Architectural surfaces leader Cosentino partners with award-winning Dubai and London based design practice ANARCHITECT to create ‘Context Reflections’ a public installation at the heart of Dubai Design District (d3) during Dubai Design Week from November 8-13, 2021.

Built using Sunlit Days, the first-ever carbon neutral surfaces collection from Silestone by Cosentino, the permeable installation will invite visitors to enter a darkened chamber to pause and discover the intriguing play of penetrated light created via a naturally occurring optical phenomenon. The self-operating, low-tech installation draws inspiration from the principles of ‘Camera Obscura’ of why we see what we see. The moving images conjured on the inside wall – inverted ‘live’ projections of the surroundings outside the construction – suggestively asks visitors to observe with attention and reflect on the constantly changing environment.

Elaborating on the concept further, Senior Architect Tom Herd from ANARCHITECT reveals “Context Reflections continues ANARCHITECT’s ongoing research into the relationship of natural light, materials, and the importance of context in all architecture and interior spaces we engage in. Given the diverse and unique international settings the Practice works in, the installation concept was developed by our Team for Cosentino to highlight the consistent importance of light and materiality in our work; as well as raise our sustainable collective consciousness by calling for the observation of the contexts that surround us, here purposefully using a low-tech, full-scale analog design tool”.

Design wise, ‘Context Reflections’ holds on to the principles of simplicity and practical sustainability.
”It was important to us that the installation was designed mindfully with minimal material wastage and is a demountable, reusable structure to give it the possibility of a second, third life” explains Matt Harding, another member of the ANARCHITECT design team behind the project.