COVER IMAGE COURTESY: LA MIRAGE
OCTOBER 20, 2016
20 GID THING
SOMETHING TO SIT ON
As part of the ‘Seed to Seat’ project,designers created pieces made from American hardwood lumber. David Trubridge’s Aleni has simple lines and a clear functional solution with the least environmental impact.
24 GID DECONSTRUCT
MODERN MINIMALISM
A comforting reading nook and a simple home office, GID brings you a contemporary minimalistic setup in black-and-white from Natuzzi, which you could achieve right here in your homes.
26 GID- DESIGN WEEK
IMMERSE IN ART AND DESIGN
Celebrating design and innovation, GID brings to you the highlights of the prestigious design weeks from around the world.
32 GID TALENT
UNRAVELING THE HIDDEN BEAUTY
Paige Smith, an LA-based graphic artist brings new perspectives to street art by creating 3D installations called Urban Geodes.
36 THE FOCUS
PAGE 18
CELEBRATING LIFE WITH DESIGN
Offering a selection of stylishly designed compound villas, Le Mirage Elite is now available for lease.
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42 GID REGIONAL
54 GID- GLAMOUR
COLLABORATIONS FOR DESIGN
A collective Middle-Eastern design initiative established by four UAEbased designers, DRAK s main focus is to foster the growth of a community of artist.
WINTER ESCAPADES
The Santoni brand values are imprinted in leather and firmly entrenched on craftsmanship. GID goes on a journey through the winter residence of Giuseppe Santoni.
48 GID GLAMOUR
58 GID ARCHITECTURE
BRINGING SPACE TO LIFE
Turning mundane objects into a collector s item, interior designer Shabnam Gupta breathes life into a space with her personalised touch and her quirky colourful accents.
THE DREAMS TO REALITY MAKER
Providing new perspectives to detailing, architect MM Jose, founder of Mindscape Architects steers his clients towards reality with a perfect dream home.
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PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF
YOUSUF BIN JASSIM AL DARWISH
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO
JASSIM BIN YOUSUF AL DARWISH
MANAGER DR. FAISAL FOUAD
MANAGING EDITOR
DEPUTY EDITOR
SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS
SINDHU NAIR IZDIHAR IBRAHIM AYSWARYA MURTHY
UDAYAN NAG KARIM EMAM CORRESPONDENTS AARTHI MOHAN KEERTANA KODURU
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
VENKAT REDDY HANAN ABU SAIAM AYUSH INDRAJITH MAHESHWAR REDDY
PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT F ALTAMIRANO
MARKETING & SALES
MANAGER SAKALA A DEBRASS TEAM
MATHEWS CHERIAN
SONY VELLATT
DENZITA SEQUIERA
ANIS MANSOURI
NISHAD N P
GHAZALA MOHAMMED
EVENTS OFFICER
ACCOUNTANT PRATAP CHANDRAN
DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT
ESLAM ELMAHALAWY
BIKRAM SHRESTHA
ARJUN TIMILSINA
BHIMAL RAI
BASANTA POKHREL
PRADEEP BHUSAL
GLAM INTERIORS & DESIGN IS PUBLISHED BY ORYX PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING CO. WLL. The contents of this publication are subject to copyright and cannot be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher and/or license holder. All rights reserved with Oryx Publishing & Advertising. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any advertising contents carried in this publication. Contact info@oryxpublishing.com www.issuu.com/oryxmags www.facebook.com/gidqatar Call us: +974 44550983, 44672139, 44671178, 44667584 Fax: +974 44550982
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FROM THE DRAWING BOARD
E D I TO R ’ S C H O I C E
My house in India is on the verge of completion. The work, which started as a small extension-cum-interiormakeover plan, became a huge project which involved demolishing of existing rooms and strengthening the foundation through piling. It became a venture that lasted over two years and as the project nears the end; all members of my family are exhausted by the sheer economics and heartaches involved. Not that it takes away the excitement of spending our vacations in our dream house. Every alcove, brush of paint and shine of polished stone in the house holds a memory, a story of the ideas that went into it, the difficulties in acquiring the materials and finally the efforts involved in getting the work done. And making all this possible was an anchor, the architect who did not waver from his firm ideas, even when he was assaulted by a barrage of ideas from an architect-turned-writer whose head was churning with designs, all of which were quite impossible to be contained in a 3,000-odd-sq-ft-house. So this architect took only the best from those ideas, tweaking them to fit into the space and time playing a larger role in perfecting the dream house. The architect’s role is close to that of the maker, at least for those who are in the process of building a house. He is the confidant, friend, imbiber, critic and in most times the voice of reason.
Play of textures, materials and light, makes this interior space by Mindscape Architects excude warmth.
This issue of GID celebrates architects around the world: the Aga Khan Award winners, others who proactively work towards creating stunning homes, and the architect who helped turn my dream house into a reality. While architects help in creating dream houses, for those who live their lives in other countries, the house we rent is our haven. While we berate the lack of quality in leased apartments, here we focus on one residential facility that hopes to make you feel at home right here in Doha. Happy reading
SINDHU NAIR
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GID
GRAPEVINE
GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY With sustainable solutions to control water conservation, Ideal Standard contributes to raising awareness on the importance of handwashing with its basin mixers which come with water and energy-saving technologies like flow rate regulators and click technology. The Ceraplan III range helps save up to 50% of water. The basin and basin Grande mixers have versions with integrated regulators, which provide a maximum 5 litres/ minute flow rate, irrespectively of water pressure. A vast majority of Ideal Standard’s range of mixers are equipped with water-saving characteristics. Idealsmart, Tesi and Tonic II are only some of the eco-friendly basin mixers that not only offer impeccable designs and aesthetics for the bathroom decor, but with their 5 litres/minute flow regulators can help save water while handwashing, without any loss in the flow as the water is mixed with air. 14
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ONE WITH NATURE
The nature trend is big in décor this season and the Autumn/Winter 2016 home collection from The One reflects on that with leafy “Sunshade” wallpaper in soothing pastel mint green which creates a unique backdrop in an elegantly feminine, opulent style. Whispery whites, comforting creams and tranquil taupe, with hints of old gold and subtle silver highlights, round out the colour palette. Glamorous mirror finishes can be seen in modern classic furniture pieces like the dining and coffee tables, side table, console and chest of drawers, while suede-like microfiber adds sumptuousness to the upholstered bed, stool and bedside tables. In contrast, the sleek-lined fabric sofa, in the palest shade of mint, is conservatively dressed up with a few strategically placed off-white cushions, to keep the look clean. Lighting in the form of graceful ceramicbased table lamps and a stylish shaded chandelier creates cosiness, while accessories in clear glass, mother-of-pearl and silver add personality.
HOLISTIC SOLUTIONS FROM HOME CENTRE Home Centre presented a series of products and setups under the “Living” and “Sleeping” category this September offering customers a holistic home shopping experience. With a pallet of more than 300 new living room styles, Home Centre’s Living Showcase will enable customers to rejuvenate their homes with a selection of eclectic furniture and accessories, to create designer spaces that integrate high-quality products at competitive prices. It will also highlight the signature sofa which will be available in nine distinctive colours, making it a versatile choice for any living space. Every week, kiosks in select malls will feature new inspiring living room set-ups curated by Home Centre’s team of stylists, giving visitors a glimpse of the wide range of choices the brand has to offer. The Sleeping Showcase will pay tribute to the significance of bedrooms in relieving stress. It will enable customers to personalise bedrooms with all the elements of comfort needed to help them relax, rejuvenate and create a soothing space for themselves at home.
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GRAPEVINE
DUBAI AIMS ARCHITECT SPEAKS OF TRANSITIONS IN THE COUNTRY “The current architectural trend in Qatar is to retain elements of traditional design while creating more functional and environmentally aware structures.” said Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah at a recent event at Georgetown University in Qatar’s Centre for International and Regional Studies (CIRS). Jaidah, group CEO and chief architect of the Arab Engineering
Bureau and responsible for helping to shape the country’s skyline, gave an overview of the transitions that have occurred in the field. He focused on the history and influences of Qatari architecture in his talk. From the preoil period to up-and-coming future developments, he explained how simple mud houses were replaced by modern designs as architecture became a commodity in the 1990s.
MSHEIREB PROPERTIES WINS DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR Msheireb Properties, Qatar’s leading sustainable real estate developer, and a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), was named Developer of the Year at the Arabian Business Qatar Awards 2016. In bestowing the organisation with this extraordinary honour, the judging panel praised Msheireb Properties for the master planning and execution of their groundbreaking sustainable urban regeneration, noting, “this [award] is in recognition of the company’s exceptional efforts over the course of the last year, and for its expertise 16
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in masterminding the Msheireb Downtown Doha megaproject.” Msheireb Properties was celebrated for their miraculous revitalization of the old commercial district of the city while still retaining and recapturing Qatar’s heritage and architectural traditions. The 31-hectare QAR 20 billion development aims at enriching the lives of both individuals and communities and encouraging more sustainable and environmentally responsible behaviour, while offering a better understanding of the local and regional heritage through its unique lifestyle and environment.
HIGHER
In Dubai, on October 13, UAE officials and architects from Santiago Calatrava’s firm broke ground on what will be the world’s tallest skyscraper. The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour will rise 3,045 feet skyward when it is completed in 2020, at a cost of around $1 billion. The building will be a “notch taller than Burj Khalifa”, though the official height was not revealed at the launch on Sunday. The new building will face competition from the 1,000-metre high Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, currently under construction, for the “tallest in the world” title, which will exceed the height of the Burj Khalifa (828 m). The Tower’s design was inspired by the Islamic minaret structure as well as a lily bud. The design and architectural features of The Tower demand unique engineering approaches that are currently being implemented on site, said Santiago Calatrava. “Extensive studies were undertaken and the learning that we have gained from the experience will add to the knowledge base of mankind.” Departing zero percent from the bells-and-whistles approach so common to UAE megaprojects, the tower combines traditional Islamic architecture motifs with Calatrava’s signature white fish bones.
A GREEN ROAD MAP QATAR GREEN BUILDING CONFERENCE 2016 WILL EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCING QATAR’S GREEN ECONOMY. Qatar is making tremendous strides towards a sustainable future by investing heavily in many sustainable initiatives and incorporating the green economy accelerator initiatives into its long-term national strategic development plans as seen in the Qatar National Vision 2030. The Environmental Pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 has outlined a comprehensive strategy to advancing economic growth while preserving the environment. Through the strategy, the government aims at driving awareness, investment and environmental preservation through legislation and policies while also initiating strategic partnerships with regional and international entities. In addition, the International Chamber of Commerce Qatar (ICC Qatar) in 2014 launched the ICC Green Economy Roadmap and Energy and Environment Commission. The flagship guide was developed to assist businesses, policy makers and members of the public in the development and implementation of policies and actions to drive a green economy in the country. Along with the government strategy, the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of Qatar Foundation, is spearheading numerous sustainability initiatives to drive Qatar’s green economy. Through its numerous interest groups, QGBC is offering support across all sectors, raising sustainability awareness and encouraging potential for advancing a green economy and offering “green” entrepreneurs the necessary guidance and support to establish economically viable green businesses.
Furthermore, in an effort to bridge the information gap in the green building and sustainability sector in Qatar and the wider GCC region, QGBC has launched the Qatar Green Directory, a comprehensive online platform which aims at connecting green building buyers and sellers. Being the first step to help effectively find a common ground for the various members of the industry, the Directory has the potential to become a significant information hub for the green industry in Qatar and the wider region. Through its second annual Qatar Green Building Conference, QGBC is set to explore the various trends, challenges and opportunities for Qatar’s green economy. The discussions will be attended by leading green business and sustainability experts and members of the public and private sector in Qatar under an overarching theme of “Green Business is Good Business”. These discussions will set the basis to formulate a long-term strategy for green economy in Qatar. It is worth noting that while comprehensive green economy strategies in Qatar, the UAE and other GCC countries are proving highly effective for the most part, they are still faced with many challenges in the wake of fluctuating oil prices and regional and global instability. Furthermore, although governments have fully integrated strategies to drive their green economies, contributions from the private sector are still in their infancy but remain promising as green business gains appeal with entrepreneurs who would like to make a profit while benefiting the environment and safeguarding the future. GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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NEOTERIC
AGA KHAN AWARD FOR 2016 ANNOUNCED
LEBANON
Issam Fares Institute, Beirut Architect: ZahaHadid Architects A new building for the American University of Beirut’s campus, radical in composition but respectful of its traditional context.
The winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced on October 3, in a ceremony in Abu Dhabi. The prize, which is given every three years, is considered to be one of the most important awards in the field. It was established by the Aga Khan in 1977 to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence. During 2016, an independent Master Jury selected a shortlist of 19 projects, which was announced on 9 May 2016, from among 348 nominations. Each of the shortlisted projects was rigorously investigated by architects, conservation specialists or structural engineers. Their reports are the basis for the Master Jury’s selection of the eventual winners.
BANGLADESH
DENMARK
Superkilen, Copenhagen Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group, Topotek 1 and Superflex A public space promoting integration across lines of ethnicity, religion and culture.
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Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka Architect: Marina Tabassum A refuge for spirituality in urban Dhaka, selected for its beautiful use of natural light.
CHINA
Hutong Children’s Library and Art Centre, Beijing Architect: ZAO / standardarchitecture / Zhang Ke A children’s library selected for its embodiment of contemporary life in the traditional courtyard residences of Beijing’s Hutongs.
BANGLADESH
Friendship Centre, Gaibandha Architect: Kashef Chowdhury/ URBANA A community centre which makes a virtue of an area susceptible to flooding in rural Bangladesh.
IRAN
Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge, Tehran Architect: Diba Tensile Architecture / Leila Araghian, Alireza Behzadi A multilevel bridge spanning a busy motorway has created a dynamic new urban space.
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THING
_ O T G N I H T E SOM
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SIT ON IN RESPONSE TO A BRIEF BY THE AMERICAN HARDWOOD EXPORT COUNCIL (AHEC) AS PART OF THEIR “SEED TO SEAT” PROJECT TO DESIGN SEATS USING THEIR TIMBERS, WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION ASKED, “WHAT IS THE TRUE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF DESIGN?” FOR “SOMETHING TO SIT ON” , DESIGNERS CREATED PIECES MADE FROM AMERICAN HARDWOOD LUMBER. THEIR DESIGNS WERE SUBJECT TO A FULL LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT, EVALUATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF EVERY COMPONENT.
For each design, AHEC also calculated how many seconds it would take for the wood used to have grown in the US hardwood forests. David Trubridge’s answer to this brief was Aleni Recliners. Simple and clear functional lines were the answer for this design brief but what was interesting was that the product had the least environmental impact. “We chose to use thermally modified (TMT) ash. We are always being asked for outdoor timber furniture and this could be the perfect solution. Having worked with TMT timber before, we knew that it is brittle and stiff, so the design was informed by these qualities. We kept to easily machinable straight lines. The two sections, head and foot, are held together by K/D fittings so that they can be separated for easy freighting,” explains Trubridge. All the wood to make Aleni, including the waste, took 1.06 seconds to grow. Aleni will be on show at DRAK as part of Design Days Dubai.
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GID
MIX
S T Y L I S H U P D AT E
An easy way to reflect light, make a space look big, and open up a room, this flower wall mirror from THE One is simple yet decorative.
ETHNIC CHIC
An underrated accessory, simple yet sophisticated, these coasters from Antique Corner will look great in any room in your home.
DESIGN MISHMASH Whether it is antique, modern, quirky or traditional, layering your interiors in different styles is dynamic and interesting. Give your interiors some soul with this eclectic mix of home accessories.
ASIAN-INSPIRED
Bring some oriental flair to liven up any corner in your home with this striking red cabinet from THE One.
V I S U A L LY S T R I K I N G
A great solution for storage problems as well as drawing attention when placed in a simple living room, this metal bookcase from Roche Bobois creates conversation.
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A DAS H O F V I B R A N C E
A versatile addition to make your living room fun and interesting, this throw cushion from Roche Bobois perks up a space almost instantly.
A S TA N D O U T
Sculpted in cast resin with intricate gold embellishments on either sides, this piece from Tanagra is great to adorn any table.
DRESSED IN WHITE
Simple in form, great in looks, dressed up or left plain, this side table from Roche Bobois is a stylish addition.
G E T YO U R S H I N E O N !
Give some ethnic charm to your space with this shimmering gold and emerald green piece from Antique Corner.
C R Y S TA L G L A M O U R
Enjoy the view of the sun rays shining through and creating rainbows of colour throughout your home with this crystal artifact from Tanagra
TO U C H O F C L A S S
Place it in your den, library, living room, office or anywhere you likemake this chess set from Tanagra a centerpiece in your home. T R A N Q U I L TO N E
A functional piece of furniture which could be a new focal point in your home, this side table from Antique Corner is the perfect fit. GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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GID
DECONSTRUCT
MODERN MINIMALISM 3
AGAINST A SIMPLE BACKDROP, A CHIC DESK IN BLACK, A COMFORTING READING NOOK WITH A BLACK-AND-WHITE CHECKERED ARMCHAIR AND A MODERN BOOKSHELF IN MATCHING HUES SUM UP THIS HOME OFFICE. STRIKING A PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN FORMAL AND COZY, THE SET-UP FROM NATUZZI BRINGS A TOUCH OF BEAUTY IN BLACK AND WHITE.
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OMEGA DESK AND DRAWER 2 SIGMA CHAIR 3 PROXIMA LIBRARY 4 ONDA FLOOR LAMP 5 ONDA TABLE LAMP 6 ARGO RUG 7 PICTURE PHYLIRA 8 AMBER VASE 9 KARKADE VASE 10 ARCISSI VASE 11 LIU ARMCHAIR 12 VIAVAI SIDE TABLE
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GID
DESIGN WEEK
IMMERSE IN EXPLORING THE ROLE OF DESIGN IN DIFFERENT CULTURES AND SOCIETIES AND CELEBRATING EMERGING TALENTS AND INNOVATION−FROM LONDON AND PARIS TO MEXICO AND DUBAI−GID BRINGS YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PRESTIGIOUS DESIGN WEEKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
ART AND DESIGN 26
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LONDON DESIGN WEEK
CELEBRATING POWER OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
Established in 2003, the London Design Festival is one of the largest and most innovative design events in the world. This year the festival promoted London as the design capital of the world, creating a platform for inspirational design initiatives. Over 400 events and installations were on offer across the city, from a stimulating programme at the Victoria and Albert Museum to landmark projects in Shoreditch and Chelsea. The festival also showcased ideas from more than 300 partners, representing the heart of London s design community. The London Design Biennale features 37 nations in an unmissable exhibition of individual design installations at Somerset House. MINI is partnering with Asif Khan to explore the concept of third places in the city. The urban oasis will allow visitors to connect, create and relax in an immersive atmosphere. Khan, whose London-based practice works across the fields of architecture, industrial and furniture design, says: “There is a Japanese phrase, Shinrin yoku , which literally means forest bathing . It means every sense switches to absorb the forest atmosphere, what you hear, what you smell, even the feeling underfoot.” The project brings these two ideas together for visitors to experience new sensations within the city. Other projects include The Smile by Alison Brooks Architects, Foil by Benjamin Hubert, The Green Room by Glithero, Liquid Marble by Mathieu Lehanneur and Beloved by Tabanlioglu Architects.
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GID
DESIGN WEEK
MEXICO DESIGN WEEK
CATALYSTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Taking place from 5th to 9th October, Design Week Mexico hosts Germany as a guest country, coinciding with the Germany-Mexico Dual Year 2016-2017, and Jalisco as a guest region. The event celebrates creativity and design with over 100 activities, from exhibitions and temporary installations to interventions and talks, turning the capital into an international platform for innovation and debate. As the city prepares for World Design Capital 2018, this is an opportunity for the public and professionals to discover the latest trends in Mexican and international contemporary design. For this year’s edition, an exhibition by the Mexican-American modernist designer Don Shoemaker launches at the Museo de Arte Moderno, alongside an exhibition by the late Japanese-Argentinian visual artist Kazuya Sakai, who is credited as one of the pioneers in geometric abstraction in Mexico. Other events include screenings of documentaries about the country’s creative industries, and a one-day symposium called Creativity for Change which will focus on the relationship between design, education, innovation and sustainability and their possible social impact, particularly within the urban context. Guest speakers include Christoph Korner from the German architecture studio GRAFT, SFMOMA’s head of architecture and design Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, MACM’s director John Zeppetelli and social urbanist John Bela from Gehl Studio. 28
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DUBAI DESIGN WEEK
CHALLENGING CONVENTIONS AND EXPLORING INNOVATION
The second edition of Dubai Design Week will take place across the city with over 550 designers participating in a six-day celebration. This year, Downtown Design will feature 100 brands from 28 countries presenting top-quality, original products from furniture and fabrics to lighting, bathrooms and kitchens. The show features a dedicated Italian Luxury Interiors pavilion presented by the Italian Trade Agency and has also partnered with six international Design Weeks (Addis Ababa, Barcelona, Beirut, Reykjavik, and Taipei) bringing together an eclectic mix of indigenous materials, skills, industrial techniques and craftsmanship to highlight each country’s individual cultural context. Curated by Cairo-based architect, independent researcher and writer Mohamed Elshahed, Cairo is the focus of this year’s Iconic City exhibition, which will feature over 65 Egyptian architects, designers, entrepreneurs and graphic artists who will contribute to a presentation, inspired by the city’s infamous red brick housing stock that appears in varying stages of completion across the capital. Also, fifty universities from thirty countries will present the next generation of innovation at the Global Grad Show.
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GID
DESIGN WEEK
DUTCH DESIGN WEEK
AN ODE TO THE MAKERS
“The making of ” is the theme for the 15th Dutch Design Week. The anniversary year is all about the making process and the makers. From 22 to 30 October in Eindhoven, 2,500 national and international designers will be showcasing their latest work and the best of what design has to offer. DDW places the “making process” at centre stage and honours the makers and tackles alienation by revealing how products and services that we use every day are made, or where they are made. Among the regular highlights is the Graduation Show at the Design Academy Eindhoven, presentation of the annual Dutch Design Awards, the Dutch Invertuals show and Modebelofte. The Designhuis, Van Abbemuseum, Kazerne, MU, Piet Hein Eek, Sectie C, TAC and Yksi will be holding international exhibitions. In the Klokgebouw this year (under the art directorship of Overtreders W)the exhibitions, “It’s Your World”, in collaboration with DDW ambassador Bas van Abel (Fairphone), and “Mind the Step” by Delft, Twente and Eindhoven Universities of Technology.
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PARIS DESIGN WEEK
MAISON &OBJET–A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE
Spread across nine halls of the Parc des Expositions in Paris Nord Villepinte, this year MAISON&OBJET is going full-on digital with the launch of the MAISON&OBJET AND MORE (MOM), to help professionals search for products and get in touch with exhibiting brands, all year round through a virtual experience. On the day of its launch, MOM featured a selection of more than 15,000 products. On each product’s page — referenced by brand and by product type —users will find complete technical specifications, several pictures, as well as the contact information for the supplier. Along the red track, innovation was a common theme in all six of its environments: lighting, outdoor, materials and know-how, interior design, spa & wellness, and hospitality. Spaces were dedicated to the furniture and home design trends — the House of Games Inspirations Forum, Team Lab’s Forest of Resonating Lamps and Light Trend by Akari-Lisa and Motoko Ishii. Visitors also raved about the Matériauthèque by materiO’ and the conferences led by influential personalities such as Ora-ïto, Laura Gonzales, Yann Kersalé, Thierry Marx and Piero Lissoni. The younger generation also received their share of visibility with the six Rising Talents selected jointly with Les Ateliers de Paris and spotlighted in Hall 7 to exemplify France’s innovative vitality. A new dinnerware collection produced by Revol on Petite Friture was launched. This collection is the result of the brand’s encounter in January 2016 with then Rising Talents Färg & Blanche.
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GID
TALENT
UNRAVELLING
TAKING STREET ART TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL, PAIGE SMITH, AN LA-BASED GRAPHIC ARTIST, CREATES 3D INSTALLATIONS IN THE FORM OF RESIN SCULPTURES THAT MIMIC CRYSTALS AND OTHER GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS. BY AARTHI MOHAN
THE HIDDEN BEAUTY 32
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MYSTERY IS INTERESTING Right: Found in intervening spaces of the built environment ,these are the geodes spotted at the Arts District, Philadelphia and at DTLA.
Being mysterious and at the same time magical, designer Paige Smith, aka A Common Name, has a keen eye for things that are considered unsightly holes and bringing them to people’s attention or changing their character. Hailing from the Arts District in Los Angeles which also happens to be the hub for street art, her interest to become a designer spiked very early on in her life. “I always knew that I wanted to be some sort of a creative. I never considered myself a true artist as I had a hard time creating from nothing. It was easier for me to create from an idea, so I felt being a designer was a good choice for me. Over time, I became bored and felt constricted. I needed the freedom to create whatever came to me,”says Smith. As she was soaking up the creativity of the streets where she grew up, she started noticing the overlooked and crumbling parts. Always interested in geology, Smith started to notice the nooks and crannies in the sides of buildings, walls and abandoned phone booths which paved the way for her to
create something out of the ordinary. “I became strangely interested in them and mostly started noticing the holes and cracks more than the art. I really wanted to transform them into something noticeable, so I decided on the geode shape because it felt like a magical thing to happen in real life,” says the designer who is now widely acclaimed for the Urban Geodes. A street art series of sculptures made entirely of paper and resin casts, Smith describes the geodes as a bit of magical realism. “Imagine our world in which man-made buildings would actually grow their own crystal shapes within them. Either they burst out from cracks or, if you chipped away at the facade a little, the building would be filled with crystals. To me that is what this series is all about,” explains the designer.
Artistic inspiration for Smith comes from reading. She loves the imagination in stories, especially books of magical realism, fantasy and sci-fi which are then translated to a vision which she can see right away. Her first foray into art was with paper, so she still holds a deep love for the material. Captivated by the easily manipulative nature, she feels that anything you imagine can be achieved. “I used to create all of my pieces from hand cut, folded and glued paper. It used to take me days to create a single piece for the street. I eventually started getting into the world of resin casting, creating my own silicon rubber molds and casting various different types of resin within them. These can be multiplied very quickly and are usually what I use now for installations and street work,” she says. Smith has mapped the locations of her GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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GID
CITYSCAPE VERSIONS Left: Always in clusters, the crystalline blue geodes were found at Culver City and at Istanbul. Below: Geodes found in a cracked window at Dallas.
TALENT
“I usually find places I’m interested in working as I live my daily life. I’ve definitely made people pull over before and I almost always have a tape measure in my bag. I’m usually looking for places that are really overlooked. I love more traditional holes, but some beautiful cracks will get some love too.”
geodes, which are scattered around Los Angeles and other cities. She says, “I usually find places I’m interested in working as I live my daily life. I’ve definitely made people pull over before and I almost always have a tape measure in my bag. I’m usually looking for places that are really overlooked. I love more traditional holes, but some beautiful cracks will get some love too.” In 2015, Smith collaborated with Dubaibased brand S*uce to create art objects that are essentially useable. “It was a unique collaboration because it challenged me to think a little differently. Items that were simply considered furniture became items of art. I really kept choosing the most old and banged-up items, some of them I actually broke apart and mended back together. I wanted them to show a passage of time, similar to the way our buildings do from wear and tear. We created a whole installation of a room with all of the items including others to make a living space,”she says. 34
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It is not always about the aesthetic element for Smith; the public nature of her work is exposed to more of a human element. She is always curious to know how people perceive these structures; that to her is the mystery part. She is a huge fan of Olafur Eliasson and admires his multidisciplinary approach. JR is intelligent and creative within his chosen field and has inspired her to start her own participatory art programme with her work. “Seek Discomfort”by Stefan Sagmeister is the motto she always stands by. Apart from the Geodes, she has a leather handbag line called VereVerto which is all about functionality of design and lifestyle. She is currently working on one of her largest installations to date in downtown Los Angeles, at a building called Olive DTLA. Another project is a terrazzo floor design in a new building in Burbank. “It’s a public art project, part of the 1% tax on Los Angeles buildings. There is a kind of beauty in paying attention to most things people overlook. I’m super-excited to try this new format and to have something that will live on for many unforeseeable years,” she exclaims.
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CELEBRATING LIFE WITH DESIGN
GID PUTS THE FOCUS ON THE LATEST PROPERTY OF LE MIRAGE THAT BELONGS TO SHARAKA HOLDINGS GROUP WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR LEASE. BY SINDHU NAIR
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A SENSE OF CLASS: Opposite page. “The lounge area opens to the living space, Below: the living and dining space that opens to a well-maintained garden.
Doha has a multitude of residential properties available for lease. Most of them are in standard formats. Barely adequate facilities, poor workmanship, planned without much consideration for comfort or usability, a one-plan-fits-all design. We are not even talking about the mass housing solutions provided by certain real estate agencies, where the rental costs seem to justify the poor quality of construction. But being from the same profession, I would argue that quality living conditions can be affordable by efficient planning of material and time without sacrificing essentials.
In the quest to find the perfect balance of intelligent and sensitive planning, quality workmanship and materials to the cost of the rentals, I have mostly been disappointed and was on the verge of giving up when I was asked to review this beautiful property. That it was one of the properties by Le Mirage, whose first project near the Mall roundabout, Le Mirage Village, has always been the envy of many designers for the beautifully maintained gardens and even the architectural features of the houses, was not very surprising. So it was with much curiosity that I set about my architectural review.
I have seen beautiful interiors in Doha in upscale institutions: Education City buildings, offices in the West Bay and a few interiors of restaurants around Doha. So to see the quality of the residential properties on offer by Le Mirage Elite, one of the property divisions of Sharaka Holdings, was a revelation. According to marketing officials, the brand offers a selection of stylishly designed compound villas, apartments, suites and office towers in Qatar with each property impeccable in every detail featuring progressive, innovative designs, which exceed industry standards. GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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GOD IS IN DETAILS: Clockwise from top left: The luxurious kitchen furnished with all amenities and kitchenware, living room details, the bedrooms are kept simple and reflect comfortable settings
“At Le Mirage, we don’t just build beautiful properties; we strive to create extraordinary environments in which beautiful lives are built. We build properties in which people can celebrate good living. Our strap line “celebrate life” is embodied in great design.” 38
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While this seemed like PR jargon, on close scrutiny the words seemed to express the details that have been put in place within the property. Explaining the story behind the brand Le Mirage, the Group Marketing and Communications Manager, Malini Saldanha says, “At Le Mirage, we don’t just build beautiful properties; we strive to create extraordinary environments in which beautiful lives are built. We build properties in which people can celebrate good living. Our strapline ‘celebrate life’ is embodied in great design.” “Le Mirage is the star brand of e Sharaka Holdings, a family of businesses with over 45 years of experience. Since the inception in 2001 and the completion of our first successful project, Le Mirage Village, excelled in providing properties of highest-quality standards, combining desirable location, architectural distinction, and high-end amenities to create innovative spaces for privileged lifestyles,” she says. Lacasa Architects and Engineering Consultants were the architects for the project and the interiors were executed by the team at Le Mirage. The exteriors of the building complement the interiors as one flows seamlessly into the other. According to the Raed Jahshan, Head of Engineering department, that forms a
“The approach is to fulfill the aspirations of tenants by giving them their dream house with not much art pieces but stylised living conditions is our optimum goal.”
INTERIORS SPILL OUTDOORS: Clockwise from top right: The living room, landscaped exteriors and another view of the well-lit living spaces.
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COMMON AMENITIES: The bathrooms are planned well with materials that are sourced from around the world. Below: The common amenities, swimming pool space in the club house.
“In this region, where raw material scarcity is universally well known, the biggest challenge is the change in rules and regulations.�
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part of the team comprising of designers and experts at Le Mirage, “The design comprises of three interior design themes blended together to give the impression of simplicity, elegance and style. The approach is to fulfill the aspirations of tenants by giving them their dream house with not much art pieces but stylised living conditions is our optimum goal. This approach ended up with something unique; merging minimalist and midcentury-modern design to gothic with a touch of classic design giving our tenants a sense of wow.” The villas are planned on a simple square grid, like most of the villa compounds here in Doha, but a difference is the abundance of space that marks this property. Green spaces and open spaces between villas make the
“Colour, texture and shades are the three basic elements that we have deeply concentrated on. We have selected the right kind of muted colour palette to give a gentle and soft ambiance on the walls and ceiling. Dark-coloured tiles on the kitchen floor with suspended glossy white panelling door shutters on the wall cabinet highlight the contrast in the kitchen.” compound look airy and larger than it is. Entering one of the villas, the same sense of space prevails. The well-lit lounge directs you to the visitor’s area on the right and the main living room ahead. Simplicity and detailed wood work is the other feature that makes the living space seem immersed in a sense of warmth. Jahshan says, “Colour, texture and shades are the three basic elements that we have deeply concentrated on. We have selected the right kind of muted colour palette to give a gentle and soft ambiance on the walls and ceiling. Darkcoloured tiles on the kitchen floor with suspended glossy white panelling door shutters on the wall cabinet highlight the contrast in the kitchen. A two-toned combination of subdued colours like ash grey and beige Porcelanico tiles on walls and floors for the bathrooms gives the impression of softness. Exposed grain
finished ash wood claddings on walls as well as on the doors and architraves gives a natural earthy looks.” The materials are selected to achieve minimalistic and mid-century design ethos. Italian design furniture covered with black fabrics accented with steel rings defines the living room. A Touch of glass accessories and mirrors adds the feeling of pre-modern times. The kitchen is a delight for homemakers with beautifully finished panellings and most modern amenities and a central cooking range, bringing a bit of European design into an Arab setting. The modern kitchen solutions are all sourced from the sister company of the real estate company, Khazanah, which specialises in kitchen fabrication. The engineers and planners at Le Mirage too berate the lack of availability of materials and the consequent delays.
“In this region, where raw material scarcity is universally well known, the biggest challenge is the change in rules and regulations. With this challenge the productivity and the timelines of projects are affected,” he says. “Environmental factors such as extreme heat and cold conditions are inevitable and so, the engineer who works with the construction team is taught how to manage and delegate his workers during these diverse climatic conditions. Above all, the entire construction team was deeply guided and motivated by a common principle and that is: ‘To work by heart as if you are the owner of the property’.” All the furniture is sourced by one of the other divisions of Sharaka Holdings, Living Home or Design Lounge and fit cozily into the interiors. While the villas are functionally comfortable and aesthetical to the senses, the common amenities are equally luxurious and is the last inducement to make you sign on the dotted line of the lease agreement. This beautiful property makes you believe that life can be experienced as comfortably and as aesthetically as you had wished, making your dream house a reality, right here in Qatar. GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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COLLABORATIONS A MIDDLE EASTERN DESIGN INITIATIVE TO FOSTER THE GROWTH OF A COMMUNITY OF ARTIST. BY SINDHU NAIR
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What happens when four creative visionaries get together in a country that is already giving design its muchneeded impetus? If they are based in Dubai, they start a collective to encourage research and education. Thus was born, DRAK (Design Ras Al Khor), a collective initiative established by four UAE-based designers. Following the success of its first edition, DRAK was set up at a new venue this year, during the Dubai Design Week in October, with their host venue partner – Lever Building Materials & MIRAGE, within Ras Al Khor Industrial Area. Through the co-founders, product designer Khalid Shafar, fashion designer Khulood Thani, jewellery designer
Nadine Kanso and architect Tarik Al Zaharna, DRAK wants to draw attention to Ras Al Khor Industrial Area and the creative district’s potential and strives to become “a progressive design movement that encourages research, innovation, and material exploration”. According to Khalid Shafar, DRAK aims to draw attention to the potential of Ras Al Khor Industrial Area – one of the oldest in the city – to become one of Dubai’s creative districts and plans to grow annually by covering different areas of design, involving more design practitioners. “We felt the need and gap for such design collectives to be established by individual designers rather than organisations or institutions. We had
REFLECTIONS: Images and products from DRAK 2015
been travelling to many cities where Design Weeks are established and we had seen many such collectives with different approaches and objectives. With the launch of Dubai Design Week last year, we believed it was the right time and platform for us to launch DRAK and focus on Ras Al Khor Industrial Area as our venue,” says Khalid. DRAK will set a new and innovative platform for design practitioners to showcase and debate their works and projects. It will challenge designers to research, innovate and explore new materials and work around different design topics every year to showcase their case studies in a new environment. The week-long exhibition will be about ‘Celebrating Wood’ and will present four main design projects by upcoming international and locallybased designers in coordination with DRAK 2016’s Official Partners – Eyes on Talents, a Paris-based, invitation only, digital platform that connects innovative brands with creative talents; American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and 1971 Design Space. This year’s designers to present their designs are Tulip Hazbar, Hind Bin Demaithan (Commissioned by 1971 Design Space), Hala Kaiksow and Lina Younes. In addition to the four main projects, DRAK16 will also be presenting for the first time ‘International Projects Selection’, which will be a collective showcase of a few international projects selected by the official partners. Award winning project ‘Aleni’ seat by David Trubridge presented by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and Surfaces Sonores by Pierre Charrie presented by Eyes on Talents are among the lineup.
FOR DESIGN One question, we always ask about the designers here is how do the Middle East designs compare to the international design community and whether there are areas in which they excel or fall behind. Shafar thinks that design as an art varies from one country to another in the Middle East in some, design is more established than others. “If we focus on the Gulf region, then design is still in its early stage of growth. Although the design infrastructure in some cities like Dubai is growing very fast, the design community growth is not at the same pace. For an ideal design ecosystem, the full chain of the system needs to grow organically together and there should be a balanced focus and attention to each part of the chain.”
Shafar believes that there are important areas that needs to be concentrated on in the coming years to have a healthy design landscape such as, establish design education across all levels, attract manufacturers and encourage the artisanal community and, finally, support local designers in international platforms to encourage the supply chain of design. “We aim for DRAK to become one of the key attractions and main events of Dubai Design Week, have presence internationally at different platforms, attract international designers, organisations to be part of the initiative and hopefully one day DRAK could become an NGO entity or have a sort of legal status to run yearly,” says Shafar. GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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GID SPEAKS TO THE FOUR DESIGNERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DR AK IS ALL ABOUT TO GET AN INSIGHT INTO EACH OF THEIR DESIGN SENSIBILITIES, AND TO GET AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT BRINGS THESE DIVERSE ARTISTS TOGETHER .
KHALID SHAFAR For me it will always be the Campana Brothers. They are my design idols of all times. They have been and will always be great influencers on my design journey and career.
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KHULOOD THANI Lots of my work is inspired by modern art movements, especially the ones that have lots of geometric elements, and some of the names that inspire me are people like Picasso and Georges Braque.
DESIGNERS THAT EACH ONE OF YOU TAKE CUES FROM, OR
GET INSPIRED BY?
NADINE K ANSO
TARIK AL ZAHARNA
My jewellery work is obviously inspired by and based on Arabic calligraphy and its beauty. If I were to choose one person that I would be inspired by or actually like to work with it would be the Lebanese artist Samir Al Sayegh, he has taken calligraphy to new heights and was ahead of his time and still is.
My work is mainly derived from and inspired by context, materiality and details. Architect greats such as Marcio Kogan, Peter Zumthor and the late Oscar Niemeyer pioneered the notion of creating an experience and generating emotions through their architectural work. To me, these are some of the components that make up successful architecture.
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THE FOUR FOUNDERS’ ADVICE TO THE NEW GEN DESIGNERS FROM THE REGION: GROW ORGANICALLY AND HAVE PATIENCE . EDUCATE YOUR AUDIENCE WHILE GROWING AND ALWAYS ENRICH YOUR KNOWLEDGE THROUGH DESIGN EDUCATION AND EXPLOR ATION.
EXPERIENCING WOOD TEXTURES Tulip Hazbar is a UAE-based designer and visual artist, working with a variety of mediums such as print media, publications, illustrations, found objects, and installations. “For DRAK16’s ‘Celebrating Wood’ collaboration, I would like to propose creating three posters by pressing wood textures off treated wood-inspired panels. The treated wood panels would be made of acrylic sheets. The panels would be a terrain covered with wood textures and patterns based on photos I have gathered and wood research conducted here in the UAE. The panels will serve as a palette of textures and will be a tool to create textures on paper, fabrics, etc.”
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WHEN ART MEETS TECHNOLOGY Hind bin Demaithan Al Qemzi is a visual artist, video composer and curator. Woman, religion, culture, daily news and her personal life inspire her work. Here Hind aims at using the theme of the show ‘Celebrating Wood’ still in the same contextual sense by referring to the traditional Arab wood craft; the mashrabiya with an exploration of its function in a conceptual form to put forth an idea. “By bringing to life old negatives, layering them with digitally manipulated negatives and layering them to make a whole new composed negative that comes to live when viewers pass them through the digital lightbox, this installation will be built in a deconstructed mashrabiyah standing table.”
TEXTILE ART
THE FILM TOUCH
Hala Kaiksow has a luxury womenswear label that takes inspiration from a time in which occupation and cultural origins gave clothing an unwavering identity. At the DRAK exhibition, Hala will be working on wood as a textile: “By borrowing from the organic movement of wood, I wish to create a path with the pattern by which I hang my textiles. A path that takes the observer on a journey, through a story withing the warp and the weft, one of handcraft, tradition and times past. The textiles will hang from the ceiling and mimic the grains of the wood with the path they create. Each will be 1.5 metres in length and will hang a foot above the ground.”
Lina Younes is a stop motion animation director, animator and founder of The Animation Chamber, a Dubai-based animation initiative. Lina she animates everything and anything. Lina studied puppetry, marionettes, stop motion, theatre in Eastern Europe, Lebanon, and South America. In her contribution to DRAK, she takes the art of storytelling, hakawati, as a ritual, a culture, and a timeless art form. “Trees tell each other stories, they warn each other about predators and share nutrients with the smaller trees. Stemming from the core (pun intended), trees come to resemble people by becoming characters themselves; for example, stress makes trees stronger. Yet, there is a magical combination in the making of a tree. As we are made of 99% living cells, trees are made of 99% dead cells. For the film installation at DRAK 16, I would like to investigate this relationship between the life of trees, and their ‘dead’ nature. Through a layered, constantly moving series of images, the visuals come to tell different stories that interject and interact at different times. Trees never die of old age. The phantasmagoria in continuous loop is used to project on living trees in the space.”
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BE IT TEXTURES, COLOURS, SHADOWS, ART, LIGHTING OR NATURE, MUMBAI-BASED INTERIOR DESIGNER, SHABNAM GUPTA’S VIBRANCY FINDS INSPIRATION IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AND TRANSFORMS INTERIORS INTO SOMETHING UNCONVENTIONAL. BY AARTHI MOHAN
Her ability to completely immerse in everything she does is evident in the acute sensitivity with which she approaches a space. She is the coowner of a retail venture, Peacock Life, a one-stop lifestyle store that offers a flavour of her eclectic inclination and is also the principal founder of The Orange Lane. Her approach strikes a good balance between all the elements in design, but she doesn’t believe in incorporating too many and reflects the aesthetics through the use of natural light. Shabnam’s creative process starts out with an understanding of the space. She then deconstructs it and tunes in to what it is demanding from the designer. “It
involves an instinctive and out-of-the box thinking that goes into visualizing the space. My favourite part of the process is seeing the design come alive from paper to real life. However, enjoying great-looking spaces was always a part of how I grew up, especially nature,” she says. With colourful accents, a personalised touch and an ability to take regular objects and reclaimed materials and turn them into a collector’s item, she has defined her sense of function and beauty in creating a vibrant oasis for all her clients. She speaks to GID on her favourites in interior design and what is it that makes her love her work more and more each day.
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Your biggest home decor pet peeve? An unkempt house would be my biggest pet peeve. Tastes can be individualistic but a disorderly or chaotic space is something I dislike. Your most treasured home decor item? Nikhil Chaganlal’s Embrace series, an antique Kamdhenu sculpture, the pig stool and the list goes on. Favourite décor you use in interior styling? Good table or floor lamps can change the ambience for any space instantly. That is a single décor item which does not go wrong.
“I would like to design a home for the Dalai Lama. It would be extremely interesting to create a serene spiritual space for him.”
What’s your favourite room in your house? It is my balcony with the vertical garden on all sides, a compact pink sofa and French pink glass jar lights with heart shapes embossed on them. I’m at complete peace in that corner.
What’s your latest obsession in interiors? I’m obsessed with European Chic right now.
If you could decorate any house in the world, which one would it be? I would like to design a home for the Dalai Lama. It would be extremely interesting to create a serene spiritual space for him.
What colours are “on trend” at the moment? Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue.
What’s the most challenging project you’ve ever taken on? My most challenging project is yet to come, but as of now Ms. Rani Mukherjee’s bungalow has been the most challenging with the amount of detailing that goes into each space.
Your go-to colour combination? It is white, grey and beige.
What tips do you have for getting a fun, sophisticated look that won’t break the bank? Look within the space and find ways to repackage what one has. The right kind of lighting is half the battle won – so a set of great floor or table lamps would help set the ambience.
Cushions, throws or a new carpet can add an element of colour and freshness to the space. Invest in good furniture pieces, even if it means one piece at a time and not altogether. Any quick design tricks that can change a space but doesn’t involve completely redoing a room? Yes, repainting a room in a fresh shade and changing the furniture placements can breathe a new life into a space. One design element you can’t live without? Greens! Plants bring alive a space, be it in any form – potted greens, vertical gardens or even a hanging basket. A bit of nature makes for a happy space. GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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Advertorial
Layered in luxury
Reinterpreting classic pieces while reviving artisanal techniques to create a collection with a timeless appeal, Spazio Interni, the new luxury furniture store in Doha, is making heads turn with their designs. 52
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Rooted in history, inspired by nature and designed in Italian craftsmanship with attention to detail and state-of-the-art technology, each piece at Spazio Interni is an artistic creation. With an expertise of over ten years, the store hosts a range of high-end furniture brands and exclusive lines from renowned designers like Sormani Imbottiti, Design Nature accessories, Lamps and accessories from Murano of OR Illuminazione, CTS Italian luxury fabrics and Foresti Fabric collection. Spazio Interni’s portfolio includes not only large pieces of upholstered furniture but also fabrics, accessories, lamps and wallpaper. They also provide a complete interior design service including bespoke commissions for a lifestyle experience. Some of their eye-catching designs include traditional Italian furniture made by Giancarlo Sormani, rustic bookshelves created from century-old European church floors, and dining tables hoisted upon wooden windmills of similar age and history from the brand Design Nature. Sangiorgio Textile Creations provides wall covering fabrics and jacquard fabrics
for home furnishing and contract use. Spazio’s design aesthetic is to create a fusion by combining recovered wood pieces with modern furniture to create a set-up that is one of a kind. For example, you can customise by pairing a coffee table from Design Nature made from the roots of the olive trees with a contemporary upholstered piece by Sormani. The store also offers Muranodesigned lighting accessories like lamps and chandeliers which are imported directly from Europe to Qatar. Unique pieces like the Dolphins are captivating for their craftsmanship and exclusivity. Design options are plentiful at Spazio Interni. The brainchild of Qatari entrepreneur, Mansour Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud, the store operates as a sample house where customers can purchase on the spot or have their designs custom-made in Italy and have them sent to Qatar. From chic, modern to rustic and authentic, Spazio Interni’s keepsake pieces are the epitome of luxury.
Andres Figueroa Business Development & Sales Director
Mansour Al Mahmoud General Manager of Falak
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WINTER ESCAPADES
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GID TAKES YOU THROUGH THE WINTER RESIDENCE OF GIUSEPPE SANTONI. GID had earlier visited Giuseppe Santoni’s vacation home and had been impressed by the design clarity even in the residential space. We have come to realise that the Santoni brand values are imprinted on leather and firmly entrenched in craftsmanship. The desire to keep all manufacturing in-house is an important principle, which guarantees absolute quality for Santoni. These are the values Santoni has vowed not to relinquish. For a man with such clear-cut principles, it is no surprise that his house reflects the same panache. Taking us through his winter home, Santoni makes us understand his design preference. For a man with such a huge business empire, Santoni’s preferences are quite simple and basic. His inspiration for this residence comes from ‘a luxury chalet’. He says, “We wanted to create a unique and comfy place to take refuge from the daily frenzy.” Santoni’s winter home is a complete GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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“St. Moritz is a dream place, it offers so many beautiful things to do and also to simply admire. You easily get familiar with the place and it’s most beautiful locations, when I’m there I really feel at home. Especially now that my children study there in a boarding school, my wife and I stay there quite often, in the weekends and of course we enjoy the winter season.”
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detour from his earlier vacation home. While his earlier vaction home featured in GID a few months back was light and minimalistic, this residence is all about heavy wood. “St. Moritz is a dream place, it offers so many beautiful things to do and also to simply admire. You easily get familiar with the place and it’s most beautiful locations, when I’m there I really feel at home. Especially now that my children study there in a boarding school, I and my wife stay there quite often, in the weekends and of course we enjoy the winter season,” says Santoni of the purpose of the dream house. “Our house is very centralLY located, on Piazza da Scuola, it was renovated and furnished by RM57, a studio of two architects and artists, very close friends of ours, Ruggero Proietti and Marisa Venturini. The idea behind the design is the special bond between modern and antique pieces, which is very important for my family, also for the craftsmanship of the shoes,” he says. While Santoni’s personal design ethos has played a major part in the final design it is a collaboration of minds that has worked here. “What is fundamental to me in design is the creativity, the research and the culture of the project together with the importance of making excellent pieces. I also love to mix different styles together, experimentation is the keyword. “I share these values also in my job, in fact I firmly believe that in fashion as well as in design the real value lies in being innovative and contemporary without compromising elegance,” says Santoni. The house is reminiscent of a tree house, wood is abundant, from the ceiling to the furniture. “The pursuit of beauty should animate the interaction between fashion and interior design: balance, form that reflects substance, substance that expresses a concept, a thought.” And Santoni too has his favourite spot here; the living room, with the big and comfortable sofa, with the inevitable cachemere blanket. “A cozy corner that I love to share with my wife and my children.” GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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THE DREAMS TO REALITY MAKER ARCHITECTS ARE OFTEN GOD-LIKE FIGURES; THEY ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE IMMENSE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING DREAMS INTO REALITY. SOME OF THEM TAKE THAT ROLE QUITE PRAGMATICALLY AND STEER THEIR CLIENTS TO A PERFECT HOME THAT IS MUCH MORE THAN THE SUM OF ALL THEIR ASPIRATIONS. INTRODUCING YOU TO ONE SUCH ARCHITECT WHO SPINS REAL VISIONS.
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BY SURYA JACOB
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A DREAM ON A HILL
Providing a new perspective to detailing, Architect M.M. Jose, the founder of Mindscape Architects, a multidisciplinary design studio has become quite illustrious in the domain of designing spaces attuned to the people who occupy them. Jose has broadened his passion by bringing together artistic features to define spaces. He has won various awards that recognise his exemplary work. Each project is considered as a new seed intended to develop around aspects that define the site, the client background and their needs. However, after dealing with different people and understanding their tastes, he has efficiently given form to exceptional solutions. Hence, his projects are known for site-specific designs rooted to each environment making it unique in their own way. At a very young age, he was drawn by his immense love for art and architecture, and has successfully completed over 25 years of professional practice. What moulded him as an architect is his ability to beget expressions that enhance human experience and the confidence in his lines during the initial days. Being zealous about design, he has always been inspired by his clients and loves nothing more than delivering a family the home of their dreams. Working on the principle that a perfect ideation precedes every perfect creation, each design is evolved from a strong and constant process of conceptualisation. He makes it a point to use a vocabulary that exemplifies simplicity. As seen in most projects, Jose tries to break away from the idea
Designed in 2008, for a couple settled abroad, who wished for a home which was rooted to nature and experiencing the rain, vistas and the topography of their home town. Hence, the site chosen has been in the heart of rubber plantation in Pala that brings out a strong character. Their wish shaped around creating spaces that merged well with the landscape while giving them privacy. The spaces are conceived as open and are visually connected forming a feel of oneness. The living, dining and recreational spaces wraps themselves in a single frame with low height walls as divisions. Another feature of the house includes the staircase to the ground floor that has a textured wall lining and a skylight. The texture on the walls illustrates the outdoor flora and fauna.
“Working on the principle that a perfect ideation precedes every creation, each design is evolved from a strong and constant process of conceptualisation.�
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REVIVING TIMELESS GRANDEUR KALLIVAYALIL THARAVADU “The overall planning of this project focuses on restoring the lost characteristics and principles of elements used during the 1920s relating to the present architectural styles while accommodating four generations. It was intended to create an experience glorifying the traditional styles. The structure built in the 1920s, was according to the climatic conditions of Kerala but later the extension in the 1970s undermined the character of the structure and did not respond to the tradition. As a result, the harmony of the design elements was compromised.The restoration retrieved the lost components and restored the main blocks incorporating the extension accommodating all generations. The project was completed within four years.”
of concrete structures and attempts to bring in nature and relate to the surroundings. “I believe in looking at a design on the whole and its detailing augments the overall composition”, he says. He tends to choose the untrodden path and is known for customized design detailing. While doing this, he has been successful in providing the clients the house they envisaged, down to the last detail. The replication of age-old planning and elements in the architectural styles of Kerala has opened new avenues to define the traditional courtyard houses. At present, courtyards have been positioned differently, serving as a link between spaces or as a source of inviting sky and light within the interiors. Jose has been deeply influenced by the local architectural styles. As he grew up in a locality which is infested with many traditional buildings and having experienced the beauty of the built spaces, he developed a liking for it, which further opened doors for accomplishing his goal of designing at a young age. He prides himself in being intimately involved in each project that comes his way and doesn’t regard any one project better than the other. He is also known for revamping old treasures, and one of his most prominent works, the Kallivayalil Tharavadu was the first and the most to be showered with laurels and this was a precursor to other such projects that came his way. “The revival of Kallivayalil Tharavadu, immersed in traditional values has left a mark in my career life,” says Jose. The extended hours spend on detailing and going back in time exploring
“During the course of my professional journey, the most challenging part was meeting people’s expectations and beyond.”
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ARCHITECTURE
BEAUTY OF THE BACKWATERS MEMORIES “The client brief included revamping an ancient house to a multi – cuisine restaurant, open to experience the backwaters and paddy fields of Alleppy, a small district in Kerala known as the “Venice of East”. An attempt to create a complete concrete rigid form merging traditional and modern values, this restaurant truly stands out as a contrast to the landscape around. The internal spaces are segregated into different levels establishing a variety of dining experiences. It is also aimed at creating flexibility in holding large numbers by unifying two or more zones which maximizes the best of the available space along with experiencing the outside. The spatial planning was done such that the beautiful sights of the backwaters are not missed. The beauty of the back yard with outdoor dining space and private dining spots is revealed soon after you enter the space.” Hence, Memories opens out as a nature hideout with a large pond extending to the backwaters and the large numbers of guests who visit take a tour around just to experience the ambience and the architectural character unfolding.”
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GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
the traditional techniques have broadened his knowledge, created new avenues for similar projects and made him renowned as a ‘Master of Renovations’. Though he is renowned as a residential architect, he has also left his mark on other domains as well which includes boutique restaurants, designer stores, home stays and serviced apartments. “During the course of my professional journey, the most challenging part was meeting people’s expectations and beyond. Each client’s needs and requirements are very unique and personal; and providing form to dreams opened up vistas for exploration,” he says.
SIMPLICITY MEETS THE MARK SILPAA “The best of fashion always remain simple, modern and not over-the-top. This design brings to light the traditional theme of the store. A display of various antique elements and the art works confined inside creates a link to an era of domestic stitching practice.”
GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN
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THE
SPACE
BUILDING
A BRIDGE BETWEEN
CIVILISATIONS
A prominent feature in the Katara Cultural Village, the Masjid of Katara is a symbol of the artistic harmony and splendour of Islamic civilisation. Rooted in values of coexistence, tolerance and union, the Katara Masjid, serves as a cultural and comprehensive Islamic institution that embodies the richness and diversity of Arab and Islamic civilisation. Designed by the Turkish architect Zainab Fadli Oglu, the exterior and interior architectural designs, minaret, dome and Mihrab (Apse), are all inspired by masjids of many renowned cities and capitals of different countries, such as Turkey, Syria, Turkmenistan and northern Persia. The linear panel is made of stretched canvas and it was written (Allah fateh alabwab) at the heart of the mihrab which is also one of the famous paintings in the Great Masjid in Bursa, Turkey. The exterior shape of the mosque is inspired by the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the most important and oldest Islamic architectural memorials making the Katara Masjid a masterpiece reflecting Islamic arts through the ages. 66
GLAM INTERIORS + DESIGN