commercial interior design - april 2010

An ITP Business Publication | Licensed by Dubai Media City

April 2010 Vol.6 Issue 4

The essential guide for Middle East interior design professionals

A

n ITP Business Publication

COM

MER

CIALInterior design

Apr Vol.6 Issue 4

Ship shapeONBOARD THE NEW COSTA DELIZIOSA

AESTHETICALLY PLEASING,TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCEDAND SUSTAINABLY SOUND

A new breed of

BATHROOMS

Hi-tech creativityHOW IS TECHNOLOGY IMPACTING DESIGN?

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CONTENTS

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 1

April 2010

05 DESIGN UPDATE

PROFILEIntroducing Hesse Lignal.

INDUSTRY SPEAKHow is technology impacting the design process?

DESIGNER Q&ACatching up with Lino Losanno and Lorenzo Perini, retail designers extraordinaire.

CASE STUDYOnboard the recently-inaugurated Costa Deliziosa.

CASE STUDYChecking out the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

FEATUREHighlighting the latest trends in bathroom design.

DESTINATION FOCUSThe low-down on Saudi Arabia’s interior design industry.

LIGHTING SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOWA handful of lighting suppliers that you should know.

PRODUCTSA showcase of new products, including Domino, Circus, the Nora Turquoise series, Twilight Shower and Rusted.

CONTRACTSYour monthly guide to contracttenders in the region, providedby Ventures Middle East.

OPINIONExploring the science of feng shui with Shivani Adalja.

13

VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4

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FORM FOLLOWS FLOW.dOt, design Wiel Arets Bathroom Culture since 1892 www.laufen.com/middleeast

Bahrain: Al Abbas Gallery +973 17741919 [email protected]: Farbar +98 21 88 03 6364 [email protected]

Jordan: Izzat Musa Marji & Sons Co. +962 65 52 02 84 [email protected]: Arte Casa Trading Co. +965 4848 000 [email protected]

Lebanon: Georges Nassr +961 1 482 462 [email protected]: Ahmed Mohsin Trading L.L.C. +968 248 17 019 [email protected]

Qatar: M.S.K Building Material +97 44 440 051 [email protected] Arabia: Dar Alfun for Ceramics (Articasa) +96 6 2252 4402 [email protected]

Syria: Uni Group +96 31 15 32 67 00 [email protected] Arab Emirates: German Home for Bathrooms & Kitchens +971 4 268 9993 [email protected]

Yemen: Abu Al-Rejal Trading Corp. +967 1 272 519 [email protected]

1 _ InteriorDesign_ dOtTamTam_ 225x300 : InteriorDesign_ dOtTamTam_ 225x300 13 - 01 - 2010 18 : 44 Pagina 1

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COMMENT


One can’t help but worry about the future of the 2B pencil. A long-held, loyal companion of designers the world over, Mr. 2B is being unceremoniously swept

aside in favour of that brash young upstart: technology. In its various guises, technology has democratised design,

making ideas, information and inspiration easier to access, distribute, share, discuss and dissect. Technology acts as a vital communication tool, allowing design to be understood

by all. It allows design – that most personal, subliminal, subjective of things – to be taken out of the mind of the designer and put it into a medium that others can tap into. It creates a common language.

It is also a key driver in the creative process, enabling designers to explore new forms, colours and textures; it encourages people to push boundaries and chal-lenge existing norms; and it offers speed, ease and effi ciency, godsends in an age of frantic productivity and incessant pressure to perform and create.

Moving forward, technology’s role in the design process is only set to increase. There is a new generation of designers coming into the business arena that are largely unfamiliar with the merits of the meagre pencil. They probably learnt to read on a computer – and they defi nitely learnt to design on one.

On the one hand, this is cause for celebration. Virtual walk-throughs, where de-signs are presented in all their multi-dimensional glory, could become ubiquitous. The ‘experiential’ side of design will be enhanced and the practice of communicat-ing ideas will only become easier.

However, there are concerns. Just as people will always worry that computers will eventually displace genuine human interaction, one has to question whether technology will end up cannibalising creativity.

Technology shouldn’t shape design, it should facilitate it. Unfortunately, it can all too easily create a disconnect between the designer and their design. As Zain Mustafa points out in this month’s Industry Speak (page 13), rubbing out your mistakes, throwing away your piece of tracing paper and starting all over again is a sure-fi re way of getting you to think carefully about what you are doing. That level of focus and engagement is what creates truly great design.

As with most things, the secret is balance. Ultimately, designers must be mas-ters of the technologies they employ, rather than slaves to them.

The death of 2B

SELINA DENMAN, [email protected]

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www.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 5

UAE: Swedish wallpaper and wallcoverings company, ECO BoråsTapeter, has established its fi rst presence in the UAE, with a ‘shop within a shop’ at Danube, Dubai Festival Centre. Here, customers can virtually simulate wallpaper designs, to create their ideal wallcovering solutions.

“We understand that there is demand for a fresh design brand such as ECO BoråsTapeter in the Middle East, as the offerings here are extremely limited – in terms of accessibility and international design,” said Lars Narfeldt, agent and distributor, ECO BoråsTapeter. “We are very proud to be able to offer this luxury Swedish design brand to the UAE market.”

The ‘ECO’ part of the brand offers young, trend-conscious designs, including exclusive

ECO BOR ÅSTAPETER ESTABLISHES A PRESENCE IN THE UAE

Swedish walls

fl ock wallpaper and bold wall murals. The range includes the award-winning London, which is the recipient of an Elle Decoration Design Award. Being stocked in the UAE as part of the ECO range are Line, Velvet, Feeling, Design 2 and Design 3, as well as the Metallic collection.

By contrast, BoråsTapeter offers classic, contemporary wallpaper and is Sweden’s oldest and most popular brand of wall-covering. Being stocked in the UAE from the BoråsTapeter range are Artwork, Garden, Passion, New Classic and Plain Stripes.

“We are proud to be collaborat-ing with ECO BoråsTapeter in bringing their renowned brand exclusively to the region, where customers can now purchase high-end wallpapers and other

home interior products from their range of industry-leading offer-ings at our Danube Buildmart stores,” said Rizwan Sajan, chair-man, Danube Building Materials.

“In line with our target to build a signifi cant market for ECO Borå-sTapeter in the UAE, we have dedi-cated an area within our Dubai Festival City outlet for the brand, wherein customers can consult with our design centre and virtu-ally simulate wallpaper designs to fi nd the perfect match for their requirements,” he added.

“This partnership underlines our aims to offer pioneering products, and we are confi dent that this brand will gather up a signifi cant following in the local market as well as in the region, as we aim to introduce the brand across the Middle East.”

Win a feature wall for youroffice with designer wallpaper brand, ECO BoråsTapeter. ECO BoråsTapeter is celebrating its

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www.constructionweekonline.com6 APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

DESIGN UPDATE

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DESIGN UPDATE


Germany: Germany’s Weil am Rhein, home of the Vitra Campus, has a striking new landmark, the VitraHaus. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the building is a show-case of the company’s Home Col-lection, where classics by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Jean Prouve and Verner Panton mingle with con-temporary designs from Maarten van Severen, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio, Hella Jongerius and Jasper Morisson.

The space was created to act as a source of inspiration for visitors, where they can try out the furniture on display, and order and purchase products. There is also the opportunity to learn more about the company’s production methods, quality control and com-mitment to sustainability.

Since 1981, when a major fi re destroyed most of the production facilities on the Vitra premises in Weil am Rhein, the area has been transformed into the site of a het-erogeneous ensemble of contem-porary architecture. Zaha Hadid

realised her very fi rst built struc-ture there. The Vitra Design House was the fi rst piece of architectural work by Frank Gehry outside of the US, and Tadao Ando constructed his fi rst building outside of Japan on the campus.

Since there was no dedicated space for Vitra’s Home Collection, which was launched in 2004, Vitra commissioned the Basel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron to create the Vitrahaus in 2006. Set on the northern side of the grounds, VitraHaus stands along-side Gehry’s Vitra Design Museum, which was created in 1989, and Ando’s Conference Pavilion, which came into existence in 1993.

The structure promotes two classic Herzog & de Meuron themes: the archetypal house, and the idea of stacked volumes. In Weil am Rhein it was particularly appropriate to return to the idea of the ur-house, since the purpose of the structure is to promote objects for the home. The proportions and dimensions of the space are of a ‘domestic’ scale, meaning that the

A STRIKING NEW HERZOG & DE MEURON-DESIGNEDSTRUCTURE SHOWCASES VITR A’S HOME COLLECTION

Design haus

showrooms are reminiscent of a familiar residential setting.

Stacked to a total of fi ve storeys high and cantilevered up to 15m in some places, the vertical col-lection of 12 houses, whose fl oor slabs intersect the underlying gables, create a three-dimensional structure – a pile of houses that, at fi rst glance, has an almost chaotic appearance. The charcoal colour of the exterior stucco skin unifi es the structure, ‘earths’ it and connects it to the surrounding landscape.

The complexity of the interior is further enhanced by a second geometrical concept. All of the staircases within the structure are integrated into expansive, winding, organic volumes that ‘eat’ their way into the various levels of the building like a worm.

Some 21m in height, 54m in width and 57m in length, Vitra-Haus extends above the other buildings on the Vitra campus. The aim was very much to create a vertically-orientated structure with a small footprint – in stark contrast to traditional production facilities.

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PROFILE


Hesse Lignal

W HO?Hesse is a Germany-headquartered

specialist in the production of surface treatments, lacquers and stains. The family-owned, teamwork-orientated company was

established in 1910 and produces 100 tonnes of lacquer per day. The company employs 500

people worldwide and has a product range consisting of 45,000 formulations. “We are

known in Europe not just for selling products but for offering ideas and solutions,”

noted Beate Hesse, CEO, Hesse.

USPS Product quality, product consistency and

professional service are the cornerstones of the Hesse brand promise. “It starts with the people,” said Jens Hesse, CEO, Hesse. “Peo-ple are important and training is important.

The second thing is the quality of the raw materials. We control every batch that we get from our suppliers and we carry out stringent

quality control. The third thing is having the right machines. A mixture of people, a phi-

losophy of quality, and the right equipment helps us deliver what the market needs.”

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PROFILE


W HE RE ?The company opened its new ‘hub’ for the Middle East on March 10. The new workshop and warehouse facility is located in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone South, and was inaugurated by Tareq bin Ghalaita, vice president of commercial sales for the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority. This followed the opening of a new facility in Bangalore, India, three days earlier. “We are bringing our know-how to the Middle East. Our aim is to deliver knowledge, not just products. We want to extend technical knowledge to our customer, and to educate them on the right procedures,” said Muneer Idrees, sales manager, Middle East, Hesse International.

W H Y ?“We started working in this part of the world about six years ago,” explained Beate Hesse. “We discovered that this was a huge market for interiors, and not only for the interiors of buildings but also the interiors of boats. We realised that the wide range of products that we had could really suit this market. In the long history of the company we have developed more than 45,000 different products, so it was a question of fi nding the right products for the market.”

T RE NDS“The trend in Dubai is still high gloss, even though not everybody knows how to produce high-gloss lacquers,” Beate Hesse pointed out. “We started fi ve years ago with normal solvent-based products but now more and more companies, even here in Dubai, have switched to modern UV lines and UV products. If I use PUR lacquers (which can be distinguished as acrylic formulations and alkyd-combinations), they are easy to work with, but need two to three days of working process before delivery. UV lacquer can be packed the same day – but it requires a lot of experience to work with, so you have to fi nd the right solution for the right customer.”

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A sanitary system with aconcealed cistern.

Discretion is the secretof good design.

Concealed systems from Geberit save space by integrating the cistern and pipes in the wall. This is not only more attractive, but also easier to clean.

www.geberit.ae

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INDUSTRY SPEAK


There is a danger that we as creatives become slaves to the technology, rather than masters of it. One

can see evidence of this in many Dubai interiors

regards to the application of alternative construction technology,” said David Rooney, design director, Luxe Interior.

Whatever the technologies em-ployed, it is essential to use a common platform that is shared by all of the various stakeholders involved in a design project, warned Zain Mustafa, founder of Zain Mustafa Interiors.

“The technologies that we use in the offi ce are 3D Max and AutoCad, primarily. We also end up using a lot of Photoshop to layer over the 3D Max. We will also use Illustrator and PowerPoint but these are mainly

PLS Design’s Losanno is already noticing a difference in the way that younger designers are approaching the design process. “We still use pencils. We make sketches. But I see that new architects and designers are different. After all, they completed all their studies using computers. And some of the current design is very much affected by the software they are using,” he said.

As designers become more and more comfortable with the technology at their disposal, things like ‘virtual walk-throughs’ will become ever more

Dubai interiors where it is clear that computer technology has driven the design, rather than a real understand-ing of what the venue is intended for and who will use it,” said Rooney. “The design process has to be more than the production of a knock-out visual!”

Technology can create distance, and it is critically important not to lose touch with the essence of a project. “Technology enables us to work remotely, or even to work from home, but in some cases I still believe that designers need to experience the product for themselves. I personally go to every site myself, to absorb the vibrancy of a particular place, in order to get the real essence of the location, and then convey my feelings and opin-ions to my team,” said During.

The all-important human element can too easily be lost, Katodrytis warned. “Handcrafted techniques and original pieces have been lost. Interiors have become generic and mass-produced, as well as fabricated in workshops and only assembled on site. The ease of production has been fascinating – I only hope that basic human senses remain an integral part of this revolution: seeing, as in natural light; touch, as in rough materiality; smell – not of plastic, and sound, as in silence,” he said.

For all its benefi ts, technology comes with a distinct set of dangers. Speed and effi ciency should not replace considered, heartfelt design. “Consider the simple act of drawing a box with a pencil,” said Mustafa. “With technology it is so easy and quick to create a box that often you don’t have time to think about the intrinsic value of that box. Should it really be those proportions? You go so fast from one box to the next to the third to the fourth that somewhere in those layers, a lot of things do get lost.

“We have gained speed and effi -ciency but we don’t have time to think the design through as rigorously any-more. You are not necessarily thinking it through as much as you would because you are not going through the process of rubbing it out, throwing your piece of tracing paper away, and starting all over again.”

communication tools, they are not about the design. The design is done in AutoCad – after we’re done with the 2B pencil, obviously!

“The reason one uses AutoCad is it is technically sound. Any engineering company can also read it. So when you send it and it’s done on a PC format, it’s a platform that everybody can read and understand. Its unilateral quality allows it to be fl exible, so we stick to that,” he continued.

“A lot of people might ask why we don’t use a Mac since we are a cutting-edge design company, but we don’t live in an isolated environment. I need everybody else who makes our design happen to understand those drawings, regardless of where they come from, how old their machine is, and how big or small their company is,” he said.

As a new generation of technologi-cally-fl uent designers make their way into the business arena, the impact of technology is only set to grow. At the University of Sharjah, students are being versed in digital modelling and rendering, digital fabrication laser cut-ter and 3D printers, parametric design methods and simulation of natural light and sun movement.

prevalent, Mustafa predicted. “I would like for the virtual walk-through to come back because it allows for the design to become more experiential.

“I’d love to explore and develop that genre more but, unfortunately, right now, it would cut me away from all the people that have to build my stuff for me. I would like the virtual walk-through to become easier to do, so we could use it more in-house, like you do 3D Max,” he said.

Moving forward, technology will be the catalyst that allows designers of built environments to push more and more boundaries. “Ultimately, it will push engineers to build bigger, stron-ger and more creative concepts; the Burj Khalifa is a good example of how technology has evolved and enables us to build and create more daring concepts,” During pointed out.

“Technology pushes designers and engineers to go that extra mile and to fi nd better, more revolutionary con-struction methods and materials.”

However, there is a balance to be struck. “There is a danger that we as creatives become slaves to the technology, rather than masters of it. One can see evidence of this in many

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Old situation35W / 50W halogenswith Electronic gear

Philips GreenSolution4W & 12W Philips Spot LEDs

Area (Sq. feet) 1528 1528

Amount of Luminaries 300 300

Total Installed Power (W) 11940 1968

Energy load per year (kWh) 41790 6888

Load per Sq. feet (W) 7.8 1.2

Energy Saving Up to 80%

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Sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, bathtubs, shower trays, wellness products and accessories: Duravit has everything you need to make life in the bathroom a little more beautiful. More info at Duravit Middle East S.A.L., P.O. Box 13-6055, Chouran-Beirut, Lebanon, Phone +961 1 397329, Fax +961 1 397330, [email protected]. Duravit Middle East (Branch), P.O. Box: 293622 – Dubai, Dubai Airport Free Zone - United Arab Emirates, Phone +971 4 7017117, Fax +971 4 7017121, [email protected]. Duravit Saudi Arabia LLC, Al Hamra district, Aarafat street, Shahwan commercial center, 3rd floor – Office number 4, P.O. Box 9135, 21413 Jeddah, Phone +966 2 66 580 54 / +966 2 66 176 94, Fax +966 2 66 410 38, [email protected]. www.duravit.com

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DESIGNER Q&A

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 17Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 17

DESIGNER Q&A

Lino Losanno and Lorenzo Perini met 14 years ago, and have worked together ever since, initially as associates at ar-

chitecture and design fi rm, Nardi Associ-ates, and then as partners in their own Firenze-based fi rm, PLS Design.

At Nardi, they were responsible for the retail sector, and worked with the biggest names in Italian fashion: Dolce

ITALIAN ARCHITECTS, LINO LOSANNO AND LORENZO PERINI, SPE AK TO CID ABOUT THE ART OF EFFECTIVE RE TAIL DESIGN

High


& Gabbana, Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Malo and Iceberg, to name but a few. They travelled the globe opening up stores for fashion’s most fabulous, and even came to Dubai to open the emir-ate’s fi rst ever Dolce & Gabbana store.

Residential projects in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait followed, and the pair have kept in contact with the region ever since. Last month, they were back in Dubai to mark the opening of their lat-est project, the new Western Furniture showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road. CID caught up with them to fi nd out more about the world of high fashion.

How have you seen retail design in Dubai evolve since you opened that first Dolce & Gabbana store here?Lino Losanno: We were walking through Fashion Avenue in Dubai Mall the other day and said, ‘Wow, you don’t need to go to Rome or Paris or Milano any more. You can just come here and you get everything – from new concepts to new designs’. That’s mesmerising.

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DESIGNER Q&A


collection upstairs so it was important to attract people up. People will look at this steel, mirror and glass staircase and think: ‘I want to go up there’.

Of course, there is also the fountain, where we are bringing natural elements inside, especially in the area where they display outdoor furniture, upstairs on the deck. They have outdoor furniture and tables, so I have tried to make people feel like they are outside.

What kind of materials did you favour for this design? Lino Losanno: We tried to work with environmentally-friendly materials. The fl oor, for example, is made of a material called fi bre cement. It looks like stones but is made of a compacted powder con-sisting of natural materials like concrete and wood, pressed together. It comes from Italy and is very durable.

You do both architecture and interior design. Do you have a preference?Lino Losanno: We have a background in architecture, so we like to build buildings. But, of course, a building has its interiors and that’s all part of it. We don’t really have a preference. Of course, working with interiors in an existing situation means you have more limitations. Having totally free rein to build a complete building is nice.Lorenzo Perini: And even when we do interiors, they have an architectural feel.

1

Lorenzo Perini

and Lino Losanno.

2,3&4

A PLS-designed

boutique, located at

Campomarzio 9,

in Rome.

2

It’s a different kind of feeling, of course, then walking on Sloane Street or Bond Street in London, or Avenue Montaigne in Paris, or Via della Spiga in Milano. But in Dubai, especially with spaces like the big malls and hotels, you have more of a chance to express yourself, because the spaces are totally empty. When you work in old cities, you have to deal with old buildings and sometimes the design is led by the nature of the building. But, in this case, you are totally free.

It is a different kind of creativity when you deal with an existing structure. In Europe we are sometime overwhelmed by the power of existing buildings. It’s a different kind of thing here; you feel free to express yourself 100% and that’s very interesting as a designer.

How did you become involved with the new Western Furniture showroom?Lino Losanno: One day we received a phone call from the contractor who was working on this project and he said that the client was asking for an Italian archi-tect. We sent him our resume and two days later I was here. Two weeks later the design was on the table.

What did you do with this design?Lino Losanno: We came here and we found a totally empty box with very high ceilings and big windows. The client told us they were going to sell home

furniture, but it is kind of diffi cult to put home furniture into a warehouse. So I thought we should build a house within this building. And that’s how we came up with the idea of a box inside a box.

We then fragmented the space into several different kinds of atmo-spheres. We have the entrance area which is more ‘monumental’, with a big water feature and a big staircase, but the rest of the space is divided into what could essentially be a home. The ceilings are lower; the lights are lower; the colours are combined in a way that makes you feel like you are at home. You feel comfortable.

That was the fi rst idea. The other ele-ment was communication. We thought that the logo needed to be seen and recognised. You have a big ‘W’ on the outside, and we also had a set of columns on the inside of the building, so we wrapped corten ribbon around the column and created a big ‘W’ over the cashier’s desk. Corten is a natu-rally rusted steel. It changes with time because it becomes more rusted, so it will be even nicer in a few months. It is an evolving material, which was very interesting for me.

And then you had the staircase, which is the second element. It had to attract people to go upstairs and see what was there. It is always diffi cult to get people to move to the second fl oor of a space. In this case, we have a big part of the

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W+W has arisen from Roca’s ambition upon incorporating new, unique and innovative solutions into bathrooms. This solution combines design and sustainability as it brings the toilet together with the washbasin in a single piece. An eye-catching design makes it ideal for compact spaces, although its most innovative feature is technology that allows water from the washbasin to be reused to fill the toilet’s cistern. A unique product that Roca has made a reality.

DESIGN + SUSTAINABILITY = W + W

Bahrain: SAYYAR TRADING AGENCIES W.L.L. Tel.: +973.17.290.111, E-mail: [email protected] · Iran: BANA BUILDING IMPORTS, Tel.: +98.21.2613.1223, E-mail: [email protected] · Jordan: A. KAYYALI & CO., Tel.: +962.656.90016, E-mail: [email protected] · Kuwait: ABDUL AZIZ IBRAHIM ALRUMAIH & CO., Tel.: +965.484.88.80, E-mail: [email protected] · Lebanon: O-TEC CO. FOR SANITARY WARES & TILES S.A.L., Tel: +961.1.868.529, E-mail: [email protected] · Oman: KHIMJI RAMDAS, Tel: +968.24.705.133, E-mail: [email protected] · Pakistan: ABDULLA & CO., Tel: + 92.21.585.04.90, [email protected] · Qatar: SAYYAR TRADING Co. W.L.L., Tel: +974.469.69.23, E-mail: [email protected] · Saudi Arabia: MUHAMMAD SALEH BAHARETH CO. (MSB CO.), Tel: +96.2.66.33.462, E-mail: [email protected] · Syria: TRANS MEDITERRANEAN TRADING CO., Tel: +963.11.661.70.48, E-mail: [email protected] · UAE (Abu Dhabi): SANITARY MATERIALS CO., Tel: +971.2.677.13.63, E-mail: [email protected] · UAE (Dubai): HAMAD RAHMA ABDULLA ALSHAMSI GENERAL TRADING, Tel: 971.4.266.64.29, E-mail: [email protected] · Yemen: ABUALREJAL Trading Corporation, Tel: 967.1.272.519, E-mail: [email protected]

ROCA SANITARIO S.A. (Middle East Representation Office) Gold & Diamond Park, Building 5, Offi ce 111 · Sheikh Zayed Road, 4th interchange, next to Bur Dbai Trffi c Department · P.O. Box 282337, Al Quoz branch, Dubai, UAE · Tel. +971.4.347.64.00 · Fax +971.4.347.64.08 Mobile: +971.50.465.93.24 · Website: www.roca.com

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DESIGNER Q&A

Do you think it makes a difference? Will an architect approach a space differently to an interior designer? Lorenzo Perini: I think it’s a bit differ-ent. You can tell when an architect has created an interior, rather than an inte-rior designer. It is a different approach. I think it’s because of a difference in background and attitude.

Do you still do a lot of retail work?Is this what you specialise in?Lino Losanno: I wouldn’t say that we specialise in retail. But we do do a lot of retail work, especially with fashion. In Italy this is one of the best resourc-es, so we work a lot with fashion. We do a lot of restaurants as well.

When it comes to retail interiors,what are the key trends right now?Lino Losanno: In the 1990s we had this explosion of very minimalist spaces. This really went to the root of the space, so you had concrete fl oors,gypsum walls, no colour and every-thing was very plain, which I loved, and it led to some very beautiful spaces.

But then, at a certain point, clients started to need something more. They wanted that ‘wow’ factor. So we started to introduce very strong elements – in a very modern space we would put a baroque chair or a Venetian chandelier. Of course, this was linked to the history of the brands. For example, Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana is from Sicily, so we used Sicilian baroque chairs and tables and mirrors in their spaces. It was a very interesting mix.

In the 2000s, the focus shifted very much towards decoration. You had modern spaces with a lot of decora-tion. So we started to use wallpaper, colour, LED lights, screens, special materials like Perspex, and very tech-nological materials, again.

I think that at this point in time we are trying to reduce what happened in those two worlds. We are going back to minimalism, but I would call it a more ‘design’ minimalism, so minimalism with some design touches. That could mean architectural elements with a very strong design impact. But also, materials are very important now.

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Francesco Fino

Atelier, The Plaza,

New York.

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DESIGNER Q&A


There has been a very important evolu-tion in the use of materials.Lorenzo Perini: Every brand wants to identify itself in a different way, so they have to fi nd something that sets them apart. It could be a material, or a special design element, sometimes a colour. For example, Prada is always green-ish.Lino Losanno: Another thing that is very important nowadays is attention to the environment, so it is very important to use environmentally-friendly materials.

Has the economic downturn impacted interior design, particularly when it comes to the big fashion names?Lino Losanno: A little bit. I think people are more attentive to cost now. They are trying to save money when they are building their new boutiques.

Design-wise, for us, it is more chal-lenging because you have to get the same results, or better results, and bet-ter impact, with fewer resources.

What are you working on right now?Lino Losanno: Our next opening will be a Japanese restaurant in Firenze in April. We just started a new corporate concept

for an existing Italian fashion brand, and we are working on a very interesting new building in Italy. That is something that doesn’t happen very often – opening a new building in Italy. It’s a showroom for a distributor of fashion brands, located on the Adriatic coast.

We have just started work on a residential resort, also on the Adriatic coast, and we are doing a boutique in London, and another one in Venice. We are also doing a beautiful restoration of a very important historical building in Florence that dates back from the 15th century. It’s a private palazzo on the river. We are also doing a restaurant on the west coast of Tuscany.

Apart from shrinking budgets, what are the other major challenges that designers are facing right now?Lino Losanno: Being recognisable is one of the main goals for our clients, especially in fashion. They like it when they are recognisable, when people see the space without any branding and know it’s theirs. But at the same time they want every store to be original. They don’t want it to look like anything else. That’s always a big challenge. Lorenzo Perini: Often, different designers can arrive at the sameideas. Because it makes sense. So the real challenge is creating truly original work.

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The new

Western

Furniture

showroom

in Dubai.

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Les Nuits

Blanches, Paris.

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CASE STUDY: COSTA DELIZIOSA


On February 23, Costa Deliziosa became the fi rst cruise ship in history to be inaugurated in an Arab city.

The 294m-long, state-of-the-art, luxury cruise liner was named during a lavish ceremony at Dubai’s Port Rashid.

Built in Italy, at Venice’s Fincantieri shipyard, Costa Deliziosa is the third ship to be delivered to owner Costa Crociere in just nine months, and repre-sents part of a EUR2.4 billion fl eet ex-pansion programme for Italy’s largest tourism company. Along with sister ves-sel, Costa Luminosa, Costa Deliziosa is also the most innovative and exclusive member of the Costa fl eet – essentially, a whole new breed of cruise liner.

“Costa Deliziosa represents the upscale part of our offering,” explained chairman and CEO, Costa Crociere, Pier Luigi Foschi. However, in spite of its size and advanced features, it is a ship that was designed to make its guests feel comfortable, he continued. “Above all, it is a ship that transforms a normal, ordi-nary holiday into a dream come true.”

Hence the name, derived from the Italian word delizia, meaning ‘reason or cause for great pleasure, joy and satisfaction; something cherished that uplifts the body and soul’.

It fell to Miami-based designer and architect Joseph Farcus to create interi-ors to match these lofty principles.

DESIGNING EXPERIENCES“Pier Luigi Foschi gave me an idea of what the guest should be feeling, in a general, spiritual way,” Farcus

explained. “He didn’t say, ‘Make this red, make this blue’ or anything, but he talked to me about who his guests were going to be, and what they would expect onboard in terms of their experi-ence. Because that’s what I’m doing, I’m designing experiences.”

The design process was very natural, said Farcus, who has produced ten cruise ships for Costa Crociere, and fi rst entered this niche segment of the mar-ket working with Carnival Cruise Lines. “How I approach it is very personal. I sit down with a blank piece of paper and start drawing. I draw by hand. We have a very small offi ce, just a couple of people and, basically, I design almost everything myself,” he added.

“When I fi rst started off in my career, I made more of an effort to come up with a central idea and then build a design around colours, or impressionist paintings, or Italian villas, or something like that. But, over the years, that has progressed and now, I just design the ship as a whole,” Farcus detailed.

“What I did do was take the ideas that Pier Luigi Foschi has of appealing to higher-end travellers who have had more experience of going on cruises, and maybe made the design a little more refi ned in that respect.”

As a result, premium materials were employed throughout the ship. Marble and granite were complemented by stucco, applied using a spatula in the traditional ‘spatolato veneziano’ technique. Other high-end fi nishes included parchment scroll lamé, refi ned Zebrano wood and wenge timber,

ONBOARD COSTA CROCIERE’S NEWEST, MOST INNOVATIVE CRUISE LINER

Ship shapeMurano glass, and polished and glazed steel. In support of the ship’s distinctly Italian roots, the design called upon high-end Italian brands, such as Rubelli for fabrics, Molteni for furniture, and Sicis, a specialist in art mosaics, which appear in some of the most exclusive parts of the ship.

A total of 970 La Murrina chandeliers appear in Costa Deliziosa’s public areas, alongside chairs and couches designed by Italian designers Rossi D’Albizzate, Moroso and Baxter.

FLOATING GALLERYThe ship is also home to an exclusive art collection, curated by Milanese ar-chitecture fi rm Casagrande & Recalcati. The permanent collection brings to-gether a total of 340 original works and 4,756 reproductions, by old masters and emerging artists alike.

For example, the ship’s central atri-um is dominated by the Sphere, an ar-resting gilt bronze sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro. This space is also notable for its scale, and in the way it embraces natural light. “The atrium is topped by a skylight so that natural light comes all the way down into the main lobby. Having the light so that it is coming in from above also draws you to look up and that gives you an initial feeling for how big the ship is,” said Farcus.

With a gross tonnage of 92,600, the ship can carry up to 2,826 guests. Facilities include 1,130 cabins, 772 of which have verandas, four restaurants, 11 bars, three pools and four jacuzzis. A 1,300m² theatre show lounge covers

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It is important to

apply ‘eclecticism’

with cruise ship

interiors, according

to the designer of

the Costa Deliziosa,

Joseph Farcus.

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The Samsara Spa

is one of the most

luxurious wellness

facilities ever built

on a cruise liner.

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three levels and has a seating capacity of over 800. Its centrepiece is a giant 18m² screen fl anked by giant, statu-esque lampshades.

Another highlight is the Samsara Spa, one of the largest and most luxurious wellness centres ever built on a cruise ship. The facility covers 3,500m², and is perched on the two highest decks of the ship, directly over-looking the sea. It is home to a thalas-sotherapy pool, an aromatic Turkish bath, a trepidarium and laconium, and a fi tness centre kitted out with Techno-gym equipment. Dedicated cabins and suites, along with a special restaurant, can be found within the wellness area.

Other innovative features onboard the Costa Deliziosa include a ‘4D’ cinema; a golf simulator, which offers 37 18-hole virtual courses along with a 100m² outdoor area with a putting green; a Grand Prix driving simulator; a roller skating track; and Playstation World, an area of the ship dedicated to PS3 gaming, which is a complete fi rst for the cruise industry.

But, while the ship is full of progres-sive features, it is still on the right side of ‘gimmicky’, Farcus noted. “Certain companies, and we are not one of them, believe in going in for more gimmicky things – rock climbing walls and ice skating rings and so on. My feeling is that we should concentrate on the things that people come on a

cruise for: sitting out in the sun, being entertained, having great food, being in an interesting environment.

“Moving forward, you will see more and more gimmicks in the design of cruise ships, but I think the ships that I do will always be more orientated towards what cruising has always been all about,” said Farcus.

After all, with a limited amount of space on offer, it is important that every available inch is used effectively, Farcus pointed out. “If you do some-thing here, it means that you can’t do something else over there.”

This is one of many challenges that are totally specifi c to cruise ship design. Fire safety is another extremely important factor, and means that ships are highly compartmentalised, with stringent exit requirements. Every single material onboard has to be fi re-proof – and certifi ably so.

Sustainability is also playing an in-creasingly important role in the design of ships. Costa Deliziosa prides itself on being a leader in the sustainability stakes, and is one of the fi rst cruise lin-ers in the world to be equipped for ‘cold ironing’, a system whereby vessels can

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The atrium is

dominated by the

Sphere, created by

Arnaldo Pomodoro.

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The ship is

part of Costa’s

upscale offering.

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be plugged into shoreside electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down during stopovers in port.

A series of other sustainable initia-tives have been introduced onboard, including 100% waste separation, recycling of aluminium, glass and other waste, and the production of water from desalination plants. Meanwhile, low-power LED light bulbs are used, and the ship has been fi tted with an automatic control system designed to adjust external lighting in accordance with sunlight intensity.

“This is what’s going on in the world today. More precious and rare materials are no longer used,” Farcus said. “For example, the open decks of ships used to be all teak, and then the teak forests were in trouble so now we use a resin

fl oor that is made to look like teak. And I have to admit, although I’m not gener-ally in favour of fake materials, it looks pretty good,” he said.

APPLYING ECLECTICISMUltimately, a good interior will enhance the overall cruising experience, Farcus explained. The idea is to create a series of unique, highly individual spaces that are able to maintain the interest of the guest over an extended period of time.

After all, uniformity leads to familiar-ity, which is not ideal when people are confi ned to a given space. So, rather than creating seamless interiors that promote a common theme, it is best to apply eclecticism, Farcus explained. Interesting, creative, non-repetitive design is the order of the day.

“Even though you look at the Costa Deliziosa and it is huge, it is still a confi ned space. When people come on one of these cruises, they should still be seeing something new until the very last day,” Farcus pointed out.

“My feeling has always been that if you make one uniform design through-out, it can be beautiful, but if people get used to it within a day or two, that then makes everything else harder. The food has to be better and the service has to be better,” he continued.

“The more stimuli that people take in, the better the whole thing is. Then it’s just the opposite – the food is im-mediately better, the service is better, the entertainment is better, because everything is linked to your frame of mind when you experience it.”

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The theatre

show lounge

covers 1,300m².

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A sanitary system with aconcealed cistern.

Discretion is the secretof good design.

Concealed systems from Geberit save space by integrating the cistern and pipes in the wall. This is not only more attractive, but also easier to clean.

www.geberit.ae

Y&

R G

RO

UP

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CASE STUDY: RADISSON BLU YAS ISLAND

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Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 31www.constructionweekonline.com

Amulti-layered, multi-dimensional lighting sculpture hovers over the lobby of the Radisson Blu

Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. Composed of linear, copper-coloured

components suspended at varying heights, it is a contemporary take on the traditional chandelier, explained Anne Kuzyk, head of interiors at Aukett Fitzroy Robinson, the company responsible for both the architecture and interior design of the Radisson Blu and its sister Park Inn property next door.

The fi xture was custom-made by Preciosa and, in the evening, takes on a life of its own, exuding an ever-changing spectrum of coloured light; shifting gently from purple to blue to pink and then yellow. “It is the heart of the hotel. It’s an amazing talking piece and it really comes alive at night with the colour-changing lights. I was inspired by Alexander Calder, the sculptor, from a very early age, and I felt this was the place to put this kind of installation. It’s almost like bringing the New Tate to Yas Island,” said Kuzyk.

Guests lounging in the lobby, or making their way to and from the lifts, move beneath the structure, and are privy to one aspect of its multi-faceted form. Meanwhile, up on the mezzanine

level, guests move alongside it, and are treated to a whole new perspective, re-iterating the impression of it being more of an art installation than a light fi xture.

The placement of the structure also serves to break up the horizontality of the lobby area. “The lobby is divided into three different areas,” Kuzyk noted. “There is your check-in zone, which is quite horizontal, there is your transition zone where people walk to the lifts, and then you’ve got your lounge and seating zone, so, because people would be using the space that way, I turned the sculpture around to get rid of the horizontality from the design.”

OUTSIDE INA smaller version of this ‘contemporary chandelier’ hangs above the check-in counter, making a striking fi rst impres-sion as guests enter the hotel, and offering a tantalising glimpse of what’s to come. Like its more sizeable coun-terpart, the underside of the structure is mirrored. “The idea is to refl ect the views of the island back into the space,” Kuzyk pointed out.

This idea, of bringing the outside in, is a cornerstone of the overall design. Bar-riers between the indoors and outdoors have been systematically broken down, with an emphasis on inviting natural

The big ‘Blu’

THE RADISSON BLU HOTEL ABU DHABI YAS ISLAND

NATURAL INFLUENCES MAKE AN IMPRESSION AT

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light and panoramic views deep into the interior. “There are a lot of terraces, and a lot of opportunities for al fresco dining. And everywhere you go, we have capitalised on the view; the outside is very beautifully captured within our property. I think that’s one of the most important selling points for our hotel,” noted Rafat Kazi, PR and marketing communications manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

With mangrove-covered sandbanks, the grassy expanse of the Links golf course, and the unending blue of the Arabian Gulf all to be found on the ho-tel’s doorstep, Kuzyk had a rich palette of natural infl uences to draw upon.

So, in Business Class rooms, a textured headboard made out of beige plaster mimics the motion of sand dunes. The room’s colour palette is inspired by the sunset, and by the continually-shifting colour of the sand. Abstract artwork plays with the idea of sunlight sifting through the leaves of a palm tree. “We’ve used all very natural infl uences, but in a very contemporary way,” Kuzyk explained.

In the spa, the ethos is overwhelming organic. “It’s all very natural – that’s the whole idea. The tiles are like the sand, it’s like the dunes running through. There are tiles made out of pebbles, and echoes of palms and waves.”

An oversized jacuzzi nuzzles into one corner of the spa, set across from a large window offering uninterrupted views of the sea and golf course. And in the treatment rooms, an intricate, abstract version of the sun adorns the ceiling above treatment tables.

WAVES OF COLOURIn the yet-to-open Persian restaurant, Zeeba, the design carries overtones of the sea. “We’ve used the colour turquoise. That was inspired not only by Persian colours but also the Arabian Sea, because when we fi rst came here, there was nothing. And all you saw, all through the day, was the sea, which

1

Assymetri restaurant.

2

A ‘contemporary

chandelier’ hovers

over the lobby area.

3

Filini restaurant.

4

The design is

striking in the way

it embraces colour.

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changed colour throughout the day. So, throughout the hotel we’ve tried to cap-ture the various colours of the sea.”

This is reiterated in the hotel’s main corridors, where carpets are imprinted with wave-shaped patterns. “Again, we are bringing the sea in. The executive fl oors have a red wave, and the standard fl oors have blue,” Kuzyk continued.

This also serves to ‘shorten’ and liven up the corridors, she explained. “That’s always one challenge with hotels. They have these long long corridors, so if you can do something interesting on the fl oor, it detracts from that. And when you arrive for the fi rst time, it is so much more special getting to your room.”

Long characterless corridors are also a standard feature in many meeting ar-eas, Kuzyk pointed out – something that she tried to counteract in the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. “Busi-ness centres and meeting rooms usually have very long corridor spaces.

“I took the original concept of the false Italian perspective, so what hap-pens is your eye actually comes inwards in the design of this corridor. Then I took the idea of a man’s pinstripe suit and put bands of turquoise into the carpet.”

This is another striking feature of the hotel’s interior – its refusal to shy from colour. From walls and fl oors to bed covers and accessories, spaces are infused with vibrant hues. “Every time we presented to Rezidor [the owning company of the Radisson brand], they said, ‘What’s great about working with

you and your team is that you have been brought up in Europe, which is so grey, but you’ve come here and you’ve re-invented colour’, which we have. People look better in colour and so do designs,” Kuzyk maintained.

THE ESSENCE OF BLUThe Yas Island property is signifi cant because it is the fi rst hotel in the region to open under the ‘Radisson Blu’ banner – as opposed to the now defunct Radis-son SAS brand name.

As a result, it was essential for the Abu Dhabi property to fully capture the essence of the new brand. “Kurt Ritter, [president and CEO of the Rezidor Hotel Group], really wanted us to bring this property into the next generation of the Radisson Blu portfolio.

“We are designing a hotel that needs to last for the next 15 years, so we are designing for the next generation. There is so much competition, so you have to have high design standards, which Rezi-dor has defi nitely got,” said Kuzyk.

The new brand ethos is perhaps best communicated in the lobby, which is “very sleek, very smart and very mod-ern”. Signature furniture pieces like the Egg by Fritz Hansen defi ne the highly contemporary space, which is warmed with quintessential ‘Radisson’ colours like chocolate brown and aubergine.

“What was great about working with Rezidor is they didn’t give us a rigid brief. The have a specifi c set of operating guidelines but they allowed us to put a level of ‘dream’ into it,” said Kuzyk. Working in the Middle East also

presented a level of freedom that might not be available elsewhere, she added.

“This is our fi rst project in the Middle East. What we have found is that the op-portunities to design here are far greater than in other parts of the world. It is not limiting at all here. You are given a brief that you can expand upon and that you can actually put your dreams into. Whereas we are more rigid in Europe and other parts of the world.”

One thing that was restrictive, however, was the allocated time frame. “We had so little time. I think we had 24 months to design the interiors and architecture and build it in time for the Grand Prix,” Kuzyk revealed.

“But you are driven because you don’t want to fail. And you inspire your own team by being that driven. You inspire people to go a little further and work a little harder,” she said.

The process was aided by the fact that Aukett Fitzroy Robinson was responsible for both the architecture and interiors of the property. “You understand what the architect is trying to achieve. Then you can bring the design of the building into the space and let it refl ect the archi-tecture. The other thing is that everyone can sit around the table and debate about what the best solutions are.

“In many hotels, you walk in and every area looks like it has been done by a different person. I think that’s dis-orientating,” said Kuzyk. “It’s like your home. It should look like it comes from one hand and one line. How else are you going to distinguish the Radisson Blu from other hotels?” 6

5

5

Zeeba is the hotel’s

Persian restaurant.

6

The property

capitalises on

its stunning

surroundings.

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FEATURE: BATHROOMS

Design

er b

athrooms HIGH DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAIN

AB

ILITY A

RE S

HA

PIN

G TH

E BATH

RO

OM

S OF THE FUTURE

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FEATURE: BATHROOMS

Building on a trend that has transformed the bathroom into one of the hippest rooms in the house, Hansgrohe’s

designer brand, Axor, will later this year unveil a new collection created with the Bouroullec Brothers.

Fresh from a collaboration with Patricia Urquiola, the company has also extended its Axor Citterio collection, a collaboration with Milan-based archi-tect and designer Antonio Citterio that was fi rst unveiled in 2003.

The collection now includes a new type of mixer that aims at further optimising the comfort of the wash basin area, as well as a new overhead showerhead with a fully pre-assembled surface-mount shower system.

Citterio has also further developed his spatial concept for the modern bathroom. His 2003 concept focused on the segmentation of the bathroom into wellbeing and needs-oriented zones, by introducing transparent elements. “To me, time is the sublime expression of immaterial luxury,” said Citterio. “And the bathroom is where I take time out for myself: to me, it is a place for retreat and regeneration. It is therefore all the more important that I adorn this space with selected, valu-able and beautiful things.”

In the new, enhanced version of the Axor Citterio bathroom, an enclosed area in the centre of the room accom-modates the toilet, with the wash ba-sin, shower and bathtub placed along the outside wall. This ‘room within a room’ links areas dedicated to sleeping and bodily hygiene, resulting in a com-fortable, spacious environment where bathroom and bedroom harmoniously blend into each other.

“In this way, Antonio Citterio once again shows us how these two formerly separate rooms can increasingly grow into one functional, aesthetically pleas-ing unit that turns the bathroom into a fundamental part of modern living.

“By featuring a large window front and direct access to the garden in his wellbeing bathroom, the result is an abundance of natural light – in addi-tion to the deliberate placement of his accentuated sources of light giving the bathroom a very comfortable, inviting

atmosphere,” commented Philip Grohe, head of the Axor brand.

DESIGN ORIENTATEDTeaming up with leading architects, in-terior designers and fashion icons has enabled bathroom companies to trans-form the bathroom into a space that is now as much about style as it is about function. “There has defi nitely been an increased emphasis on contemporary design, which is cyclical. I think con-temporary design is becoming more ubiquitous in most markets around the world,” noted David Kohler, president and COO of Kohler.

Swiss bathroom manufacturer Laufen has identifi ed two distinct, seemingly contradictory design trends making their way into the bathroom.

“We are seeing northern, puristic, rectangular design, as well as Italian, organic, rounded design,” revealed Ivan Zupanovic, international sales and marketing manager, Laufen.

“Innovations in both sectors are very important for Laufen, because the demand is split between these two ap-proaches. And, with its Swiss tradition of integrating infl uences from the north as well as the south, Laufen is in an excellent position to deliver both – and refi ne them with quality and fi nesse,” Zupanovic continued.

Responding to the need to create in-creasingly design-orientated products, Spanish bathroom company Roca has introduced Khroma, a collection charac-terised by colour. “Roca has brought colour back into the bathroom,” said

1

Kohler’s

multi-faceted

Flipside shower.

2

Geberit has

launched its

Monolith collection.

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FEATURE: BATHROOMS


Victor Schoone, country manager, Middle East, Roca.

The collection is available in ‘pas-sion’ red, ‘street’ and ‘silver’ grey, and oxygen blue. “We give people the op-portunity to keep the sanitary ware in white but to bring colour in, in the form of colourful toilet seats and covers and furniture,” Schoone said.

The need for sleek, innovative bathroom solutions has also been recognised by Geberit, which has responded with its Monolith collection. “The elegantly-designed Geberit Mono-lith is a perfect alternative to toilets with visible cisterns.

“It is compact and fl exible, open-ing up a nearly unlimited application range. Installation of the entire system is completed in a single operation, with the new installation ready for use within just a few hours,” said Guy Wilson, head of Gulf region, Geberit international sales.

Promoting a brushed aluminium and glass fi nish, Monolith is characterised by clear, simple lines and high-quality materials. “With its slim profi le, the Monolith can be fi tted into almost any bathroom without impinging on space and is ideal for the retro-fi t market as

it conceals marks from previous fl oor-standing pans and there is no need for any complex plumbing alterations,” explained Wilson.

HIGH-TECHAnother important factor currently shaping bathroom design is the in-creased uptake of technology.

“Along with this design-led transfor-mation, we are seeing a move towards greater functionality as hi-tech conve-niences which form part of daily life are now emulated in the design and func-tion of sanitary fi xtures and fi ttings,” Wilson noted.

As such, Roca will soon launch a hi-tech version of its Khroma collec-tion, Khroma Robot. With electronics incorporated into the vitreous china of the sanitaryware, users can control the shower and bidet function, they can open and close the toilet seat and cover, and even heat up the seat and cover at the press of a button.

“Technology is really starting to permeate all products,” Kohler com-mented. “Not technology for the sake of technology, but technology that really enhances the experience and provides a different level of functionality.

“So, we have products that make your whole showering experience digital, with a system that can control light, steam and music, as well as the showering experience,” he said.

“We have a new experience in baths called VibrAcoustic technology. You’re really seeing technology in all the product segments, and the price points are coming down as well, so I think you’ll see it incorporated into the bathroom more and more moving forward,” Kohler predicted.

However, while contemporary design and technology are playing their part, the single most infl uential factor cur-rently impacting bathroom design is sustainability. The challenge facing bathroom manufacturers is fi nding an approach that makes business sense.

“We look at sustainability because we believe it’s the right thing to do, not the right thing to say,” said Kohler. “But the right sustainability strategy is one that fi rmly integrates business prin-ciples with environmental principles.

“It has to make sound business sense and if you work hard at it, you can fi nd a win solution for the environ-ment, a win solution for the business and a win solution for the consumer.

3&4

The Axor Citterio

bathroom.

3 4

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FEATURE: BATHROOMS

That’s what we want to focus on as a business,” he pledged.

Creating products that are sustain-able but do not force consumers to sac-rifi ce on comfort is critically important. “In the bathroom we handle our most important consumable – water – basi-cally for cleaning the body. So, our re-sponsibility is to optimise this process with water saving technologies, without corroding the cultural magic that is in-herent in this act: taking a bath means cleaning the soul in many cultures,” Laufen’s Zupanovic pointed out.

Geberit has placed sustainability at the very forefront of its agenda, and was recently named amongst the top 10 most sustainable companies in the world by Corporate Knights, a Toronto media company that has published its fi rst-ever ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies.

“Corporate Knights research group worked with two different asset man-agement fi rms to evaluate companies based on ten environmental, social and governance performance metrics, including energy productivity, waste productivity and CEO-to-average-worker pay ratio. An 11th indicator was added for ‘transparency’.”

“The honour of being named among the top 10 most sustainable companies further supports and validates Ge-berit’s continuing commitment to being

environmentally responsible in every-thing we do. Focus on sustainability is part of our culture,” Wilson said.

Intelligent companies are tak-ing a multi-pronged approach to sustainability. This involves lowering their footprint as a business, with more intelligent manufacturing processes and facilities; creating new and innova-tive products that contribute in lower-ing energy and water consumption; and using their global positioning to edu-cate consumers on the importance of sustainability. As Wilson pointed out: “Sustainability is an all-encompassing approach of which water conservation forms just one aspect”.

Ultimately, sustainability for the sake of sustainability is not a realistic proposition. Companies are under incredible pressure to develop solu-tions that are accessible, affordable and, most importantly, palatable to the consumer. For example, the Roca Group is holding off from launching waterless urinals as it believes that the general population is still largely resistant to the concept.

“Our commercial department has taken the decision not to launch any waterless urinals yet,” explained Schoone. “There is a small percentage of people that are very happy with waterless urinals, and a large number of people that do not like them. They do

not yet offer the comfort level that you need. We may be an innovative com-pany but if people don’t like your inno-vations then you only harm yourself.”

For Jim Westdorp, group president, kitchen and bath, Kohler, it is a ques-tion of re-educating the market. “In the past there has been a perception that water saving plumbing fi xtures didn’t perform as well as products that used more water.

“And, admittedly, there were some issues with that with the very fi rst generation of low-fl ow water closets.However, those days are long gone and Kohler has been working tirelessly to dispel this myth,” he said.

Kohler is focusing on fi nding ways to constantly enhance the overall shower-ing experience, without promoting increased water consumption. “We are looking for ways that you can still enjoy that type of experience but not consume as much water.

“We spend a lot of our time inventing things that produce less water. You can also talk about introducing music or satellite radio, and other things that enhance the experience,” said Kohler.

“Steam, for example, is a great addi-tion to a shower. It consumes very little water and offers a great experience. A great shower experience does not have to be about how much water one consumes,” he concluded.

5 6

5

Roca’s Khroma

collection.

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The Monolith

in green.denisbul

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DESTINATION FOCUS: SAUDI ARABIA

It’s little secret that Saudi Arabia is brimming with opportunity – just ask Wilson Associates. The fi rm has been appointed to design

the interiors for 19 of the 26 hotels that make up Jabal Omar Development Company’s (JODC) latest development in Makkah. Wilson Associates’ scope of work covers an area of two million m², including 25 towers, 17 grand lobbies and 40 food and beverage outlets.

Hotel brands due to be present within the development include Conrad, Westin, Marriott, Hyatt and Sheraton. The project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011.

“After 39 years in the business, we are thrilled to be selected as the designers of this prestigious and spiritual develop-ment,” said Trisha Wilson, founder and CEO, Wilson Associates. “As a fi rm we have designed and installed over a mil-lion guestrooms and we are honoured to be selected to design over 10,500 rooms simultaneously for one client.”

Another Saudi success story is hospitality design fi rm, J/Brice Design International, which has joined forces with the Al Khobar-based Fahd Alireza Engineering Company (FAEC).

“Soon after partnering with FAEC, we were retained by The Al Othman Group for a twin tower hotel offi ce develop-ment, and then for a very large summer palace for a private client in Jeddah. We

are currently negotiating a fi nal contract for work for the royal family for a hotel in the north,” said founder, J/Brice Design International, Jeffrey Ornstein.

According to Saad Mehmod, director, contracts and development, Absal Group, a Saudi Arabian company in-volved in the design and build industry, a shortage of strong, locally-based interior design fi rms means there is still plenty of opportunity for international companies to make their mark.

“Unfortunately, interior design in Saudi Arabia is not up to standard, in my opinion. Especially when it comes to hospitality. I haven’t come across any fi ve-star projects where design support is local. Even in our work, when we get design and build jobs, we seek interna-tional support,” Mehmod said.

However, in spite of its size and potential, stringent regulations and high levels of bureaucracy make Saudi Arabia a diffi cult market to break into, Mehmod warned. Foreign companies looking to work in the country need to be commit-ted in order to succeed.

“Although Saudi is a huge market, you have a certain level of bureaucracy, and there are certain diffi culties which are infl uenced by certain regulations. There have been a lot of improvements with new foreign investment regula-tions, but there are still restrictions on certain trades,” Mehmod said.

SAUDI STILL OFFERS PLENT Y OF OPPORTUNIT Y FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Saudi successes“Working in Saudi is not easy, from

a social point of view as well as a busi-ness point of view. So yes, there are challenges, and for any company to enter the Saudi market, they need to be committed. And, most importantly, to be present here,” he added.

Companies also need to be at the top of their game in order to compete, warned Ornstein. “Saudi clients are well versed in high-quality design, and are fully cognoscente of the expertise that is required to execute a project timely, in budget and, all the while, distinctive to the market and respectful of the culture. It’s most defi nitely not a place for less experienced designers to solicit work.”

Doing business in Saudi Arabia is also about forming strong relationships, noted Terry McGillicuddy, designer, Richmond International, the company behind the 1005-room Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel interiors. “Having a local relationship is extremely important for any designer attempting to break into the Saudi market. Without a strong link with the client, contractor and

consultants, and without any local support, it would be very diffi cult to complete a success-

ful project in the country.” Most importantly, warned

Ornstein, don’t be hasty. “Be patient. Decisions are rarely made quickly.”

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Saudi Arabia.

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With a 1,005-room hotel project, size and scale dominate the agenda. When Richmond Interna-

tional was commissioned to design the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel, the scale of the project was a key driver in the design process – the signifi -cance of its location was another.

The holiest city in the Islamic world, Makkah’s primary industry is to sup-port the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which alone attracts up to three million people every year, as well as pilgrims who visit throughout the rest of the year.

Now scheduled to open in August, the hotel forms part of the Abraj Al Bait com-plex, which incorporates seven towers

Sacred sitesDESIGNING THE M AKK AH CLOCK ROYAL TOWER – A FAIRMONT HOTEL ,

A 1005-ROOM PROPERT Y SE T ON ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST SACRED SITES, PRESENTED AN INTERESTING SE T OF CHALLENGES FOR RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL

and is adjacent to the Masjid al Haram mosque and the Kaaba, which is the most sacred site in the Islamic faith and the heart of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The Makkah Clock Royal Tower com-plex includes over 500 shopping outlets and food courts, set over fi ve fl oors in the lower ‘Podium’ section, luxury apart-ments on levels 30 to 52, fi ve ‘Royal’ 1

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fl oors, and the 1,005-room Fairmont Hotel, which covers a further 28 fl oors.

The hotel has extensive conference and banqueting facilities, eight food and beverage outlets and a number of dedicated prayer halls. A grand total of 76 elevators guarantee the seamless movement of guests, particularly dur-ing calls to prayer.

Facilitating the movement of throngs of people was one of the most impor-tant elements of the design, explained Terry McGillicuddy, designer, Richmond International. “A major challenge was to understand, integrate and accom-modate the circulation of a very large number of guests and visitors who need to access and, more importantly, exit the building, particularly during the calls to prayer,” he pointed out.

At the peak periods of Hajj and Ramadan, the hotel will potentially have to accommodate up to 60,000 people, which meant that close atten-tion had to be paid to fi re, health and

safety regulations. This extended to all furnishings in both the hotel and apartments, which were subjected to stringent checks.

Richmond International provided full interior design services for the hotel guest rooms and public areas, which included the reception, ballroom areas, business centre, health club, prayer areas and food and beverage outlets.

The sheer size of the project pre-sented inherent challenges. At 577m high, with 76 stories, the Makkah Clock Royal Tower will become one of the world’s tallest towers when it opens. The top of the building is adorned with a 40m diameter, four-sided clock that will announce daily prayers. Five times larger than Big Ben, the clock will be visible from 17km away.

“Due to the scale of the areas involved, it was diffi cult to envisage how some of the spaces could work. For example, the reception area is 27m by 18m and approximately 12m high.

“Therefore, it was necessary for the design to incorporate additional inte-rior architecture in some of these larger spaces, to help break them down into smaller, more manageable areas.”

The design balances both traditional and modern Arabic design elements. “Throughout, there has been extensive use of quality materials, such as marble, decorative plasterwork and metal and timber screening. Specially-commissioned chandeliers hang in the large public areas, which are furnished with original, bespoke pieces.

“Due to the large number of areas, a variety of colours and themes have been used, with an underlying palette of calm and neutral colours that link the major public spaces,” said McGillicuddy.

The spiritual signifi cance of the site also fundamentally impacted the interior design. “The importance of this religious location was a key factor in the creative process; the balance and simplicity of the traditional and modern Arabic design of the interior refl ects the spiritual nature of the location and the sense of humility surrounding the Haram,” said McGillicuddy.

But the signifi cance of the location also presented one of the project’s greatest challenges – Richmond couldn’t be involved on the ground. “The most demanding challenge of the whole project has been that due to the hotel’s location, Richmond’s designers have been unable to provide supervi-sion at the site itself. Therefore, the relationship with the client and project team has needed to be very trusting and mutually respectful.”

1

The reception area

is characterised

by its scale.

2

High-quality

materials were

used throughout.

3

The hotel has

eight food and

beverage outlets.

4&5

The design

combines modern

and traditional

Arabian infl uences.

2 3

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Albert +971 50 854 5629, Simon +971 50 854 5327, Office + 971 4 885 8825


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www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 49www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010 49

The aesthetic importance of lighting is seldom questioned. Good lighting is often the difference between

spaces that are warm, welcoming and full of depth, and ones that are cold, fl at and uninviting. Good lighting will enhance the design, creating drama and interest – and it will draw attention to all the right interior elements, rather than itself.

But the days of lighting for the sake of lighting have drawn to a close. It is widely acknowledged that artifi cial lighting currently accounts for some

LIGHTING SUPPLIERSYOU SHOULD KNOW

30% of electricity consumption in a commercial building – and that buildings collectively account for 40% of total world energy use. This leaves designers with a massive responsibility to create effective, intelligent lighting solutions that will signifi cantly contribute in minimising energy wastage.

“Interior designers, and design and build contractors, play an increasing role in delivering energy-effi cient workplace lighting solutions for end clients,” noted Greg Scott, general manager, Siteco Lighting. The

company’s best-selling products are those that promote energy-effi ciency.

The pressure is on. Designers have no choice but to create lighting solutions that are innovative, aesthetically-impressive, technically-sound and, also, energy effi cient.

That means working with suppliers that are creative, supportive and forward-thinking. Over the next few pages, we have provided a handful of lighting suppliers with the opportunity to introduce themselves, in the hope that they can help with your future lighting challenges.

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

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The low-down from Hendrik Schwartz, managing director, Asia Pacifi c, Erco.

Tell us about your company.Erco is a global market leader in architectural lighting that was founded in Germany in 1934. A specialist in software and hardware for architectural lighting, it provides innovative strength, service and quality focused on the requirements of its global customers.

What sets you apart?What distinguishes Erco in the market is its unique energy-saving concept, called Effi cient Visual Comfort. Effi cient Visual Comfort means steadily improving both the energy effi ciency and the light qual-ity – through innovative technical and design-oriented approaches. One of the main contributing factors in making Effi cient Visual Comfort achievable is Vertical Illuminance.

What are your best selling products?Erco prides itself on practicing its cor-porate concept of ‘light not luminaires’; therefore, instead of ‘selling products’, it focuses on providing qualitative lighting

solutions. Vertical Illuminance, Erco’s best selling solution, is the most essen-tial and important type of lighting, as it makes spatial proportions and spatial limits visible by highlighting vertical sur-faces such as walls and facades, areas which the human eye naturally perceives fi rst. Since the human eye perceives the vertical surfaces of an environment 80% of the time, Vertical Illuminance also contributes to savings in both operating and maintenance costs.

Any news?In January 2010, Erco Lighting launched its biggest product launch procedure, featuring over 1,200 new luminaires, spotlights and LEDs, and highlighting the new Quintessence range of wall-washers, which were especially created for Vertical Illuminance.

How do we contact you?More information is readily available on www.erco.com. For enquiries, please contact [email protected]. Our repre-sentative offi ce for the region can be found at PO Box 62221, Dubai, tel: +971 (0)4 336 9798, fax: +971 (0)4 337 3746.

Speaking to Greg Scott, general manager.

Tell us about your company.As a company that has more than 50 years of history, Siteco Lighting Systems (formally Siemens) has defi ned lighting technology. We combine technological ideas with a feeling for what is possible. Siteco’s development of architectural energy-effi cient lighting systems, for all applications, is our key product motiva-tion. Siteco Middle East’s growth with interior and exterior projects is based on providing best practice client solutions. Projects that we have been involved in include Du offi ces, Mubadala offi ces, Yas Island F1, Masdar PRT, and Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium.

What sets you apart?The ability to combine highest quality, energy-effi cient, innovative products within a complete solution. We consider ourselves market leaders for sports, public transportation and workplace lighting. Specialised products – indirect mirror solutions, daylight systems integrated into glazing architecture, and a full range of LED products – ensure we

meet the growing demands for energy conscious solutions in the Middle East.

What are your best selling products?Without a doubt, all products for energy effi cient offi ces, utilising Eldacon, which are self-illuminating lamp shielding optics. The ability to provide design and sell a total solution from interior to exterior is our major success.

What’s new?After the launch of the exciting DL10 LED at Light and Build in Frankfurt in 2008, 2010 brings a range of LED post top, bollard, and street lighting solu-tions that will deliver sustainable LED, cost-effective solutions. Our recent sponsorship and move has facilitated increased investment for design and direct sales, with Jaspal Bal in the UAE and Steve Faulkner in Qatar joining the Siteco Middle East team.

Where is your new offi ce? Al Shoala Building, 2nd Floor, Offi ce 204-205, Deira, Dubai. Contact us on tel: +971 (0)4 294 4472, or visit our website, www.siteco.com.

SitecoLighting

Erco Lighting

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Catching up with Khaled B. Alami, managing director of Huda Lighting.

Tell us about your company. Huda Lighting is a specialised project lighting company with the resources and expertise to support the complete lighting requirements of projects of any type and size. Since operations began nine years ago in Beirut, Huda Lighting has established branches in fi ve Middle Eastern cities (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Amman and Beirut), and is currently in the process of setting up its sixth in Jeddah. Huda Lighting currently has two retail lighting show-rooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and its third will be in Jeddah.

Huda Lighting is committed to sup-porting its clients by offering turnkey solutions for their requirements. This is achieved by having a team of highly-qualifi ed lighting specialists able to come up with creative lighting concepts, propose the most suitable products needed to implement them, supply in time, and offer the after-sales service needed at later stages.

By maintaining a strong relation-ship with many of the world’s top lighting manufacturers, Huda Lighting guarantees that it is always up to date with the latest trends in the lighting industry. This also assures accessibility to a diverse range of products, so that no matter what the requirements of a

project are, the needed products are located and supplied.

In addition to lighting, Huda Lighting has expanded its expertise to home automation, lighting control systems and wiring devices.

What sets you apart? Our ability to cover the requirements of projects of any size, within any required budget, and our strong relationships with a long list of manufacturers. Our good service and after sales support is also something we have been compli-mented on by most of our clients, along with our reasonable pricing strategies.

What are your best selling products? Hard to answer! Our clients’ projects are very diverse, as are the solutions and services we provide. Our product range is extensive and includes many European brands reputed for both their functional and aesthetic qualities.

Any news? Some of the recent prestigious projects we supplied our products to include the W Hotel in Doha, the Four Seasons Hotel in Beirut, the Arabian Center in Dubai and the Aldar HQ building in Abu Dhabi. This list speaks for itself!

How do we contact you? By calling us on +971 (0)4 341 1301 or visiting www.hudalighting.com.

Huda Lighting

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CID speaks to Emilio R. Khayat, VP for the GCC area, Debbas Group.

Tell us about your company. In 2010, Debbas Group celebrates 100 years of exhilarating growth to become a multi-national technology and services conglomerate which operates from New York to New Delhi in the fi elds of lighting, systems, MEP contracting, manufacturing and trading.

Our journey started in 1910, when Ce-sar Debbas established in the heart of Beirut Le Grand Magasin d’Electricité, a pioneering commercial space dedicated to innovative products in the electric and lighting fi elds. Today, through a network of 24 companies in 14 coun-tries, four factories, six showrooms and a workforce of more than 1,000 people, Debbas Group is dedicated to providing innovative turnkey solutions.

What sets you apart? After 100 years of offering innovative solutions, the Debbas brand has become synonymous with quality, high performance, responsiveness, uncompromised service effi ciency and excellence in execution. Yet, our prime identifi er is the fact that we strive to be the leading technology provider to high-end construction projects by delivering the fi nest turnkey solutions through our dynamic process: engineer, source, supply, install and maintain.

What are your best selling products?We are proud of our diverse brand port-folio. Debbas Group has the privilege of enjoying exclusive relationships with some of the most renowned lighting manufacturers in the world. In fact, many of those relationships have been consistent since the 1950s.

Our six showrooms refl ect that diver-sity as they propose a distinctive and extensive selection of premium lighting fi xtures, from design and iconic, to contemporary and classical, as well as decorative and technical luminaires. Furthermore, Debbas Group caters to construction projects by offering state-of-the-art lighting and systems solutions to meet and exceed modern technological expectations.

Any news?2010 is a festive year for Debbas Group as we are currently enjoying our 100th year in lighting.

How do we contact you?Debbas Group has operations in 14 countries – fi nd out more by logging on to www.debbas.com. Dubai offi ce: Debbas Electric, PO Box 30571, Dubai, Zaabeel Road, Karama, tel: +971 (0)4 335 0006 and email: [email protected]. Debbas HQ: Cesar Debbas & Fils, PO Box 11 0125, Beirut, Lebanon, Debbas Building, Corniche An Nahr, tel: +961 1 585000 and email: [email protected].

Debbas Group

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An update from Monique Calleja, brand manager, Artemide Group.

Tell us about your company. The Artemide Group (certifi cation ISO 9001 - WMT) is a global leader in the residential and high-end professional illumination sector. Situated at Preg-nana Milanese, the Artemide Group has an ample international distribution presence, in which single brand show-rooms sprout in the most important cities around the world, and ‘shop in shop’ concepts emerge in the most prestigious illumination and furniture shops. Founded in the 1960s, Artemide is one of the best-known illumination brands in the world. Known for its ‘The Human Light’ philosophy, Artemide is synonymous with design, innovation and the ‘made in Italy’ brand promise.

What sets you apart? Research has always been a key factor in the success of the company. When it comes to research, key priorities in-clude innovative illumination sources; the use of eco-compatible materials; quality control systems; and the pur-suit of happiness.

At the heart of this activity is the Giacinto Gismondi centre of innova-tion in Pregnana Milanese. With its optics, electronics projects, materials and luminary sources divisions, the centre develops and sharpens every

new product from concept to industrial production, in order to guarantee best results with regards to quality.

What are your best selling products?The all time favourite is the Tolomeo, designed by Michele De Lucchi and Ginacarlo Fassina in 1987. After 22 years it is now evolving to embrace the latest lighting technologies of our time to become the EcoTolomeo. Using new generation light sources such as LED it is now possible to have the same amount of light with an energy consumption reduction of 90%.

Any news?In March, Artemide received numerous acknowledgements from one of the most prestigious international design award programmes, the Red Dot design award. Doride Terra, designed by Karim Rashid (2010), Cosmic Leaf Sospensione by Ross Lovegrove (2009), Cadmo Terra by Karim Rashid (2007) and Cover by the Format Design Studio (2009) all re-ceived Red Dot awards. This confi rmed Artemide’s top performance in the qual-ity and design of products.

How do we contact you?Visit the Purity Gallery on Umm Hurair Road in Dubai, tel: +971 (0)4 334 9943, visit our website: www.purity.ae, or contact Monique Calleja, brand man-ager for Artemide.

Artemide Group

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PRODUCTS


New on the market

Experimenting with new fabrics, textures and techniques, Lelievre has taken inspiration from the worlds of fashion and sport with its new Circus cushions, which are made of neoprene and satin. The dazzling, ultra-tactile cushions are scattered with sprays and garlands of screen-printed flowers in bold colours.

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THE ONEBoConcept’s The One chair is being launched in a selection of new colours: black, red and grey, and with a soft coating fi nish. The One is designed by Anders Nørgaard and is the winner of both a Red Dot design award and a Good Design award.

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Designed by Terry Hunziker, The Great Lakes Collection is sleek and sophisticated, with components made of EcoPlex and cast aluminum. EcoPlex is a composite material containing 97% post-consumer recycled plastics by weight. The product offers durability that is almost entirely maintenance

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THE GRE AT L AKES COLLECTION

Top Interior Design Company seeks

GENERAL MANAGER cum INTERIOR DESIGNERA Riyadh based high profile and versatile Interior Designing Company is looking for a Senior Interior Designer who will also be the General Manager of the organisation.

JOB DESCRIPTIONTo manage and develop interior design solutions | Development of design concepts | Assist in marketing and business development | General representation of the company | Liaise with the CEO with regards to the General Management of the company.

REQUIREMENTSQualification: Bachelor of Architecture or Interior Designing | Minimum 5 years hands on experience | Ability to use PC and CAD.

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WE OFFERA handsome tax-free salary | Housing or housing allowance | Yearly vacation with airfare to point of hiring for self and family.

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NOR A TURQUOISENora Lighting has launched a series of glass pendants in this year’s hottest colour, Turquoise. The Nora Turquoise series features fi ve models in a wide range of sizes and fi nishes. Pond, Rain, Mega Cube and Open Pond pendants are styled with luminous art glass, while Empire is a hand-made beaded glass shade.

NORA LIGHTING

+1 800 686 6672

www.noralighting.com

LOEMENDesigned by Dries Braeckman and Mireille Verroken of Belgium, hand-made Loemen light sculptures are unique and personalised spheres made from plastic and glass. A suc-cessful fusion of functional light,

DOMINOA year after its launch, Italian wall and fl oor cladding brand, Q-BO will unveil its new Domino collection at the Milan Furniture Fair. The texture of the new tile is inspired by water drops fl owing from a shower. The thickness of the texture gradually increases and decreases, creating a dynamic, complex pattern.

Q-BO

+39 536 853 028

www.q-bo-project.it

atmosphere and art, these pieces can be integrated into any environment. LOEMEN

+32 473 80 80 12

www.loemen.com

PRODUCTS

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WEBSITENOWLIVE

For nomination enquiries please contact:

S e l i n a D e n m a nTel: +971 4 210 8502


For sponsorship opportunities please contact:

L e i g h R o c h eTel: +971 4 210 8679


For table bookings and further enquiries please contact:

A n n i e C h i n o yTel: +971 4 210 8353


www.constructionweekonline.com/cidawards

T U E S D AY 9th NOV2010Dubai, UAE

M E D I A P A R T N E R

For a chance to have your achievements recognized at this year’s awards or to book your place at the gala dinner, please visit:

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PRODUCTS

T WILIGHT SHOWERLighting designer Bruce Munro has created a new permanent installation for London Zoo. A magical, snaking shower of light, Munro’s latest creation will be installed in a stairwell in the Clore Rainforest Building. Suspended from above, the Twilight Shower consists of 12 interconnected ceiling plinths, spanning 6.25m. A total of 864 optic fi bres hang from these panels, each ending in a clear tear-drop diffuser.

BRUCE MUNRO

+44 1985 845 228

www.brucemunro.co.uk

Bolon’s revolutionary new Botanic collec-tion consists of environmentally-friendly woven vinyl fl ooring. The product con-tains a new plasticiser, which is based on renewable raw materials from the veg-etable kingdom. Botanic was designed to refl ect nature’s organic architecture and wealth of detail. Nature photography and handicrafts have inspired refl ections of

fl owers, herbs and plants in woven vinyl. The colour range, also taken from the vegetable kingdom, features muted, rich earth tones combined with bright accents in yellow and green.

BOLON

+46 321 530 400

www.bolon.com

BOTANIC

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Mike ScullyManaging Director, Seven Tides Hospitality

(NEW)

The Hotel Show is the place to findthe latest design insights

The Hotel Show is a world class event where I can find new solutions and products for our new hotels. I am especially looking forward to the haute’l feature to find those unique design pieces. The seven star conference provides a great networking opportunity and is the perfect forum to debate where the industry goes from here.

www.thehotelshow.com/register

18 –20 MAY 2010DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

11:00 –19:00 DAILY

OPERATING EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES | SECURITY & TECHNOLOGY | INTERIORS & DESIGN | THE RESORT EXPERIENCE

Register now for

Free fast track entry

Sponsors and Partners:Co-located with:

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THS_Mike_Interior & Design_225x300mm.ai 2/21/10 5:12:16 PMTHS_Mike_Interior & Design_225x300mm.ai 2/21/10 5:12:16 PM

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CONTRACTS


PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTRACTOR VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

Center for Research & Studies at Sharq

Ministry of Public Works Gulf Consult Al Jaraih Contracting 12 Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

17 Storey Offi ce Building in Hawally Almad Real Estate Option One Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Showroom in Shuwaikh Mr. Zayed Al Khalid Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Furniture Showroom in Shuwaikh Mr. Zayed Al Khalid Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Project under design Commercial Buildings

Accommodation for Jumeirah Development in Ahmadi

Jumeirah Development Al Aliyan Consulting Not Appointed 16 - 30 Project under design Residential Buildings

Medical Clinics Project A’Ayan Real Estate Company Soor Engineering Bureau Not Appointed 16 - 30 Project under design Hospital

Kuwait Control & Meteorological Center

Directorate General of Civil Aviation The Associated Engineering Partnership

Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons

38 Project under construction


Police Headquarters at Mubarak al-Kabeer

Ministry of Public Works SSH Not Appointed 30 Bidding underway for the main contract


Ideal High School at Aqaila Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Education

Al Zamami Consultant Bader Al Mulla & Brothers Company


Educational Facilities

Petroleum Research Laboratory in Ahmadi - Phase 2

Kuwait Institute for Scientifi c Research Al Zamami Consultants Bader Al Mulla & Bros Co. 2.5 - 15 Project under construction


Al Hamra Tower Ajial Real Estate Company Al Jazeera Consultants Ahmadiah Trading & Contracting



Commercial Building in Shuwaikh Mr. Zayed Al Khalid Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Bidding underway for the main contract


19-Storey Residential Building in Jabriya

Wafra Real Estate Company Option One Not Appointed 16 - 30 Project under design Residential Buildings

Kuwait National Museum Renovation - Pack 2

Nat’l Council for Culture Arts & Letters/MPW

Pan Arab Consulting Engineers Kuwait Dynamics 8 Project under construction

Others

Kuwait Institute of Justice Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Justice

Al Zamami Consultant Not Appointed 31 - 100 Award awaited for the main contract


Kuwait Business Town at Al Mirqab Area - Zone 1

Kuwait Business Town Holding Company

Projacs/KEO Int’l/Gensler Associates

First United General Trading & Contracting


Mixed Use

Bibi Tower Al-Recardo General Trading Company Option One Not Appointed 16 - 30 Award awaited for the main contract

Residential Buildings

Avenue Shopping Mall Expansion - Phase 3

Mabanee Company PACE/Gensler Al Ghanim International Trading & Gen. Contg.


Shopping Centre

Salmiya Park in Kuwait PAAFR/KCMCC Projacs/Gulf Consult Wara Construction Company 124 Project under construction

Recreational Facilities

Mangaf Neighbourhood Centre Ministry of Public Works KEO International Burgan Contracting 31 - 100 Project under construction

Mixed Use

KCPC HQ in Shuwaikh KCPC Gulf Consult KCPC 16 - 30 Project under construction


Extension of Crowne Plaza Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) Osama Bukhamseen Design BIG Contractors 31 - 100 Project under construction

Hotel

Ideal High School at Al Farwaniya MOE/MPW Al Zamami Consultants Bader Al Mulla & Bros Co. W.L.L 16 - 30 Project under construction


Police College at Mubarikiya District Ministry of Public Works Gulf Consult/SOM Kuwait Arab Contractors 157 Project under construction


Financial Centre Building at Sharq Al Shaab Real Estate Company KEO International Not Appointed 31 - 100 Project under design Mixed Use

Passenger Terminal at Kuwait International Airport

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Foster & Partners (UK) Not Appointed 1,000 Project under design Airport

Neighbourhood Centre at Khiran New City

Ministry of Public Works KuwaitTechnical Consultant Bureau

Recafco 52 Project under construction

Mixed Use

New Offi ce Building at Mina Al Ahmadi Refi nery

Kuwait National Petroleum Company Al Jazeera Consultants Kuwait Dynamics 22 Project under construction


Basic Education Campus at Ardiya - Female Campus

Public Authority for Applied Education & Training

Pace/Morganti United Gulf Construction Company



Ruba Residential Project The Commercial Real Estate Company Al Jazeera Consultants/SSH Wara Construction Company 32 Project under construction

Residential Development

Project Focus COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IS COMMIT TED TO HELPING ITS RE ADERS GROW THEIR BUSINESSES, SO WE HAVE TE AMED UP WITH VENTURES MIDDLE E AST TO BRING YOU THE L ATEST TENDERS FROM AROUND THE REGION ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

K U WA I T PROJEC T S DATA B A SE

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CONTRACTS


PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTRACTOR VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

240 Public Housing Villas in Yanbu Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY)

In House Al Muhaidib Contracting Company



8000 Residential Units - North Jeddah Kinan/Savola Group/Eleba Company Not Appointed Not Appointed 640 Project in concept stage


Al Barari - Luxury Villas in Jeddah Al Barari Not Appointed Not Appointed 27 Project in concept stage


100 Bed Hospital in Qatif Ministry of Health Beeah Planners Saeed Radad Al Zahrany 17 Project under construction

Hospital

Thumamah Park in Riyadh - Phase 1 Arriyadh Development Authority Omrania & Associates Not Appointed 28 Project under design Recreational Facilities

Jabal Al Kaba Development - Mega Hotel

Abdul Latif Jamil Real Estate Dar Al Handasah Saudi Constructioneers Est 101 - 250 Project under construction

Hotel

Dar Al-Qeblah Complex Munshaat Real Estate Projects Company

Zuhair Fayez & Partners Saudi Binladin Group 180 Project under construction


Umm Al-Qura University Expansion - Staff Accommodation - Phase 2

Umm Al Qura University SaudConsult Nesma & Partners Contracting Company



Imam Islamic University in Riyadh - Islamic Studies College

Imam Islamic University Tibsa/In House Saudi Art of Architecture Maintenance Ltd.



Olaya Towers in Riyadh General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI)

Zuhair Fayez & Partners Nesma & Partners Contracting Company



King Fahd National Library Arriyadh Development Authority/King Fahd National Library

SaudConsult/Gerber Architects Saudi Binladin Group 78 Project under construction

Recreational Facilities

Residential Town in Al Batha - Phase 4 Ministry of Finance Abdulrahman Al Noeim Engineering Consultants

Al Eraini Contracting Company 14 Project under construction


Tabuk Domestic Airport Expansion General Authority for Civil Aviation Saudi Consolidated Engineering Co;

Saudi Binladin Group 59 Project under construction

Airport

ITCC Park in Riyadh Phase 1 The Public Pension Agency Zuhair Fayez & Partners Al Rajhi Projects/Al Yamamah / CCE

1,500 Project under construction

Mixed Use

King Abdulaziz University - Nuclear Research Facility

King Abdulaziz University Not Appointed Not Appointed 150 Project in concept stage

Others

Rayadah - Mixed Use Development in Jeddah

Rayadah Investment Company Not Appointed Not Appointed 150 Project in concept stage

Mixed Use

Three 100-Bed General Hospitals Ministry of Health Al Naem Engineering/Arclane Engineering

Saudi Pan Company for Trading & Contracting


Hospital

Pediatric & Maternity Hospital in Rafha

Ministry of Health Al Mashriq Contracting Al Mashriq Contracting 53 Project under construction

Hospital

Imam Islamic University in Riyadh - Phases 1 & 2

Imam Islamic University Tibsa Al Fouzan Trading & General Construction



Souq Okaz in Taif Supreme Commission For Tourism Not Appointed Not Appointed 50 Project in concept stage

Shopping Centre

Laboratory for General Products in Jeddah

Authority for Management & Specifi cation

Soleiman Abdullah El Kheraiji Consult.

Naif Abo Ryash Est. 3 Project under construction


Al Dossary Tower in Dammam Mr. Yousef Al Dossary Saudi Designers Engineering Consultants

Al Zahrani for Trading & Contracting



Zahran Business Centre Zahran Real Estate Development & Investment

Saudi Diyar Consultants Architects

Al-Joudah Contracting Company 84 Project under construction


300-Bed Hospital in Riyadh Ministry of Health Abdulrahman Al Noeim Engineering Consultants

Al Fouzan Trading & General Construction


Hospital

www arabianbusiness com/construction Commercial Interior Design November 2007 101bi b i / t ti86 C i l I t i D i O t b 2007

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

S AUDI A R A BI A PROJEC T S DATA B A SE

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www.constructionweekonline.com64 APRIL | Commercial Interior Design

OPINION

So much has been written about feng shui, and so much has been said, but is it really worth all the talk?

If you ask me, absolutely! It changes your surroundings and by doing so it changes your life.

So what exactly is it about feng shui that has the whole world talking about it? Simply put, it is an 8,000 year old Chinese science of energy management. It focuses on how to achieve balance in your external environment and fi nd much-needed balance at home and work.

Feng shui in Chinese means wind and water. Wind is always associated with good harvest and prosperity while water is the source of life and energy. By balancing these two energies one can reap the benefi ts of feng shui.

Feng shui has fi ve main elements: wood, fi re, earth, metal and water. All spaces around us feature these fi ve elements, and a good feng shui consultant will identify these with the help of a ‘lo pan’, a Chinese compass, and will help you balance them.

Which, naturally, brings us on to the next question: how does one balance energies that one can’t even see? The answer is simple. Feng shui follows ancient formulas for property calculations and with the help of a ‘lo pan’, one can easily use these formu-las and benefi t from feng shui.

Feng shui can be applied in both residential and commercial properties. When applied in commercial proper-ties, one can immediately see the difference in businesses and employee satisfaction. In an offi ce, one can implement principles of feng shui by

arranging the desks of all employees to suit their personalised feng shui.

Furthermore, areas for wealth and prosperity can be enhanced by the placement of a water fountain or moving objects such as photocopy machines. Placing plants at the offi ce reception brings in harmonious energy fl ow and this helps balance overall energies in the offi ce.

When one applies the principles of feng shui in a hotel or a restaurant, the focus is on turnover and bringing in more business. Identifying the cash fl ow area for the business and enhancing it appropriately can easily achieve this.

Even the décor of the restaurant or hotel can refl ect certain colours to at-tract more clients and gain popularity. Placement of certain objects in specifi c locations can boost the energy move-ment and help bring in more business. Many hotels across the globe are built on principles of feng shui and have seen growth and prosperity as a result.

Feng shui can help with residential properties as well and plays a very im-portant role in helping create appropri-ate interiors. When designing a house, one must take into consideration all the members residing in the house, and their age. Once a consultant has identi-fi ed the roles of all family members, then feng shui property assessment can determine ideal room allocation and sleeping directions, based on the individual dates of birth of all members. The interior of a home needs to refl ect feelings of togetherness and warmth, as it will help strengthen family ties.

As more and more people are becom-ing aware of the benefi ts of feng shui, everyone from Hollywood celebrities

to businessmen are implementing feng shui in their personal spaces.

There has also been a defi nite rise in awareness of feng shui in the Middle East, as more and more people are waking up to its benefi ts. I myself have seen a 50% rise in consultation requests in the last one year alone.

To give you an example, a well-known spa in Dubai, Cleopatra’s, con-tacted me for a feng shui consultation. They had witnessed a drop in regular clientele and were not able to under-stand why it was happening. Upon my visit to the spa, I analysed the energies and came to the conclusion that the spa was lacking money energy as it had no movement in certain areas.

Once the problem area was identi-fi ed, I suggested that they place a water fountain in certain locations through-out the spa, and bamboo plants were placed at the entrance.

Within a week I received feedback from the managing director and the spa manager that business had improved and regular members had started com-ing back to the spa.

Many such success stories have given feng shui the reputation of blend-ing science with magic, as it continues to change people lives.

Shivani Adalja is a wellbeing and feng shui consultant based in Abu Dhabi. After years of studying various occult sciences, Adalja established a holistic consultancy company called Pathwood, which deals in aura reading workshops, feng shui consultations and tarot card readings. Contact Adalja on +971 (0)50 68 11 728 or [email protected], or visit her website, www.pathwood.com.

BY SHIVANI ADALJA

The scienceof feng shui

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Sheikh Saeed Hall 2

Stand No. C250

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commercial interior design - april 2010

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