MANY PROJECTS BEINGLAUNCHED IN QATAR, FOLLOWINGTHE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THEWORLD CUP 2022, INTERIORDESIGNERS ARE SEEING ARISE IN DEMAND FORTHEIR SERVICES176 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESTINATION FOCUS: QATARInterior designers will have thechance to showcase their skills inQatar thanks to the construction ofa large number of hotels, stadiumsand commercial buildings that are requiredto accommodate tourists for the2022 FIFA World Cup.Football history was made on December2, 2010, when FIFA picked Qatar tobe the event’s host nation. With that decision,the construction industry and allits associated industries – hospitality,interior design – were given a lifeline.Even with the initial excitement ofQatar’s successful bid fading, the realestate market is stabilising in the rstquarter of 2011, according to researchby Asteco Property Management.“The Qatar government continues todrive the development of major projectswithin Doha and across other smallercities in accordance with the 2022 FIFAwinning bid and the wider ‘2030 Vision’,which will change the landscape of thereal estate market in Qatar,” said ElaineJones, CEO, Asteco.“Furthermore, the arrival of new workforces and managers to complete theseprojects will have a positive impact onthe residential and ofce market.”The concepts which were submittedto get the bid for Qatar will now becomea reality. There will be 12 stadiums forthe World Cup matches, out of which,nine are yet to be built, and the remainingthree scheduled for major renovationworks to increase their seatingcapacity by 2022.The interior design for the World Cupstadiums is currently under discussion.Not much has been decided on thismatter as the designers of the Qataristadiums, Albert Speer and Partners(AS&P), are still unsure whether theywill be the ones to head the interiordesign of all the stadiums and its areas.“We are now in discussions with theclient about the interior design for thecomplete project. It may well be thatdifferent interior designers work on differentareas of the project.“At the moment we are ironing outtechnical discussions with the completedesign and engineering team on whetherwe will be doing all the areas of theinterior design,” said Axel Bienhaus,partner and shareholder, AS&P.To welcome the tourists who will travelto the small Middle Eastern country,a lot of work is planned.The transport network is being overhauledwith the Doha Railway Networkthat will connect different parts of thecountry by rail. The $9 billion DohaInternational Airport is scheduled toopen in 2012 and is said to be able tohandle up to 50 million passengers.Hotels are being built. The entertainmentand leisure sector is getting aboost with the ground-breaking ofthe sprawling Doha Festival City andnally, stadiums will be constructed tohost the football matches.At present, the hotel and short-termleasing markets are beneting frombusiness travellers who are nalisingcontracts or discussing opportunities.Once employers begin to send theirfull-time work forces to Qatar, theresidential and commercial long-termleasing markets will witness increasedactivity, said Asteco.To full FIFA’s requirements, Qatarwill be ensuring over 90,000 rooms areavailable in 2022.“The World Cup bid report publishedby FIFA says that the 90,000-oddrooms will be a mixture of hotel roomsand other accommodation for the footballteams and spectators. I assumefrom that, it would include residentialapartments, villas and all sorts ofaccommodation,” said Guy Wilkinson,managing partner, Dubai-based hospitalityconsultancy rm, Viability.The report claims out of the 90,000rooms, 40,000 already exist, Wilkinsonadded. “In 2010 there were 10,000hotel rooms in Qatar, so if we assumea quarter of existing supply as hotelrooms, then it would follow that a quarterof the 90,000 estimate is meant tobe hotel rooms as well.”Wilkinson said according to an of-cial supply list for 2011, there will be42 hotels and hotel apartments, and8,081 rooms with a mixture of three-,four- and ve-star hotels.The ofcial statement is that mostof the hotels in 2022 will fall into thefour-star range, which means they willbe designed on a grand scale.“I think Qatar’s target is do-able if aquarter of the 90,000 rooms are hotelrooms; if all of them were hotel roomsthen it would be crazy given that occupancyrates are currently between60-65%,” Wilkinson said.The stadiums that would play hostto the World Cup matches are grandlythought of, with cutting-edge designand technology. Eight of the 12 stadiumswill be built from scratch.The stadiums will be designedto have more than 45,000 seatsduring the World Cup (20,000 seatswill remain when the upper tiers aredismantled and sent to developingcountries to encourage the growth offootball), which presents design challenges,Bienhaus said.He also said the interior design willreect the outer characteristics of thestadium in question.“From the outer appearance to theinterior design, we are trying to capturea local reference,” he said.For example, the Al-Shamal Stadium,in Al-Shamal, has the appearance oflocal shing boats called ‘dhows’; TheAl-Khor Stadium, in Al-Khor, resemblesa seashell; and, the Umm Slal Stadium,in Umm Slal, looks like a local fort.While each of these stadiums reectsQatari heritage and culture, Bienhausbelieves the interior design will mirrorthese qualities as well.The materials and nal design will,more likely than not, be lavish, accordingto Bienhaus. “Our clients reallywant a high standard and high-enddesign, even with regard to the interior.While that’s really challenging andinvolves us strictly regulating quality,it also means innovation. That’s oneof the reasons why nothing will beoutdated,” he said.Interior designers and architects will,as Bienhaus said, be working to ensuretheir work doesn’t become obsolete bythe time the world is ready to see theircreations in 11 years.Asteco said the overall outlook forQatar is very positive, but governmententities and developers will need topay attention to phasing residentialand commercial developments to allowdemand to match supply.“There’s going to be an awful lotof construction for that one month,”added Wilkinson.1A collage of thedifferent stadiumsin Qatar that will beconstructed for 2022.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 77

DESTINATION FOCUS: QATARThe art of abstractDOHA’S PROJECTS ALL FEATURE DIFFERENT DESIGNS DESPITE A COMMONTHEME OF GOING BACK TO NATUREDoha’s interior design is goingback to nature. While oneproject will be using naturalelements, another uses anabstract design to get similar results.The design team for the 433,847m 2Doha Festival City, DP Architects (DPA),is planning to use the environment inits interior design, while the 5,475m 2 AlHitmi building focuses on the same elementsto give it a modern edge.The Doha Festival City held its groundbreaking ceremony last month and includesa retail centre, two hotels, IKEA,an indoor-outdoor entertainment centreand car showrooms.Phase one of the project, whichincludes IKEA, is scheduled for completionin the second half of 2012. Phasetwo will see the project complete in thefourth quarter of 2014.Mike Lim, associate director and MayChan, associate director-Middle East,DPA, which has its headquarters inSingapore, said the design includes conceptzones, meant to provide differentexperiences, divided into nature’s elementsof wind, water, wood and earth.These elements will feature in theretail areas in four interior zones of theDoha Festival City – Water Concourse,Garden Promenade, Rainforest Broadwalkand Fashion Galleria.Lim said: “The rst zone is wind,which as you know is a colourless element.The design will show this throughthe movement of light using weightmobiles made of acrylic, metal piecesand plastic paper that reect light undermovement of air and wind in the atrium.”Continuing with the theme, the nextzone is water. “This zone will be shownin the design by way of a combinationof graphic water with the use of LED andprojectors together with a water cooledroof or atrium skylight under the MiddleEast heat,” Chan said.“The next zone, which is wood, willbe designed with a rainforest themewhich is exposed to the elements withirrigation and adventure features withinthe mall. And the nal zone, which isEarth, will become reality with a neatlycropped European garden setting whichincludes a semi outdoor cafe and streetshopping experience,” said Chan.DPA plans to use local and regionalmaterials to design the interiors. Importingmaterials from abroad will be theirlast resort, which is their nod to the currenttrend of sustainable architecture.The designers believe their conceptualisationof the Doha Festival City isdifferent in the way it brings naturalsurroundings into the complex.“Our design is an attempt to bring thedifferent ambience and atmosphere ofnature into a mall environment. It is alsoa re-interpretation of the elements indifferent forms,” Lim said.Chan and Lim gave examples of theuniqueness of the design through thedifferent zones. “The water theme is notjust a mere fountain or water feature,but something that engages the use oftechnology and greenery. And for thewind theme, a movement of simmeringlight weight mobile as well as the playof light and shadow could be used toexpress the concept.”Bawabat Al Shamal Real EstateCompany WLC has hired DPA to designthe $1.65 billion entertainment, retail,hospitality and commercial facility.1A rendering of theexterior of the433,847m 2 DohaFestival City.1www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 79

DESTINATION FOCUS: QATAR22The world’s longestchandelier lit upinside the At HitmiBuilding in Doha.3The ground oor ofthe building is madeof glass and hoversover a pool of water.4A view of the 38.5metre-long chandelierand sky-lit atriumfrom the ground oor.Doha Festival City is located 15kmnorth of downtown Doha on Al ShamalRoad, one of the main routes to the citycentre, connecting Doha with Bahrainvia the Friendship Bridge.The complex is accessible not only toQatar but also to its neighbouring GCCcountries and with the 2022 World Cupcoming up, Doha Festival City is a welcomeaddition to the tourism industry.The At Hitmi building has tappedinto the ofce and residential market;according to Asteco Property Management,currently 30 high-rise ofceprojects are under construction withinDoha’s Central Business District, withtowers ranging from 25 to 112 storeys.The Al Hitmi building comprises of aseven-storey ofce block and 15-storeyresidential tower, which are connectedthrough a glass atrium.The sky-lit atrium features internallandscaped gardens. Internally, thespaces are designed to allow naturallight in and provide views out to the bay.The design period of the buildingwas extensive, with a lot of time spentin making cardboard models. YahyaJan, design director and vice president,NORR Group, said the design of thebuilding was meant to be abstract.“Al Hitmi is a typical ofce buildingin terms of the interior design, but wedidn’t want the exterior of the buildingto register that – we wanted it to bevery abstract. We went to great lengthsto create a pattern and a texture in thefacade that was really unusual,” he said.The central atrium, which is 45 metreslong, divides the ofce and residentialsection. It runs through into the servicedapartment tower at the back and allowslight from outside to come in.“It was a pretty deep property so wewanted to bring natural light into thebuilding,” Jan said. He also added theatrium glows in the evening.A claim to fame for the building andits designers is the 38.5 metres longchandelier that is placed in the atrium,ofcially the world’s longest.NORR Group’s concept was to createa design that was commercial as well asa part of the Corniche and its surroundings.Jan gave the hard-scape and thewater feature that runs into the buildingas examples of how the atrium is almost3 4an extension of the public civic space ofthe adjacent Doha corniche.The ground oor of the building isentirely glass, which created furtherchallenges from a structural engineeringpoint of view. “We wanted to give thebuilding the feeling of hovering over areected pool of water,” added Jan.“We had to hide the structure, sowhen you look from the outside youdon’t see any columns. The structuralengineering of these cantilevers wasquite complex, but we went to a lot ofpains to pull the structure back into thevolume of the building.”The Al Hitmi building, which is locatedalong the Doha Corniche, was completedlast year and is now occupied bya Qatari government ministry.80 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATE1 AUGUST 2010 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

FEATURE: OFFICE FIT-OUTSOfficesin vogueWITH THE ECONOMY RECOVERING FROM THE RECESSION, OFFICEDESIGN AND FIT-OUTS ARE SHOWING NEW TRENDS AND A POSITIVE FUTUREWith a growth in occupiedDubai-based premiumofce space, the t-outmarket is showing a positiveoutlook, according to Jones LangLaSalle, real estate advisory rm.According to the rm, Dubai has thefastest growing occupied ofce marketbetween 2008 and 2010 and participantsat the Ofce Exhibition Dubai2011 will be tapping into $761 billionworth of active projects across the GCC.82 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

FEATURE: OFFICE FIT-OUTS1www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 83

FEATURE: OFFICE FIT-OUTS21Ground oor ofces atthe Dubai EconomicDepartment.2Duram Tradingworked with SwissBureau for the design.3The waiting area ofthe Dubai EconomicDepartment.4E-ticketing wasfeatured in the interiordesign of DED.Due to this, the scope for interiorrefurbishment and t-out work appearsto be wide. “There are signicant opportunitiesfor interior design projectsacross the Middle East and we areseeing some fantastic and innovativework come out of these countries,” saidCheryl Durst, executive vice presidentand CEO, International Interior DesignAssociation (IIDA).The ofce t-out industry in the UAEis showing a trend towards being green,with local authorities such as Abu Dhabiintroducing Estidama, the new designrating system. Estidama, which means‘sustainability’ in Arabic, is an AbuDhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC)initiative to bring about sustainabledesign by using an integrative design3process where planning, constructionand design are developed together.“Interior designers are major contributorsto helping to achieve numerouscredits in the Estidama Pearl Rating System.They will play a signicant role indesigning interiors that improve interiorhealth and comfort by selecting non-toxicmaterials, high efciency appliancesand low ow water xtures and ttings.The Pearl Rating System measures willcontribute to the occupants’ health andwell-being and will also contribute toreducing carbon emissions and protectthe environment,” said John Madden,senior planning manager, UPC.“The environment is the new trend,which is a great thing. Companies arenow looking at using less energy as4more and more Middle Eastern companiesare adopting CSR policies,” saidJonathan Milner, managing director,Interiors Group, which has been basedin Abu Dhabi since 2009.“We have in-house BREEAM (BuildingResearch Establishment EnvironmentalAssessment Method) and LEED (Leadershipin Energy and EnvironmentalDesign) capabilities which allows us tostart thinking and planning green workingenvironments from the rst briengwith the client. We are also lookingforward to seeing what Estidama willbring to the world of green practices inthe workspace,” said Milner.In addition, efcient and optimisedworking environments work well for thehealth, safety and welfare of those whouse it, said experts.“Smart, innovative and efcient workplaceshelp businesses not just to cutoccupancy costs but to add real value.A thoughtfully designed workspace canincrease productivity, foster a sense ofcommunity, and minimise environmentalimpact. It also expresses the valuesof the organisation,” said Durst.The trends are about functional andsustainable ofce t-outs that staywithin the budget of the organisation,according to industry professionals.Antonio Cartanese, owner of DuramArchitectural and design products,based in Sharjah since 2004, said thespecic challenges while working on of-ce t-out projects were client’s requirementsas well as budget restraints.84 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

FEATURE: OFFICE FIT-OUTSIn spite of cost control, clients stillwant the very best and ofce design hasmoved to being exclusive to the ofceit’s tted out for, according to ColinBarnes, managing director, Élan Interiors.He said while the mindset of peoplehas changed, even small companieswant to have their ofces designed tomake a statement.“Their budgets might be limited butthey want to work in a space with somethingexclusive just for them,” he said.Cartanese added: “The problem, orrather, the challenge we face is clientswho look for European products with anAsian price tag.” He said it was the toutrm’s responsibility to be resourcefuland nd the specic product andprice to the client’s satisfaction.In addition to sustainable trends,there are other things clients look for.“Clients come to us asking for acousticalsolutions which we provide in the formof innovative materials like a ceiling orwall application. They look for uniquecolors or textures for furniture applicationsthat can be resolved with our Tabuveneers solution through dying or reconstructedengineering,” said Cartanese.“We don’t believe in trends and themore eccentric our client’s taste, themore fun we have designing and executingthe project. Our job as a t-outcompany is to create working spaceswhich are unique and functional andwe are happy to digress from the normin materials and nishes to achieve thequality our clients desire,” Barnes said.Jones Lang LaSalle said there are alarge number of projects available, butofce t-out companies in the MiddleEast do face some problems.Barnes said: “We have to learn to dealwith delays in approvals, site conditions,time schedules and of courseclients changing their minds. Our mainpriority is working within the given timeschedule and budget as delays are thebiggest problem in this market.”Cartanese said while there are a goodnumber of projects available on themarket, t-out companies have to dealwith budget restraints of clients, as wellas other design rms that are competingto get the contract.Milner discussed quality issues whenworking in the Middle East. “Our clients56continuously complain of the poorworkmanship and lack of lifecycle forethoughtby the previous company theyused for their t-outs. Being a companywhich uses best-of-breed designers andcontracting partners we ensure the qualityis of the highest standards.”Barnes said: “The systems and proceduresput in place have made executingprojects a bit tedious as every authorityseems to change regulations frequently.Whilst following procedures in the longrun is benecial to all, it does causefrustration and unnecessary waste oftime running from one governmentorganisation to another and coordinatingwith sub-contractors.”Milner is currently working with aninternational project managementcompany and will be nishing the rststage of its new headquarters at the endof April. He said he anticipated certainchallenges and took pre-emptive action.“As always, such companies havea number of approval tiers to workthrough and this can cause bottlenecks.To mitigate this, we have ensured allinformation and sign-off requirementswere identied at the beginning of theproject so we could make certain allinformation was available in the formatneeded when required,” said Milner.Clients still want the same basic thingthey did years ago: honesty. “Clientscontinuously want value for money, acompany they can trust and feel theyhave visibility to what is going on. Honestyis the best policy,” said Milner.75Ofces by InteriorsGroup for MichaelPage International.6An ofce of aninternational IT rmby Interiors Group.7Cleveland Clinicin Abu Dhabi; over95,000 square feet.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 87

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FEATURE: OFFICE FIT-OUTS8Barnes said it’s hard for him to pickhis most memorable t-out work afterthe number of projects he’s worked on:“The time when we nished a 12,000square feet ofce t-out in 11 days sothe client could have an important boardmeeting or the one where no one sleptfor 42 hours at a stretch. The site wherethe lift was tiny and the lads carriedgypsum boards up 22 oors or the onewhere the client was so pleased withthe work that he brought biryani for theworkers every evening.”Milner said: “I personally think ourrst project in the UAE was the mostmemorable: this was the turnkey solutionfor Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi.The project was 95,000 square feet overseven oors and delivered on time, snagfree and on budget within ve monthsincluding design. We had a very happyclient to say the least.”Cartanese said working on The ExecutiveOfce project at Dubai HealthcareCity was memorable as he had a verystrong input on the furniture selection.“The seven-oor ofce space wasfurnished with Fantoni’s ofce furnitureand soft seating from Moroso, PoltronaFrau and other brands.”The new Dubai Economic Department(DED) ofces near the Clock Towerroundabout is an example of moderndesign in ofce t-outs, said Cartanese,and is one of his most memorable projectsalong with TEO.“The DED ofce is modernist and haschanged from its previous look. Thespace has been transformed using aceiling feature that distributes naturallight. In addition, we also used wallTopakustic acoustical sound deadingpanels,” he said.Duram had to suggest furniture basedon a conceptual brief given to them byDubai-based creative interior designcompany Swiss Bureau.“The DED ofces now have a pretty innovativeand modern design comparedto its old design. It’s moving with thetimes and this is exactly what Dubai isall about,” he added.These developments in the MiddleEast, especially the UAE, are showingpositive trends in ofce t-out projects,which are becoming important in moreways than one.8The Executive Ofce(TEO) at DubaiHealthcare City.9TEO is furnished withFantoni, Moroso andPoltrona Frau.9OFFICE FACT SHEET14m feet 2The current estimate for of ce stockcompletions in 2011350New of ce products at The Of ceExhibition Dubai 201180,000Number of hours an of ce workerspends on average at their deskthroughout their careerwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 89

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWHOSPITALITY SUPPLIERSYOU SHOULD KNOWThe Middle East’s hospitalityinfrastructure and associatedsupplies industry iswitnessing a steady growth.With projects blossoming in the region,especially in Qatar to accommodatethe deluge of tourists in 2022, it’s anexciting time to be in this industry.According to a report by real estaterm Jones Lang LaSalle, the total hotelroom supply in Dubai in the rst quarterof 2011 is 51,200 rooms, which showsan increase of 2% from the last quarterof 2010. In addition, Dubai saw a 10%increase in tourist arrivals in 2010receiving 8.6 million visitors, comparedto 7.8 million in 2009.“Despite macro-economicindicators, there is little doubt that theregional hospitality industry is nowexperiencing solid if unspectaculargrowth. With over $6 billion worthof hotel projects, mainly in the UAE,Qatar and Saudi Arabia, still due forcompletion by 2013, the industryis looking forward with renewedcondence,” said Frederique Maurell,exhibition director, The Hotel Show.With growth showing in thehospitality sector, a focus onhospitality trends including howsustainability and technology canbe incorporated into the design isinevitable and is one of the things thatwill be discussed at The Hotel Show inDubai this month on May 17-19.“We are, quite naturally perhaps,already seeing greater emphasis onsustainability and technology, not onlyto save energy, enhance efciency andsave money. As such hotel owners andmanagers will no doubt be on the lookout for products and services whichmatch this trend,” added Maurell.At the Hotel Show, new initiativeshave been introduced followingfeedback from last year’s show.The Hotel Innovation Trends andTechnology Conference will runalongside the exhibition and will focuson innovation and trends in technology,by way of a two-day conference andan extra day of workshops. For furthertrends and innovations in hospitalitydesign, the Innovation in Design standwill feature unique design piecessubmitted by different brands.Recognising that the hospitalityindustry is a booming and viablemarket in the Middle East at themoment, Commercial Interior Designspeaks to those suppliers in theindustry that you must know.www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 91

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWPreciosaBy Eva Suchá, head of marketingTell us about your company?Preciosa Lighting is a world-classdesigner, manufacturer and distributorof custom-made lighting projects andresidential lighting xtures.Preciosa Lighting is based in the CzechRepublic (Europe) and operates worldwidethrough international subsidiariesin New York, Montreal, Moscow, Dubai,Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai.What projects have you worked on?In the last three years in UAE, some ofour projects include The Address hotelsin Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai,the Yas Hotel and Presidential Terminalat Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.We’ve also completed hospitality,commercial and educational designprojects in countries spanning Africa,Asia, USA and Europe.What sets you apart from thecompetition?What sets us apart is 300 years oftradition and experience, professionalcomprehensive solutions from ideato realisation and maintenance, thehighest quality hand-blown crystal,in-house design and own production(vertical integration).Preciosa Lighting is a nancially stablemember of the Preciosa Group with5000 employees worldwide.We also have our own signature designof residential lighting xtures suitablefor all interiors.Any news?We exhibited our new design solutionsin Milan Italy, Euroluce Show Hall 9,stand E16 and in Via Tortona 14, Milanfrom April 12- 17, 2011.What are the key challenges youface?Our main challenge is to stay in theleading position for custom-made lightingdesigned for every interior designproject worldwide.How do we contact you?You can contact us through our customercenter and subsidiaries worldwideon www.preciosa.com or info@preciosa.com.By Mithun Nambiar, head of businessdevelopmentTell us about your company?Established in 1994, Al Reyami Interiorsundertakes interior t-out worksand provides turnkey solutions acrossthe Hospitality, Retail and Commercialsectors. We are an ISO 9001:2008, ISO14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007certied company.What projects have you worked on?Some of the more recent ones includepackages at the JAL Hotel includingAl Muhallab Restaurant, BenkayRestaurant, Executive Lounge and theBusiness Center, Corporate Suites atthe Meydan Hotel, the Sublime Loungeat the IBIS Hotel, to name a few. We arepresently executing multiple packagesat the Rocco Forte Hotel in Abu Dhabi.What sets you apart from thecompetition?A vertical integration that enablesus to effectively control the quality,turnaround time and cost of our projects.We have established the Joinery,Upholstery, Glass and Aluminum unitand Signage factory and tied up withinternational suppliers as exclusivedealers for various Hospitality products.In a market where projects needto be executed on a ‘yesterday basis’,our vertical integration model hasproved to be the game changer.Any news?We are expanding into markets likeOman, Qatar and Ghana. In Ghanawe have recently managed to winsignicant packages for the upcomingKempinski Hotel project.What are the key challenges youface?The key test now is to tackle theaftershocks of the economic downturn.While hospitality interior projects arenot hard to come by, the market liquiditystill presents a major challenge.How do we contact you?Toll free number: 800 REYAMI. You canalso reach us at +971 4 336 4 666.Website: www.reyami.com,Email: rof@emirates.net.ae.Al Reyami92 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWNakkashBy Wajih Nakkash, ownerTell us about your company?Established in 1983 and headquarteredin Dubai, Nakkash Gallery has beenat the forefront of interior design foralmost three decades.Given the competitive market in theUAE, the rm has established a superiorreputation and earned the condencefrom the clients who are seeking adventurewhen it comes to interior design.Nakkash Gallery has a wide array offurniture and designer names targetedtowards clients seeking high qualityand unique items. From the traditionalclassic to contemporary chic design,furniture was sourced from variousregions of the world and was carefullychosen to build eclectic themes. Werepresent the exclusivity of distinguishedoutdoor brands that cater tothe whole range of hospitality market.What projects have you worked on?Our main projects are Meydan Hotel,Rotana Group of Hotels, Le MeridienFujairah Hotel, The Jumeirah Hospitality:Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah,Mina Al’ Salam, World Trade Center Residence),Tiara Residence and many more.What sets you apart from thecompetition?With our unique and versatile collectionsof outdoor furniture at reasonablecosts, and recognisable quality anddesign, our competitive advantagewithstands the nancial challenges andadapts to the needs of our clients.Any news?We are opening a new showroom thatexclusively focuses on the new trendsand iconic furniture for outdoor design.We are also in the process of updatingour website making it more interactive.In addition, we will add a new divisioncalled Nakkash Wedding, which ismeant to target the youth in order tocater to their requirements.What are the key challenges youface?There are numerous outdoor furniturecompanies now in the market, and peoplewould think that brand and quality isno longer a consideration hence peoplemostly purchase the lowest price items.However, as Nakkash Gallery has beenin the market for almost three decadesthis concept would change to reality, toensure that design and quality will notbe taken for granted.We focus more on versatile product linesthat would suit all budget ranges andrespect the quality and design.How do we contact you?www.nakkashgallery.com, email nakkashg@emirates.net.aeand telephonenumber +9714 2826767. Our showroomis located in Garhoud and is open from9am to 7:30pm, Saturdays to Thursdays.www.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 93

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWSanipexBy Calum Stewart, group sales andmarketing directorTell us about your company?Sanipex is the region’s leading bathroomsupplier to the hospitality sector.Established in Dubai in 1994, werepresent over 40 of the world’s leadingbrands, whose products can be found inthe majority of the leading hotel groupsacross the Middle East, Central andSouth Asia and Africa.What projects have you worked on?Kempinski Hotel and Rafes Hotel inDubai, Qasr Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi andthe Yas Marina Hotel.We are currently working on the St.Regis Hotel and Residences SaadiyatIsland, which consists of 380 luxuriousguest rooms and suites.What sets you apart from thecompetition?With access to such a large portfolio ofproducts we are in a position to be ableto offer a unique solution regardless ofbudget and design specication. Wepride ourselves on the professionalpartnership that we build with our clients,seeing a project through from itsinception to its launch and beyond inservicing once it is operational. Our supplychain capabilities are enhanced withour unrivalled 80,000 square foot logisticscentre in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.Any news?Our new Bagno design Price Guide hasjust been released with hundreds ofnew exciting products. The new Bagnodesign range has also been extendedfurther to offer value added featuresacross all product categories.What are the key challenges youface?There is a continuous demand for innovativeproducts and greater valuefor money. Our Bagno design rangehas enabled us to continue to grow thebusiness during the downturn, howeverthere is no room for complacency.How do we contact you?Email us on info@bagnodesign.org orcall us on 04 330 7775 to request a copyof our brand new 2011 Price Guide.By Julie Sage, sales and marketingmanagerTell us about your company?Recognised as a global leader in theluxury market, Alger-Triton exempliesthe balance between quality productand impeccable design, creating distinctivelighting designs and fabrications forhospitality projects worldwide.What projects have you worked on?In the Middle East, Alger-Triton’s projectsinclude Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh,Four Seasons in Amman, Four Seasonsin Cairo, Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, and theRotana Hotel in Dubai.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Alger-Triton’s mission of “exceptionalservice driven by design,” draws fromits history as a leader in both deliveryand creativity, informs the presentas it solidies a foundation based oncustomer loyalty and creative excellenceand inspires the future as performanceand execution motivate the company’sapproach to its niche business.Any news?The expansion of sister brand, Wired,which specialises in high-end residentialchandeliers and wall sconces, mostrecently introducing xtures into theluxurious yacht industry. With galleryinspiredshowrooms currently on theWest and East Coasts, in the South andin London, Wired is moving into Russia,Shanghai and the Middle East.What are the key challenges youface?Incorporating new materials into the creativeprocess is essential; Alger-Tritonprides itself on that. Alger-Triton xturesutilise the nest materials from aroundthe world including Murano glass,Austrian crystal, rich hewn alabaster,Brazilian quartz crystal and cast resin.How do we contact you?Middle East:David Storey, Tel: +44 (0) 7837 987476,Email: david@alger-triton.com.Corporate Ofce: Alger-Triton International,8690 National Boulevard, CulverCity, California 90232, +1 310 229 9500,alger-triton.comAlger-Triton94 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWRocaBy Samer Deeb, marketing manager —Roca Middle EastTell us about your company?Roca is the leading global bathroombrand providing a range of solutions forbathroom and tiles projects, active inmore than 135 markets.Roca is committed to being the mostsuccessful, well-known and appreciatedbrand in the bathroom sector by2020 and focuses on ve key values:innovation, design, sustainability, wellbeingand leadership.What projects have you worked on?Large-scale residential projects, luxuryhotels and resorts worldwide. In theMiddle East: Mina Seyahi Dubai, AlAqah Beach resort Fujairah, Al MahaRotana Abu Dhabi, Le Meridien andIntercontinental Amman and more.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Roca is one of the largest family-ownedbusinesses in Europe, and investsmore than 2% of the company turnoveron research, innovation and design toimprove and invent new products thatgives solutions to the bathroom sectorand satises the taste of consumers.Any news?Roca presented innovative solutionsfor the bathroom space at the ISH 2011exhibition held in Frankfurt. Amongthe latest proposals are the exclusiveArmani / Roca bathroom space, the In-Flow bathtub, the Hybrid faucet and theIn-Tank Meridian water closet.What are the key challenges youface?As our market spreads to 135 countries,and consumers are widely travelledthere is always a challenge to createnew experiences in the bathrooms,and nding the perfect balance oftechnology, design, and sustainability.How do we contact you?You can visit the Roca web site www.roca.com or call +971 (0)4 347 6400to contact our regional ofce at EmaarGold and Diamond Park, Building 5,Ofce 111, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,or email info.dubai@roca.netBy Franz Kook, CEO of Duravit AGTell us about your company?As an international manufacturer ofbathroom furnishings, Duravit AG withits head ofce in Germany has made itsmark in the sanitary sector with innovativedevelopments and exciting formscreated by international designers.Since 2009, Duravit produces kitchensinks with the collaboration of PhilippeStarck and Phoenix Design.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Duravit’s brand is exported to over 100countries. In collaboration with famousdesigners like Philippe Starck, Duravithas set a tremendous developmentpace: in the last 20 years, the manufacturerhas started over 40 new projects.Specially for kitchen sinks, Duravit hasDuraCeram, a patented special masswith higher impact resistance and optimumrobustness for tough kitchen use.Any news?Duravit is now extending its rangeof ceramic sinks to include Cassia,designed by Phoenix Design. PhoenixDesign incorporated the brilliance ofceramic into the design. The resultingsoft forms are welcoming, high qualityand functional. Key features are a ne,all-round prole, at, owing forms anda spacious surface area.Key trends in the kitchen?Modern, open kitchens are a living area.They are a place for preparing food,cooking, doing the dishes and spendinga lot of time with family and friends.As the kitchen sink is a visible elementwhich is in constant use, everyday practicalityis a key concern.How do we contact you?Duravit Middle East(Branch) DubaiAirport Free ZoneP.O.Box 293622, DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesPhone: +97147017117Fax: +97147017121info@ae.duravit.comOr Duravit is available from United SuppliesEst., P.O. Box 26020, DubaiPhone +971 42 687755Fax +971 42 688656Duravitwww.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 95

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWLasvitBy Vadim Horna, managing directorTell us about your company?Lasvit is a Czech Republic-baseddesigner and custom manufacturer ofbespoke contemporary light ttings andlarge glass art installations.What projects have you worked on?The Ritz Carlton Dubai InternationalFinancial Center, Meydan Hotel, PullmanMall of the Emirates, At.mosphere Grill& Lounge at Burj Khalifa, Al Rigga andKhalid Bin Al Waleed metro stationsin Dubai, ADNEC Wedding Hall in AbuDhabi, Four Seasons, MGM Grandhotels, Grand Hyatt hotels, Hard RockHotel in Macau, China World Trade Center,Fairmont Hotels in Beijing, The RitzCarlton, The Island Shangri-La and WHotels in Hong Kong, The Marina SandsCasino and Fairmont Hotel in Singapore,The Four Seasons and Beverly WilshireHotels in Beverly Hills and many others.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Focus on quality rather than quantity.Focus on long term relationship andvalue for the client rather than shortterm prot. Unrivalled understandingof the nature and character of glass andcommitment to deliver a unique designwithin the boundaries of time andbudget.Any news?This year, four prestigious projects inAbu Dhabi with our Glass Art Features:The Jumeirah Etihad Towers, The HyattCapital Gate, the Rocco Forte Hotel andRihan Heights at Zayed Sports City.What are the key challenges youface?Maintaining the highest design andmaterial quality standards in weakereconomic conditions. This is also ourmain strength as we have succeeded inthis challenge as opposed to most othercompanies in our eld.How do we contact you?LASVIT (Gulf) FZE, P.O. Box 262731,Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAET: +971 48814546 F: +971 48814547M: +971 506995102 E: vadim.horna@lasvit.com, www.lasvit.comBy Paul Vittecoq, managerTell us about your company?MOMO re is a company based in Dubaidealing all over the Middle East, specializedin eco design replaceWe offer to our clients solutions tocreate a warm atmosphere, bring differenceand elegance in their concept.We encourage our clients to use re asa marketing tool, to push a specic restaurantfor example, or attract peopleto the spa. We also produce indoor andoutdoor products from MOMO re.What projects have you worked on?Momo re has worked on many projectsin the Middle East region, which includethe Kempinski Hotel Bahrain; theIntercontinental Festival City, Dubai; thePullman Hotel, Mall of the Emirates; theRoyal Mirage; the One & Only Palm; and,the Rotana hotels.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Our competitive prices, large range ofproducts and custom jobs solutions.Any news?MOMO Fire is now launching a newproduct. It is the new Fireline automatic,which is made for custom jobs. It is fullyautomatic and we are able to connectit to the Smart Home System. We cantailor make the Fireline automatic to anysize and implement what we call the‘ribbon of re’ in any environment.What are the key challenges youface?Communication on the use of our innovativeproducts compared to traditionalreplace. We are selling a designerre concept which doesn’t require anyinstallation or extraction, and is ecological,easy and safe to use.How do we contact you?MOMO re,Showroom and Ofce in Al Quoz 4Tel: +971 4 323 5010Fax: +971 4 323 5011Mail: info@momore.comWeb: www.momore.comYou can also contact the manager PaulVittecoq at +971 50 5599754MOMO re96 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWOFFICE SUPPLIERSYOU SHOULD KNOWPost-recession, ofce designis one of the things that havebeen resigned to budgetcuts. However, accordingto the International Interior DesignAssociation (IIDA), ignoring workplacedesign can have negative effects.Poor design can lead to inefciency,lowered productivity and performance.“Smart, innovative and efcientworkplaces help businesses not justto cut occupancy costs but to addreal value. A thoughtfully designedworkspace can increase productivity,foster a sense of community, andminimise environmental impact.It also expresses the values of theorganisation,” said Cheryl Durst,executive vice president and CEO, IIDA.Apart from basic employee needssuch as lighting, indoor air quality andcomfort, the design should positivelyinuence the way people approachwork, improve overall job satisfactionand reduce absenteeism.“Ofce design is integral to how abusiness operates and also makes apowerful brand statement to staff andcustomers, yet many companies donot recognise it as a business priority.We’ve been working very closely withour exhibitors and knowledge partnersto ensure that the business benets ofgood ofce design will be shared withvisitors to our show this year,” saidDavid Wilson, event director, The OfceExhibition Dubai 2011.“Creating an ofce environment inwhich people feel comfortable hasa profound effect on ofce life andresults in considerable cost savingstoo. With the average ofce workerspending approximately 80,000hours sitting at their desk during thelifetime of their career, an ergonomicworkstation is the most importantworkforce investment a businessowner could make. Improving thewell-being of your staff improves theirperformance and efciency too whileeliminating costly medical expenses,”said Patrick Taylor, group sales andmarketing director, Gemaco Interiors.The Ofce Exhibition Dubai 2011is a trade event for ofce t-outs andis taking place at the Dubai WorldTrade Centre from May 17-19 and willshowcase stands from various ofcesuppliers in the region.With ofce design being soimportant, Commercial Interior Designcatches up with the ofce suppliersthat you should know.www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 99

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWBafcoBy Gilbert Griño, marketing managerTell us about your company?BAFCO is a UAE-based specialist incorporate interior solutions, with almost20 years of experience executingprojects across the Middle East.BAFCO is ISO certied and is the onlyofce furniture manufacturer awardedby the UAE government as Supplier ofthe Year for successfully contributingto the entire ofce requirements of theDubai Airport Terminal 3.What projects have you worked on?Some of the projects that we haveworked on last year were the recentlyopened Ferrari World in Yas Island, SorbonneUniversity in Al Reem Island, FoxMedia in twofour54 and Hamdan BinMohammed e-University in AcademicCity, to name a few.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Quality service and headache-free executionfrom a small furniture requirementup to a complex project. Havinga local manufacturing facility, we alsohave a shorter delivery time and lowercarbon emissions. We deliver a moreergonomic, functional and healthierwork environments that are suited tothe unique climate, culture and budgetin the Middle East.Any news?In our efforts to triple our manufacturingcapacity, we are building a 245,000square feet facility in Dubai IndustrialCity. This will be our centralised huband will focus on sustainable and “JustIn Time” manufacturing methods tocater to larger project requirements at aspeed to support our clients.What are the key challenges youface?Recruitment. With our expansion plansfor the new Dubai Industrial headquarters,getting the right people with thepassion to deliver great work is our keychallenge this year.How do we contact you?Dubai and Abu Dhabi Showrooms;www.bafco.com; 800 BAFCO (22326);hello@bafco.comBy Fadi Asad, general manager,OfcelandTell us about your company?Al Aqili Furnishings LLC has, sincebeing established in 1997, gainedrecognition as a ooring specialist, andis now acclaimed as one of the region’sfew one-stop shops for every furnishingneed. Our increasing numbers ofspecialised divisions provide the entirespectrum of interior solutions to matchthe region’s growing demand.What projects have you worked on?We have completed the full t-outworks for the Ministry of FinanceBuilding in Abu Dhabi. Also we haveexecuted the ofces for COMTEL in TwinTowers, Dubai and are working on theAtlas Business Centre, Dubai, just toname a few.What sets you apart from thecompetition?We always strive to provide the bestquality and service at all times. Ourteam of professional consultants isalways working hand-in-hand withdesigners and architects to provide theright and smart working solutions forany type and size of project. We alsoprovide custom made furniture solutions.We provide furniture solutionsfrom executive ofces, boardroom andlounge areas to house furniture.Any news?Ofceland is participating at the OfceShow 2011 and is looking forward tolaunching a new line of products. Weare introducing a new collection called‘BLADE’ from i4Mariani which willmainly focus and specialize in executive,semi-executive and staff desksystems. The other collection is theDesymetria collection. Also on displaywill be our ‘3fff’ brand.What are the key challenges youface?A slow moving market.How do we contact you?Tel. 04 337 7717, Fax 04 337 0379,Pyramid Centre, Umm Hurair Road, POBox: 31558, Dubai, UAE. E-mail: info@aaf-me.com, www.aaf-me.comAl Aqili100 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWHerman MillerBy Rob Keddie, regional director,Middle East and AfricaTell us about your company?Herman Miller is one of the world’slargest ofce and healthcare furnituremanufacturers and is recognised as anindustry leader in design innovationand manufacturing for the environment.We sell globally, with regionalheadquarters in Dubai.What projects have you worked on?We have been successful throughoutMEA on commercial, healthcare andeducational projects. We recently completeda bank headquarters with 3,500workstations, seating and storage,where the unique congurability of theAbak Environments range provided theclient with a solution that meant futurechanges in layout can be achieved atminimal disturbance and cost.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Herman Miller are probably bestrenowned for their iconic designs, fromthe launch of Ergon 1976 as the world’srst ergonomic task chair, through tothe newly launched SAYL family of seating,the design of which was inspiredby the Golden Gate Bridge.Any news?Herman Miller recently launched theSAYL family of ofce chairs designedby Yves Behar. Offering Herman Millerquality and manufactured with our impassionedrespect for the environment,SAYL is at the cutting edge of designand ergonomics, while at the sametime offering customers a chair thathas an attainable price.What are the key challenges youface?We are challenged by low cost copiesof our designs and by manufacturersclaiming certain standards for theirranges, which they do not achieve.How do we contact you?Herman Miller, PO Box 37190, Dubai,UAE; Tel: +971 (0)4 515 6565; Fax:+971 (0)4 515 6566; Email: info_dubai@hermanmiller.com; Website:www.hermanmiller.com/worldwide.By Matteo Pellegrini, general managerTell us about your company?Finasi LLC, Dubai carries an entirerange of exclusive world-renownedfurniture and is the ofcial partner andexclusive distributor for Molteni&CGroup across GCC. Citterio S.P.a. wasincorporated into the Molteni&C Groupin 1960 with focus on the production ofdesigner furniture.What projects have you worked on?Citterio’s products are integrated intovarious major international projects,including HSBC in London, Emi Recordsin New York, Nestle in Vevey-Switzerland,Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao-Spain,Chiesi Frmaceutici in Parma-Italy andBNP Paribas, Azimut.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Citterio has been the European marketleader in the ofce wall sector and hasalways been at the cutting edge of thelatest trends. This dominant positionis thanks to high product quality, topratedcustomer service and a quickproduction turnaround time. Ongoingresearch identies and experimentswith innovative materials and newinstruments developed for designpurposes. As part of sustainability, Citteriouses ECOPANELS for veneer andpanels and use eco-paints.Any news?Citterio is an active on the internationalfurniture circuit, with products integratedinto various major internationalprojects. Citterio’s furniture has foundplace in the works of reputed architectslike Norman Foster, Jean Nouvel andVittorio Gregotti.What are the key challenges youface?The brand Finasi while globallyrecognised has not been in this regionfor that long, so the challenge lies inexposing the market to the same levelof brand experience found elsewhere.How do we contact you?Finasi LLC, P.O.Box 118508, Dubai,U.A.E. - Tel: +971 4 2971777, Fax: +9714 2971717Finasiwww.constructionweekonline.comCommercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 101

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWThe Total OfceBy Rand Sandher, sales director andSiddharth Peters, managing directorTell us about your company?The Total Ofce formed in 1997. In2005, we opened its 20,000 squarefeet warehouse facility. In 2009 weopened our LEED-certied Abu Dhabiofce and increased our portfoliowith Kusch+Co, Orangebox and HAG.In 2010 we opened our second LEEDcertied-ofce in Dubai.What projects have you worked on?TRA, Al Hilal Bank, Baker Hughes, JPMorgan, Ministry of Finance, RAK Bank,Siemens, and Philips.What sets you apart from thecompetition?Our multi ofce location in theUAE, 20,000 warehouse facilitywith in-house logistics team,multicultural sales team to tackle avariety of cultures, environmentallyconscious with two LEED certiedofces, and experience to supportinternational corporations within theMiddle East.Any news?The Total Ofce has introduced twonew innovative products: Idea Paint& Conux Lighting. Idea Paint is paintthat can turn anything into a dry-erasesurface and conux lighting is a comprehensiveline of LED lighting which isthe rst to use a PIR (Passive InfraRed)sensor that works based on the user’sbody heat. It also features wirelesschargingPowermat and removes theglare of LED bulbs.What are the key challenges youface?Encouraging end users to experimentwith new ways of working and planningwith smaller local companies.Through lack of planning, solutionsare either rushed or missed andenvironmental considerations overlooked. Budgets and lead-times alsobecome an issue and dictate productselection.How do we contact you?www.thetotalofce.biz; Dubai +917(0)4 450 8700; Abu Dhabi +971 (0)2635 5588; Sharjah +971 (0)6 544 0563By Chan Abraham, national salesmanager – ofce solutionsTell us about your company?A member of Al-Futtaim group,FAMCO’s efforts are predominantlyfocused on using knowledgeable expertiseto provide products of superiorquality coupled with highly efcientservice and after-care. It is recognisedas a company whose services and standardsexceed those of its competitorssince its inception.What projects have you worked on?FAMCO Ofce Solutions departmenthave completed many projects inthe private and government sectorincluding DEWA, Dubai Hospitals,Hertz, TDIC, Everest Metals to namea few.What sets you apart from thecompetition?FAMCO’s ofce solutions team is wellequippedto provide complete turnkeysolutions for ofces, including efcientstorage solutions for a diverse range ofindustries.Any news?The FAMCO Ofce Solutionsshowrooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabiexhibit a wide range of ofce seating,desks and work stations from MobelLinea - suppliers of one of the widestranges of ofce furniture in theindustry. FAMCO is further offeringcustomers Bruynzeel shelvingsolutions.What are the key challenges youface?Designing ofce solutions for FAMCOgoes beyond simply a concept – it isthe translation of the relationship utilizingadvanced technology with style,aesthetics, durability, safety, and carefor the environment.How do we contact you?Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC(FAMCO), P.O. Box 5502, Dubai.; P.O.Box 8103, Abu Dhabi. UAE. Phone+971-4-2135249, +971-2-6765134Fax +971-4-2852949, +971-2-6765401Mobile +971-50-9639825E-mail chan.abraham@alfuttaim.aewww.famcouae.comFAMCO102 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

GEZE Middle East | P.O. Box 17903 | Jebel Ali Free Zone | Dubai U.A.E. | Tel: +971 4 4541434 | Fax: +971 4 4541474 | gezeme@ae.geze.com | www.geze.aeSIMPLICITYSTYLEGEZE Door Technology - Innovative systems for door, window and safety technologyGEZE door closers are a perfect example of attractive design and functionality. They incorporate the latesttechnical features and perform their task safely, reliably and with low maintenance requirements, decadeafter decade.GEZE is a German manufacturer with a prestigious heritage of innovative systems for door andwindow technology. GEZE was founded in year 1863 and is a family owned company.Door Technology | Automatic Door Systems | RWA and Ventilation Systems | Safety Technology | Glass SystemsBEWEGUNG MIT SYSTEM

PRODUCTSNew on the marketDEDONThanks to its cosy, protective,organic structure, Nest Rest transformsyour typical garden sofa intoan architectural piece, offering asecluded, suspended sanctuaryas it rocks you and puts you atease like a warm embrace. It’s theperfect place for relaxation, medi-tation and open-air conversations.Created by Fred Frety & DanielPouzet, two longtime collaboratorsof Dedon design partner Jean-Marie Massaud, Nest Rest was inspiredby the shapes, textures andcolours found in nature, and bythe sophisticated design of certainbird nests. It is constructed outof a new, specially created Dedonbre, four cms wide, guaranteeinga sturdy and solid weave that isopen, breathable and private.Built around an aluminumframe, Nest Rest is lighter than onemight assume, weighing 100kg.Available in both natural and chalkcolours, it may be hung from treesor other supports using ropeseither inside or outdoors.DEDON+ 49 (0) 41 31 / 22 44 70www.dedon.dewww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 105

PRODUCTSINTERFACEFLORInterfaceFLOR has launched ‘thepositive oor’, a labyrinth-like installationdeveloped by industrialartist Francesco Maria Bandini.A towering display rises withina pure white space, where the visitorcan move between imposingprisms, topped with vibrant multicolouredsurfaces. The prismsrecreate the effect of ground‘cracked’ by the heat of the sun,alluding to environmental issuesand InterfaceFLOR’scommitment to sustainability.The multi-coloured surfaces,which are made up of Interface-FLOR carpet tiles, are reectedin a mirrored ceiling and act as acompass, enabling the visitor tocheck their position in the maze.INTERFACEFLOR+44 (0)8705 304030www.interfaceflor.eu/meaKARTELLMagic Hole is a new pair of singlemould products: a two-seatersofa with a clean silhouette andstraight surfaces ending inrounded curves and slim sectionallegs. The linearity of the piecescontrasts with and is enhanced bythe originality of the stylistic details:a ared “pocket” white, greyor black or in contrasting colours(yellow, orange and green) fromthe interior hollow curve of botharms. Comfortable, light, shockresistant and weatherproof, theMagic Hole sofa and armchair areperfect for outdoor use.KART FURNITURETel: +971 4 348 8169www.kartdesign.netTECHNOGYMTechnogym has launched ReclinePersonal, an exercise bike withdesigner Antonio Citterio. It is thelatest addition to the Personalline, which includes Kinesis andRun Personal treadmill. It is therst exercise bike connected tothe web, thanks to its integratedVISIOweb display. It has a touchscreen with simple visual applicationswhich allows you to checkyour emails, your favourite websitesor social network sites. Thescreen can also be used to watchTV, access your iPhone and use arange of training programmes.TECHNOGYM+971 4 3375337www.technogym.com106 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

PRODUCTSSICIS’s collaborationwithChristian Lacroixon a new premierfurniture collectionhighlights exquisiteItalian mosaics, madein Ravenna, preservingits high artisanalstandards and cuttingedge technologyTheodora is theicon andsymbolSICISof Ravennawhere she reignsin the basilica,laid out in mosaicsplendour. Lacroix saidwith this furniture, themosaic work is kept toa minimum otherwise itwould look too heavyhanded.SICIS+971 4 395 3835www.sicis.comwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 107

Exceptional aesthetic wood-like finish for a widevariety of application in interior decorating*World’s No.1 Ceramic Tiles & Bathware ManufacturerCeramic TilesP.O.Box 4714, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.Tel: +971 7 2445046, Fax: +971 7 2445270email: mktgservices@rakceram.comwww.rakceramics.comGres Porcellanato Bathware & Kitchen FittingsP.O.Box 4714, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.Tel: +971 7 2445046, Fax: +971 7 2445270email: mktgservices@rakceram.comwww.rakceramics.com

PRODUCTSBOCONCEPTFurniture from BoConcept sets thedemand for functionality and applicabilityin your furniture.The new Pinto chair is a chairthat becomes almost a bed. Thiselegant recliner with footrest ina classic design, provides formore formal resting comfort whensitting up straight or a more laidbackfeeling when unfolding thefootstool and adjusting the backfor a lower position.The new console table andPinto chair are perfect examplesof BoConcept’s ambitions when itcomes to designing furniture.Use BoConcept to make yourfurniture optimise your space andat the same time work from day today in your everyday life.BOCONCEPT+971 4 341 4144www.boconcept.aePORROPorro Lissoni’s Modern is a collectionof worktops, units andshelves for relaxation areas.The designer has conceivedcompositions whose volumes arecadenced by colour, dimensionalinterplays, juxtapositions ofmaterials, alternation of spaceand solids to make contemporaryspaces richer and more delightful.For 2011, Modern plunges intocolour, to show all the possibilitiesof Porro’s new palette. It willbe completely revised by increasingthe number of colours from18 to 24 and introducing 16 newvibrant nuances, from the warmand cold greys, to a series of softtones, up to the brightest hues offuchsia, yellow, blue, acid green.PORRO+39 031 783266www.porro.comwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 109

PRODUCTSDuravit hasannounced itsKetho and 2nd oorbathroom ranges.Duravit collaboratedwith furniture designer,Christian Werner for Ketho.Werner started to “thinkfurniture into the bathroom”and designed a range thatis exible to suit anymodern bathroom.With the 2nd oorcomplete bathroomseries, SiegerDesignDURAVITcreated optionscharacterised by elegantproportions andsophisticated details.High material quality,practicality and aestheticscome together to guaranteea long service life: ceramics,furniture, bathtubs andshower trays in a variety ofdifferent dimensions.DURAVITTel: +971 4 7017117www.duravit.com110 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

PRODUCTSCASAMANIALoop is a hybrid chair/rug. Thischaise lounge, created by Dutchdesigner Sophie de Vocht, is bornfrom her interest in the techniqueof ‘tufting’, characterised bya high number of tufts of yarninserted through needles on to afabric base.The metal structure acts as asupport and allows the user torelax, cradled by its softness andby contact with the ground whereit is placed. It is characterised byits careful craftsmanship and abilityto evoke various images andobjects in the minds of those whosee it, allowing their imaginationto take ight.CASAMANIA+39 0423 6753www.casamania.itVERSACE HOMEThe new Versace Home Collectionwill be available from September2011, which includes the Heraldarmchair. The golden metal ribbonthat outlines the chair’s shape isthe weight bearing structure of thearmchair. It is presented in variousnishings: mirrored leather, highglosscoated technical fabric andsilk jacquard, velvet and silk satin.VERSACE HOME+ 9714 3308697www.versacehome.itwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 111

AN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN-LED INTERIORS EXHIBITIONFOR PROFESSIONAL INTERIOR DESIGNERS, RETAILERS,ARCHITECTS AND HOTEL DESIGNERSTo experience the best in design, register now at:www.interiorsuae.comOrganised by:

PRODUCTSMILLIKENColour mania hits the oor inFixation, the latest modular carpetfrom Milliken Contract.For those with a x on colour,this carpet tile has 40 colours tochoose from, all presented on aCarbon Neutral base.Smart neutrals can add simpledetailing, while richer reds,oranges and turquoise will giveslabs of full-on colour and bothcan be complemented withsharp accent details.With Fixation, speciers anddesigners can create a bespokeoor from an off-the-peg carpettile range that focuses on everydayvalue and performance.MILLIKEN+44 (0)1942 612888www.millikencarpeteurope.comMODULAModula-conceptio is a contemporaryboutique based in Dubai,which amalgamates uniquestyles of design from around theworld, particularly Italy.The products range from seamless,hand crafted resin ooringto Murano glass lighting andfurniture and art. Under theumbrella of Vogue International,Modula-conceptio was launchedsix years ago and specialises ininteriors, with projects and clienteleextending to Egypt, Syria,Kuwait and the surrounding GCCand MENA region.MODULA-CONCEPTIO+971 4 3943002www.modula-conceptio.comwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 113

THIS IS A KITCHEN…it just takes a special eye to see itThe most innovative design starts with a designer’s vision.Exhibitors at INDEX understand that great design is much more thansimply assembling, arranging or editing, it is something that is felt!Showcasing products and services that range from traditional to quirky,opulent to minimalist, exhibitors at INDEX provide all the creativity andinspiration needed for the next upcoming project.To become an exhibitor email us at kitchenbathroom@indexexhibition.com,call us on +971 (0)4 438 0355or visit our website www.indexexhibition.comWHERE INSPIRATION THRIVES22 - 25 October 2011 | Halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, Rashid Hall, Maktoum Hall | Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE

PRODUCTSTOM RAFFIELDInternationally renowned forhis wooden furniture and lighting,Tom Rafeld has acquiredcritical acclaim for his design andsustainable work ethics. Specialisingin ecologically soundfurniture and lighting, he pushesthe boundaries of traditionalwoodwork to create new andexciting products out of sustainablysourced timber.The Flock Light is a chandelierfull of movement and elegance,originally designed to representthe uidity of ocking birds. TheFlock Light is made using 90 individuallysteam bent and twistedstrips of sycamore, delicatelysuspended from a ceiling plate.The chandelier can bespecically tailored to suitany individual space, made toa variety of sizes and designspecications.TOM RAFFIELD+44 (0)7968 621955www.tomraffield.comPRECIOSAThe Preciosa Lighting Company,has launched ‘Beyond Belief – TheSea of Light’, which draws inspirationfrom the undersea world.Inspired by organic shapes, thelight ltering through the water,waves, undersea streams andcoral reefs, its designers created,using the purest Bohemian crystal,inimitable design concepts.This year’s collection is bestcharacterised by a luminous wallcalled Beyond Belief created byLucie Sokolova. It represents thecoral reefs’ diversity in colour andshapes with several layers of glassvarying in thickness, colours andstructure, illuminated by LED lightsources and optical bres.The Gorgonian delicate lightingxture is designed by Radek Fiala.The glassmakers drew each glasscomponent and shaped it by handand then decorated each piece,according to their feeling for thematerial used and experience.The air escaping from the bottomof the sea forms strings ofbubbles that mingle and blendtogether on their way up to the surface,creating various patterns.In the xture Fluentum byJaroslav Bejvl, the bubbles arerepresented by crystal beadsstrung together, enabling thedesigner to form practicallyany shape. To emphasise thesensation of bubbling, opticalbers were used with a computercontrolledprojector.PRECIOSA+420 737 220 285www.preciosa.comwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 115

In May 2011,where do discerninghoteliers find thelatest innovationsin interior design?Only at The Hotel Show.From elegant furnishings and contemporary lighting tomodern art and luxurious flooring, The Hotel Show is the onlyhospitality event designed to meet all your fit-out needs.Register Now! www.thehotelshow.com/visit17 th - 19 th MAY 2011DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

PRODUCTSADRENALINAAdrenalina has launched adynamic, exible, design in vividcolours, which include yellow,blue curaçao and violet.A 10 year long collaborationwith Simone Micheli led to the2011 collection featuring visionary,miscellaneous and complementaryitems and provocativeones, such as Green & Love.This is a totem seat, a sculpture,that can be viewed as a museumpiece in compliance withAdrenalina’s masterpieces, suchas Symbol, Polifemo, Sexychair,Bomb, to name but a few.Pills is a kaleidoscopic sofathat stands out with sleek linesand elegant design.It looks as light as air, butshows dazzling colours.The designer sofa standsout for its personality andoriginality.ADRENALINA+39.0721.208372www.adrenalina.itwww.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | MAY 2011 117

CONTRACTSProject FocusCOMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IS COMMITTED TO HELPING ITS READERS GROW THEIR BUSINESSES, SO WE HAVE TEAMEDUP WITH VENTURES MIDDLE EAST TO BRING YOU THE LATEST TENDERS FROM AROUND THE REGION ON A MONTHLY BASIS.PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTRACTOR VALUE /VALUE RANGE(US$. MN)City of Lights - C10, C10A and C11 Tamouh Investments Palm & Turner Architects China State Construction &Engineering CorporationPROJECT STATUS101 - 250 Project underconstructionRoyal City Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi City Seasons Group James Cubitt & Partners Tae Young Contracting 101 - 250 Project underconstructionYasmin Tower 1 in Ras Al Khaimah Union Group and Bina Consulting Engineering Group Jog Union Engineering 14 Project underconstructionMarina Bay in Najmat on Reem Island Damac Properties Architectural Consulting Group Al Shafar General Contracting 52 Project underconstructionAl Falah Development in Abu Dhabi -2000 VillasDeyar Al MafraqALDAR PropertiesTourism Development & InvestmentCo.Al Torath EngineeringConsultantsADNOC New Headquarters Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum(HOK)El Seif Engineering &Contracting Co.251 - 500 Project underconstructionArif & Bintoak Consulting Not Appointed 251 - 500 Bidding underwayfor the main contractAhalia Hosptial in Mussafah Ahalia Hosptial Group Society Technology House Al Mansouri 3B (Brothers)ConstructionsArjaan Hotel Apartments in Adnec Bin Hamoodah Properties GA Architects & Engineers United EngineeringConstruction (UNEC)Six Construct 490 Project underconstruction30 Project underconstruction31 - 100 Project underconstructionJubail Market in Sharjah Government of Sharjah Godwin Austen Johnson Sun Engineering & Contracting 47 Project underconstructionFrankfurt Sports Tower 1 in DSC Memon Investments Al Hatmy Design & Eng. Cons. OST Constructional Projects 92 Project underconstructionShowroom for 100 Cars in Al FalahAreaFranco Emirien Hospital in AirportRoadALDAR Properties RMJM Amana Contracting & SteelBuildings Company54 Project underconstructionFranco Emirien Hospital Heberger Engineering Target Engineering 46 Project underconstructionSCA Building in Garhoud Securities & Commodities Authority Archon EngineeringConsultants17 Non Process Buildings RuwaisRe nery ExpansionExemplary School For Police Academyin Al AinWatani Residential Development -600 Villas and 48 BuildingsB2B Commercial Building at theGrand Mosque Area134 Townhouses and Villas in theGarden ViewsForce 7 Accommodation Building nearthe Maqta BridgeBu Haleeba Contracting 31 - 100 Project underconstructionAbu Dhabi National Oil Company Derby Design Ed Zueblin AG 31 - 100 Project underconstructionPolice Projects Committee Architecture & Planning Group Force 10 General Contracting 16 - 30 Project underconstructionSorouh Real Estate Ewan Arch. Eng./WSP Group Not Appointed 251 - 500 Bidding underwayfor the main contractTourism Development & InvestmentCo./Emirates Property Investment Co.Nakheel CorporationUAE PROJECTS DATABASEKhatib & Alami ConsolidatedEngg.Dimensions EngineeringConsultants, DubaiAli & Sons Contracting 55 Project underconstructionGhassan Ahmed Al KhalidContracting Co.2.5 - 15 Project underconstructionPolice Projects Committee National Engineering Of ce Force 10 General Contracting 31 - 100 Project underconstructionPROJECTTYPEMixed UseHotelMixed UseMixed UseResidentialDevelopmentResidentialDevelopmentCommercialBuildingsHospitalResidentialBuildingsShoppingCenterResidentialBuildingsCommercialBuildingsHospitalCommercialBuildingsCommercialBuildingsEducationalFacilitiesMixed UseCommercialBuildingsResidentialDevelopmentResidentialDevelopmentNote: 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, UAE118 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

Celebrating InspirationContact Leigh Roche on +971 679 444 3679 or leigh.roche@itp.com

OPINIONTheme worldBY GORDON CRUICKSHANKSIrst came to the UAE in 1993 toset up a franchise for the US basedcompany Rock and Waterscapes,which specialises in the design, coordinationand construction of rock andwater sculptures found in hotels, themeparks, aquariums and shopping malls.Dubai was a different place to what itis now. It was fascinating. There was noSheikh Zayed Road, no Al Quoz, and theonly hotel at the time was the ChicagoBeach Hotel now Jumeriah Beach Hotel.Apart from that, it was all desert.I left school in County Durham, northeast England to start my career as anecclesiastical stone mason. I was alwaysfascinated by sculptures, especiallygargoyles and I went to the States tond similar work. As luck would have it, Imet a stone mason working at MontereyBay Aquarium in California and got a jobcreating articial coral reefs for them.I worked on and off in the US for25 years, creating the articial MountVesuvius at the Mirage hotel and SkullMountain at Treasure Island Hotel, LasVegas, SeaWorld, San Diego and CampSnoopy at Knotts Berry Farm, California.My rst job in Dubai was to constructthe articial caves at the Al Mahara underwaterseafood restaurant at the Burj AlArab. Other jobs include the Aspen rockcolumns at the entrance to Ski Dubai,Mall of Emirates, the replica LondonTower Bridge at Lamcy Plaza shoppingmall, the façade of Dolphin Bay, theAtlantis, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai and pillarsand artwork at Ibn Battuta Mall.I work with a team of 12 in Al Quoz,who are experienced model and moldfabricators who can visualise the ideasof designers. We provide consultationfrom the beginning stages of conceptualdevelopment through to the installationprocess. We can replicate any kind ofnatural rock by combining the right techniquesto get an authentic match.I have worked on sculptures for numerousrestaurants, cafes and hotels in theUAE but my favourite project to date isrecreating four of the 31 Ajanta Caves,which were carved into the rockface duringthe second century BCE in India, forthe World Heritage Fund. This is the icingon the cake for me because the interiorcarving and artwork is intense.We use many techniques to completea job from Styrofoam, EPS foam, lightweightsculpting cement, various hardcoats, but everything is non toxic. I don’twork with bre glass because it’s dangerous.Everything I use is biodegradable.Unfortunately, there is not as muchwork around nowadays as there usedto be. The business has changed somuch. Projects have dropped to a bareminimum. The profession now is so alienatedfrom what it once was. I still clingto the art of sculpting but this has beenreplaced by computer generated imaging.I designed the styrofoam boulder thatwas used in the rst Indiana Jones lm inElstree Film Studios, in the UK and I alsoworked on the Universal Studios JurassicPark ride. There is no set work for sculpturesanymore because everything is generatedby Adobe, for example the DoctorDolittle lm is computer animated.It doesn’t put me out of a job, butwhen I started out I learned how to carveon lettering, then computer letteringcame in at a quarter of the price than astone mason and four times faster. It’sprogress. It was interesting before. EverythingI do is a challenge. People see whatI do for a living and say it looks simplebut I don’t want my work to look the sameas everyone else. When I rst came toDubai there was no-one doing carvingor rock work. There are a lot of peoplenow who claim to be sculpturors but theyaren’t trained in the profession. I neveradvertise my work, it all comes via wordof mouth. My advice is, if you can draw,you are a step in the right direction.Gordon Cruickshanks is the CEO of ThemeWorld based in Dubai. For more detailsvisit www.blooloop.com120 MAY 2011 | Commercial Interior Designwww.constructionweekonline.com

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