Identity-September 2026

ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, INTERIORS + PROPERTY

ISSUE 267 / SEPTEMBER 2026

DHS 25.00 OR 2.70 BD 2.60 SR 25.00 KD 2.10

A MOTIVATE PUBLICATION

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The Legacy Issue Häcker Kitchens UAE / Pioneers of Design / Feria Hábitat València

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Contents Features 16

A n Architectural Dialogue Across Eras

Bureaux Andrew Phillips presents its recent renovation of two post-modernist resorts on the Egyptian Riviera

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T he Long Table

Samir Ranavaya, Founder and Managing Director of Häcker Kitchens UAE, shares how the kitchen evolved from humanity’s first gathering place into the centre of contemporary living; and what a German kitchen house brought to homes in the UAE

32 What to expect

at Feria Hábitat València

Taking place between 28th September to 1st October, the fair will include several new elements to give visitors the ultimate design experience

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44 P ioneers of Design We shine a spotlight on founders and the stories behind prominent interior & furniture brands with a long-lasting legacy in the UAE and GCC region

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surface solutions designed by nature MARBLE

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ONYX

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QUARTZITE

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PRECIOUS

STONE

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TRAVERTINE

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SINTERED

STONE

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PORCELAIN

www.glaze.ae

SHARJAH

ABU DHABI

DUBAI

800 GLAZE (45293)

[SEPTEMBER 2026]

Contents Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner and Group Editor Ian Fairservice Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Group Content Director Thomas Woodgate Editor Aneesha Rai Senior Art Director Olga Petroff Designer Vibha Monteiro Senior Partnerships Manager Sharmine Khan General Manager – Production Sunil Kumar Production Manager Binu Purandaran Assistant Production Manager Venita Pinto

Head Office: Media One Tower, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE; Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Fax: +971 4 428 2260; E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: SD 2-94, 2nd Floor, Building 2, Dubai, UAE; Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124; E-mail: motivate-adh@motivate.ae Saudi Arabia: Regus Offices No. 455 - 456, 4th Floor, Hamad Tower, King Fahad Road, Al Olaya, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Tel: +966 11 834 3595 / +966 11 834 3596; E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK; E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae

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16

Regulars 36 40 64 66

Design Focus Things to Covet Library #idmostwanted

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Photograph by Yousef Al Harmoodi

EXCLUSIVE PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIMEPIECES FROM AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS Limited Edition, United Arab Emirates themed Marine Chronometer Clock by David Galbraith Order online from TheArabianGallery.com or Rivoli DIFC Mall, Dubai and Rivoli Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi

Painting by Faisal Abdul Qader Dimensions: 102 X 80 CM Price: USD 9,550

[SEPTEMBER 2026]

Editor’s Note

For the cover of our Legacy Issue, we have partnered with German kitchen brand with a legacy of over 120 years, Häcker. We speak with Samir Ranavaya, Founder and CEO of Häcker UAE, about the evolution of the kitchen and its role in shaping how we gather in the contemporary age.

The idea of legacy extends throughout the issue.

We speak to several personalities who have played a role in shaping Dubai’s furniture industry; sharing stories from its early beginnings in the 1980s to the dynamic landscape we know today. Their stories offer an interesting perspective on just how much the industry has grown and how their businesses have evolved.

We also share why you ought to visit Feria Hábitat València, Spain’s largest and most anticipated annual design fair, bringing you a glimpse of the latest launches, ideas and conversations emerging from the country’s vibrant design scene. Follow us on Instagram @identityae, where we’ll be taking you along with us.

As part of our design focus, we focus on renovations and its contemporary expressions. From Egypt to Italy, we explore projects that demonstrate how spaces can be given a new life without erasing the history, character and memories embedded within them. We also shine a light on a selection of innovative sustainable products and materials worth considering for your next project.

The identity Design Awards close for entries on 15th September. We look forward to reviewing your work from the past year. The gala night is set to take place during the third week of November – watch this space for more details and stay tuned to our channels as we announce the shortlist in October. Design season is upon us, and we are geared for an exciting Q4.

Aneesha Rai Editor identity

On the digital cover Samir Ranavaya, Founder and Managing Director of Häcker Kitchens UAE. Photography by Mark Mathew

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FOR THOSE WHO KNOW

Introducing the Vario Cooling Expressive Series

Gaggenau Dubai Flagship City Walk Building 10

SAUDI SETTING

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SAUDI SETTING

Where Earth Meets the Stars Heatherwick Studio reveals the design for an astrotourism visitor centre and masterplan in AlUla WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

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et to be built in the remote deserts of north-west Saudi Arabia, near the ancient city of AlUla, Heatherwick Studio has unveiled the design for an astrotourism visitor centre. Conceived as a hub for dark-sky tourism and celestial research, the destination will bring together scientists and visitors in a shared space of exploration and discovery.

Named AlUla Manara, the centre is in an area recently selected as one of the first Dark Sky Parks in the region. The design for the centre and its broader masterplan was selected by the Royal Commission for AlUla, following an international design competition.

The studio’s vision takes inspiration from the dramatic spiralling forms commonly observed in space – from galaxies to planetary rings and twisting collections of stars and gas – and the same beautiful, mathematical patterns that are also found on Earth in our plants, prehistoric fossils and shells. The main visitor centre is made up of a series of tubular forms, clad in textured stone that nods to the sandstone mountains of AlUla’s landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Inside, the building will include a wide variety of exhibition spaces with immersive displays and galleries, a planetarium, a restaurant and a rooftop observation deck. Uniquely for a visitor attraction of this type, pioneering, real-time research will also be taking place elsewhere in the building, with guests offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the science taking in the centre’s cutting-edge facilities.

Designed to adapt to varying light conditions, the building will feature shading devices

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embedded in each of the tubes. These will manage sunlight during the day and preserve dark-sky visibility at night. Operable windows will allow the structure to respond to changing desert weather conditions, improving energy efficiency and protecting the building from the elements, while offering striking viewpoints of the surrounding landscape and the skies above.

Stuart Wood, Executive Partner and Group Leader at Heatherwick Studio, described the project as a radical reimagining of typical astrotourism destinations. “Space observatories are often remote, sterile places – technical outposts that feel distant from the public,” he shares. “We saw an opportunity to dissolve those barriers and create a place where visitors can step inside the wonder of the cosmos: an environment that is both immersive and inspiring, standing alongside the most advanced science of our time.”

The wider masterplan, which connects with nearby hiking trails, will also include on-site accommodation, a stargazing lodge, as well as remote pods from which visitors can take in the night sky.

Several new world-class telescopes will be built close to the visitor centre, allowing a growing community of scientists and astronomers the opportunity to make the most of some of the clearest and darkest skies in the world and observe certain celestial phenomena before they can be seen anywhere else on Earth.

AlUla Manara is imagined as a global centre for knowledge exchange and a one-of-akind opportunity for public engagement with science and astronomy, while contributing to Saudi Arabia’s growing significance in the world of space research.

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PRODUCTS

A Universal Language The Groundpiece sofa celebrates 25 years of quiet elegance and timeless modularity WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

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he Groundpiece seating system by Architect Antonio Citterio speaks of quiet comfort, of low, inviting shapes, of modularity as a universal language able to adapt to any interior, of elements – like the traditional upholstered armrest – that are completely reimagined. Its calm, confident silhouette has passed through the hands and the lenses of great photographers: Gabriele Basilico gave it architectural weight; Gianni Berengo Gardin captured its everyday naturalness; Maria Vittoria Backhaus revealed its tactile soul; Pierpaolo Ferrari interpreted it with subtle irony, without diminishing its essence as a living classic. Robert Rieger envisioned it as the protagonist of a sophisticated, timeless space.

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Architect Antonio Citterio recalls its inception: “When we designed it, in 2001, it felt like an idea rich in substance but with little chance of success. Too simple, too direct, non-traditional. It wasn’t even clear whether it was a sofa or not. And yet we found the experiment compelling – this encounter between art and a cushion – something extraordinary, almost paradoxical. So, we went ahead with it.

A few months later – success.” Its legendary armrest grew out of a discreet tribute, more whispered than proclaimed. “I named the Groundpiece sofa specifically with reference to the sculptures of Donald Judd,” shares the designer. “My sources and influences don’t always need to be explained; what matters is

the sensitivity that comes from looking at and reinterpreting what we’ve seen. In the case of Groundpiece, the leather allowed us to translate proportions and asymmetries – borrowed from art – into a domestic object. That’s the essence of creativity: a chain of references, emotions, and perceptions filtered through our own sensibilities.”

A clear, well-defined concept lies at its core: effortless style, an easeful elegance, subtle and reassuring, where design coherence outlives passing trends and beauty emerges through restraint. The materials – linen, cotton, cashmere – and the muted, harmonious colour palette evoke the understated refinement of a welcoming home.

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IN PARTNERSHIP

Where Ideas Learn to Breathe Doha Design District’s new platform, ‘Mada and Sada’, is less about what creativity produces and more about what makes it possible

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here is a version of a design district that operates as a showcase: polished, curated, arrived at. Doha Design District has always resisted that version. Embedded in the urban fabric of Msheireb Downtown Doha, one of the world’s most rigorously sustainable city developments, the District was founded on a different conviction: that design is not decorative. It is transformative. A discipline with the power to shape how a city thinks, feels, and grows.

‘Mada and Sada’, the district’s latest platform, is perhaps the clearest expression of that conviction to date. The name holds the concept within it: Mada, the origin; the impulse, the first flicker of an idea. Sada, the echo; the expression, the moment a creative act reaches the world and begins to reverberate. Together, they describe not a destination but a continuum. And that, precisely, is the point.

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The platform operates across two connected spaces at the district’s headquarters, designed so that visitors encounter not just finished work, but the thinking, the doubt, and the discovery that preceded it. It is an ongoing programme of workshops, residencies, open calls, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, built for emerging voices and established practitioners alike. The invitation, in every case, is the same: to engage with creation as something alive and unresolved, rather than fixed and framed.

At its core, ‘Mada and Sada’ is an act of belief in talent at the moment before it has proven itself. Too often, creative infrastructure is built around work that has already been exhibited, published, recognised. This platform deliberately inverts that logic, creating space to show unfinished thinking, to test ideas in front of an audience, to evolve in public rather than

in isolation. For a designer or artist navigating a regional scene that is still authoring its own vocabulary, still determining what Gulf creative identity sounds and looks like on its own terms, that kind of visible, supported space is not a small thing. It is the difference between a practice that persists and one that doesn’t.

That conviction runs through everything Doha Design District does. Since its founding as a strategic initiative of Msheireb Properties, the district has positioned itself as infrastructure for Qatar’s creative sector, a place where practitioners develop their work, where audiences are drawn into the process rather than kept at a polite distance, and where the exchange between maker and public generates something neither arrives at alone. Every open call, every residency, every platform like this one is built on that foundation.

The district’s role carries real weight in Qatar’s broader cultural ambitions. It is not simply nurturing individual talent; it is actively building the conditions for a connected, sustainable creative ecosystem, one that roots itself locally while positioning Qatar as a serious and distinct voice in the global design conversation. ‘Mada and Sada’ is the latest chapter in that project. But more than any initiative before it, it names what the district is really after: not just great work, but the conditions that make great work possible. The origin. The echo. And everything that moves between them.

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ARCHITECTURE

An Architectural Dialogue Across Eras Bureaux Andrew Phillips presents its recent renovation of two post-modernist resorts on the Egyptian Riviera WORDS – ANEESHA RAI 14 THE LEGACY ISSUE

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ARCHITECTURE

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Left page – El Gouna’s post-modern language, even at its most playful, carries echoes of a deeper lineage; This page – Arches define space, honest materials were selected to age gracefully, and furniture and fixtures were crafted locally

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e have reached an interesting threshold. Post-modernist buildings are now old enough to renovate. Close enough to remember the polarising arguments; far enough to recognise the optimism underneath them.

London-based practice Bureaux Andrew Phillips (AP) has completed a thoughtful redesign of key spaces of two late-1990s resorts in El Gouna on the Egyptian Riviera – The Three Corners Ocean View Hotel and Michael Graves’ iconic Sheraton Miramar. Rather than stripping away the distinct vocabulary of the era, the architects treated the existing structures as “materials with a memory.”

El Gouna’s post-modern language, even at its most playful, carries echoes of a deeper lineage – forms that gesture, intentionally or otherwise, toward Hassan Fathy, the Egyptian architect who reintroduced traditional building methods and materials with such lasting consequence. Fathy’s understanding of climate, enclosure, and human scale offered a quiet logic.

It helped clarify what should remain and what should evolve. The resulting spaces translate

the buildings’ architectural geometries into the interiors while integrating locally crafted furniture and fixtures, creating a sophisticated dialogue across eras.

The Three Corners Ocean View Hotel had been designed at a time when hospitality interiors seemed standardised around the world. The exterior had its own character; the interior had none of its certainty. AP set out to realign the inside with the structure that held it. The guestrooms became the starting point.

The move from four stars to five came through order, with the building’s geometry shaping the rooms. Arches define space, honest materials were selected to age gracefully, and furniture and fixtures were crafted locally. The rooms now carry the clarity of the building and the quiet confidence of place. The corridor shapes the arrival. Layered wooden screens (a familiar Egyptian vocabulary, simple and porous) regulate light as much as view. Arches break the length, giving rhythm, a sense of intervals.

Doors pulled back into alcoves. Light is placed to guide. The result is a passage that feels both public and personal: a transitional space with its

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ARCHITECTURE

Above – The spaces translate the buildings’ architectural geometries into the interiors. Special care was taken to create a consistent language between both to create an evolving story while still holding true to Fathy’s original vison

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own calm. The courtyard, once only a light well, became the heart of the project. AP reorganised it into a series of quieter spaces centred around a modest water feature, with varied seating encouraging both gathering and retreat. For Peanuts nightclub, AP worked within the existing concrete shell, layering lighting and finishes to transform the intimate space. A marquee fixture of 192 locally hand-blown bulbs anchors the bar, while new acoustic insulation improves its performance as a music venue. The redesign establishes a direction for the wider property, with the reception, restaurants and pool areas scheduled for renovation in 2027.

The Sheraton Miramar was originally designed by Michael Graves in 1997. In typical post-modernist fashion, the hotel blends references from ancient Egyptian, Arabic, and Nubian cultures into a single resort aesthetic.

Situated on its own island within the lagoon is the Orient 1001 Restaurant, housed in a pavillion. AP redesigned the façade to work with the motifs of the Graves architecture while improving climate control. Pivot doors and panels open the pavilion to the breeze, improving comfort through the day and into the night. The interior arrangements reinforce the architectural layout, creating a layered series of rooms within rooms within the original grid. Terrace, sea, and gardens become extensions of the restaurant space, framing views, controlling light, blending with nature. Every piece of furniture was designed for the space and made locally by hand. Upholstery in mismatched stripes carries the informal register you find across Egypt: unselfconscious and individual. The work required dialogue with local craft, and the design was influenced accordingly. Continuing this spirit of renovation, AP overhauled what had become a suite of meeting rooms. A new colour palette, new carpet, and an overall refinishing ensued, including the inversion of the existing chandeliers. Every colour introduced already existed somewhere else in the hotel: a connective thread between the spaces and the building. The intention was to give these rooms a vivid identity.

What began as a renovation of specific spaces became a dialogue across time. Postmodern forms, Fathy’s enduring intelligence, and the present moment of Egypt are all held together with new clarity.

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IN PARTNERSHIP

The Brief Beneath the Brief How BMA Studio turns client requirements into a deeper understanding of space, use and identity

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very project begins with a brief. But at BMA Studio, the brief is rarely treated as the final truth. Founder and Director Leila Sobek and her team look beyond what clients ask for to understand what the space genuinely needs to become. For them, the brief is the starting point; a first version of what the client thinks they want, shaped by references, lifestyle, ambition, budget, memory and sometimes uncertainty. The studio’s work begins in reading what is written, but also in listening for what sits behind it. What is the client trying to solve? How do they want to live, work, receive, retreat or be represented? What needs to feel effortless later, even if it takes weeks of questioning at the beginning? Before form, finishes or imagery, the studio examines the space between what has been requested and what is genuinely required.

A client may ask for openness; but needs privacy. They may ask for grandeur; but need calm. They may ask for more rooms, when the real issue is circulation. They may arrive with a mood board, but what the project needs is a clearer understanding of light, proportion, routine and use. This is where BMA Studio’s process begins.

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Founded in Dubai in 2015, BMA Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior design consultancy working across residential, commercial and hospitality projects, with offices in London, Vienna and Cairo. Its practice brings together architecture, interiors, technical design management, FF&E, specification, procurement support and construction supervision.

The studio’s strength lies in how early those layers are considered. A plan is not developed in isolation from the interior. A material is not chosen without thinking about performance, climate, maintenance and use. A detail is not treated as decoration if it must carry structure, light, movement or privacy. The brief is expanded until it becomes more than a list of requirements, but a working understanding of the project. Inside the studio, this understanding is tested through review. The team gathers around drawings, site feedback, material samples and unresolved questions. What works? What feels forced? What will the client experience daily?

What will the contractor need to understand clearly? What might fail if it is not resolved now?

This culture of questioning is about protecting it from becoming superficial too quickly.

Sobek brings more than 25 years of experience

as an architect, engineer and entrepreneur, and her leadership is shaped by that combination.

A graduate of the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, she approaches design with both creative instinct and technical discipline. She understands that the most persuasive idea in the room still has to survive coordination, approvals, material decisions, budget pressures and site realities.

At BMA Studio, design is challenged by context, function, structure, climate and the client’s long-term way of living. This is why the studio avoids relying on a fixed visual language. Each project asks for its own response, but the standard remains consistent: read carefully, resolve deeply and carry the idea through without losing its intent.

The initial brief opens the conversation.

Beneath it are the habits, tensions, aspirations and practical needs that will define the final space. BMA Studio’s role is to uncover them early enough to give the architecture clarity and purpose. The real brief, then, is what the studio discovers through listening, questioning and careful design judgement. Once that brief is understood, the architecture has something stronger to stand on.

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Soft Luxury Noon Design Studio reimagines an Elie Saab Signature Villa in Dubai Hills Estate through sculptural forms, layered textures, and emotionally driven spatial design

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onceptualised as a contemporary residence, this project is designed as a personal sanctuary where architectural restraint results in a space that feels warm and comforting. Designed for a private homeowner with a strong appreciation for refined contemporary interiors and timeless aesthetics, the design responds to a lifestyle rooted in modern Dubai living while

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drawing from an English aesthetic reinterpreted within a regional context.

Inspired by the surrounding landscape of Palm Hills, the concept explores the relationship between structured luxury and organic softness through curved architectural gestures, sculptural lighting, layered textures, and botanical references integrated throughout the interiors.

“At Palm Hills Villa, the intention was never to create a space that simply looked luxurious. We wanted to design a home that feels emotionally connected to its environment – where softness, warmth, and architectural clarity coexist naturally within everyday living,” says the team at Noon Design Studio.

Curved wall transitions, rounded corners, organic silhouettes, and tonal layering establish

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IN PARTNERSHIP

One of the defining focal points of the home is the entrance lobby and staircase composition, which acts as a sculptural centerpiece within the villa. Across the lounge and living spaces, softness is emphasised through rounded forms, bespoke detailing, and layered wall cladding that together create a refined atmosphere.

The project features a carefully curated palette of natural stone, textured wall finishes, wood veneers, soft fabrics, brushed metallic accents, and custom upholstery. Unique marbles, including Rosso Levanto and Verde Levanto, introduce richness and depth, while layered neutral tones reinforce the calming material language of the interiors.

Decorative lighting plays a significant role throughout the villa, particularly through sculptural chandelier selections and ambient lighting compositions. Lighting pieces from Bomma, Marset, and Officina Luce lights were integrated alongside commissioned bespoke sculptural lights and hand-painted wallpaper installations to create moments of artistic expression throughout the residence. Furniture and accessories were selected to complement the design language of the project, with a

strong emphasis on curved silhouettes, tactile materials, and timeless contemporary forms.

Sustainability within the project was approached through longevity, durability, and thoughtful material selection. Rather than trend-driven interventions, the interiors were designed to remain timeless and relevant over time. Natural materials, energy-efficient lighting solutions, high-quality finishes, and the maximisation of natural light and spatial openness contribute to a living environment that is both comfortable and enduring.

Left page – Softness is emphasised through rounded forms, bespoke detailing, and layered wall cladding; This page – (below) The project features a carefully curated palette of natural stone, textured wall finishes, wood veneers, soft fabrics, brushed metallic accents, and custom upholstery

Photography: Anya Zharonina

a continuous visual rhythm throughout the interiors. Architectural softness becomes embedded into the spatial experience itself rather than functioning as a decorative gesture. Pattern also plays an essential role in reinforcing the “Palm Hills” inspiration, while soft, earthy palettes and tactile materials create depth, fluidity, and connection to the surrounding landscape.

The planning of the villa was approached through the lens of seamless movement and spatial harmony. The ground floor was designed around social interaction, with interconnected lounge, dining, and living spaces that feel open yet carefully defined through materiality and architectural detailing. Upper levels prioritise privacy and comfort, accommodating bedrooms, family-oriented spaces, and a dedicated office while still maintaining a cohesive language throughout the home. Special attention was given to circulation, sight lines, and transitions between spaces to ensure that movement across the villa feels effortless and intuitive.

Each room carries its own emotional identity while remaining connected through recurring motifs, textures, and proportions.

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Materiality Meets Precision at this Home in Arabian Ranches Soul Space Design Studio completes a home where restraint becomes richness and materiality takes centre stage

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IN PARTNERSHIP

Left page – The entire home hosts a restrained colour spectrum; This page – (from left) 80% of the furniture was custom-designed specifically for this project; The powder room has a sculptural Rosso Levanto marble sink

Photography: Sergei Nekrasov

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et within the prestigious enclave of Arabian Ranches in Dubai, this 8,000 sq. ft. built-up residence spans nearly 12,000 sq. ft. including landscaped outdoor areas and is an exploration of quiet luxury, where restraint becomes richness and materiality takes centre stage.

Soul Space Design Studio founded by Sunayana Rao worked on the project, which focused on designing for a client from the world of design and construction. This called for an unusually layered and rigorous process.

With a refined eye and deep understanding of detailing, the client’s vision was clear from the outset: a layered, neutral home that expressed luxury through materials, craftsmanship, and precision rather than overt statements. “Unlike many of our previous projects characterised by bold palettes and expressive contrasts, this residence challenged us to create depth within a restrained colour spectrum,” shares

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Rao. “The exercise was not about subtraction, but about layering – achieving visual richness without relying on dramatic colour.”

Materiality became the protagonist. The powder room is anchored by a sculptural Rosso Levanto marble sink, its expressive veining offering a moment of quiet drama. In the kitchen, Calacatta Nuvolato marble introduces a softer, cloud-like movement, balancing boldness with refinement. Deep, chocolate-toned veneers add warmth and grounding, while premium silk and abaca wallpapers introduce subtle texture, enhancing every space without overpowering it. The juxtaposition of pronounced marble grains with understated wall finishes creates a harmonious balance – allowing statement materials to breathe within a composed backdrop.

The home comprises five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two living areas, and a cinema room offering the opportunity to carry a cohesive

design language across varied functions and scales. Nearly 80% of the furniture was custom-designed and crafted specifically for this project. From bespoke cabinetry hardware and custom metal skirting details to tailored drapery, every element was meticulously curated to maintain tonal consistency and finesse.

Though the final result appears almost instinctively Pinterest-worthy, the core intention remained deeply personal: to create a plush yet intimate sanctuary for a family of four. Each space balances grandeur with comfort, ensuring that luxury feels lived-in rather than displayed.

“This project redefined our approach to detailing,” shares Rao. “It pushed us to think beyond large design gestures and refine every micro element – proving that true sophistication lies in precision. The result is a home that embodies quiet confidence – where luxury is whispered, never declared.”

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Sculptural Architecture Meets Contemporary Softness YODEZEEN unveils a timeless duplex apartment in Dubai WORDS – ANEESHA RAI PHOTOGRAPHY – NOUR EL REFAI identity.ae

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INTERIORS

Previous spread – A Henge pendant light oversees the double-heighted living space. On the right is a scupltural staircase that features stone and wood; This page – (from left) Materials used include natural stone, wood veneers, textured plaster surfaces and upholstered wall panels; Floor-to-ceiling glazing frames panoramic Dubai views and fills the interiors with natural light

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nternational design studio YODEZEEN completed a private duplex apartment with an expansive terrace, designed as a refined interpretation of contemporary luxury living. Created for a client seeking an interior that would feel both understated and emotionally expressive, the project balances soft minimalism with sculptural detailing, tactile materials, and subtle moments of playfulness.

Rather than chasing trends, the design was envisioned as a timeless environment that was elegant, atmospheric, and deeply livable.

The project journey began in November 2023 with early spatial studies and concept sketches, before moving into full-scale design development in February 2024, with completion this year.

At the centre of the residence lies a dramatic double-height living area, conceived as the emotional core of the home. The space is visually anchored by a custom-designed sculptural

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staircase crafted from a sophisticated combination of stone and wood. The staircase acts as a spatial installation that guides movement while shaping the entire visual identity of the interior.

This architectural gesture is amplified by a cascading composition of pendant lighting from Henge, strategically positioned to emphasise the verticality of the living space and create an ever-changing atmosphere throughout the day. Together, the staircase and lighting establish a seamless dialogue between the two levels, bringing rhythm, lightness, and sculptural depth into the residence.

Materiality plays a defining role throughout the project. Natural stone introduces a sense of permanence and quiet sophistication, while warm wood veneers soften the architectural geometry with tactile richness. Textured plaster surfaces create fluid visual continuity, and upholstered wall panels enhance both acoustic comfort and intimacy. The result is a carefully

layered environment where every finish contributes to a calm, yet elevated atmosphere.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing frames panoramic Dubai views and fills the interiors with natural light, particularly within the private office overlooking the skyline. The visual connection between interior and exterior becomes an essential part of the design narrative, reinforcing the feeling of openness and freedom throughout the home. The residence features a curated selection of leading international design brands, including Minotti, Baxter, Giorgetti, Rimadesio, B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau, Poliform, and Molteni & C. A fully custom kitchen island, designed exclusively by YODEZEEN, further reinforces the bespoke nature of the project.

With Noor Residence, YODEZEEN explores a softer and more architectural vision of luxury – one defined not by excess, but by proportion, atmosphere, craftsmanship, and timeless spatial experience.

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IN PARTNERSHIP

Where British Standards Meet Dubai Luxury Inside Alkira Interiors’ transformation of a Downtown Dubai penthouse

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ubai has no shortage of beautiful interiors. What sets Alkira Interiors apart is the standard behind them. Founded by Tom and Harry, Alkira Interiors is a British-run interior design and fit-out company delivering high-end residential renovations across Dubai. From villas in Arabian Ranches and Palm Jumeirah residences to high-specification penthouses, the pair take a hands-on approach to every project, from the first design concept through to construction and final handover.

Their philosophy is simple: bring the organisation, transparency, communication and attention to detail expected from a British contractor into the Dubai renovation market. And Project Aticó is a perfect example.

Photography: Rami Alhafez

A Penthouse with a View Set high above Downtown Dubai, Project Aticó is a complete penthouse renovation designed to make the most of its extraordinary setting, with uninterrupted views across the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain.

For Alkira, the challenge was not simply to create a beautiful apartment, but to create a home where exceptional materials, considered design and everyday functionality work seamlessly together. Every space was thoughtfully reimagined, with the renovation encompassing a bespoke kitchen, bathrooms, custom joinery, upgraded flooring, feature lighting, decorative finishes and full MEP coordination.

Natural stone plays a key role throughout the apartment, with a carefully selected palette adding depth and character to each space. Calacatta Viola and Grigio Orobico marble feature throughout the home, while Ivory Travertine introduces warmth and texture. One of the standout details is the White Onyx backdrop to the dining room bar, creating an elegant focal point within the entertaining space.

The result is a sophisticated residence delivered through Alkira’s turnkey process – from initial concept and 3D visualisation through to procurement, construction, fit-out and final handover. The team remains closely involved on site throughout each project, working directly with clients, consultants and trades to ensure every detail is executed as intended, with a focus on long-term quality rather than quick solutions.

Project Aticó brings together the elements at the heart of Alkira’s work: considered design, exceptional materials and precise execution, creating a home that feels as functional as it is refined. alkirainteriors.com. Follow them on Instagram @alkirainteriors

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THE LONG TABLE

Samir Ranavaya, Founder and Managing Director of Häcker Kitchens UAE, shares how the kitchen evolved from humanity’s first gathering place into the centre of contemporary living; and what a German kitchen house brought to homes in the UAE

WORDS – ANEESHA RAI PHOTOGRAPHY – MARK MATHEW

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Above – Designed for flexibility, functionality, and timeless style, each Häcker kitchen can be tailored to your unique lifestyle and space; Below – The Essential Induction by Cosentino x Gaggenau at the Häcker UAE showroom; Right page – The design thinking behind Häcker is rooted in a German tradition that favours longevity over fashion and coherence over effect

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here are few spaces within the home that have undergone such a remarkable transformation as the kitchen. Once hidden behind closed doors and regarded purely as a place of labour, it has steadily evolved into the social heart of contemporary living. A kitchen is now a room where cooking, conversation, work and celebration coexist with equal importance. It is the place where mornings begin over coffee, children gather after school, friends linger long after dinner has ended and families instinctively return, regardless of the occasion.

Yet despite centuries of innovation, changing lifestyles and remarkable technological advancement, the kitchen’s purpose remains surprisingly unchanged. At its core, it has always been about bringing people together.

For Samir Ranavaya, Founder and Managing Director of Häcker UAE, understanding the future of the kitchen begins with understanding its past. The story of the

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modern kitchen is not simply one of cabinetry, appliances or interior design. It is a story of human behaviour and how architecture has continually adapted to the rituals of everyday life. “The kitchen is the oldest room we have,” he shares. “When our distant ancestors first learned to control flame, perhaps two million years ago, it changed everything at once: food became safe, the day extended past sundown, and people drew close to one another in a way they never had before. That circle of warmth was the first kitchen. It was not a room, and it was not designed, but it held the two things every kitchen has held since: heat, and the people gathered around it.”

That circle around the flames could scarcely be described as architecture, yet it established principles that continue to define the kitchen today. It was a place of nourishment, interaction and belonging. Every development that followed, from masonry hearths and chimneys to fitted cabinetry and contemporary kitchen islands can ultimately be traced back to that first gathering place.

For thousands of years, however, the kitchen itself remained largely unchanged.

Across Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as throughout India and the Arab world, cooking spaces became increasingly permanent, but their purpose remained almost

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entirely functional. Fire moved indoors, chimneys replaced smoke holes, and kitchens gradually became dedicated rooms within the home. Despite these improvements, they were rarely considered spaces worthy of design.

They existed behind the scenes, hidden from visitors and occupied almost exclusively by servants or household staff. Function took precedence over comfort, efficiency or experience. “It worked, after a fashion, and so it was left alone,” shares Ranavaya.

It was only during the 19th century that attitudes towards domestic design began to shift. Industrialisation transformed cities, households became increasingly organised, and attention gradually turned towards improving everyday life rather than simply accommodating it. One of the earliest figures to challenge conventional thinking was American educator and writer Catharine Beecher. At a time when architecture paid little attention to domestic workflow, Beecher examined the physical realities of preparing meals. She gave it workflow, consistent working heights, daylight where it was needed.” shares Ranavaya.

“Her aim was not only efficiency but dignity: the belief that a well-ordered room could lift the work done in it, and the person doing it.

That idea, that ordinary work deserves order and care, is the quiet foundation everything

since has been built on.” Today, concepts such as ergonomics, workflow and user-centred design are taken for granted, but Beecher was exploring these principles decades before such terminology existed.

Her recommendations introduced consistent working heights, improved natural light, logical storage and carefully organised layouts that reduced unnecessary movement throughout the day. More importantly, they represented a philosophical shift.

If Beecher reimagined how kitchens should function, Germany transformed those ideas into an entirely new discipline. Following the First World War, Germany faced an immense housing shortage. Thousands of homes needed to be constructed quickly, economically and efficiently. Architects were challenged to rethink every aspect of domestic life, balancing practicality with the realities of mass production.

It was within this context that Austrian architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky developed what would become one of the most significant milestones in residential design history: the Frankfurt Kitchen. Completed in 1926, it is widely regarded as the world’s first truly fitted kitchen. Unlike anything that had preceded it, every movement within the room was carefully considered. Stove, sink and storage were positioned within easy reach, dramatically

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reducing unnecessary steps while improving workflow. Every cupboard, drawer and work surface formed part of a coherent system rather than a collection of individual pieces of furniture. Yet the true innovation extended beyond its layout. Each component was standardised, allowing complete kitchens to be produced on factory assembly lines before being installed into thousands of new homes. Approximately 10,000 Frankfurt Kitchens would eventually be delivered throughout the city, providing ordinary households with an unprecedented level of functionality and consistency. “The purpose was not luxury but fairness, to give an ordinary household the same efficiency a workplace would expect,” shares Ranavaya.

A generation later, another influential German thinker would further redefine how the kitchen was perceived. Designer Otl Aicher challenged the notion that kitchens existed simply to accommodate appliances and domestic labour. Instead, he described them as social workshops and spaces where people cooked, created, discussed ideas and spent time together. His thinking anticipated the open-plan homes that would become commonplace decades later, recognising long before many architects that the kitchen was destined to become the emotional centre of domestic life rather than a room concealed behind closed doors. Nothing exists purely for decoration, yet the cumulative result possesses an understated elegance that has become synonymous with German craftsmanship.

“That way of thinking became, in time, a national instinct,” shares Ranavaya, “When Germany rebuilt after the war, it rebuilt around certain values, that things should be made well, made to last, and made as parts of a system where nothing is arbitrary. The fitted kitchen, born of Schütte-Lihotzky’s rationalism, became an industry, and a handful of German houses turned the Frankfurt principle into a craft: modular, repeatable, precise, and built to endure. It is this lineage that Häcker belongs to and has belonged to from near the beginning.” Häcker has been making kitchens in Germany since 1898. Over more than a century and a quarter, through every shift in fashion and technology, one discipline has stayed constant: the belief that every detail matters, and that a kitchen should be built to work long before it is built to impress.

That commitment to precision would ultimately resonate with Ranavaya during an unexpected visit to a Berkshire showroom.

“I arrived at it on an ordinary morning, in a Häcker showroom in Berkshire. I was not there to start a business; I was simply looking at a kitchen. But I noticed the things you are not really meant to notice: the weight of the doors, the way the light sat on the finish, the particular movement of a drawer that has been engineered rather than merely assembled. What struck me, the more I looked, was that the precision was everywhere. It was not reserved for the parts you see. It was in the hinge and the runner, in the way a door closed onto its frame without a sound, in the join where two surfaces met and you could not feel the seam, in the mechanics hidden behind every panel. Nothing

had been treated as unimportant simply because it was out of sight. Someone was making coffee, and the whole room had a quality I can only describe as rightness. I understood, standing there, what a kitchen could feel like when nothing in it, seen or unseen, had been left to chance. I did not yet know I would bring it to Dubai. I only knew I wanted to live with it.”

Ranavaya grew up in Windsor, U.K, where he was brought up with an appreciation for craft and things that endured. His British Indian background gave him a different lens that allowed him to have his own sense of understanding of hospitality, family and good order. “That has turned out to be the most

“When I think about where the kitchen is going, I do not think mainly about technology, though there is plenty of it and it has its place. I think about continuity, the same instinct that once gathered people around a fire, carried forward with more intelligence and more care than ever before” 30 THE LEGACY ISSUE

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useful thing I brought with me,” he shared.

“Dubai is a city of arrivals, built by people who have come from everywhere, each carrying their own idea of how to live, how to cook, how to gather. A kitchen here must answer to all of that. The work, very often, is to bridge those worlds: to take a German system built on one set of assumptions and make it belong in a home shaped by another, without either one losing what makes it itself. Having grown up between cultures, I find I am at home in that gap. It is where I do my best work.”

Ranavaya then brought the Häcker brand to Dubai, about 16 years ago. “The city was ready for it and, as far as I could see, no one had yet matched that readiness with the right experience. Dubai rewards what you actually bring rather than who you happen to know; doors open when you have something of real value to offer. The kitchens were available here. What had not kept pace was the standard of how they were delivered, the care taken from the first conversation to the final fitting. That gap was

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the whole of the opportunity, and it was the one thing I knew how to close,” he shares. “When we began, the German kitchen was still a relatively unfamiliar idea here: the notion that a kitchen deserved the same attention as the rest of the home, that it should be planned rather than simply fitted. That has changed completely.

The region now has some of the most considered homes anywhere, made by people with real conviction about how space should feel. Most of our work happens alongside them. A kitchen rarely arrives on its own, but inside an architect’s plan or an interior designer’s scheme. The work I value most is done early, in the room together, reading the drawings, understanding the light and the sightlines, the way the kitchen will open onto the rest of the home. The German system gives us unusual freedom here, because its precise, modular logic, the very inheritance of Schütte-Lihotzky and the houses that followed her, can be adapted endlessly without ever losing its integrity. Discipline underneath, flexibility on top: that is exactly what a good designer needs.”

The concept of legacy at Häcker also caught Ranavaya’s attention. “At the company’s house fair in Germany, there was a family portrait in the foyer that stopped me, not as decoration, but as a signal that this was a legacy passed deliberately from one generation to the next. You could feel it in the people too, a quiet certainty that came from knowing exactly what they had and having no interest in compromising it to follow a trend.” It made him be part of carrying it forward.

Ranavaya has since started a legacy of his own. Häcker operates out of a studio on Sheikh Zayed Road where the conversations are sparked not just by owners, but the studio partners with architects and interior designers too. “The conversations there are unhurried by design. A kitchen is one of the longer-lasting decisions a person makes about a home, and it deserves time, clarity, and a team that stays the same from the first conversation through to well beyond the final fitting,” shares Ranavaya. “When I think about where the kitchen is going, I do not think mainly about technology, though there is plenty of it and it has its place. I think about continuity, the same instinct that once gathered people around a fire, carried forward with more intelligence and more care than ever before. The whole long story, from the first hearth to Beecher’s order to Schütte-Lihotzky’s system to a studio in Dubai, is really one story: people trying, in each age, to make the room at the centre of the home work a little better for the life lived in it.”

From the first hearth to the Frankfurt Kitchen, from a family-owned workshop in Germany to contemporary homes across the UAE, the story of the kitchen has always been one of gradual refinement and small improvements that collectively transform the way people live.

Below – Bespoke cabinetry; A variety of customisable details are added to align with daily rhythms

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TRADE FAIRS

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TRADE FAIRS

What to expect at Feria Hábitat València Taking place between 28th September to 1st October, the fair will include several new elements to give visitors the ultimate design experience WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

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TRADE FAIRS

Previous spread – More than 1,500 exhibiting companies are expected at the fair this year; This spread – Leading international brands will coexist with manufacturers, textile publishers, kitchen companies, ceramic firms and new materials

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aking cues from how the architecture and design world works amongst all disciplines, Feria Hábitat València this year has multiple touchpoints to engage design enthusiasts and professionals.

The trade fair ceases to be merely a commercial showcase and becomes a reflection of how the entire industry evolves. Keeping this in mind, it will be launching València Inspira Diseño, a major platform where all the elements involved in creating a contemporary space come together.

The approach responds to a reality that architects, interior designers and specifiers know well. Today it is impossible to design a hotel, a home, a restaurant or an office without understanding the constant dialogue between furniture, lighting, textiles, kitchens, materials, coverings and ceramics. Projects are no longer built in watertight compartments.

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Feria Hábitat València, Textilhogar, Espacio Cocina SICI and the new 360 by Cevisama are all additions to the València Inspira Diseño proposal. The scale of the project speaks for itself. More than 1,500 exhibiting companies, ten halls and an area exceeding 110,000 square metres will transform the Valencian exhibition centre into a true map of contemporary design, where leading international brands will coexist with manufacturers, textile publishers, kitchen companies, ceramic firms and new materials.

Beyond the commercial importance of the event, one of the features that has distinguished Feria Hábitat València for years is its ability to transform the exhibition centre into a space for experimentation, reflection and design culture. This year, one of the main focuses will be Hotel Hábitat, the project conceived

by Mexican architect Joaquín Homs, who will imagine a hotel where each room will serve to explore new ways of inhabiting spaces. Far from being conceived as a temporary installation, the space will function as a true architecture and interior design laboratory, developed together with leading studios and companies in the sector. Foro Hotel Hábitat will bring together experts in architecture, interior design, hospitality and experience design with a programme focused on the contract sector.

The opening day will feature Ángela Moyano and her lecture “The Art of Living”, exploring the creation of lifestyle-driven spaces through the Larimar City & Resort project.

On Tuesday, the forum will examine new tools and strategies for hotel design with Javier Muñoz Posse, Founder and CEO of Furtivo. The programme will continue with the masterclass “Home Staging: Give Your Project a Soul”, led

by Alicia Verdasco and María Medina, followed

by Amai Studio’s presentation on interior design and emotional design. On Wednesday, Juan Sala from Laurel Visuals will discuss the application of artificial intelligence in design and project communication. Nyra Troyce will present her vision centred on innovation, craftsmanship, sustainability and conscious design, while Ana Nestor from Succuhome will introduce a new tool connecting interior design, marketing and business.

The journey will continue at Ágora nude, which will once again bring together some of the most influential voices in design, architecture and interior design to discuss sustainability, innovation, wellbeing and new ways of creating spaces. Throughout the fair, Ágora nude will host sessions focused on the evolution of contemporary design, craftsmanship, business innovation and emerging talent.

Highlights include the presentation of Tiempo + Materia (Time + Matter), a project by the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana curated by Estudio Savage, which highlights craftsmanship as a powerful connection between tradition, innovation and society.

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Photography: Alberrosaizllop, Manzana Photo

TRADE FAIRS

The venue will also feature an Actiu conference on wellbeing, sustainability and workplace design, the WOD by Actiu event organised together with Women in Office Design, and a professional session hosted by the General Council of Official Colleges of Interior Decorators and Designers.

A few metres away, Salón nude will preserve its essence as an essential platform for discovering emerging talent. For more than two decades, this space has anticipated many of the careers that today form part of the international Spanish design scene.

This year’s edition will also include an exhibition dedicated to the National Design Awards, a journey through some of the names that have shaped the recent history of design in Spain. Among the most eagerly awaited installations is also the proposal by Andreu World, which will once again demonstrate how an exhibition can become a manifesto on innovation, sustainability and project culture.

The kitchen will take centre stage with the return of the Espacio Cocina SICI biennial and, especially, thanks to the AMC Kitchen Lab space, where Francesc Rifé’s design will serve as the setting for an intense programme of conferences and showcooking addressing the kitchen as one of the great centres of contemporary life. On the first day, the forum will open with a conversation between leading content creators Dani Colino and Miguel Gómez, followed by the conference “AI Suggests. Professionals Decide”, organised by Insenia, on the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of kitchen professionals. The day will also include Antalia showcooking sessions and Kesseböhmer’s presentation “The Art of Movement”, focusing on innovative hardware and storage solutions.

One of the programme’s highlights will take place on Tuesday with a conversation between Michelin-starred chef Martín Berasategui and former basketball player Fernando Romay, both ambassadors for Senttix, discussing the relationship between nutrition, rest, ergonomics and wellbeing. The day will also feature an AMC paella showcooking event, the “100% Local” tasting experience and Manuel Royo’s presentation “The Connected Kitchen: Innovation, Design and Technology for the New Consumer.”

On Wednesday, Focus Piedra will organise the professional event Kitchen Shopping Day, hosted by Carmen Alcayde, featuring Pablo Cerra, CEO of Cloen; Santiago Alfonso, Vice President of Institutional Relations and Corporate Reputation at Grupo Cosentino; Marc Murcia, Sales Manager for 3D Scanning Solutions at Instop; and Juan Diego Jiménez, Country Manager of Quooker Spain. The day will continue with Teka’s conference “Integration 2.0”, a showcooking session starring Michelinstarred chef Carito Lourenço together with

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Biesse, another discussion between Dani Colino and Miguel Gómez, and the Kitchen Party, a networking event for the entire industry.

On Thursday, the forum will host the conference “The Recipe for a Great Kitchen: Appliances That Make the Difference”, organised

by Cemevisa, together with the presentation of the Antalia Decora Awards, recognising creativity and innovation among design and interior design students.

Material innovation will arrive through Matter, whose installation will invite visitors to touch, experiment and understand how new materials are transforming the way spaces and objects are designed.

The ambition to turn València Inspira Diseño into a unified experience will also be reflected in the event’s own ephemeral architecture.

For the first time, all common areas will be conceived under a single creative direction, led by the Odosdesign studio, responsible for designing shared spaces and creating a coherent visual narrative for the entire event. It is not merely an aesthetic intervention. It is a way of reinforcing the identity of a project that aims to be much more than the sum of several fairs.

Thus, at a time when the boundaries between disciplines are disappearing and design is understood as a collaborative process, València Inspira Diseño proposes exactly that: a place where manufacturers, architects, interior designers, designers and specifiers speak the same language. And it is precisely Feria Hábitat València, which for years has become the great meeting point for Spanish design, that acts as the driving force behind this new stage.

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DESIGN FOCUS

Transparent Speaker

Sustainable Picks

Products for your next project that push the boundaries of materiality, production and innovation WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

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DESIGN FOCUS

Ardys modular sectional sofa designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina, photography by Piergiorgio Sorgetti

TRANSPARENT SPEAKER The Transparent speaker offers an intriguing take of doing exactly what it says it does.

Nothing is concealed, instead it is celebrated.

The main materials include aluminium and glass, which are chosen for their durability, and to exist in recycled material streams. All the products are designed for a circular economy.

Apart from a long-lasting quality and appearance, it carries a modular design that can be repaired and upgraded over time with constantly evolving technology. This way, users can keep their product updated by their preference and change only a small part, instead of replacing the whole unit. Transparent products will get better with age and we will do what we can to remove electronic waste from the world.

ARDYS SOFA - CASSINA Designed by Patricia Urquiola, the Ardys sofa reimagines the floor sofa as a contemporary

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Bounce Lounge Chair from the Soundbounce collection

by Mathilde Wittock for mwo design

quilt. Voluminous seats and backrests are articulated through deep stitching, creating a distinctive graphic rhythm of raised and recessed forms that lends the design a sense of softness and visual balance. The plush padding is made from polyurethane foam containing a percentage of recycled polyols and wrapped in an internal lining of recycled polyester wadding. By eliminating traditional moulding methods and mounting the components onto a metal frame, Ardys can be easily disassembled, allowing its materials to be separated and recycled at the end of the sofa’s life in line with circular design principles.

SOUNDBOUNCE Soundbounce is a material acoustic solution that merges sound, design, and ecology. Crafted to soundproof interior spaces, it repurposes discarded tennis balls into sensory design elements, including wall panelling, furniture,

and acoustic partitions. Each square metre of Soundbounce incorporates approximately 283 tennis balls, upcycling the equivalent of 8.5 kg of carbon dioxide.

FREITAG X JOB This series of upcycled lamps gives discarded elements from FREITAG store interiors a new life and purpose. Pegboards and hooks that served the spaces for years have been reimagined as lighting pieces, reflecting the brand’s belief that “waste is a design error”.

Known for creating bags and accessories from used materials, FREITAG continues to extend its commitment to circularity by finding new applications for existing resources.

FABBRICK Developed by French architect Clarisse Merlet in 2017, FabBRICK has transformed more than 12 tonnes of textile waste into over 40,000

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DESIGN FOCUS

CORA Collection by Abeer Alrabiah & Albandari Sulaiman for Iwan Maktabi presented as part of Jusoor Design Collections

Freitag x Job van den berg, 2025, photography by Ronald Smits

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DESIGN FOCUS

Tabouret T15 by FabBrick

Bibliothèque B112.5 and Fauteuil F20 by FabBrick

bricks. The process begins with pre-shredded discarded clothing made from a variety of fabrics, with each brick incorporating the equivalent of approximately two-to-three T-shirts.

The fibres are combined with an eco-friendly adhesive, developed through extensive testing to protect against mould and deterioration, before being placed into a mould and mechanically compressed. This low-energy process requires no additional power beyond the force needed for compression. Once formed, the wet bricks are removed from their moulds and left to dry for two weeks before they are ready for use.

ECHO CHAIR BY ZHA X NAGAMI Developed by Zaha Hadid Architects for Nagami, the ECHO Chair interprets the idea of an echo through geometry rather than sound.

Its form is generated from two continuous surfaces that emerge from a shared structural edge, with one effectively mirroring the other: one defines the seat and base, while the second forms the backrest and supporting structure.

Conceived as a single continuous system, the design blurs the boundaries between structure, surface and ergonomics. The chair is produced using large-format continuous-extrusion 3D printing in one uninterrupted process, allowing its geometry, structural performance and fabrication to evolve as a unified whole.

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Ice on Poison Frog by Slo Ceramics

ZHA for Nagami ECHO Chair Collection

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PRODUCTS

Things to Covet Versatile, simple and timeless, these pieces will add life to any space WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

1. Array modular sofa by Snøhetta for mdf italia Designed by architects Snøhetta to offer maximum flexibility and comfort, Array a new approach to sofa design and construction, with the goal of reducing environmental impact, achieving customised living solutions, and simplifying logistics. To this end, it introduces small modules, also available in an electrified version with integrated USB

ports, which allow a wide variety of layouts, are easy to transport, and can be easily disassembled and reassembled for replacement or recycling. Array coffee tables in a wood finish complete the collection, offering practical surfaces both as freestanding pieces and when placed between the modules. The concept of comfort extends to the entire supply chain, moving beyond its ergonomic component.

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PRODUCTS

2. FERREIRA DE SA Rocktail Watermelon

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Hand-tufted and textural, this rug is made of Bamboo and textural silk by Portuguese brand FERREIRA DE SA is a must-have. The colours are vibrant and pop; yet will not look out of place within a space. Rather, it would seem as it would be a conversation starter.

3. Patch room divider with wooden panels by Nuans Design This collection of beautiful modernist dividing panels are able to guarantee privacy without isolating from the surrounding environment. Designed by Defne Koz + Marco Susani and manufactured by True Design, it’s great to add an airy natural touch to most environments.

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4. Orfeo Glass Floor Lamp A striking sculptural base in deep black rises into a warm metallic accent that supports a smooth amber glass dome, casting a soft atmospheric glow. The elegant contrast of dark metal and luminous glass creates a bold statement while maintaining refined modern simplicity.

5. Eera designed by Marco Zito for BROSS

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This indoor and outdoor lounge chair designed by Marco Zito has anessential yet strongly distinctive design. The choice to combine materials such as wood, metal, and fabric, together with its versatility of use make it an excellent selection.

6. Garbarino Collections KATAI 4-DOOR CABINET

Compiled by Vibha Monteiro

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This stunning cabinet defies fleeting trends with its timeless elegance and unique characteristics. The linear silhouette includes a lower section with four soft-close doors finished in gold leaf raised on a minimal plinth with matte black polyurethane lacquer to match the recessed drawers hidden under the top. The inner space is equipped with shelves in black melamine.

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F

WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

or London Design Festival 2026 taking place midSeptember, Broom will unveil The Chant Chambers, an installation dedicated to the continuing evolution of Chant, one of the designer’s most celebrated lighting pieces. Presented within Broom’s Shoreditch showroom, The Chant Chambers will mark the evolution of Chant from a singular lighting design into a complete family of illuminated forms.

Expanding upon the original chandelier and the award-winning Chant Portable lamp, the collection will now include oversized chandelier compositions, sculptural wall lights, linear pendants and architectural lighting structures that can extend continuously throughout an interior.

The Rivington Street space will be transformed into a series of distinct chambers, each dedicated to a different interpretation of Chant. Moving through the installation, visitors will encounter individual environments that explore the collection through varying scales, atmospheres and narratives.

Among the new additions are expansive square formations that transform Chant into large-scale illuminated planes, alongside linear compositions that introduce a new architectural dimension to the design. Individual sections can be connected at right angles to create continuous lighting structures, offering highly customisable installations that range from simple

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The Chant Chambers

Lee Broom to unveil an expanded vision of Chant at London Design Festival 2026

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PRODUCTS

Below – Lee Broom; Left page – The Chant Chambers will mark the evolution of Chant from a singular lighting design into a complete family of illuminated forms

geometric arrangements to ambitious sculptural statements.

The collection will also be presented for the first time in a new smoked glass finish. Rich in atmosphere, the darker tone enhances the depth and character of Chant’s illuminated glass blocks, reinforcing the collection’s connection to the glamour and sophistication of late-night 1970s interiors.

The exhibition will mark the latest chapter in the story of Chant, first unveiled as part of Broom’s Divine Inspiration collection during Milan Design Week 2022. Inspired by the architectural glass blocks synonymous with modernist and late twentieth-century interiors, Broom transformed the familiar building material into a contemporary sculptural lighting form.

In doing so, he helped establish a design direction that has since gained significant momentum, with glass blocks, translucent materials and geometric glass structures now increasingly emerging as defining features of modern interiors.

Through this latest reimagining, Broom continues to explore the relationship between light, art, architecture and atmosphere, demonstrating how a single design concept can evolve into an expansive and enduring body of work. The full installation will be on view to the public during London Design Festival, 15 – 20 September 2026, at Lee Broom, 91, 93 and 95 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London, U.K.

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PIONEERS OF DESIGN WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

We shine a spotlight on founders and the stories behind prominent interior & furniture brands with a long-lasting legacy in the UAE and GCC region

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KARINE OBEGI CEO of OBEGI Home

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esign and furniture have always been a shared passion for my husband Yordan and me. In 2006, we foresaw the UAE becoming the new frontier for the region due to the ambition of the country and its visionary leaders, so we took the leap to relocate our young family from Lebanon and build something that leverages that passion in this burgeoning market. It was difficult to leave behind our family and country, but we knew incredible things were going to happen in the UAE,” shares Obegi.

20 years ago, Dubai was quite different.

The hub for luxury furniture was in Karama, but Obegi didn’t feel it was the right fit for what they were building. Instead, they opted for the suburb of Jumeirah first on Um Al Sheif road, and then opening the first furniture showroom on Jumeirah Beach Road. Today, that same street has developed into the undisputed furniture district of the UAE. “Our first notable project was delivering five apartments for high-profile celebrities and dignitaries in Le Reve building in Dubai Marina, which was the most iconic address in the city at the time,” shares Obegi. Tennis star Roger Federer and F1 champion Fernando Alonso are among the building’s famed residents. “This project was the first one that allowed us to utilise the full range of our procurement capabilities as we were asked to deliver a full solution for the units.” Since that project, OBEGI Home has continued to be involved in high-profile developments, and the current list includes Bulgari Lighthouse designed by ACPV for Dubai Holding, Mr. C Residences Downtown designed by Arquitectonica and 1508 for ALTA Real Estate Development, and AVA Tower by OMNIYAT, part of the Dorchester Collection.

Client taste has evolved, observes Obegi. At the beginning of her time in the UAE, clients

Photography: Rami Mansour

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preferred a more classic contemporary style.

Increasing influences from global travel and living in a multicultural city shifted the preference to pure European contemporary, which is reflected in the OBEGI Home portfolio of brands.

One of the most memorable experiences for Obegi was the design of a dressing area in a celebrity’s home on Palm Jumeirah.

“Personalisation has always been central to our approach, and we knew that this client had an impressive handbag collection that needed to take centre stage,” she shares. “To ensure that every detail was carefully considered, I

personally accompanied my team to catalogue and measure her bags so that we could design a walk-in that was not only aesthetically her dream space, but also functionally. It remains a memorable example of how truly personalised design begins with understanding what matters most to each client,” she shares. Powered by curiosity, Obegi believes high-quality service is underpinned by taking the time to understand not only what a client is asking for, but also how they live, what they value and what they may not yet be willing to express or to share.

Obegi shares that this year has been one of the most challenging yet due to the regional conflict. “While it was an incredibly stressful period, I wanted to emerge from it with some positive outcomes, so I encouraged my team to take this moment as an opportunity to introspect and assess where we can improve to become more agile and effective,” she explains. “I’m proud of how many new ideas arose from all departments of the company and how quickly we were able to adapt to the new normal as a team.”

What drives Obegi to do what she does every day is quite simply: people. “Our suppliers have become like family, and our team members have given so much to grow with us and shape the company into what it is today. Our clients, through their evolving expectations and consistent trust, continuously encourage us to strive to do better every day,” she says.

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26/08/2026 11:45 AM

GABY KOUDSI Founder and Managing Partner of Studio971

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fter spending years in corporate leadership with experience in business development and brand building, Koudsi sought out to create something of his own. He founded Studio971 in 2016 with the first showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road by partnering with two iconic Italian brands: Arclinea for kitchens and Lema for furniture

and wardrobes. “It was my retirement plan,” he jokes. But life had other plans. “When I started, I honestly imagined it would be a small boutique studio representing one or two brands.

One opportunity led to another. We met some incredible people along the way, and somehow the journey became much bigger than I had ever imagined. Every now and then I stop and think about how we first pictured it and where we are today, and it makes me smile. More than anything, it just makes me feel grateful.”

Over time, Studio971 has continued to grow organically, expanding their portfolio of Italian brands and opening a second showroom in City Walk. “From the very beginning, our focus was never simply on selling products, but on delivering thoughtful, highly personalised homes with uncompromising quality,” Kousdi shares. “It has been a rewarding journey, driven by long-term relationships with our clients, partners, and team.”

One of the first projects worked on was a large-scale turnkey penthouse for a couple that placed their trust in Koudsi even before Studio971 has opened its showroom. “That confidence meant a great deal to me and remains one of the defining moments in our journey,” he recounts. “To this day, they still tell me it is their favourite home among the many residences they own, which is incredibly rewarding.”

Koudsi remains hands-on with the business, which makes decision making agile, even during tough times. “We have a flat structure, so decisions can be made quickly, and I remain involved in the day-to-day operations. That allows us to respond, adapt, and solve problems without unnecessary layers, while staying true to our corporate ethos of integrity, accountability, and putting our clients first,” he shares.

When asked what drives him to do what he does everyday, he replies, “For me, it’s the moment our clients walk into their home for the first time after we’ve completed it. Seeing that first smile on their face, knowing they're experiencing something that started as ideas, drawings and visualisations and has now become their home, is incredibly special. You can’t really put a price on that feeling, and it’s what makes me look forward to doing it all over again with the next project.”

One of the values Koudsi holds dear to his heart is modesty. “Staying humble keeps you open to new ideas, helps you build genuine relationships, and reminds you that it’s never about you – it’s about the people you work with and the clients you serve. Alongside that, integrity is equally important – being honest, keeping your word, and always trying to do the right thing. They’re values we try to live by every day at Studio971.”

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PIONEERS OF DESIGN

NIZAM A.BAKI Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Purity

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fter arriving in the UAE in 1972, well before the extraordinary growth and transformation the country would go on to witness, Baki joined and continues to manage Sultaco – a respected and established name in industrial and domestic kitchens, bathrooms, waterproofing and surfaces. After Dubai opened up for foreign property ownership in 2002 along with the early development of Palm Jumeirah, Baki saw the opportunity for world-class interiors, finishes and furnishings to match these developments. This led to the founding of Purity in 2004 as a distributor with a carefully curated portfolio of internationally recognised brands across kitchens, lighting, furniture, wardrobes, bathrooms, and other interior solutions.

“At the time, offering such a comprehensive range under one roof was quite unusual in the market,” shares Baki. Purity’s first showroom opened in Bur Dubai. From there, it has grown to occupy its two spaces; one being a surfaces and bathrooms focused showroom in Dubai Design District (d3) and the other, a space in Jumeirah that features a focus more on lifestyle, set within a renovated villa.

A memorable experience that Baki recounts is trying to supply a kitchen island for a residence in Dubai Marina. “On delivery day, we discovered the top wouldn’t fit into the

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building’s service lift nor the staircase. We weren’t willing to compromise on the piece, so we arranged a helicopter to deliver it directly to the residence instead,” shares Baki. “It was an unconventional solution, but the right one – and it’s stayed with us as a reminder of what we’re prepared to do to get things right.”

Another recent experience was supplying a

1,250kg bathtub made in solid marble to a Bulgari villa in Jumeira Bay island. “We used a crane to lift it directly into the bathroom,” he shares. “These situations reflect how we operate at Purity. When a challenge comes up, we solve it – the client’s expectations don’t change because the logistics are difficult. That’s simply the standard we hold ourselves to.”

The global financial crisis of 2008-09 is a time where Baki cites was a test for the business.

“At the time, we had been working on several major developments across Dubai – projects we had invested significant time and resources into. Unfortunately, a number of them didn’t go ahead. One in particular, represented an order value of over AED 10 million,” he shares.

“Those were difficult days. But we made the decision early on to pivot rather than wait it out – we restructured, adapted to the new realities of the market, and focused on the segments of the business that still had genuine demand. It wasn’t easy, but it’s a period that taught us a great deal about resilience, and ultimately made Purity a stronger, more adaptable business.”

A value Baki holds dear to his heart is that a man is only as good as his word. “That principle has guided every decision I’ve made, long before Purity existed,” he shares. “When we commit to a client, that commitment doesn’t waver – regardless of how difficult things get to deliver on it. Reputation and trust are built over decades, and they can unravel quickly if you don’t hold that line when it matters most.”

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26/08/2026 11:45 AM

WAJIH NAKKASH Founder of Nakkash Gallery

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akkash began his career in architecture and interior design in Dubai in 1979. At the time, he struggled to find furniture that reflected the style he wanted for his clients. This led to him founding Nakkash Gallery in 1983. “The idea was simple: create a space where clients could experience my design philosophy through carefully curated furniture, fabrics and accessories. It wasn’t just a showroom, it was a physical expression of what I believed good design should look and feel like,” he shares. Starting with a 150 sqm boutique showroom in Sharjah, the focus was on displaying a highly selective collection of iconic pieces. “Most showrooms were run purely as commercial businesses, whereas mine was led by an architect and designer,” shares Nakkash. “That made all the difference because every piece was chosen with a design vision in mind, not simply to fill a showroom.”

One of the first brands Nakkash worked with was Belloni, which was renowned for its classical style. Over time, Nakkash started to house more contemporary Italian brands such as Alivar and Cattelan Italia. “My frequent visits to Italy also led me to discover exceptional textile houses such as Cesari and Rubelli, whose fabrics became an important part of our early collections. Later, my travels to the furniture fairs in North Carolina introduced me to brands like Maitland-Smith and Theodore

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Alexander, renowned for their elegant craftsmanship.” Nakkash was also the first to bring the outdoor brand Dedon to the region.

One of his earliest projects was a couple who were passionate art collectors. “We worked very closely together over the course of about a year and a half to create a modern-classical home that celebrated both architecture and their remarkable art collection. It was a very rewarding experience because it taught me the importance of listening to clients and designing around the way they live, rather

than simply following trends,” he shares. A memorable moment was during a winter evening in 1987. “A newly married Emirati couple were spending the weekend at Marbella Club in Sharjah. As they drove past my small showroom, something in the window display caught their attention. The following day they came back to visit, and after spending time looking through the gallery they told me they were building a villa in Abu Dhabi and wanted me to design and furnish their entire home. It reminded me that you never know who might walk through your door, or how one moment can completely change the course of your business,” he shares.

The next chapter for Nakkash Gallery began when Nakkash’s son Omar joined the family business after graduating from Parsons School of Design in New York and completing his Master’s at Politecnico di Milano. “He brought a fresh perspective, new ideas and a passion for interior architecture,” shared Nakkash.

“Today, he continues to lead and grow the studio, bringing his own design philosophy while staying true to the values that have always defined Nakkash. Seeing the next generation take the business forward in their own way has been one of my greatest sources of pride. It is the natural evolution of our family’s legacy.”

Family is at the centre at everything Nakkash does. “I’ve been fortunate to spend my life creating beautiful spaces, but what matters most to me today is creating something that lasts beyond the projects themselves, a united family, a business built on integrity, and values that can be passed from one generation to the next,” he shares.

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PIONEERS OF DESIGN

KHURSHID VAKIL Co-Founder of Marina Home

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n 1997, Dubai was on the cusp of extraordinary change. Its skyline, population and ambitions were growing, yet the interiors landscape remained relatively conventional.

For Khurshid Vakil, Co-Founder of Marina Home, that presented an opportunity – not simply to open another furniture store, but to create experiences beyond the expected, guided by individuality rather than typical trends.

From the outset, Marina Home sought to move away from the predictable. Its early collections brought together influences that crossed cultures, geographies and eras, creating an aesthetic that was difficult to place within a single design category. Colonial sat alongside contemporary; rustic materials met refined forms; influences from East and West existed within the same space. Nearly three decades later, the UAE-born brand has grown beyond its home market, establishing a presence across the Middle East, North Africa and the Subcontinent.

Rather than subscribing to one geography or one prescribed aesthetic, the brand draws from a world of influences, bringing different materials, craftsmanship, forms and cultural references into conversation with one another.

Its philosophy is rooted in a world where cultures converse and design is enriched by geography rather than confined by it. For Marina Home, timelessness does not mean playing it safe. It can be bold, unconventional and expressive. What gives an object longevity is its ability to retain character beyond the trend that surrounded its arrival – through craftsmanship, materiality, proportion and the emotional connection it creates with its owner.

This thinking has been present since Marina Home’s earliest years. When the brand entered the market, its founders deliberately sought products with personality and storytelling at a time when much of the category was dominated by more generic, mass-produced offerings. That same philosophy extends to Marina Home’s large-format showrooms. Historically, its stores were conceived not simply as places to display products, but as environments of exploration and discovery – an approach the brand continues through immersive showrooms today.

Nearly three decades of building Marina Home have given Vakil a perspective shaped by entrepreneurship, retail, brand building, customer experience, organisational development and international expansion. His experience spanning India, Europe and the UAE brings a global outlook and a strong understanding of how a locally rooted business can evolve into

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an internationally relevant brand. That crosscultural perspective continues to influence how Marina Home approaches design, growth and opportunities across both established and emerging markets.

For Vakil, building a distinctive brand has never been about scale alone. It is about knowing what should evolve and what should remain uncompromised. As Marina Home continues

its international expansion, that philosophy remains central – creating furniture with character, drawing from global influences and resisting the sameness that can come with growth. Almost three decades on, the ambition remains to build a globally relevant brand without losing the individuality, curiosity and design point of view that defined Marina Home from the beginning.

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26/08/2026 11:45 AM

FAWZIA HASSANI General Manager of Roche Bobois UAE

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assani’s family established Roche Bobois’ presence in the UAE in 1996.

She now leads the business with her siblings. Under her leadership, Roche Bobois UAE has further strengthened its position within the region’s luxury interiors market through strategic partnerships, high-profile brand collaborations, and a strong presence across leading regional and international publications. Her efforts have helped establish Roche Bobois UAE not only as a celebrated French luxury furniture maison, but also as a brand that resonates with the lifestyles, aspirations, and aesthetic sensibilities of homeowners across the UAE. In 2025, Hassani spearheaded Roche Bobois UAE’s debut participation at Downtown Design Week, the Middle East’s leading contemporary design fair, marking a significant milestone for the brand. The initiative reinforced Roche Bobois’ connection to the region’s creative community and further elevated its presence within the UAE’s design and cultural landscape. “When we established Roche Bobois UAE in 1996, the country was beginning to embrace contemporary design and international influences. We saw tremendous potential in its vision, ambition, and growing appreciation for global design. Even then, there was a clear sense that the country was evolving into a global hub for creativity, architecture, and lifestyle,” Hassani shares. “Over the past three decades, our journey has grown alongside that transformation. As design became a means of expressing individuality, lifestyle, and aspiration,

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Roche Bobois found a natural place within the market. Today, we are proud to have established a strong presence in the UAE, offering collections that combine French savoir-faire, innovation, craftsmanship, and customisation.

The growth of Roche Bobois UAE reflects both the increasing demand for luxury interiors in the region and the UAE’s emergence as a global design destination.” Collaboration has always been part of Roche Bobois’ DNA. Over

the years, the brand has partnered with some of the world’s most celebrated creative talents, including Marcel Wanders, Kenzo Takada, Jean Paul Gaultier, Missoni, Joana Vasconcelos, Christophe Delcourt, and Sacha Lakic. “One of the earliest and most iconic creative projects associated with the brand is the legendary Mah Jong sofa, originally designed by Hans Hopfer in 1971. Its modularity and endless possibilities for personalisation embody the spirit of creativity and innovation that continues to define Roche Bobois today. More recently, we have continued this tradition through collaborations such as our latest collection with acclaimed filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, bringing together the worlds of cinema, colour, and furniture design,” shares Hassani.

Over time, the company has remained adaptable, but staying true to its roots of propagating craftsmanship, innovation, customisation, and exceptional design. “At the same time, we continuously evolved with our customers, embracing sustainability, eco-design principles, and new ways of living,” shares Hassani.

A value she holds dear to her heart is the French Art De Vivre. “At its heart, it is more than a concept – it is a way of thinking about design and life, celebrating creativity, individuality, craftsmanship, and the belief that our homes should reflect who we are. Every collection is designed to bring together beauty, comfort, and personal expression, transforming furniture into something meaningful,” she shares.

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PIONEERS OF DESIGN

RAED DIBS CEO of Interiors

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ibs started his career in the insurance sector, when he met the the late H.E. Easa Saleh Al Gurg, the founder of Interiors. “I tried my best to sell him insurance, but I did not succeed,” shares Dibs.

“Instead, I gained something far more valuable: the friendship of a very modest, knowledgeable, honest and humane person.” Dibs then moved to Australia for five years, yet remained in contact. When he decided to return to Dubai, Al Gurg offered him the opportunity to lead interiors. “He did not only offer me a position; he entrusted me with a company built on strong values. I have always considered it a privilege to continue what he started, while remaining true to the principles he demonstrated every day through his leadership. Those lessons continue to guide the way I work, make decisions and lead the team at Interiors,” Dibs shares.

One of the very first projects Dibs worked on after joining the company was furnishing a residential accommodation complex for employees of the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO), now known as ADNOC Onshore. The project included furnishing the residences, restaurants, common areas and supplying the curtains. “It also reflected the confidence that major government organisations already had in Interiors. Being entrusted with a project of this scale by one of the UAE’s leading national companies reinforced the reputation that Interiors had built over the years,” Dibs shares.

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An experience Dibs remembers over the years was when one of Interiors’ suppliers strongly recommended that the company buy a sofa set in a particular fabric. “He told us it was selling very well in Kuwait,” shares Dibs. “We were not fully convinced because the fabric was quite thick and dark. We felt it might be suitable for the Kuwaiti market, but not necessarily for our customers in the UAE. Also, none of our customers had ever asked for that type of fabric before. The supplier asked us to try just one set, so we agreed. It stayed in our showroom for almost one year without selling. Then, suddenly, we sold it and the buyer was a client from Kuwait. It was a small story, but it stayed with me because it reminded us of the importance

of knowing our market and understanding our clients. Every market has its own taste, and customer preferences continue to evolve over time. For Interiors, this has always been one of our strengths: listening, adapting and staying close to our customers while maintaining the quality and standards the brand is known for.”

Dibs is driven by his work. “There is a quote

by Gebran Khalil Gebran that I have always loved: ‘And what is it to work with love? It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.’ This reflects how I see my work,” he shares. When asked what are the values he holds close to his heart, he shares, “Honesty and honourability.”

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PIONEERS OF DESIGN

LESLY LOBO Founder of Lobo & Listone

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obo & Listone was founded in 2002 with a simple belief that exceptional interiors begin with exceptional surfaces. “After many years in the flooring industry, I felt there was an opportunity to create a company that would combine European craftsmanship with technical expertise and a genuine commitment to quality and service,” shares Lobo. Lobo & Listone began by representing a handful of carefully selected European manufacturers, including Boen and a few specialist wood flooring producers. “Rather than building the biggest portfolio, we focused on building the right one,” shares Lobo. Over the years, the company evolved from a flooring supplier to what Lobo proudly calls ‘An atelier for curated surfaces.’

Lobo & Listone operates in sync. “One moment I often think about isn’t a single project but watching our installers, project managers and sales consultants speak exactly the

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same language with a client. When I hear an installer explaining timber movement with the same confidence and philosophy as a sales consultant, I know we have built something much bigger than a company – we have built a culture,” shares Lobo.

Through tough times, Lobo keeps the approach of staying transparent with his clients and focusing more on relationships than shortterm gains. This has paid off. Lobo & Listone has now expanded their presence across the Middle East and into Europe. First stop? Italy.

“We are also continually developing bespoke surface solutions that allow architects and designers to create completely unique flooring and interior concepts,” shares Lobo.

A value Lobo holds dear to his heart is integrity. “You can purchase the finest materials in the world, but if you don’t honour your commitments, they lose their value. I believe success is measured not only by the projects you complete, but by the trust you earn over many years,” he shares.

When he is asked what drives him to do what he does everyday, Lobo says, “People. Beautiful products are important, but people build businesses. What motivates me every morning is seeing our team continue to improve, solve problems and exceed expectations. Every completed project becomes part of someone’s home, workplace or hotel for decades, and that carries a responsibility we take seriously.”

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IN PARTNERSHIP

Evolving the Monotonous, Predictable Local Design Scene xzpace® started with a simple question: Why do we accept certain things in the furniture industry simply because “this is how it has always been done”?

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ounded in the UAE in 2025 by Richa Madhu, Mohamed Oraby, and Madhu Krishnan, all engineers turned entrepreneurs, xzpace® designs and manufactures locally from its own facility in Ras Al Khaimah. The young brand describes its approach simply: ‘We touch the untouched.’

What spurred them was the recognition that our everyday was beginning to look predictable across households, across offices, and across hotels. It is less a slogan than a way of questioning the process – from how furniture is designed and manufactured, to how it is personalised, sold and experienced.

At the centre of that thinking, is a belief that great design should be for people. It should not belong only to a specific segment or exist only in spaces where design is treated as a luxury.

At the same time, accessibility should never mean making everything look the same. This thinking shaped the brand’s directto-consumer experience from the beginning. Rather than simply selling a product, the process involves curation, conversation and personalisation – understanding the person, their space, and how they want to live or express before deciding what is right for them.

Now xzpace® wants to bring that same experience into its growing B2B journey. Whether working with an interior designer, design studio, contractor or hospitality client, the ambition is to retain that same level of attention while operating at a completely different scale. Local manufacturing plays an important role.

With design, development and production under one roof, there are fewer layers between an idea and its execution. Pieces can be specified from xzpace’s collection, adapted to a project, developed from a designer’s concept, or created completely from scratch.

The collection itself has grown from a handful of products to 51 unique SKUs. The brand has since developed bespoke work across the UAE, collaborated with Mercedes-Benz Brand Center in Dubai Design District, and is now building its own showroom.

For xzpace®, however, growth is not about becoming less personal. The challenge is the opposite: How do you grow, and work with bigger projects while encouraging B2B clients to explore solutions beyond the typical which ends up compromising their identity? Instead, the brand’s answer is to keep questioning. The process is to find the sweet spot between design, identity and budget – if the company already has a clear direction in terms of aesthetics or branding, xzpace® translates that direction into furniture selection and design. If it doesn’t have a well-defined identity, they help create one and help express it through spatial design and furniture itself.

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Shore Bench

Twist lamp

The brand does not build collections around a singular visual formula. Instead, its portfolio moves confidently between sculptural forms, architectural geometries, tactile upholstery and expressive material combinations. The Falls collection, Levels Coffee Table, Majlis Lounge, and Twist floor lamp share no obvious silhouette – intentionally so. What connects them is an attitude towards design: distinctive, exploratory and resistant to sameness.

That is the journey xzpace® is building next – to stay human in B2B, hospitality and large-scale projects by not taking the easy way out when it comes to building a space.

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27/08/2026 3:31 PM

A Reimagined Journey Architect and Interior Designer Aline Asmar d’Amman reimagines the Orient Express Venezia at the 15th century Palazzo Donà Giovannelli WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

Venetian history, contemporary artistry and the legendary spirit of the Orient Express art of travel converge in perfect harmony

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estled in the quiet rhythm of Cannaregio, the Palazzo rises where two canals intertwine along the Rio di Noale, an address of serenity, history, and cinematic beauty. Here, Orient Express introduces a new chapter in its Italian journey. D’Amman weaves heritage architecture with contemporary expression as she shapes the journey in a sequence of wonders, informed by the stories embedded in every architectural detail. Embracing the Serenissima’s legendary legacy as a gate between East and West, she choreographs this theatrical journey, where imagination,

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craftsmanship, and centuries of Venetian culture converge. The hotel features 47 uniquely crafted rooms, suites, and residences, where each space is elevated with intentional interiors and singular atmosphere, reflecting the layered architectural history of the building and the romance of Venetian living. Palazzo Dona Giovannelli has long embodied the spirit of Venice as a crossroad of culture and imagination. In the mid 19th century, Count Andrea Giovannelli commissioned architect Giovanni Battista Meduna, celebrated for restoring the neighboring Ca’ d’Oro, to reimagine its interiors with neogothic galore, Baroque flourishes,

and the Palazzo’s iconic octagonal staircase crowned by a celestial vault.

During the Ninth Congress of Italian Scientists in 7847, the Palazzo reopened as a stage for salons, debates, and grand receptions. In these historical spaces, intellect and imagination thrived. Over the years, the Palazzo grew through love and noble alliances, as reflected in the Salone Vittoria, a setting befitting royalty. Today, Orient Express Venezia rekindles that spirit.

Bold gestures of interior architectural grafting are balanced with infinitely sophisticated details, painted frescoes meet sculptural

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masters of their time, while embossed leathers and moire silks dress up the walls in echo to the ever-shifting dialogue of light and shadow dancing across the canals. Patinated walls, carved surfaces and artisanal finishes recall the passage of time, their textures lending a sense of modern, ageless allure.

One of the most unexpected revelations of this transformation is the Palazzo’s lobby, ii Corte del Conte, once an open mineral cortile, elevated into a grand living room, layered with sculpted boiserie, velvet lushness and spectacular bespoke Murano chandeliers, balancing the soul of a home with a dramatic sense of theatre.

The Palazzo’s secret garden, a secluded sanctuary hidden at its heart, surprises and delights with its whimsical corners, sophisticated

tents, luxuriant fountain and antique gates, lit by delicate Venetian lanterns diffusing their cinematic warm glow. Long concealed behind centuries old walls, the garden is transformed into an almost otherworldly space where nature, architecture, and the sound of silence meet. Calle Meraviglia, a realm of discoveries, connects the garden to the lobby, hosting a rotating selection of contemporary works aligned with Venice’s cultural calendar and reinforcing the hotel’s role as a living cultural salon.

Every path and each floor lead to countless discoveries and encounters with marvels of the past, in magnetic dialog with creative nowness. The result is a world of theatrical elegance where centuries of Venetian creativity meet the timeless codes of Orient Express.

From left – The hotel features 47 uniquely crafted rooms, suites, and residences, where each space is elevated with intentional interiors and singular atmosphere, reflecting the layered architectural history of the building and the romance of Venetian living; Venetian craftsmanship converses with contemporary art and works by masters of their time, while embossed leathers and moire silks dress up the walls

Photography: Giulio Ghirardi

Right – An array of exquisite precious natural stones, meticulously curated and highly crafted, merge into the Palazzo’s architectural body

forms, historical details infinitely reflect into tinted mirrored surfaces. An array of exquisite precious natural stones, meticulously curated and highly crafted, merge into the Palazzo’s architectural body, weaving moments of sensual wonderment in the most intimate spaces.

The “Lost Colours” or “Colori Persi” of Venice softly re-emerge, woven into textures and curtains, furnishings, and finishes, transforming the Piano Nobile’s historical salons into a succession of inhabited living canvases, punctuated by a bold intervention of vast cabinets of wonder. Venetian craftsmanship converses with contemporary art and works by

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GLOBAL OUTLOOK

An Evolving Dialogue George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg collaborate with Tribù for their summer home in Amagansett, U.S. WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

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GLOBAL OUTLOOK

Both pages – The pieces blend seamlessly between the indoors and outdoors

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estled within the natural dunes, Shore Road offers a rare glimpse into how the outdoor furniture collections between Yabu Pushelberg and Belgian luxury outdoor furniture brand Tribù naturally inhabit a personal, lived-in environment. Moving beyond the traditional showroom experience, the residence demonstrates how design is experienced in its most authentic form – woven into everyday rituals and integrated seamlessly with architecture, landscape, and the rhythms of nature.

Designed in collaboration with architect Frederick Stelle, Shore Road reflects Yabu Pushelberg’s approach to creating environments that feel timeless, intuitive, and deeply connected to their surroundings. The pieces blur the boundaries between interior and exterior living.

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“We have always believed that outdoor spaces should feel as intentional and emotionally resonant as interiors,” say the duo, founders of Yabu Pushelberg. “Our Amagansett home is a deeply personal expression of that notion. Living with our Tribù pieces between the house and the dunes, we get to experience firsthand how they age over time and become one with the landscape.”

Shore Road embodies two distinct yet complementary ways of living: a welcoming setting for intimate gatherings and moments of connection, and a private sanctuary dedicated to rest, quiet, and contemplation.

From the interior spaces to the private path leading toward the beach, the furniture follows the natural flow of the landscape, creating a continuous dialogue between architecture, nature, and human experience.

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Dramatic cantilevered volumes, board-formed concrete and expansive glazing create a timeless sanctuary where architecture and nature exist in harmony

A Floating Masterpiece Where nature and minimalism converge WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

N Above – Open floor plans, flat roofs, connections to nature, and clerestory windows feature throughout Right page – The second floor appears to float above the landscape and is dramatically cantilevered

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estled within a forest, this home reimagines West Coast Modernism through a minimalist lens. Dramatic cantilevered volumes, board-formed concrete and expansive glazing create a timeless sanctuary where architecture and nature exist in harmony, balancing privacy, openness and an enduring connection to the landscape.

Perched on a historic site in West Vancouver, Canada, once owned by one of the area’s original land barons in the 1920s, the residence makes a bold architectural statement. Its second floor appears to float above the landscape, dramatically cantilevered with

only three slender columns visible beneath, while the site’s mature cedars and Douglas firs have been carefully preserved.

“The client had a strong vision and clear material palette, inspired by classic West Coast Modernism but interpreted more contemporarily,” remembers Eric Pettit, Senior Associate at Openspace Architecture. “Open floor plans, flat roofs, connections to nature, and clerestory windows remain, while traditional post-and-beam construction is replaced with simple concrete walls and a concealed steel structure, creating a clean, understated architectural expression. This modern minimalism heightens contrast with the surrounding forest – crisp lines frame and emphasise the movement, shapes, and colours of nature.”

Close collaboration with structural engineers made the ambitious cantilever possible while maintaining a restrained architectural language. The home stretches horizontally across the generous site, preserving ocean views while nestling against a stand of mature trees. By concentrating the upper level to one side, much of the residence remains single storey, ensuring uninterrupted sightlines to the southern sky.

Materiality plays a defining role throughout. Board-formed concrete walls retain the grain of carefully selected timber, lending warmth and texture while echoing the surrounding woodland. Double-poured construction with integrated thermal breaks allows the walls to perform as high-efficiency thermal envelopes without compromising their monolithic appearance. Custom-stained cedar cladding, engineered fumed oak flooring and colour-matched oak joinery soften the minimalist architecture, creating a tactile palette that feels both contemporary and inviting.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing and frameless sliding doors dissolve the threshold between indoors and out, allowing the landscape to become part of everyday life. The open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces flow effortlessly onto a pool terrace and outdoor entertaining area, while a slender floating bridge connects the main residence to a shared office pavilion. The primary suite occupies its own secluded lower level with direct garden access, while four additional bedrooms are arranged upstairs, including two ensuite bedrooms and two guest rooms sharing a central bathroom. Clerestory windows introduce abundant natural light while preserving privacy, reinforcing the home’s pavilion-like relationship with its surroundings.

Every detail reflects an exceptional level of craftsmanship. Light switches are cast directly into the concrete walls, while glazing channels are seamlessly concealed within the structure to preserve the purity of the architectural expression. The result is a home where engineering precision and refined detailing quietly disappear, allowing the architecture, materials and surrounding forest to take centre stage.

Photography: Ema Peter

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

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GLOBAL OUTLOOK

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LIBRARY

The Art of Less

Bottom left – The Art of Less, gestalten 2026, photography by Silvia Foz, art by Maria Yelletisch

This new publication by Norm Architects founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Aesence Founder Sarah Dorweiler challenges the cognitive necessity of less WORDS – ANEESHA RAI

A

s the global landscape grapples with an overwhelming saturation of digital information and physical excess, a new inquiry into the human necessity for reduction has emerged. Authors Sarah Dorweiler and Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen announce the release of The Art of Less: An Exploration of Essence, a profound investigation into why the human reflex toward simplicity surfaces most urgently when the world feels out of balance.

Moving beyond the superficial minimalism often appreciated for its appearance more than its principles, this work reclaims the practice as a vital cognitive and sensory tool for navigating a fragmented age.

Rather than treating reduction as a design choice, the book transcends conventional manifestos by framing it as a deeply human drive for clarity. Through five thematic lenses – Balance, Contrast, Materiality, Rhythm, and Space – the book profiles twenty international artists, designers, and architects whose work demonstrates that true restraint creates a heightened sense of presence rather than absence.

From the structural silence of John Pawson’s architecture to the elemental tensions in Lee Ufan’s sculpture, The Art of Less invites a closer observation of what remains when the unnecessary is set aside, revealing a quieter and more essential way of relating to our physical and psychological spaces.

Available at: gestalten.com

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THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF

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READ HIS BESTSELLING AUTOBIOGRAPHY THAT’S MAKING WAVES AROUND THE WORLD AvA i l A b l e At A l l m A j o r b o o k s t o r e s A n d o n b o o k s A r A b i A . c o m

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Tawlitna by Zein Hageali This modular table is inspired by the traditional arabesque table. It is assembled using “knock-down (KD) joinery”, a construction technique that assembles pieces through interlocking joints instead of standard screws or glue. Each table is composed of six legs and one tabletop, allowing the entire piece to be assembled and disassembled with ease.

This piece mixes traditional design with modern construction. When disassembled, the table can be stored as a set of flat, compact pieces, simplifying transport and storage.

The modular nature of the piece not only supports ease of movement but also facilitates repair and replacement of individual parts, extending the product’s lifespan.

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DESIGN AWARDS 2026

SUBMISSIONS CLOSING SOON 15.09.2026

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