Identity | October 2010

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Sparks! Lighting the way forward Bowled over: striking new venues Retro-spectives:fashion + architecture Moorish charm + majlis magic

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‘NEW DIRECTIONS’ Modern new classics for the way you live now.

Welcome back, Milo.

Designed in 1962, the Milo Classic Lounge Chair has a story that dates back to 1953. This mid century icon is a comfort composition of semi-aniline leather cushion, signature ďŹ&#x201A;atbar stainless steel and a padded leather wrap on the arm. Sit back and relax in this timeless classic.

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Cover: Switch.

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OCTOBER 2010

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FEATURES

24 Designs from Paris

60 A Moorish majlis

Ruby Rogers reports back from the French capital’s twice-yearly furniture and furnishings exhibition and reveals next season’s trends.

Take a tour of a new Dubai mansion showcasing a modern take on heady Moroccan interior design.

28 Community spirit

66 LOCAL authority

Parking concepts to minimize the impact of your commute and how used plastic bottles are turned into football strips.

UAE designer and entrepreneur, Rami Farook, tells identity about his plans to stimulate and foster world-class design in the Middle East.

October 2010

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Foto: Vogels채nger Studios, Germany

Furnishing is the outer expression of our inner style.

Philipp Selva Home.

Selva Middle East L.L.C. Sheikh Zayed Road, 4th interchange, Dubai Tel. +971 4 3411933 Fax +971 4 3411799 info@selva-me.ae Home Design Store, Mall of Emirates,1st Floor, Shop F8, Dubai www.selva.com

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DESIGN FORMULA

ISSUE 85 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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AXOR LIGHTING

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Ray of light The world of lighting is undergoing a technological transformation and design is evolving to fit. Be the first to find out about the next generation of cutting-edge illumination.

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October 2010

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EDITORIAL

Grand openings

Top to bottom: Galleries Lafayette in Paris; Fashion Dome in Dubai Mall.

PHOTOGRAPHY: VIKRAM GAWDE

Dubai’s social and architectural calendar has been full of grand openings as developers roll out their recently completed projects.

The first 90-room low rise boutique hotel on The Palm Jumeirah, the Kerzner International managed The One&Only The Palm, is set to open its doors 10/10/10. The romantic Moorish-meets-Andalusia-style property is nestled amongst carefully landscaped gardens to create an authentic island retreat that includes over 350 metres of private beach and a marina. The hotel is also the first property on the famous resort island to offer a water taxi service to whiz guests to and from the mainland.

There has been a flurry of activity at the Mall of the Emirates where the scaffolding has finally come down to reveal the amazing Fashion Dome that further increases Dubai’s luxury designer retail space. The shopping destination is reminiscent of Paris’ glamorous Galeries Lafayette and Vittorio Emanuele arcades. Although no interior design shops have taken up residence under the dome, @home has opened a new store in the mall.

Dubai remains an important market for the manufacturers of designer handbags, with a few big name brands, including Yves Saint Laurent, launching limited edition bags to coincide with the opening of the chic new shopping venue.

A short walk away from the Fashion Dome in another section of the mall, the new Accor-managed Pullman Hotel has officially opened. The hotel’s quirky Soda Box restaurant and rooftop cocktail lounge, Vantage, which transforms into a cool majlis as the sun sets, add a new dimension to the Al Barsha design mix and are sure to be a hit.

While the paint is drying on the state-of-the-art Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi, the race is on in Ras Al Khaimah to develelop and further heighten brand RAK. In an attempt too generate more electricity, the emirate that took RAK Ceramics to the international design world is believed to be installing a number of floating solar islands in the waters off its Gulf coast to see how economically solar power can be produced.

The Iceland water park is another landmark RAK project poised to boost the standing of the tiny emirate. The focal point of the 120-acre venue will be Penguin Falls – the world’s largest man-made waterfall – that will have some 379,000 litres of water cascading down it every minute.

Meanwhile, designers and buyers from around the region are waiting for the 20th edition of the international design exhibition INDEX, to be held in Dubai from November 8-11. This year’s event promises to offer a higher standard of design as well a whole new kitchen and bathroom exhibition.

There may not be many new projects on the drawing board at the moment, but the industry is slowly building momentum.

Don’t forget to pop into the Armani Hotel’s new Armani/Peck restaurant for an aperatif and taste of Italian design…

Group Editor Catherine Belbin.

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Design notes from Paris Maison & Objet returned with its usual mix of top notch designers, up and coming stars and spellbinding products. TEXT: RUBY ROGERS

Moving on Designer of the moment, Jaime Hayon, was named Maison & Objetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Designer of the Year and was the subject of an exhibition showcasing his work. Moving Ideas gave a brief but fascinating insight into the Spaniardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative process, unveiling initial sketches and prototypes through to finished pieces. On show were recent projects as well as his first installations including Mediterranean Digital Baroque, credited for putting Jaime at the forefront of a new wave of creators that blur the lines between art, decoration and design.

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TRENDS

French fancy To mark its 50th anniversary, French label, Roche Bobois, has teamed up with the king of haute couture Jean Paul Gaultier, who has applied his trademark wit to a limited edition of 250 pieces including a bedroom set, sofas and complementary furniture and accessories. A collaboration that reflects the strengthening bond between fashion and interior design, each piece is an expression of Gaultier’s fantastic imagination and Roche Bobois’ extensive expertise and renowned attention to detail. We love the way this classic Roche Bobois modular sofa has been given a new lease of life thanks to Gaultier’s sassy blue and white striped upholstery. Vive la France!

Eko conscious Describing itself as a platform for nurturing fledgling creative talent, the VIA – Valorisation de L’Innovation de L’Ameublement – exhibited a series of innovative designs, hand-picked by its committee of influential industry figures and financed by Project Assisted Grants. The top prize – the VIA’s much coveted Carte Blanche award – went to Victor Massip and Laurent Lebot of French product design team, Faltazi, for their concept Ekokook kitchen, which features three builtin micro-processing plants for recycling waste. “The kitchen has built-in fittings for selecting, processing and storing all kinds of waste: organic, solid and liquid,” the designers explain. “We included electrical appliances that consume less energy, such as a twin-tier dishwasher, steam oven and refrigerator. We also tried to use materials and fabrication processes that have the least possible negative impact on the environment and which are long-lasting.”

Breath of fresh air Thirteen years on from its debut, Antonio Citterio’s Charles sofa system – a long standing best-seller for B&B Italia – is now available for the garden; appropriately called Charles Outdoors. Fans of the original will be relieved to hear that its classic contemporary characteristics remain unchanged – the system will have the same slim frame and signature design of the inverted ‘L’ shaped aluminium feet – but has been evolved for practical outdoor use. Key features include its slim aluminium frame and open weave polyester covering to complement the water-repellent fabric covers of the seat cushions.

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Spanish style Kettal adopts a nautical theme for its new outdoor furniture collection by respected designer, Rodolfo Dordoni. Expect a series of attractive dining and living pieces made from completely weatherproof materials: aluminium, teak, stone and braided polyester cord (for the seats). “My aim was to create dense braiding that would still let the air through, reminiscent of the braiding of ropes used to moor boats, hence the name Britta, which means ‘mooring’ in Italian,” Dordoni explains. “Braiding makes the pieces look lightweight but at the same time, they look just like cosy nests.”

Crest of a wave The current buzz surrounding outdoor furniture design continued at Maison & Objet with Talenti teaming up with Karim Rashid in a bid to break into the competitive world of modern furniture.

Together they have produced Swell, a series of futuristic living and dining furniture designs for the great outdoors. The round-shaped seats are inspired by the “sweet caress of a wave,” Rashid says.

Moreover, they meet today’s need for comfort.

Rich pickings VG’s reputation for beautiful design that stands the test of time has earned the brand much coveted floor space in some of the worlds’ most exclusive stores (take Harrods, for instance). Its offering for autumn 2010 did not disappoint. A glittering line-up of luxury pieces were unveiled in Paris, handmade by artisans from all over the world using rich materials and sophisticated finishings.

We love the VG Pearl collection, which pulls together contemporary resin and traditional glass.

Crystal clear Luxury accessories brand, Gaia & Gino, has collaborated with Swarovski Elements to bring together 10 leading international designers with nine of the world’s best industrial design producers. Their mission: to discover new ways in which to use Swarovski crystals in industrial design. Eye is one of three collections produced; a series of smart tabletop pieces by Sebastian Bergne, hand-crafted from Iznick quartz ceramic – a rich, durable material – and Swarovski Crystal Rocks. Each piece features the Turkish ‘Nazar’ motif, which is believed to be a good luck charm that protects its owner from bad fortune.

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TRENDS

Fashionable furniture Portuguese fashion designer, Miguel Vieira, has turned his creative hand to interiors with the launch of his own line of furniture. Vieira’s design ethos is durability, realised by his use of rich woods (ebony and American walnut), luxurious finishes (including gorgeous jacquard fabrics developed by the man himself) and sumptuous colours (think champagne, pearl, pomegranate and pure white). His ambition was to create furniture pieces that capture a classical modern style. “I have created pieces that emanate charm and sophistication in every detail, and whose influences are both contemporary and classic,” he says.

Silver screen glamour Stepping onto a Christopher Guy stand is like unlocking the door to a world of old school Hollywood glamour, with its ensemble of classically elegant signature pieces in subdued tones of ivory, sea sand and blanched almond together with bold goya red and sunset orange. New to Christopher Guy were grand headboards and timeless sofas, as well as an impressive line-up of accessories including mirrors, mosaics, wall art, sculptures, chandeliers and lamps. It’s not surprising that he has a loyal global following.

First class service Design duo, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, have marked their entry into the Alessi catalogue with Ovale, a complete table service crafted using three materials – stoneware, glass and stainless steel – that lend a sensory feel to the striking collection. “The Ovale collection strives to be original, but it also wants to be rustic and traditional. We set out in pursuit of delicate expression,” Ronan says of their project. “The compositions speak of everyday life, about breakfast, lunch, about everyone getting together for dinner; about the desire for simplicity.” He goes on to describe Alessi as a “producteur de sucrerie” – producer of sweet things. We couldn’t agree more!

Viva Las Vegas Making its European debut at Maison & Objet was BRC Designs, featuring contemporary furniture by Benjamin Rollins Caldwell. He likes to push the boundaries of form and function by juxtaposing textures in new and often unusual ways. Take his Deuces Wild chair, made out of 350 decks of retired Las Vegas playing cards. “Functionality is very important,” Caldwell says. “Although many of the materials I use may seem bold or unconventional, my pieces are surprisingly comfortable and sturdy. Part of my design process is to figure out how to make these materials come together in a way that is usable for everyday life.”

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Community spirit An innovative energy-efficient multi-storey car park in Chicago, recycled parking meters that help raise money for Montrealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homeless and a new British clothing label that produces womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wear from organic, sustainable or re-claimed materials capture the eco imagination. TEXT: STEVE HILL

Lace Hill.

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ECO

BUILDING AWARENESS

HMC Architects’ Frontier Project in Cucamonga, southern California, is a 1,300 square metre LEED Platinum certified demonstration building that aims to educate the community in sustainable living practices.

This public initiative demonstrates how inviting and engaging architecture can foster community awareness and create functional spaces for community forums, school trips, lectures, public tours and vendor exhibits showcasing environmentally friendly products.

The building features an outer shell constructed of insulated concrete forms that act as thermal mass while a second shell provides lateral structural integrity. The third shell, a north-facing curtain-wall, maximises diffused daylight.

The indoor environment is regulated by the passive evaporative cooling system during the hot and dry seasons. Two solar chimneys – combined with a centralised cool tower – act as the respiratory system of the building. Interior spaces are light-filled showcases of architectural materials.

More than 5,000 people have already visited the project which has been billed as a “living laboratory”. Monitors are being installed to record data on the effectiveness of the building’s various systems and whether a range of technologies is performing in the way that computer models predicted.

October March 2009 2010

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ECO

Clockwise from above: Greenway Self-Park in Chicago; Montreal’s initiative of recycled parking metres; Gordon Murray’s T25 City Car.

GREEN GARAGE

Greenway Self-Park is a recently completed 11-storey energy-efficient car park in Chicago that features wind turbines, rain water collection systems and electric car plug-in stations. Designed by HOK, it is the first project of its kind in the city and is pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the US Green Building Council. It also includes a way-finding system at each elevator lobby that educates Chicago natives on how to live more sustainably and better protect the environment.

One of its most significant features is a 12-paired array of vertical turbines, located on the southwest corner of the garage, which were designed to harvest the wind to power the exterior wall lighting of the facility. A reversible meter was also installed to measure and return power to the city’s grid throughout the year.

HOK, and client Friedman Properties, conceived a naturally ventilated exterior wall design, utilising a glazed screen that eliminates the need for a mechanical system entirely.

This unique glazed screen is comprised of a visually layered fabric of breathable glass channels that progressively reveal the inner concrete superstructure of the building.

TOP GEAR

Gordon Murray Design’s T25 City Car recently made its first public appearance in Oxford, England. The vehicle is billed as representing a major breakthrough in terms of weight, footprint, safety, usability and efficiency thanks to careful design and development.

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It is only 2.4 metres long, 1.3 metres wide and weighs in at 575 kilograms, with a turning circle of six metres, while the three-cylinder 660cc engine boasts a remarkable restricted top speed of 145 kilometres per hour and economy rate of 100 kilometres per 3.83 litres.

The company has developed its own manufacturing technology, iStream, which reduces the capital and space required to produce a car and ensures factories emit far less pollution.

The design process also includes a complete rethink on high-volume materials, leading to a significant reduction in full lifecycle CO2 emissions.

HELPING THE HOMELESS

The Canadian city of Montreal is home to an initiative that sees recycled parking meters used to assist the homeless, collecting donations from passing pedestrians.

More than Dhs80,000 was raised in the ParcoDon scheme’s first three years.

And the programme was recently extended with the addition of 70 more meters, all personalised by local celebrities and organisations.

These colourful paint jobs are aimed at making the project more visible and will hopefully lead to increased donations to help the estimated 30,000 people who live on the streets of Montreal.

The scheme was originally launched in 2007 by the city’s parking authority, local authorities and a newspaper. And it is hoped that the recent relaunch will raise Dhs140,000 over the next three years.

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KOMMA

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ECO

Clockwise from above: National Rail Centre in Milton Keynes; Charlie Harrison’s Charlie Boots clothing line; Arsenal’s new recycled top.

ON TRACK

Britain’s new National Rail Centre in Milton Keynes will bring together up to 3,000 employees under one eco-friendly roof when complete in 2012.

The development will take advantage of a range of measures designed to regulate temperature and reduce energy use, including optimising the building’s orientation and facade, narrow floor plans and high overhanging soffits to provide shade and natural ventilation, which are all complemented by very high efficiency, low carbon energy systems.

The centre will also include extensive “living” roofs to encourage diverse habitats for flora and fauna, and sizable rainwater harvesting systems will be used to flush toilets and irrigate plants.

Network Rail will also recycle material from the National Hockey Stadium, which used to occupy the site, and source as much material locally as possible to help limit the number of lorries and further reduce the development’s carbon footprint.

SUSTAINED STYLE

The English city of Bristol is home to a new clothing label that produces women’s wear from ethically sourced materials.

Designer Charlie Harrison recently launched Charlie Boots and sells clothing that she says aims to be “feminine, flattering and versatile”.

“Most garments are reversible so you have two designs in one garment.

They are also couture finished with bound seams ensuring longevity. I do not believe in the modern trend for throwaway fashion which, by its very nature, is unsustainable and therefore unethical,” she adds.

Harrison states that all of the fabrics she utilises are either fair-trade certified, organic, sustainable or reclaimed, including material that would otherwise have been sent to landfill or turned into industrial wipers. She also uses samples, or fit-for-purpose materials that can be salvaged from damaged stock. Each design is limited to a maximum of 10 items, adding to the unique nature of her work.

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“I am dedicated to producing innovative limited edition clothing for a sophisticated woman who is not only conscious of herself, but also others and the environment,” Harrison says.

“The fashion industry is one of the largest and most unethical industries throughout its supply chain. Sweatshops, child labour, chemicals utilised in fabric production that cause ill health and death, and huge carbon emissions through transportation have come to be accepted by the fashion industry as a whole over the last 40 years. This is not an industry Charlie Boots wants to be a part of.”

GETTING SHIRTY

English Premiership football team Arsenal’s new home playing kit is made entirely from recycled polyester.

Eight plastic water bottles are diverted from landfill sites in Taiwan and Japan to go into each of the cutting-edge shirts as part of Nike’s “Considered Design” programme. The bottles are placed in a large washing machine and cleaned before they are chopped into tiny flakes and melted down into a yarn that is eventually spun to make the fabric for the jerseys and shorts.

Use of recycled polyester across its new range of club kits means Nike has saved nearly 13 million plastic water bottles or a total of around 254,000 kg of polyester waste – enough to cover more than 29 football pitches and which would stretch over 3,000km if laid out end-to-end.

Other clubs using Nike kits featuring recycled materials include FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Manchester United and Celtic. On the international stage, the technology is used by teams representing Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United States and Australia. ID

LIGHTING | DESIGN FORMULA

DE SIG LA MU OR NF

Ray of light Environmental concerns and a desire to update designs to fit comfortably with the modern world have seen the lighting industry switch its way of thinking with a raft of fantastic new and updated designs. TEXT: RUBY ROGERS

Florinda by Annarosa Romano and Bruno Menegon for ModoLuce.

CONTENTS: 36 The next chapter 40 High shine 44 Simple indulgence 48 Raw ambition 48 Touch of glass 52 Remember when…

52 Fun factor 57 Nature’s call

October 2010

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DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Jallum by Baccarat.

“The world is changing, the way we live our lives is changing and that change is fast and radical,” CEO of Philips Lighting, Rudy Provoos, announced to the crowded conference room at the opening of Light+Building 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany. The lighting industry is experiencing one of the most significant shifts it has ever seen.

“We are all becoming increasingly aware of the impact our lives have on the environment and the environment on our lives,” he concluded. “With nearly one-fifth of all electricity consumed coming from lighting, it’s clear we must change the way we consume.”

The first event of international significance since the EU directive to gradually faze-out the conventional light bulb came into force, discussions about the future dominated the agenda at Light+Building.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

The gradual demise of the traditional incandescent light bulb has sparked a race among manufacturers to develop and improve energy efficient alternatives. There are currently three main options: compact fluorescents, energy saving halogens and LEDs. The difficulty for homeowners is knowing where to use which light, and how to combine and control them to create the best effect.

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Enter John Cullen Lighting, specialists in interior and garden lighting schemes, with a dedicated showroom in London backed by a team of expert designers who work worldwide. The design director is Sally Storey, who fell in love with lighting while training to be an architect and has since become the UK’s leading authority. “So often when people don’t understand lighting they forget about it, they leave a couple of lighting points and the overall impact doesn’t really work. Good lighting must be considered at the very beginning of a project,” she explains.

So what can we expect from energy efficient sources? Compact fluorescents boast up to 80 per cent energy saving and a lifespan of between 10,000 to 20,000 hours (depending on type and manufacturer). Energy saving halogens offer comparatively little energy saving – up to 30 per cent – and will last for significantly less time (between 2,000 and 5,000 hours). The most impressive statistics are reserved for LEDs. A single bulb boasts up to 80 per cent energy saving and has an exceptionally long lamp life of up to 50,000 hours, or 25 years.

“One of the problems with the first draft of LEDs was that people didn’t realise that they needed to be used with a heat sink. This dissipates the heat and prevents them from burning out quickly,” Storey says. “Today, most reputable manufacturers ensure that all LEDs have one.”

When asked about future development, Storey predicts that the industry will concentrate on progressing LEDs to make them even more efficient. Currently

Halley outdoor lighting from Vibia.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are all becoming increasingly aware of the impact our lives have on the environment and the environment on our livesâ&#x20AC;?

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LIGHTING | DESIGN FORMULA

October 2010

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DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Left to right: Kelvin LED by Antonio Citterio for Flos; Tua from Foscarini.

the light they emit is directional – focused on a single spot – and for this reason are best used for illuminating specific features rather than general lighting. “This will change as technology improves,” Storey stresses.

Her top tip is to shade, or conceal, LED lamps because their light is not as good as the old incandescent. However, if you have an exposed lamp like a lantern or a chandelier, Storey suggests opting for an energy saving halogen, which is less efficient than an LED but will work more effectively.

One of the biggest issues with the current crop of LEDs is colour consistency.

“Sometimes even though two LEDs are called warm white, they will actually have a slightly different colour temperature,” Storey says. “With so many people developing LED technology we see different interpretations of the same colour.”

In response, John Cullen has extensively researched and developed its own collection of high-quality LEDs that guarantee their customers colour consistency. “It might be a small investment in the beginning,” Storey admits, “but if you have a row of little uplighters that are all a slightly different colour white it will look messy.”

A final problem facing all energy efficient lighting is dimmability. “When you dim a light you expect it to turn warm yellow,” Storey says. “Manufacturers have been so concerned about getting a good white light that most energy efficient lights stay the same colour when they are dimmed. This means that the light becomes grey and dull because the colour temperature doesn’t change.”

The good news is that the industry is moving at lightening pace and this problem could be solved by this time next year. “That’s what is really good about what we do at John Cullen,” Storey concludes, “we understand the technology, we know how to use it and we are aware of potential problems.

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Lighting is about decorating with light, it’s about making a space live. At John Cullen we know how to achieve this.”

Mariel Brown, of the trends and strategy team at global design and innovation company Seymourpowell, agrees that the development of LED technology is driving trends in lighting. “In recent years there has been a big push in the development of LED-based ceiling and desk lighting and what particularly excites us is the move away from traditional lampshade archetypes,” she says.

“Interactivity is a key element of this trend, and lighting in the future looks set to involve the user in more playful and engaging ways.”

Interestingly, this shift towards new means of lighting has triggered affection for the traditional light bulb. Tom Dixon has recently launched Bulb, a reaction to the phasing out of incandescent bulbs and the unattractive aesthetic of the compact fluorescent replacement. Bearing similarities to the traditional incandescent but bigger and made from thicker glass with a metallic reflective layer, Bulb is unique to Tom Dixon, but its standard E27 thread means that it can be used with almost any light fitting.

HIGH SHINE

In the field of decorative lighting, the emphasis is not solely on energy-efficiency but also on creating atmosphere. Brown identifies the trend as “industrial deluxe.” “[It is] inspired by the innate beauty and warmth of metals such as copper and brass, designers are creating stunning pieces of attention grabbing industrial deluxe lighting,” she says. Elegance is crucial to industrial deluxe and is achieved by flawless finishes and uncompromising attention to detail. “Dazzling

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“Highly polished surfaces add to a sense of opulence and luxury”

Tom Dixon’s Void lights.

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Aqua Cil table lamp by Ross Lovegrove

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DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Top to bottom: Itre’s iconic JJ lamp; Foglie lamps by Matali Crasset for Pallucco.

and shimmering reflections are created by highly polished surface finishes, which in turn add to this sense of opulence and luxury,” Brown explains.

Fulfilling the aesthetic requirements of industrial deluxe is Dixon’s new Void collection, a series of lights inspired by Olympic medals whereby solid metal sheets are pressed, spun and brazed to form a double wall shade. The lights are then hand polished to create a mirrored surface and lacquered to maintain a high gloss finish.

Another strong contender is a collaborative effort between Swedish manufacturer, Wästberg, and renowned British architect, David Chipperfield.

Launched at this years’ Stockholm Furniture Fair, the Chipperfield w102 lamp is predominantly made from brass, a material commonly associated with lights, although sadly no longer widely used.

SIMPLE INDULGENCE

Next up on the trend agenda is “approachable utility”. “A few years on from the global recession that sparked this trend, we see the development of a softer more approachable aesthetic,” Brown says. “Light wooden tones add warmth and a sense of homeliness whilst oversized fixtures that can pivot and adjust create a feeling of usability. Here, honesty is key and the trend for ‘exposed functionality’ frequently extends to the light’s cord or flex which, instead of being hidden, is emphasised with bright optimistic red or sky blue.”

Fitting the bill is Muuto’s new wood lamp, launched recently at Maison & Objet in Paris, and designed by Stockholm-based architecture and design studio TAF, whose ethos is to make life less ordinary through subtle but effective changes in how products and architecture appear and function. “The all-wood design is a low-tech antidote to the usually very modern work desk lamps,” say designers Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Ståhlbom “All the details are

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pragmatically chosen with every screw visible. The wooden lamp is given lots of personality using the most simple methods.”

Claudia Herke and Cam Bora, from the design studio bora.herke, witnessed something similar at Lighting+Build in April. They describe an unpretentious, self-confident style with subtle contrasts in materials and a light easy-going, natural approach to styling. “Design that is sensitive to everyday needs,” they conclude: “Beguilingly simple ideas and unconventional use of materials are the hallmarks of what we call ‘gentle ease’.”

Lending itself well to this trend is a range of lamps by Mathias Hahn for Spanish manufacturer Marset. Christened Scantling – the name given to an old unit of measurement that defines the size to which a piece of wood or stone is measured and cut – Hahn’s design unites basic geometric shapes and wood together with metal to give his range of lamps a homely appearance.

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Moooi’s Brave New World lamp is another excellent example. Inspired by old, Far Eastern bamboo scaffolding, small pieces of wood are carefully notched and pegged together to form its large body. Asked the reason for using small pieces of wood, its creators at design studio Freshwest explain that it allowed for the creative process to be as responsive as possible – “much like a sculptures’ relationship to their material”.

Brave New World is at the forefront of a growing group of simplistic pieces that are deceptively clever, whether in the way they are produced or the way in which they can be used. Take Tua by Marco Zito for Foscarini for instance, a surprisingly simple table lamp inspired by the palm of a hand holding a light and interpreted by a triangular shaped metal structure that is both the support and shade of the lamp. The light source is discretely tucked under the arch and delivers an intimate glow, ideal for bedside tables or workstations.

LIGHTING | DESIGN FORMULA

Fora outdoor lamp from Bover.

October 2010

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DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Moooi’s Brave New World lamp.

RAW AMBITION

The demand for simple design has triggered a trend for traditional production techniques and the use of raw materials. Knitting is shaping up to be the biggest hit this winter, warming up wardrobes as well as creating a cosy look indoors. Check out the hand knitted Granny pendent by Pudelskern Design for Casamania, inspired by cold winters with its long tradition of informal gatherings around the fireplace where grannies knit while telling stories. Less eccentric is Bonbons by young Serbian designer Ana Kras, a family of colourful woollen lamps crafted using leftover wool from a collection by knitwear company Ivko-knits.

Seymourpowell identifies this trend as “imperfect beauty”, a reaction against the standardisation of mass-manufactured goods. “It is a celebration of handcrafting and raw materials, reflecting the human desire for emotional provenance,” Mariel Brown explains. “The appeal of imperfect beauty lies in the juxtaposition of elegant minimal form language and rough surface finishes.

Concrete and clay are frequently used and designers are innovating in casting techniques to create bold purposeful lighting statements that have an innate charm.”

Wooing the design world is the Heavy desk light by young British designer, Benjamin Hubert, featuring a 4mm-thin cast-concrete shade and base offset by a wooden stand; the perfect infusion of industrial and natural materials.

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Bora and Herke prefer to think of this trend as “creative verve”, a spontaneous style that embraces experimentation, improvisation and a touch of individuality by using lighthearted retro features to offset high-tech influences.

“This trend combines unconventional and original lighting designs in an uncomplicated, youthful way,” they explain. “Shabby chic, hand-made features, hints of traditional folk art and vintage styles make for a wide spectrum of styles and offer a multitude of possibilities for individual interpretations of space.”

TOUCH OF GLASS

The revival of traditional glass blowing techniques to create refreshingly contemporary pieces is borne out of the wider trend for handcrafting. Catching the eye in Milan was a collaborative installation between Canadian designer, Omer Arbel, and manufacturer Bocci, showcasing the results of Arbel’s experimentation with blown glass techniques. “I am interested in exploring the unexpected, but in retrospect obvious aspects of the world around us,” he says of his creation. “In this case we inverted the basic technique of glass blowing.

If you can blow air into glass and achieve astonishing results, it follows that you should be able to suck air out too and achieve equally interesting form.”

The outcome was the Series 28 chandelier consisting of blown glass pendants grouped together and hung at differing lengths. “I enjoy pushing the aesthetic

DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Tower by Modiss.

“We see the development of a softer, more approachable aesthetic”

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DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Bloom lamp by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell.

and sensory possibilities of whatever medium I am working with,” Arbel says.

“In this case, glass.”

He is not alone. Established and Sons hooked up with traditional Italian glass company Venini to create Lighthouse by French design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. The idea was to illuminate a voluminous round glass structure supported by a delicate aluminium stick. To realise their vision, the Bouroullec brothers used different techniques; the base and stick were industrially made while the glass was blown by traditional methods used by Venini since the company was founded in 1921.

A final mention goes to the white blown glass Desa lamp by Pierre Charpin for Ligne Roset. The Frenchman is an advocate of low-level design and prefers a soft, discrete approach whereby the user has the absolute freedom to project his or her own imagination onto each piece.

a contemporary feel and modern clarity,” Herke and Bora explain. “This trend combines quality and tradition. This means the use of high-quality materials and workmanship together with timeless design and understated luxury.”

The Florinda pendant by Annarosa Romano and Bruno Menegon for ModoLuce is bang on trend. Comprising hand-pleated lampshades reminiscent of the classic truncated cone shape, these are grouped together in clusters of three or six to create a stunning lighting solution for the contemporary home.

Recognising the rise of new lighting solutions in the wake of the demise of the incandescent, manufacturers are also introducing modified versions of classic pieces. Architect and designer Antonio Citterio has relaunched an LED version of his famous Kelvin T lamp for Flos now fitted with 30 2,700K LEDs.

REMEMBER WHEN…

Tough times call for a sense of humour, and some designers are taking a more ironic and playful approach to lighting design. “The eccentrics’ trend is both fantastical and ironic, with wit and humour playing a key role,” Brown says.

“These projects are full of character and often polarise views, yet whichever side of the debate you fall, they are sure to evoke a strong reaction.”

Studio Job and Pieke Bergmans teamed up to produce a series of seven quirky designs, launched at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April. While Studio Job has made its name creating objects in cast bronze, Bergmans is better known for mouth-blown crystal forms. Together they have created an unusual series of lights in which Bergmans’ large glass light bulbs are linked to seven of Studio Job’s bronze objects; check out Wonderlamp, for example.

Nostalgia is a dominant theme in design, a reaction against today’s throwaway mentality coupled with a desire to return to a time when pieces were beautifully made and built to last. Consequently, manufacturers have delved into their archives to revive classic pieces. Italian manufacturer Itre has resurrected its iconic JJ table lamp, fashioned by engineer Jac Jacobsen in 1937 and generally acknowledge as the ultimate symbol of functional design thanks to its flexible spring-balanced arm and adjustable shade.

Revisiting archives has resulted in a call for modern interpretations of traditional designs. “Nostalgic references of design classics and a timeless aesthetic meet

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FUN FACTOR

DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

“Welcome to the dawn of a new age in lighting design”

Geisha outdoor lamp by Christy Manguerra for Hive.

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LIGHTING | DESIGN FORMULA

Left to right: Bellaflor, designed by Beppe Benenti for B.Lux; Wonderlamp

by Studio Job and Pieke Bergmans.

NATURE’S CALL

The full force of nature is felt at Kartell with Bloom by Ferruccio Laviani, which is composed of a polycarbonate tubular framework entirely encrusted with tiny transparent polycarbonate flowers; an industrially produced lamp with the form and stylistic complexities of a handmade product.

Similarly inspired is Pallucco’s Foglie family of lamps featuring injection moulded opaline polycarbonate “leaves” in light ivory, traffic white or oxide red. “I did not set out to copy nature, but to bear witness to its magnificence,” says designer Matali Crasset. Spanish manufacturer B.Lux has created a series of decorative lamps featuring three silicon tulip petals that can be moulded and positioned according to how much light the user demands.

Stylish furniture for outdoor spaces was also a significant trend at Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Specialist companies presented complete collections while many others launched stunning stand-alone pieces; proof of the importance of well-dressed gardens.

Stand out examples from the lighting industry include Jallum by Baccarat – designed by Yann Kersalé for indoor or outdoor use – and Fora by Bover, which is also able to adapt to both environments. Geisha outdoor by Hive also catches the eye; a lantern style light in brown, white or red produced using a mixture of traditional hand weaving techniques and non-toxic synthetic fibre.

There is also Halley from Vibia, a slender arch generating a beam of light that cuts through the darkness to create a magical, cosy atmosphere.

Welcome to the dawn of a new age in lighting design. ID

October 2010

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DESIGN FORMULA | LIGHTING

Design sources altlucialternative.com; tel: (04) 297 2712 anakras.com anglepoise.com axolight.it baccarat.com barovier.com; tel: (04) 222 6226 benjaminhubert.co.uk bocci.ca bora-herke.de bouroullec.com bover.es casamania.it; tel: (04) 282 9911 establishedandsons.com flos.com; tel: (04) 334 4478 foscarini.com; tel: (04) 338 8276 grupoblux.com jeremycole.net johncullenlighting.co.uk kartell.it; tel: (04) 348 8169 kevinreillylighting.com kundalini.it; tel: (04) 268 0424 light-building.messefrankfurt.com ligne-roset.com; tel: (04) 347 5090 marset.com modiss.com modoluce.com moooi.com; tel: (04) 334 4478 muuto.com pallucco.com seymourpowell.com studiojob.nl tomdixon.net; tel: (04) 323 1161 venini.com; tel: (04) 330 8697 vernerpanton.com; tel: (04) 391 0446 vibialight.com wastberg.com

Scantling lamp by Mathias Hahn for Marset.

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Latern-inspired light fittings cast an evocative light in the living room.

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INTERIORS

A Moorish majlis Combine a passion for entertaining with a stylish Moroccan design theme and you have the perfect house for a party. TEXT: LAURA COLLACOTT

October 2010

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INTERIORS

Top to bottom: Clean lines in caramel tones are accented by gold and brass in the living room; decorative Moroccan tagines are displayed in the dining room.

Moroccan is probably the most distinctive, best known and popular of all Arabesque interior styles. So when Fahda Barrak, of Dubai-based Draw Link Group, was commissioned to design a Moroccan theme for a purpose-built family villa in the Al Mamzar district of the city, the difficulty was not sourcing inspiration and furnishings but selecting from the huge diversity available.

Taking her lead from Amanjena, the luxury hotel in Marrakesh, she set about combining different architectural features with vibrant colours, authentic details and mood lighting to create a series of convivial areas.

The result is a warm home that offers a cohesive, hospitable space while guarding privacy in the personal rooms. Living spaces flow effortlessly from one to another in a scheme deliberately devised to allow the Emirati family who live there to indulge their love of entertaining â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what a space for entertaining.

The two reception rooms and dining areas all feature heavy dark-wood furniture united by shades of sand, apricot and copper. The family dining room is painted in burnished orange with recessed, individually-lit alcoves occupying a full wall for the display of a collection of colourfully-glazed Moroccan tagine dishes.

Double sliding doors allow the space to be separated from the main living areas for privacy or drawn back for hosting larger parties. Geometric stained glass windows filter vivid light through to subtly reflect and highlight the hammered metal tabletop. Muted but curvaceously elegant dark wood and leather chairs ensure that focus remains firmly on the food while a rectangular, lantern-inspired ceiling light echoes the square table and angular theme.

A more subdued ivory colour scheme is in play in the separate main dining room, which serves to offset the ornate ceiling above and Zellig (mosaic),

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my life, choose your style, make the difference. matrix designed by paolo piva and varenna. obegi home llc/ dubai/ umm al sheif rd/ angle jumeirah beach rd/ umm suqaim 1/ tel +971 4 394 8161-2/ www.obegihome.com/ dubai@obegihome.com

A dramatic, carved-wood ceiling forms the focal point in the entrance hall.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Important features in every room are illuminated or backlit to create peaceful evening spacesâ&#x20AC;?

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INTERIORS

Steps lead up to a tiled bathtub in the en suite bathroom.

sourced directly from Morocco, below. The delicate floor pattern of square red, ochre and blue tiles circles a large dining table, again made of dark wood with stressed brass accents at each corner, and a wrought iron screen, typical of North African homes, filters the sight and sound of a soothing internal fountain.

Two symmetrical archways on the adjacent wall lead the eye through to the living room. Hanging in each wood-framed archway are pendulous, cylindrical light fittings, fashioned from metal and punched with an irregular pattern of circles. When lit from within, they evoke traditional lanterns, casting exotic shadows over the walls that instantly transport you to a heady Moorish shisha den.

The room itself features broad, low sofas in subtly patterned almond upholstery arranged around a large, low coffee table to encourage conversationalists to linger over coffee and baklava. By night, dim lights glow from the feature alcoves, decorative brass shields and a mellow ceiling fitting to create an atmosphere that is somehow both incandescent and muted by the same stroke. By day, natural daylight floods in from a large landscaped garden to the rear of the villa.

Thoughtful attention has been paid to detail and lighting is key. Important features in every room are illuminated or backlit to create peaceful evening spaces. Doorways are accentuated by either archways of Tunisian briquettes or beams of sumptuously carved wood and interest has been added through sub-areas, alcoves and recesses while remaining faithful to the brief of providing practical, contemporary family living.

In the majilis, beamed ceilings, ornately painted Oriental sideboards, leather sofas and rich rugs combine to create a homely living area. It is this room in particular where one feels Barrak has truly encapsulated the essence of Maghreb living, with interaction at the heart of the design philosophy. Plenty of seating areas in the form of sofas and brass, leather-topped stools are arranged around a coffee table to make games and talk, not TV, the focus of a family-centred space.

The master bedroom is enormous. The intention here was, conversely, to create a haven of calm distanced from the activity in the communal spaces.

Decorated in a caramel colour, gold accents form the basis of the theme to bring levity where dark wood brings richness downstairs. The light fitting is a series of gold discs that hang in descending order from the raised ceiling; a goldadorned shield hangs decoratively on the wall.

The adjoining en suite bathroom continues the caramel theme in the tiling but enhances it with rich, plum-coloured walls and cream marble counters. The theme is hinted at in the shaped alcoves and scalloped conical lights over the sinks.

Nowhere is the Moroccan theme neglected and, where sometimes remaining so faithful to a design thread can leave homes looking contrived and over designed, Barrak manages to orchestrate a dialogue between the authentic, the traditional and the practical that stands as a consistent whole.

The result is a fluid, sinuous home that works as well as constituent parts as it does in its entirety. And therein lies the skill. ID

October 2010

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Katrin Greilingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bidoun bench was created during her residency at Traffic.

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PROFILE

LOCAL authority Gallery owner, curator, designer, entrepreneur – the omnipresent and ever inventive Rami Farook has some big plans for the UAE’s nascent design industry. TEXT: ASHLEE BEARD

October 2010

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PROFILE

During Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile, tucked away in a secluded courtyard in Zona Tortona and far from the glamour of the big name showrooms of Via Durini, entrepreneur and art connoisseur Rami Farook launched not just another collection of furniture, but an audacious attempt to establish a competitive design and manufacturing industry within the UAE. It’s almost six months since the 29-year-old founder of traffic, one of Dubai’s most successful galleries for contemporary art, and last year’s winner of the British Council’s International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year, showcased his latest venture. LOCAL has a collection of furniture produced in Dubai: Print, a mirrored bookshelf illuminated with bold neon letters, and Sugarcubes, a range of decorative light cubes designed by Dubai-based American artist James Clar, a former art residency winner; Flashbeam, winner of traffic’s debut annual design competition in 2008, designed by Lebanese designer Rita Nader; and Cheap and Best, designed by Farook himself – art-inspired lighting solutions made from materials used in construction, echoing Italy’s celebrated Arte Povera movement of the late 1960s.

Furniture, including the grass upholstered MOW chair, award-winning Dubai Syndrome by Emirati architect Fadi Sarieddine, and Katrin Greilling’s Bidoun sofa, bench and table series completes the line-up of the ‘made in Dubai’ brand.

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Clockwise from left: LOCAL exhibition in Milan; White Space by 22 Quadrat of Germany, Majlis winner of traffic’s annual design competition; LOCAL’s fresh grass MOW chair, designed by Lebanese architect, Fadi Sarieddine; Rami Farook’s traffic gallery, Dubai.

Although LOCAL’s debut collection is deeply rooted in art (Greilling’s Majlis-inspired Bidoun collection began as a concept for the Bidoun Lounge at last year’s Art Dubai, while Sarieddine’s Dubai Syndrome addresses the region’s massive construction boom), Farook argues that it is more than a conceptual design brand. He stipulates that functionality is integral to all LOCAL products and rather than taking the well-trodden “limited edition” path, he hopes to bring design to a larger audience through the unorthodox practice of lowering the prices of pieces, which currently range from Dhs918 to Dhs18,362.

“My goal when I launched the brand was that every quarter, if I could, I would bring prices down, either by new methods or new suppliers that would continue using the same materials, same everything, but to find ways to bring costs down,” he says. An ambitious plan indeed.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR SOLUTIONS

FURNITURE t CARPETS t CURTAINS t WALLPAPER t ACCESSORIES

PROFILE

James Clar’s PRINT bookshelf and light object pays homage to the written word.

Farook studied marketing management and psychology in the United States, but it was on his return to Dubai to work for his father’s company, paper supplier Farook International Stationery, that he discovered his creative streak. “I just felt myself always tackling the design issues, whether it was the rebranding of the company, catalogue design or even product design and development. Even before design I was into music and art, so it was a natural progression,” he recalls.

With no formal art training, while working for his father Farook created his own stationery label (notebooks designed by Farook are also planned for the forthcoming LOCAL collection), but it was the inception of traffic, which opened in 2007, that piqued his interest in product design. Realising the potential of the 650 square metre art space, the small gift shop was converted into a contemporary furniture and design showroom, and a studio for design and interior architecture was added, transforming the venue into a creative hub that has proved a huge success, both commercially and creatively.

In addition to art projects, such as its continuous involvement with Art Dubai, the co-design of the first official UAE Pavilion at last year’s Venice Biennale and most recently Grey Borders/Grey Frontiers, curated by Farook and presented during this year’s Berlin Biennale, Farook and his team are behind some of the coolest commercial interiors in Dubai, including the lobby of the Burj Khalifa. With art and furniture playing such a prominent role in the entrepreneur’s plan and a network of local producers already established through his father’s empire, a move into design and production seemed an obvious next step.

“I started LOCAL for a few reasons, one of which was that there were some products that I really wanted to share with the world, rather than just projects

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that were created for another purpose. I guess I wanted to start a dialogue between East and West, and even locally, about what design is and how to combine it with art,” he explains.

“I realised that there wasn’t a proper industrial design programme within the universities because there weren’t enough local producers out there, so I wanted to use this as a platform. I feel that any country that doesn’t have any industrial power is kind of weak and what I feel now is that what we are doing for culture is one thing, but what we need to do now is develop our industry.

We need to be able to be independent if we are to produce. This is something that I learned from my dad 20 years ago.”

As a passionate collector of works by many top artists (although still bereft of Richard Prince, much to his regret), since 2008 Farook’s organisation has supported local artists through various schemes, such as traffic’s art residency programme, Droog al Arab, in collaboration with the Dutch design brand, plus an annual design competition. Such initiatives have not only historically provided prototypes for the LOCAL brand, more importantly they offer the region the crucial platform that Farook believes has been overlooked.

The gallery recently announced the winners of this year’s multi-discipline design competition that is open to both nationals and creatives from abroad.

Divided into four categories and focusing on the theme of “Design as Reform”, this year’s competition was focused on redeveloping four areas within society.

Mousa Beidas’ public installation, Solar Panels, featured mirrors strategically placed throughout the city, reflecting messages that move with the sun; Dubai-based Sebastian Klein’s Think Colour took the pattern award; and Germany’s 22 Quadrat took the Majlis prize for White Space, a stark white

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PROFILE

Clockwise from left: Rita Nader’s Flashbeam, one of the winners of traffic’s debut design competition; LOCAL’s founder, Rami Farook; James Clar’s Sugarcubes light collection; Fadi Sarieddine’s award-winning Dubai Syndrome seat.

interior that tips a nod to the Islamic cultural tradition of abstract art. However, it is The Vanishing Mosque, designed by the Manhattan-based Jewish design agency RUX that really excites Farook.

“This was the most amazing result. The designers went back to the essence of a mosque and how it’s integrated into the urban life and structure, and created this model of a mosque that works throughout the day, not only when it’s in use as a mosque,” he enthuses. “It’s also nice that we’re bringing a firm, that is Jewish, and from New York, to design a mosque; it’s like, wow!”

In addition to making these projects happen and creating new works for LOCAL’s second collection, which will include the aforementioned notebook, a continuation of the Cheap and Best light series, a tote bag and a modular seating system inspired by the steps of the Saatchi gallery in London, all designed by Farook, there’s a new contemporary art centre in the offing. Although, curiously, following the success of LOCAL since its launch, retail operations will diminish.

This isn’t due to a lack of sales, but more a “lack of patience” on Farook’s part.

“I don’t have the patience to buy products and put them in my shop or warehouse, and wait for someone to come and buy them. I’d rather fill my space with art,” he admits.

The new space will place even more focus on creativity. “Now I’m mostly concentrating on what is coincidentally the three C’s: collecting art, creating and curating, where I work with, develop and promote the artist,” Farook says. “It’s a major transition we’re going through.”

Along with a new generation of Emiratis who are dedicated to the UAE’s flourishing contemporary art scene, from Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib to Sultan Saud Al Qasimi and Fatima Ghobash, Rami Farook is breathing new creative life into the region. ID

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HOGARTH ARCHITECTS

idProperty

CONTENTS: 76 Respectable but risquĂŠ 81 Portfolio 84 Kill or cure?

88 Antennae

October 2010

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The bedroom of Flat D, 11 Queens Gate Terrace, South Kensington, London, designed by Hogarth Architects.

Respectable but risquĂŠ A home where shower-user and kitchen sink-user can share an intimate moment? Queen Victoria would definitely not be amused? TEXT: RICHARD WARREN

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INTERNATIONAL | idProperty

October 2010

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Never judge a home by its cover. The ornate, white stucco facades of the mid-Victorian, six-storey houses lining Queens Gate Terrace, South Kensington, London, are not only grand and beautiful, they embody the values of those who built them: imperial, respectable and bourgeois. In the mind’s eye, it is easy to glimpse their first inhabitants to-ing and fro-ing behind the tall windows, dressed in frock coats or footman’s livery depending on whether they were ‘upstairs’ or ‘downstairs.’

Ignoring the addition of central heating, and the modern appliances like televisions and freezers found inside, many of the homes remain true to their 19th century origins: Antique art and furnishings are popular in this part of London and planning laws mean many original features, like fireplaces, must be retained.

Some homes even continue to have domestic staff working and living within.

But nowhere is immune to change. Like other Victorian houses in the British capital a number of the properties on Queens Gate Terrace have been converted into flats, even if the only tell-tale sign is the line of bell buttons by their front entrances. Many are thoroughly modern inside, including one refurbished flat where the interior architecture would have a Victorian governess blushing and an Indian Army colonel blustering.

Question: How many people can wash up at the kitchen sink and look through a glass ceiling directly above them at somebody showering in the bathroom?

Answer: Not many. The owner of Flat D, number 11 Queens Gate Terrace, London, can make this claim.

Rarely, if ever, has the kitchen sink, a traditionally mundane feature of the domestic setting, been so exotic. Aside from the view of the shower cubicle above, the washer-upper can look out directly in-front, through a window, at spiky palm, bamboo and other tropical plants growing on the flat’s balcony – remember, this is London. The window’s original architectural features, including panels, and height are retained – the top third of the window is level with a shower-user’s calves.

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Left to right: Exterior of 11 Queens Gate Terrace; the kitchen sink as seen from shower cubicle above, through glass floor/ceiling.

Innovations like the glass ceiling are combined with the flat’s original features in architect Hamish Herford’s re-configuration of its interior and the spot in front of the kitchen sink is where his design ideas reached their apex. “In my opinion, food, sex and architecture are all closely related, and at this point they all come together,” says Herford, a director at London-based Hogarth Architects.

This first floor bachelor pad was designed for a private client, a single man who works in pharmaceuticals. The brief was simple enough: maximise value.

Removing the flat’s false ceiling meant the architect had enough space under the original 4.5 metre-high ceilings to erect a mezzanine level. The resulting expansion in floor space from 65 squre metre to 93 squre metre increased the flat’s value at a stroke. Other aspects of the design may add a few dirhams, too, especially if you value open-plan living.

The flat was the first floor reception room for the house before it was converted into flats. Hereford has gutted the old apartment, removing stud walls that separated a series of small rooms to create an open-plan space. The original fireplace is retained and damaged cornicing has been replaced, while French doors lead from the refurbished flat’s spacious living room area onto a balcony that wraps around the front and side of the building.

Much is new. Next to the living room, the architect has created a large oak structure that provides storage space for the kitchen and dining areas, and is the

INTERNATIONAL | idProperty

Clockwise from top left: The bathroom. A bath-user can look out onto the living area below and into the street beyond through a viewing strip in frosted glazed panel/wall alongside bath; the second bedroom which is on a former landing up a flight of stairs from the main part of the flat; interior of apartment as seen from living area. French doors open onto the balcony.

platform for the new mezzanine floor above them. On the mezzanine level, the bedroom and bathroom are situated directly above the dining area and kitchen respectively. A staircase to the mezzanine level also forms part of the structure.

The apartment’s rooms are open to each other and the bedroom wall overlooking the living area is only waist-high. In the bathroom, bathers can look into the living room and street beyond through a clear glass panel. This spirit of openness is encapsulated in the first verse of the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem, The Oak, which is engraved on the bedroom’s oak balcony rail. It reads: “Live this Life, young and old, like yon oak, bright in spring, living gold.”

The structure stops a metre-short of the opposite wall, where mirrors interspersed with windows provide yet more views, more light and some confusion when you momentarily can’t work out whether you are looking through a window to the outside or at a mirror’s reflection of the interior. The gap between the structure and this opposite wall allows light to filter down and creates a sense of airiness below the mezzanine level that would otherwise be missing, as the kitchen and dining room ceilings are relatively low at 2.25 metres high.

Upstairs, the dividing wall between the bedroom and bathroom does not touch the ceiling, stopping a few inches short so that the structure feels more like a piece of loose furniture than a built-in fixture, Hereford says.

“I like a space to feel sexy when you are in it,” he says. “I really feel that it should be lightly touched, so that is why the bedroom wall doesn’t touch the ceiling.”

Lighting at the top of the structure, at its base and under the cornicing adds to this sense of lightness both literally and metaphorically. “I like to use plenty of lighting and natural materials and have good views along clear sight lines,” the architect says. “I like to have a sculptural feel to surroundings, but not in any whimsical way, it clearly has to have function and purpose.”

In texture, colour and tone, the oak structure, kitchen cabinets and sink area contrast with the rest of the apartment. While the oak structure is brown, matt and occasionally rough, the rest of the flat, including cabinet-lined walls in the living area and polished resin floors, is mostly white, glossy and smooth.

Shrinkage in the oak staircase exacerbates this aesthetic contrast.

“I really wanted cracking in the stair treads, because we live too much in a perfect world,” Hereford says. In addition to the oak structure, other bespoke features include a quirky light fixture above the dining room table, a row of eight lights set in a wood panel that can be lowered and raised by winding a brass tennis-net handle in the ceiling next to it.

Unusually, the second bedroom is not in the apartment, but located off the building’s communal staircase, behind its own front door, one flight up – about four metres long and three metres wide, it occupies most of a former communal landing. Two beds fold down from the wall, one above the other, bunk bed-style. There is a TV, fridge, cupboards, wardrobe and a small wet room with shower, toilet and basin in the corner. Everything is white, apart from the 19th century blue, pink and yellow stained glass windows in the ceiling’s glass dome, an original feature that allowed daylight into the former landing area.

Despite Hereford’s innovations, the apartment is not as different to the building’s original architecture as it first appears, as that is also white and lightly touched. Maybe this flat’s liberated interior design and the building’s elegant, 19th century facade are best likened to a lady wearing modern and oh-so-sexy Victoria’s Secret underwear under a Victorian bustle dress. ID

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PORTFOLIO | idProperty

On cue

PHOTOGRAPHY: FAROOK SALIK

An achingly stylish new bowling alley cum entertainment centre is ready to roll in Dubai while Muscat prepares to embrace a carbon neutral conference. TEXT: LAURA COLLACOTT

Scarlet table top in the billiards room at Switch.

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Bowling alley at Switch, with big screens and dramatic lighting.

SWITCHED ON

STICKING TOGETHER

This could be Dubai’s funkiest nightspot. Not a nightclub, not a bar, Switch is a bowling alley of the highest design calibre, with cutting edge lighting illuminating 12 lanes, large screens showing the latest music videos and sports events and bowling equipment designed by Pininfarina – the fêted designer of high-end cars who has transposed his talents to a whole host of other products (see his work on television sets in Forum, p. 85). In fact, it is a comprehensive family entertainment venue, boasting private karaoke studios, billiards tables, an online gaming area, Italian coffee shop and restaurant.

Switch is an international bowling brand aimed at creating a exciting entertainment environment, redesigning everything from seating to ball racks, lanes and electronic scoring. It has franchises across the world, from Vegas to Romania, and Switch Middle East, the local partner, will be opening 10 centres across the region.

Since opening in September, this one at Ibn Battuta Mall has proved popular with visitors, not least those coming to admire the edgy contemporary design.

Legoland amusement park is to go ahead in Dubai as planned, despite Dubai Holdings’ recent sale of its 17 per cent stake in the park’s operator.

Although officials have acknowledged that the economic slowdown has impeded the progress of the amusement park, the operator, Merlin Entertainments, has insisted that the Middle East version will go ahead, albeit when “market conditions are right”.

When complete, the Dhs911.7m project will be the first Legoland to be built outside of North America and Europe, and will include more than 40 interactive rides and attractions.

The sale came as Dubai’s government-owned holding companies shed assets under their multi-billion dollar debt restructure, a reaction to the impact of the downturn and the collapse of the real estate bubble.

PROPERTY POSERS

The Cityscape Global Real Estate Investment Conference will this year focus on the risk versus reward of developed, emerging and frontier real estate markets.

The second day of the three-day event, to be held on 4-6 October at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, will be focused on examining the growth in the MENA markets and measuring its outlook against the rest of the world, specifically the latent potential of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Egypt.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Muscat will host an education and networking platform for sustainable management and technology, entitled Muscat Green Days, on 5-6 October.

It forms part of a series of conferences being conducted in the UAE and Qatar that will act as a forum for experts and pioneers to discuss sustainable strategies for long-term growth in harmony with conservation, culture and tradition.

The conference focuses on efficient energy and water consumption in the built environment through presentations and workshops designed for decisionmakers across the region.

In keeping with the theme, carbon emissions caused by the event will be offset through event sponsor, EcoVentures, making it carbon neutral.

PORTFOLIO | idProperty

Clockwise from above: The pool area and executive suite at the Pullman hotel; an Executive Suite at The One & Only, The Palm.

In August, the trains carried 3.3 million passengers, compared to 1.8 million in October 2009.

The rail transport has been well received by residents since opening, although the anticipated price hikes in properties near open stations have so far failed to materialise. A large number of new properties coming online, combined with the economic crisis, have depressed prices.

OPEN DOORS

FOUR SEASONS IN ONE YEAR

While many companies have reined in their spending commitments, Egypt’s Orascom Development has announced plans to build two Four Seasons hotels in the Middle East at a cost of nearly Dhs900 million.

One 150-room, 60-villa property will stand in the Red Sea resort of El-Gouna, while the other will be built in Oman and have a capacity of 200 rooms and 75 villas. Both are set for completion at the end of 2011.

The company says it will fund the Dhs312 million Egyptian project through a medium-term loan and is considering Omani corporate bonds as a finance channel for the second development.

MIND THE GAP

On the occasion of its first anniversary, Dubai Metro officials said that the city’s transport system had carried 30 million passengers during its first year of operations.

Dubai is adding three new hotels to its portfolio. easyHotel, a sister brand to the European low-cost airline easyJet, has opened in Jebel Ali to fill a gap for budget accommodation in the market. It is the brand’s first venture outside Europe and offers guests one of 216 bedrooms with ensuite bathroom, Wi-Fi and desk space, all with the trademark orange trimmings.

Andy Watson, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Istithmar World, the company operating the hotel, believes the “policy of leaving upgrade decisions solely in the hands of our guests will find resonance in an increasingly cost-conscious market.”

Accor has opened a Pullman hotel at the Mall of the Emirates, designed to cater for both business and leisure guests thanks to its direct links to the shopping centre, metro and International Airport. It adds 481 rooms and suites to the choice available across Dubai as well as four new restaurants.

Meanwhile, Kerzner International is putting the finishing touches on the new One & Only hotel set to open on the Palm on 10/10/10. Accommodation will be provided in 35 suites and apartments housed within a main ‘Manor House’ as well as six independent ‘mansions’. Guests can take advantage of a private beach, poolside cabanas and dedicated butlers.

ALL’S FAIR

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will open its third UAE property in the latter part of 2011 with a hotel in Fujairah.

Fairmont Mina Al Fajer will offer stunning views along the Gulf of Oman coastline against the Hajar Mountains with 88 rooms and 13 four-bedroom villas along with a host of leisure and meeting facilities.

“Fairmont Mina Al Fajer will complement our properties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Cairo, and will further strengthen our brand recognition in this very important market along with future key locations in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Muscat, Oman,” says Chris Cahill, president of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and COO of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. ID

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Kill or cure?

What does the new ‘age of austerity’ mean for Britain’s largely ailing property market and will the coalition government lead the country out of recession or plunge it into a financial abyss? No one seems entirely sure. TEXT: RICHARD WARREN

One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, London, a development of 86 apartments by Candy & Candy.

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INTERNATIONAL | idProperty

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Contrary to tabloid scaremongering, sterling did not collapse and Windsor Castle was not sold. Hysteria surrounding the creation of Britain’s first coalition government since the Second World War in May has subsided and we now have a clear idea of what Conservatives and Liberal Democrats working together means for the British property market over the next five years, the maximum length of this Parliament. Like so much in life, it is part good and part bad.

On taking office, the coalition made some quick, mostly welcome, changes.

Home Information Packs have been abolished and now, freed from having to pay Dhs2,350 for these documents, more people are putting their homes up for sale, giving buyers greater choice. However, sellers must still commission a Dhs300 Energy Performance Certificate as required by EU law.

Capital Gains Tax has been raised from 18 per cent to 28 per cent for higher rate tax payers, not enough to dissuade serious investors from entering the property market. Raising personal income tax thresholds from Dhs35,400 to Dhs58,600 over the course of this Parliament, to help lower wage earners, will benefit landlords because it means less tax is payable on rental income. Owners of properties let out as holiday homes have had tax concessions, which were rescinded by the previous Labour government, restored.

The coalition is dithering over whether to make Labour’s temporary stamp duty cut for first time buyers permanent. But, for now, first time buyers don’t need to pay one per cent stamp duty on homes valued up to Dhs1.5 million. It has, however, kept the previous government’s five per cent stamp duty rate on homes valued Dhs2.9 million or more, which will come into force next April.

This has led to a flurry of home sales at the top end of the market as sellers seek to attract buyers before the April deadline, say estate agents.

The Government’s proposal to build a high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham has blighted homes along its length. Some homeowners may receive compensation.

Looking to the future, the coalition’s core policy, to wipe out Britain’s Dhs914 billion budget deficit within five years, means the country must endure an “age of austerity”, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne warns.

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Clockwise from above left: The Lancasters, Bayswater, London, a development of 77 homes by Minerva and Northacre; 55 Chesilton Road, Parsons Green, London, a home renovated by developer, Blaze; Lett Road, Stratford, east London, a development by Thornsett Group.

At first glance, the Government’s pincer movement on the budget deficit – raising taxes and cutting public spending – seems bad for property.

Its drive to freeze wages and cut jobs in the public sector means fewer civil servants can spend money on homes. Raising indirect taxes, including VAT to 20 per cent, means everyone has less money to spend on housing. If, as some pundits predict, the Bank of England raises interest rates to counteract rising inflation in 2011, then mortgages will become expensive.

Austerity makes some economists gloomy. PricewaterhouseCoopers expects home values in 2015 to be below those of 2007 after inflation is factored in.

Consultancy Capital Economics says property prices will fall 25 per cent over the next three years, ending a year-long recovery in prices following the market dip in 2008 and 2009.

“With the fiscal austerity measures getting under way, the prospects for a strong exit from recession are slim, meaning that a double-dip in the housing market is likely,” says Roger Bootle, managing director of Capital Economics.

However, the delights may be in the detail. While average property values may fall over the next few years, in some parts of Britain they may rise.

The Government is taking a gamble – over the next five years it wants to re-orientate Britain’s economy away from a dependency on public spending and credit-card fuelled personal spending towards exporting goods and services and private sector investment. It is a gargantuan task, but already it has cut corporation tax and employer national insurance contributions to make it easier for companies to expand and employ more people.

INTERNATIONAL | idProperty

This may help parts of Britain to survive and even thrive over the next five years. Most of the country, however, may wish it could follow the example of Magrethea, a fictional planet in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which hibernated when economic times got tough.

There is other bad news. Think tank, Centre for Cities, has identified those parts of Britain most dependent on public sector jobs, and they include Newcastle, Ipswich, Swansea and Hastings. Public spending cuts will hit these places hard, their local economies will suffer and so will house prices.

Centre for Cities also listed towns dependent on old industries such as steel and textiles, including Stoke, Newport, Doncaster, Barnsley and Burnley, which were all struggling with economic and demographic decline before the recession began. The low value of sterling on the international currency exchanges may help them compete more easily with the Chinas and Indias of this world, but their decline is unlikely to end any time soon, and this will depress their property prices.

However, there is good news as well. Towns and cities with vibrant private sectors centred around knowledge-based businesses are expanding, Centre for Cities says, with Brighton, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Reading and Milton Keynes featuring highly on this list. Some of these cities, notably Brighton and Cambridge, have housing shortages, so that could push prices up.

London also ought to fare well – it too has a housing shortage and its economy is powering ahead. The weak pound has boosted tourism, the financial services sector is profitable again and Britain’s cultural sector, which is huge in London, was the only part of the national economy not to go into recession in 2008 and 2009. Combined, the city’s West End theatres, film-makers, advertising agencies, art galleries, architects, designers and other creative businesses employ more people than any other sector in the British capital.

What’s more, overseas investors consider London an international safe haven: making the most of sterling’s weakness, 51 nationalities bought half of the homes for sale in the city centre in June 2010, reports estate agency Knight Frank. At London developments like Candy & Candy’s One Hyde Park scheme in Knightsbridge (which will be completed this autumn) demand is dominated by overseas buyers, especially Russians, who are paying up to Dhs164 million for an apartment.

If the Government’s gamble fails, we may be able count the winners on less than one finger, as public sector cuts may be so extreme that they cause the private sector to malfunction. For example, businesses are twitching nervously

Left to right: Accordia Living, Cambridge, a development of new homes by developer Redeham Homes; 15 Acacia Road, St Johns Wood hallway.

about a planned 40 per cent cut to the nation’s transport budget which may halt big projects like the new Dhs94 billion Crossrail train line that will link Heathrow Airport with Canary Wharf and the upgrade of the ageing London Underground train network. A direct impact of Crossrail’s cancellation on the property market would be to knock-off the “Crossrail premium” on homes near its planned train stations.

Another twist is possible. If government plans go pear-shaped, sterling could tumble, making British property cheaper for overseas buyers, so more Saudis, Chinese, Kazaks and others arrive, buoying property values, principally in central London.

Unfortunately there is one further, particularly cruel twist – if someone wants to buy a property, they often cannot, because banks won’t give them a mortgage or, if they do, it is only a small one. In 2010, mortgage lenders are forecast to lend about one-third of the Dhs2.128 billion they loaned in 2007, the market’s peak year. The Government is imploring banks to lend more, but without success. If anything, the mortgage famine may get worse. The banks must repay money to the British Government in 2011 what they borrowed in 2008 to survive the credit crunch. The resulting squeeze on the funds available for mortgage lending does not bode well for the housing market.

As yet, the Government has no answer to this and nor does anyone else.

Watch this space… if you dare. ID

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idProperty | ANTENNAE

They are angry in Ireland, nervous in Hong Kong and miserable in Scandinavia, while in China they just want to get out. TEXT: RICHARD WARREN

MOTOWN MADNESS EYE CANDY

A rich individual has bought a Dhs796 million apartment at One Hyde Park, the Candy & Candy development in Knightsbridge, London, making it the most expensive home sold in Britain. The six-bedroom duplex penthouse comes complete with panic room, bullet proof windows and ex-SAS guards. The buyer could have gone for a less expensive safe house, a five-bedroom former rectory in Wales, on the market through Jim Raw-Rees & Co, for Dhs3.7 million. Why is this rectory so secure? Well, most non-Welsh speaking terrorists, kidnappers, gangsters, secret agents or angry ex-partners will struggle to pronounce or spell its name, so will probably never make it to the front door. Hengwrt is located near the historic town of Machynlleth in the county of Powys. It also has another advantage – One Hyde Park is sandwiched between two noisy roads, but Hengwrt is set in tranquil countryside.

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HONG WRONG

“Residential Property is getting more dangerous”, so warns a headline in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post. No sooner is it reported that Hong Kong’s exclusive Peak district has the world’s most expensive homes, than analysts warn the Special Administrative Region’s property market is about to experience an enormous crash. Despite government attempts to cool the market, it is booming because Chinese investors are using cheap credit to hoover up luxury flats. According to Zepplin Real Estate Analysis, if property prices rise another 20 per cent then “the chance of the bubble bursting will be immense” as residential prices vis-à-vis per capita GDP are 25 per cent over-valued already. Analysts warn that the return-to-risk ratio in Hong Kong’s property market is the same as in the casinos of Macau, the former Portuguese enclave on the other side of the Pearl River Delta.

In the United States, new home sales are at record lows and sales of second-hand homes are falling fast. In Detroit, homes are being sold by the dozen to overseas investors because they are so cheap – a five-bedroom house can be snapped up for Dhs182,000. The home of Motown is rapidly becoming “Notown” – its population has shrunk from two million to one million over the past 50 years and some districts have so many vacant lots commentators describe them as “urban prairie.” Property company Assetz, which is running a property investment scheme in Detroit for smaller investors, remains confident about the city’s future. The company says its investment properties will increase in value by 21 per cent over the next 12 months because of the knock-on effects of a recovery in the car industry and government support.

However, sceptics say property prices will move “sideways” for years to come.

GRIM UP NORTH

UNSMILING IRISH

Lloyds Banking Group is pulling out of Ireland because its losses on bad mortgage debts continue to grow, another sign of the Irish property market going from bad to worse to woeful. But wait, it appears to be going bonkers, too. Irish investors, incensed by their assets slumping in value, want to sue property journalists for putting the idea of buy-to-let into their heads. Too many articles hyped-up overseas locations, they claim. Some articles recommended developments that weren’t worth the concrete they were built with, they rage. As a growing list of Spanish, Bulgarian and other sun-blessed leisure resorts become the junkyards of investors’ dreams, so these disenchanted holiday homebuyers bay for the blood and guts of property journalists. Comments on some internet sites are unprintable and “property porn” shows are slammed. But hold on, lawyers say a case against journalists can’t be made, that caveat emptor prevails, and, best of all, that these litigious investors are “mad.”

It’s all heading south up north. House prices may nose-dive in Sweden, Finland and Norway. The Finns and Norwegians fear bubbles are forming in their countries’ housing markets, because interest rates “are too low” and Sweden’s problem is very big – one-fifth of its mortgage borrowers are struggling to repay debts, some as great as 46 times disposable income. House prices are surging in all three countries – in Norway they have leapt 20 per cent in 18 months – but harbingers of doom are appearing. Sweden’s finance minister says his country’s property prices will drop 20 per cent over the next three to five years and bank RBS says Scandinavian homeowners are more at risk now than before the credit crunch because their debts are bigger and they are more exposed to interest rate changes. Meanwhile, their Baltic cousins, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, continue to grapple with price falls.

HIGH-SPEED HOMES ENTER THE DRAGON

They give us cheap clothes. We give them houses. Wealthy Chinese are buying Dhs85 million houses in London, vineyards in Bordeaux and apartments in Manhattan, and analysts say 16 per cent of international buyers in the United States will be Chinese by the end of 2010. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, the two destinations where Chinese investors are most active, they are fuelling property booms – in Hong Kong they bought one-third of the luxury flats sold in the first half of 2010. Overseas, they buy for investment, to house their children studying at foreign universities and to get permanent residency visas in countries like Britain, Canada and the United States. A Chinese businessmen told one London estate agent his family was moving to London for “a better way of life”. When China’s strict capital controls come down, this growing trickle of investment and emigration could turn into a flood.

ÜBER ALLES

With all the talk of BRIC nations, the Asian economic miracle and the Chinese century, we tend to forget that solid, reliable economic giant Germany. German exports are surging, fuelling the country’s fastest rate of GDP growth since reunification. Its property prices are rising for the first time since early 2009, albeit at a modest 1.1 per cent, but remember, they did not crash following the credit crunch, unlike in Spain, Britain and Ireland. Prices are expected to continue climbing this autumn. But don’t get too excited by this German reliability. In the 15 years before the credit crunch, prices fell every year when inflation is factored in, so homes have proved depreciating assets for most owners. A long-term surge in property values is unlikely, because Germany’s population is contracting and most Germans prefer to rent anyway. However, all those renters do mean solid rental returns, say estate agents.

Budget airlines are often credited with helping to lift property markets in the resort destinations they fly to since they bring in more holidaymakers, some of whom become holiday homebuyers. New train services are comparatively rare, but their impact on housing markets can be equally strong. In the French Alps, estate agency Experience International hopes a new winter Eurostar service from London to Moutiers, Aime-La-Plagne and Bourg St Maurice will help lift demand, sales prices and rents in these ski locations after it starts running in December.

The journey time will be seven hours. In the town of Sainte Foy-en-Tarentaise, a ski homes development, La Chapelle, has been launched with sales prices starting from Dhs1million at this leaseback scheme where 100 per cent finance is available. Owners can use the homes for four months in the summer and are promised guaranteed rental returns for the remaining eight months of the year for a total of 18 years.

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IF YOU LOVE STYLE, YOU’LL LOVE...

FORUM

Sitting comfortably Ecologically sound chairs made from wood and plastic, and a new architecture-appreciating app for the iPhone are among the grand designs on offer this month. TEXT: LAURA COLLACOTT

IN THE NAVY

In 1944, furniture manufacturer Emeco designed an aluminium chair for the US Navy. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for the Navy Chair to go green. As part of its new collection, Emeco has joined forces with Coca-Cola to reproduce the clean lines of the functional chair in the 111 Navy Chair, so named because it is made from a minimum of 111 recycled drinks bottles as well as a mix of pigment and glass fibre. It estimates that more than three million PET plastic bottles will be repurposed each year in the production process. Choose from shades of Coca-Cola red, snow, flint, grass, persimmon and charcoal.

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GEARED UP

If you like to squeeze exercise into your working day but don’t like the idea of an ugly static exercise bike cluttering up your home or office, look no further than the Ciclotte. Recognising that most exercise bikes are not beautiful to behold, Italian designer, Luca Schieppati, in collaboration with the Lamiflex Group, has fused aesthetics and functionality to produce a practical bike that doesn’t compromise on appearance. It echoes early unicycles and adds the most modern carbon fibre technology to forge a bike that reproduces the performance of on-road cycling, indoors. “Ciclotte has been one of our greatest projects and accomplishments where we have been able to merge two disciplines into one single art statement. This is an evolution of exercise equipment and we are proud to be pioneers in combining the functions of fitness and art,” says Luigina Bernini, president of the Lamiflex Group.

WIRED

You can house all your digital equipment and corresponding wires in a sleek new storage system by BoConcept. Volani is a modular system that can be combined in a range of different ways to tailor for individual requirements. The designer, Morten Georgsen, comments: “Storage is about organisation. As a designer, it is my job to ensure a co-ordinated look where dimensions and colours match to avoid a chaotic and unbalanced look.”

OUTDOOR PURSUITS

Acclaimed American sculptor and designer, Richard Frinier, has announced a collaboration with furniture manufacturer Brown Jordan to launch a co-branded outdoor furniture collection. The elegant pieces across the three lines of Drift, Still and Cloud Nine will use Brown Jordan’s signature materials, including cast aluminium, teak and parabolic mesh to encourage relaxed and comfortable alfresco entertainment. The Richard Frinier Collection for Brown Jordan will be available largely to trade customers, with limited stocks supplied to boutique retailers, to supply interior designers, architects and corporate buyers with exclusive products.

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FORUM

WATCH THIS

Contrary to immediate appearances, this is not just a TV. The AT58 TV LED series comes from a partnership between Acer and Pininfarina (a name more commonly associated with high-end car design) and softens hard modern corners in a nod to vintage sets. But it is brimming with modern technology. LEDs with backlit panels bring a 68 per cent energy saving at the same time as vivid HD pictures in any multimedia format. A special personal video recorder allows you to record any TV show onto a memory stick.

It’s that time of year again – INDEX. The region’s largest interiors show will be held from November 8-11 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, for what is the exhibition’s 20th anniversary.

Attendees can expect to see a host of fresh, first-time exhibitors and top designers from around the world, in addition to a retrospective on the best design of the past two decades. Despite European markets struggling in the aftermath of the economic crisis, the show has had promising levels of interest from international suppliers keen to tap into the still-buoyant Gulf market (interior design contracts awarded in the GCC from 2009-2010 were worth Dhs81billion).

New for this year is a hall dedicated to exclusive designer furnishings, art and sculpture from leading Italian brands, and a special a kitchen and bathroom zone where experts from across the globe will showcase the very best in new fixtures and fittings.

With the help of a team of selected interior design professionals, organisers have also developed satellite networking events and an interactive lecture series – on topical and sometimes controversial issues relating to the industry – to add to the existing Majilis Design competition and the Al Habtoor ISG Student Challenge.

Keeping a finger on the design pulse, the programme will unveil future design trends and explain how they are forecast.

Leading international forecaster and managing director at Scarlet Opus, Victoria Redshaw, who will be conducting a talk, believes that next year will be a turning point. “2011 will be a new beginning! At all market levels and product sectors, in all developed global regions we [will] begin to see a move towards authenticity and simplicity,” she says.

“There is a greater yearning for meaning as consumers seek out emotional connections with the products they surround themselves with. The trends for 2011 and 2012 we will be discussing in our seminars are full of wit, fantasy, escapism, intelligence, colour and understated luxury.”

Visitors will be able to view hints of these forward trends in the range of frontier creations on show, some originating from countries such as Brazil and Japan. Toshiro Alloy will introduce Moonlight, hand cast, tin surface panels

JORDI MILA HOT RIDER STOOL

DECADES OF DESIGN

made to resemble stone, wood, cloth and leather, while Jordi Mila will bring a Spanish flavour, exhibiting an attractive collection of furnishing designs – look out for the Hot Rider stool, which takes its design cues from an English saddle.

The variety of objects on show at INDEX hints at the ambition of the design industry in the region – an ambition encapsulated by the event’s director, Lu Buchanan.

“In addition to a more collaborative design network, we would like to see Dubai grow into a design capital such as Paris and Milan where lots of design events would take place around INDEX,” she says.

“This is not to say that Dubai wishes to compete with Paris or Milan, it has a distinctively different flavour and is characterised by its Middle Eastern roots, but we would like to see Dubai firmly established as the design capital for the Middle East, just as Paris and Milan are design capitals for Europe. I believe that INDEX has a major role to play in this and we are looking to leading the way in this development.”

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FORUM

WHERE EAST MEETS WEST

The international design ethos of Jaya Pratomo Ibrahim is beautifully reflected in the seamless way he has blended elements of Europe and Asia at the Radisson Blu, Milan. Linking the Italian Renaissance with Asia at the recently opened Radisson Blu Milan, Jaya Pratomo Ibrahim has created a blend of serenity and contemporary comfort. Bringing local elements into the overall design made his universal aesthetic relevant to the Italian setting, though Ibrahim does not believe there should be any major differences between locations.

“It is deciding what is important and what is not,” he says. “It’s about what is to be in focus and what should be given a supporting role. To reflect the culture of the country where the project is, to bring another culture to where the project is: to marry two cultures. To cope with a project that wants to be old and contemporary at the same time. You have to find an approach to how to represent Asia in a country with a very strong identity such as Italy.”

The Indonesian designer says this has nothing to do with style: “Style is not important to me at all. It’s what you do with it.” In Milan, a signature shade of brown with soothing hues of sand and beige spiked with dark red and accented with wood, bronze and textured ceramics creates an atmosphere that when, as Ibrahim puts it, “people see it, they have this feeling of being very familiar with it, but they cannot put their finger on how or why.”

At the hotel, formerly the Chedi Milan, Ibrahim contributed further to this aura of familiar comfort with small burnished bronze tables, evoking

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the essence of skeletal tribal drums, which add a warm, settled touch that is at the same time strikingly modern. There are also the crisp, oversized photographs of Italian antiquities, adding a whimsical, contemporary sense of place in a civilisation that dates back around two-and-a-half millennia.

The sumptuous limestone baths evoke Indonesian elegance in every room, but in the Executive Suites that comprise the fifth floor, a walk-in shower stretches three metres through a tropical rain shower to an illuminated art niche at the far end, showcasing a replica of an ancient artefact.

Plush suede textured walls and dark woods frame views of the Duomo Cathedral and Velasca Tower from the private terrace or through the large windows of the 150 square metre Penthouse Suite on the 10th floor, opening up panoramic views of the city.

Like the hotel, the conference centre, with its own dedicated entrance, has a subdued ambience created by the natural palette of colours and contemporary interpretations of ancient urns and columns. Lighting designer, Jonathan Thompson, has made it possible to transform the mood of the large conference space from a brightly lit workroom to a festival with an everchanging light show, with up and down lights reflecting off shiny surfaces or bouncing off the ceiling to create an array of different effects. Proclaimed as one of the best new business hotels in the world by Fortune magazine, its location in the peaceful residential area of Bovisa, minutes from Milan’s two trade fairs as well as the city centre, offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle and adds to the serene qualities of the hotel.

The universal appeal that is Ibrahim’s trademark was also unveiled this summer at the new Aman Spa in London’s Connaught Hotel, which features a 10-metre swimming pool, a rarity for hotels in the British capital.

FORUM

HIDDEN TREASURES

Hidden Art, a London-based organisation aimed at helping designers transform their ideas into saleable products, unveiled its Select collection at the London Design Festival held last month. Seven designers bought an anthology of home products celebrating British whimsy while maintaining sustainable processes. Featured in the collection, The Balloon by Renata Manau of Biscuit Design is a balloon-shaped nesting box for birds inspired by the traditional stories of Winnie the Pooh (pictured).

WOTU WANT

Are you concerned about the impact your furniture has on the environment? For a clean, green conscience alongside classic design, try the Wotu Chair by Lamm. Created by folding and gluing sheets of beech wood into robust tubes, the chair is the ideal choice for eco-aware consumers.

Lamm, recognising a demand for “greener” products, is committed to minimising its impact on the environment through its “Use More Use Less” policy. This reduces the waste of raw material and slashes the number of carbon miles your average piece of furniture consumes. “There is no intermediary transport – a tree goes into the factory and comes out as a chair,” says designer Dante Bonuccelli.

Any leftover material is burnt to generate electricity, which, along with photovoltaic panels, covers around 90 per cent of the production requirements.

ELEGANT DESIGN

Classic Italian design studio Selva launched its sophisticated new Eleganza range at the 2010 IMM show in Cologne.

The 32-piece, handcrafted collection includes a range of home furnishings, from china cabinets to tables, sofas and benches, in what the makers say reflects modern elegance, as the name suggests. The pieces feature thoughtful details, such as delicate cross grains on the side pilasters and visible walls behind shelves, along with technical expertise. Drawers close with a whisper and china cabinets are illuminated with cutting edge LED lights which automatically switch off in the event of overheating.

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GOING, GOING…

Bonhams, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious auction houses, is to hold its sixth auction in Dubai, this time offering classic cars alongside vintage and limited edition watches and modern and contemporary art. BMW will be offering two cars from its museum reserve collection – the first time that cars have become available from the official factory collection. “Following the phenomenal success of our earlier auctions in the Middle East, it has become apparent that the region is ready for greater exposure to world-class art and collectables,” says Matthew Girling, Bonhams’ chief executive for Europe and the Middle East.

ISPY

Architecture fanatics can now carry a mine of design information with them wherever they go, thanks to Buildings, a new app for the iPhone. Completely free to download from iTunes, the program contains an encyclopaedia of architectural information, images and videos regarding 2,500 historic buildings around the world, while clever GPS technology can guide you to buildings of interest. “Learning about the architecture around me was frustrating at times – having to read snippets from guidebooks or waiting until after the visit to find more in-depth information,” says Tom Mallory, editor-in-chief and co-founder. “Buildings offers the information when and where you want it.” Architects and members of the public are invited to upload their own pictures and videos to continue expanding the database, and stimulate the interaction between people and architecture.

SWEDE DREAMS

Love it or loathe it, IKEA probably features in most of the homes you visit. September saw the release of the 60th edition of its catalogue, which is astonishingly the most widely distributed commercial publication in the world. One-hundred-and-ninety-eight-million copies are printed in 28 languages and read by more than 400 million people. Reassuringly, IKEA guarantees its prices will not increase for the full year’s validity of the catalogue.

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SUHAIL JASHANMAL PHOTOGRAPHY: FAROOK SALIK

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PAINT THE TOWN GREEN

It is a well-documented fact that the UAE is the world’s biggest consumer of natural resources, ahead even of the United States, yet public awareness of individual responsibilities remains low.

In an effort to counter this, local artist, Suhail Jashanmal, has established Green Abu Dhabi 2010, a three-week art show focused on educating the community about the environment and sustainability.

The show will be held at the Bateena Cultural Arts Centre and will function as a “call to action” for local residents, whether that means doing something as simple as switching off lights when not in use, or mobilising larger scale clean-up events.

“As a local artist, I feel there is a dire need to stop polluting and start coming together as a nation to help conserve the environment,” Jashanmal says. “Abu Dhabi, and indeed the whole UAE, is an area of great international focus. It is now time to use this spotlight to take action in order to protect the country we live in.”

He hopes that Green Abu Dhabi will become an annual event, working from grassroots to disseminate important environmental messages to all levels in a language that is accessible to everyone, regardless of their roots. Jashanmal adds, “I want to work with the local community to really start making a difference. Green Abu Dhabi 2010 [will] celebrate the wealth of cultural and artistic talent in the UAE, and show how important it is to protect the fundamental life force that has nurtured this sort of talent.”

Exhibition dates: 15 October – 5 November

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FASHION FEAST

The Empty Quarter gallery is running a vintage photography show with fashion as the theme. The women of Arabia may be enigmatically draped in abayas, but that has never stood in the way of their zeal for haute couture.

Creative gallery director, Elie Domit, has collected together an exhibition of images, original dresses and narratives, paying tribute to the role that fashion has played in the Middle East over the past 50 years.

There are nods to Orientalism in the images taken by FC Gundlach, whose memorable shots show models against distinctive Middle Eastern backdrops, including the statue of Ramses in Egypt and Bedouin shepherds.

One of the most remarkable representations of a local love for fashion is found in the telling of Parveen Shaath’s story. Saudi Arabia’s ultimate fashionista from the 1950s to 1990s, she turned her talent for style into a career long before the invention of fashion weeks, travelling across the globe in search of the finest evening gowns for her clients. Some of Shaath’s original, never-worn selections are on display here, beside a photo narration by emerging photographer, Aya Atoui.

Exhibition dates: September 14 - October 17

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October 2010

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INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW 2010

8 –11 NOVEMBER 2010, DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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PRESS YOURSELF

A NEW DECADE OF DESIGN INDEX DESIGN SHOW

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FORUM

CAPITAL GAINS

As design projects go, you don’t get much bigger than Brasilia. Planned and built from scratch in an unhabited region of Brazil, the city replaced Rio de Janeiro as the capital in 1960.

It now stands as a testament to the vision of urban planners and the idealistic commission of former president, Juscelino Kubitschek. Oscar Niemeyer, today one of the world’s most famous architects, worked on the project, combining straight and rounded shapes to create innovative, graphic structures that remain today. Lucio Costa, the renowned Brazilian urbanist, devised a layout that fused beauty, simplicity and functionality.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Kubitschek’s audacious undertaking, New York’s 1500 Gallery is showing an exhibition named simply Brasilia. Curator and native photographer, Murillo Meirelles, has compiled a collection of vintage photographs that show the city in various stages of planning, construction and inauguration between 1958 and 1960, including striking black and white images of Niemeyer, workers cutting steel, and the Esplanade hotel under construction.

Exhibition dates: September 9 – November 27

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KNOT BAD

Introducing the limited edition Bottega Veneta Stretch Knot handbag, the Dubai Knot, produced to celebrate the opening of a new store in the city. It is made of fuchsia lizard skin with corners of antique sterling silver and just 25 numbered editions will be available.

STONE ME

Middle Eastern décor specialist, Al Aqili, has added a new hard-flooring division to its portfolio to cater for a new trend in flooring suitable for the local climate and lifestyle. Stoneland is a new brand that will stand alongside the existing divisions such as Carpetland, Curtainland, Officeland and Decoworld. It will offer a broad range of hard flooring solutions, including marbles, ceramics, granite and mosaics in a one-stop-shop. Although only available in the UAE at the moment, the firm has plans to supply its brands across the GCC in the not-too-distant future.

CLEAN SWEEP

In the unglamorous world of toilet brushes Ballo stands out. Designed by Jozeph Forakis and produced by Normann Copenhagen, the carefully balanced plastic brush wobbles back and forward in its stand, giving it its name, meaning ‘to dance’. “Ballo is a funny but functional product,” says Forakis. “Like a good tool, the design is born from first designing the behaviour without compromising the function.” It is available in black, grey, blue and green, at a cost of Dhs265.

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Award winning, contemporary kitchen collection

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Showroom 21, Street 8, Al Quoz 3 Dubai, UAE, P.O. Box 75931 T: +971 4 323 2722 M: +971 50 454 4859 Info@underoneroof.ae www.underoneroof.ae

FORUM

ANDREA BRANZI

Design agenda

Vienna Design Week, Vienna, Austria, October 1-10 Ideal Home 2010, Cork, Ireland, October 1-3 Casa Su Misura 2010, Padova, Italy, October 2-10 Saloni WorldWide 2010, Moscow, Russia, October 6-9 Interior Lifestyle China 2010, Shanghai, China, October 13-November 16 Interieur 2010 Design Biennale, Belgium, October 15-24 High Point Market, North Carolina, United States, October 16-21 Manila F.A.M.E. International 2010, Manila, Philippines, October 18-21 Furniture Salon 2010, Ekaterinburg, Russia, October 19-21 Larmovel Expo, Braga, Portugal, October 22-25 Orgatec, Cologne, Germany, October 26-30 Ish Kitchen + Bath, Dubai, UAE, October 31-November 2 Light Middle East, Dubai, UAE, October 31-November 2 Index Interior Design Show, Dubai, UAE, November 8-11 Interlight Moscow, Moscow, Russia, November 9-12 International Furniture & Décor Expo, Doha, Qatar, November 10-13 Equip’Hotel Paris, Paris, France, November 14-18

THE ITALIAN JOB

The Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) is promoting its international contract chain through a new web portal. Contractitaliano.it showcases the best in Italian design – both planned and realised – and connects buyers with suppliers of high-quality Italian products across the design, furnishing, construction and media industries.

A dedicated ‘collaboration’ section allows Italian and foreign users to run tenders or develop partnerships for more elaborate projects. Requests made through the site are verified by ICE before being made available to the public domain of professionals and suppliers.

Francesco Alfonsi, the Italian Trade Commissioner to Dubai, says he hopes the website will highlight the professionalism of Italian companies and excellence of their products, enhancing their competitiveness in

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international tenders. At the same time, the organisation offers support to businesses looking to develop relationships with their Italian counterparts.

As the agency charged by Italy’s government with promoting trade, business opportunities and industrial co-operation abroad, the website is designed as a chance for ICE to boost trade. “The website will promote business and business relationships between Italy and other countries,” Alfonsi says. “It will also enforce the knowledge and competencies of Italian companies abroad in the international contracting market.”

To raise awareness of the new service, ICE will be hosting a networking event at the Armani Hotel in Dubai on 28 November. Guests will be invited to attend a seminar during which a group of Italian companies with extensive experience in contract working will share their knowledge before being introduced to the main local contacts in the UAE.

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ANTENNAE

Zaha Hadid’s spectacular national museum of 21st century art in Rome, plans for a major science centre in Calgary and an important new transport hub in London make this month’s architectural headlines.

TEXT: STEVE HILL

7 4 2 5

6

3

8

1

2. CALGARY 3. EGYPT 1. BRISBANE

SCIENCE PROJECT WORK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

PUBLIC ART

Urban Art Projects is collaborating with American artist, Ned Kahn, and the Brisbane Airport Corporation to convert the city’s new domestic public art project. Kahn’s concept for one side of the car park will appear to ripple and move due to the wind passing behind 250,000 aluminium panels. Inside, intricate patterns of light and shadow will be projected onto the walls and floor as sunlight passes through the kinetic façade. In addition to revealing the ever-changing patterns of the wind, the artwork has many environmental benefits by providing ventilation and shade for the interior of the car park.

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Construction work is underway on Canada’s first purpose-built science centre in more than 25 years. The 14,200 square metre TELUS World of Science, due to be completed next year, will feature cutting-edge technologies related to learning and presentation as well as building sustainability. Designed by lead architects Cohos Evamy, the Dhs550 million centre will meet LEED Gold criteria. Rain water from the roof will be collected and reused to flush toilets while storm waters will also be captured in a pond.

Plumbing was installed in the main floor before concrete was poured as radiant heat is more efficient, while an Energy Star roof is reflective and insulated.

Design firm WATG is producing the detailed master plan for the Sahl Hasheesh International Resort Community – Phase III, a large mixeduse development on the Red Sea. The project covers more than 4,000 hectares and comprises civic centres, a university, schools, a business park, apartments, branded villas and other resort components. It is expected to be the largest such development in the world. Water will support and embrace a range of landscapes, reinforcing the distinct story of each civilisation that has made its mark on Egypt over the centuries. WATG has been involved with the project since 2008 and also designed Phase II.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ROLAND HALBE

5. ROME SPECTACULAR STRUCTURE

4. LONDON ON TRACK

PHOTOGRAPHY: FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS & MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CLEVELAND

Whitechapel Station will become an important transport hub connecting the new London Crossrail line with the existing underground network, as well as the new London Overground line when construction work is completed in 2017. An improved design for the station, by architects BDP, was recently unveiled, incorporating natural light and enhancing the historic features of the old station. The new plans also include a spectacular walkway. Crossrail will run 118km from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west through new twin-bore 21km tunnels under central London to Abbey Wood in the east. Tunnelling work is due to begin next year.

Maxxi, the national museum of 21st century art designed by Anglo-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, has been described as “the most significant new building for decades” in the eternal city by critics who have been virtually unanimous in their praise of this spectacular structure.

The complexity of the volumes, curving walls, variations and intersections of levels determine a rich spatial and functional configuration.

Multiple environments coexist in a sequence of galleries illuminated with natural light filtered via a special roof system. The large full height atrium houses the reception services and leads into the auditorium and galleries which are set to house permanent collections and exhibitions.

6. CLEVELAND

8. SINGAPORE 7. STOCKHOLM

CONTEMPORARY COOL

PREMIUM SERVICE TRIPLE X

The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland anticipates that it will break ground on its new Dhs96 million home later this year. The 3,150 square metre, four-storey structure is Foreign Office Architects’ first major US building and its first museum. Viewed from the exterior, the building will appear as an inventive massing of six geometric facets, some flat, others sloping at various angles, coming together to create a powerful abstract form. MOCA is a non-collecting institution and therefore needs maximum flexibility; hence the main gallery has been sited at the top of the building, which it is hoped will receive LEED silver accreditation.

Construction is due to begin next year on 3XN’s competition-winning design for a new structure that will mark the entrance to Vällingby Parkstad in the Swedish capital. The adopted proposal creates a contrast with the traditional and more angular buildings surrounding the site and, according to 3XN, will add human values and scale to the area. The 14-floor building’s curved design features lively, shaped balconies that open up the structure towards its surroundings. The dense city structure at the base adds activity at eye level and life thrives on active roof tops and flowering balconies.

Ministry of Design has created a unique look for Face to Face, the latest premium boutique serviced offices in Singapore. Operated by apbcOffices, this eight-storey building, located between the high-density areas of Raffles City and Raffles Place, sets new standards in a market typically dominated by grey office furniture and partitions. The traditional reception counter has become a 10m sculptural bar that can act as a meeting or play table as well as serving as a magnet for interaction. And there is also the potential for ‘seasonal transformation’ of the main public spaces by providing a full-length graphic wall and dramatic lighting.

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BOOKS

This month’s titles offer tips on how to stylishly decorate your home and illustrate the much-changed landscape of Dubai.

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PURE STYLE

CROSSING BOUNDARIES

DUBAI 1962

ESSENCE OF HOME

JANE CUMBERBATCH

VINCENTE WOLF

KAWASHIMA, SHIMBUN

LIESL GEIGER

RYLAND, PETERS & SMALL

THE MONTACELLI PRESS

MOTIVATE PUBLISHING

THE MONTACELLI PRESS

DHS107

DHS184

DHS145

DHS145

Jane Cumberbatch is the champion of crisp and practical interiors, a style that has been incorporated by British interior stalwarts Habitat, Marks & Spencer and Laura Ashley, among others. Here, together with her talented photographer, Henry Bourne, she lays out the ground rules that will allow even the most novice hobby-decorator to put a coherent scheme together. Starting with colour, Cumberbatch moves through texture, scent, taste, fabric, furniture and objects in turn, explaining the fundamentals of each before demonstrating insider tips and simple, inspirational ideas for whole spaces. Interior advice and inspiration is interspersed with instructions on what to eat if you want the most uncluttered kitchen, preserve recipes and instructions on basic home decorating projects but, while a curious addition, these add a homely, relevant dimension. The critical will – and do – say that it’s image-heavy and content-light, but it’s certainly a beautiful coffee table book and offers some solid, inexpensive ideas.

“Good design knows no boundaries,” begins Wolf in this book, and nor, it seems, does he. Although a prominent designer and stylist, the author is also a talented photographer and avid traveller, making a point of taking at least one extended trip from his New York home to a far-flung corner of the world each year. In this book he unites his artistic talents with some globally sourced inspiration to form a stylishly presented and engaging book peppered with interesting tales from his travels. There are snapshots from tours around Ethiopia, Madagascar, Myanmar, Borneo and Syria sitting alongside subtle and enviable interior schemes. Colour and texture are thoughtfully incorporated as well as trinkets from along the way. Ever wondered how to do justice to your souvenirs and travel shots when you get home? Look no further – Wolf’s passion for design, photography and travel make him the perfect tutor. If you can't look at a world map without getting itchy feet, this book offers the perfect way to channel your energies until the next trip.

To see just how far Dubai has come in the past 50 years, take a peek at this collection of images. Japanese photographer, Yoshio Kawashima, visited the city for just one week in 1962 and the photographic legacy of those few days offers a fascinating insight into daily life in the Dubai of old. Lost in an archive for several decades, the valuable photos were recently rediscovered and presented to the UAE's delighted leaders.

Although many of the same customs and sites remain, it couldn’t be more different nowadays. If you have visited Dubai Creek and the heritage area, marvelling at how quaint the old houses were, you might be surprised to see that in 1962, fishermen were still living in a field of barasti houses creekside. Longstanding Dubai residents will tell you how the World Trade Centre was once the tallest building in Dubai and the boundary of the city – see for yourself. You can also glimpse a relaxed Sheikh Rashid in his majilis, holding audiences with his people.

This is a great retrospective on Dubai’s rich heritage.

If you are thinking of building your own house, read this first. Liesl Geiger is an experienced architect who has worked with a broad range of clients during her career, tailoring designs to specific preferences and lifestyles.

Here she brings together many of the lessons that she has learned about the unique and sometimes testing relationship between professionals and homebuilders to offer seven themes on which to meditate before calling the professionals. Articulating what you want can be as difficult, Geiger says, as describing the feelings evoked by a piece of art, but it is the very foundation of a successful project. She sagely suggests that prospective homeowners consider their personal inspiration, site, style preferences and individual lifestyle when developing their design and offers a range of images from 50 inspiring homes across North America to whet your appetite. Geiger is at pains to emphasise that it is not a set of rules, but as a blueprint for a blueprint, it is an excellent starting point. ID

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BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM MAJOR UAE BOOKSTORES

Inspirations October 2010

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Tavolo con Ruote TEXT: STEVE HILL

Gae Aulenti is perhaps best known for overseeing the conversion of the Gare d’Orsay into the Musée d’Orsay, which houses a world-renowned collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces.

But the Italian architect, who celebrates her 73rd birthday in December, earned a special place in the pantheon of industrial designers with her Tavolo Con Ruote table, which was first unveiled 30 years ago.

Aulenti, a member of ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale), holds the post-war Italian belief of adopting a unified approach to design – an attitude that is demonstrated by the way in which she was inspired to design her classic table.

The concept had its origins in the way glass was handled by a Corsican company, where glass sheets were laid on wooden surfaces supported by

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wheels. Her table consists of a floating glass top 15 millimetres thick and four industrial-type wheels supporting the top via four varnished black bolts, which have deliberately been left visible.

The striking final result was an instant success, celebrated for its restrained elegance, minimalism and clear, uncluttered lines. It soon achieved critical praise by being housed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York as well as at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Aulenti has been a prolific designer of furniture and lighting, and has also created showrooms for Knoll and Olivetti, as well as sets for La Scala opera house in Milan. However, Tavolo Con Ruote has proved to be enduringly popular and its 30th anniversary is being celebrated with a limited edition of 400 numbered pieces, all signed by Aulenti. ID