New Zealand Pavilion celebrates sustainability with amazing designs
New Zealand’s Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion’s hosting venues – The Cooperative Room, The Courtyard and restaurant, Tiaki – are home to some of the country’s best-loved sustainable brands for lighting, soft furnishings, tableware, and furniture. Curated by pavilion architects Jasmax, each bespoke design object reflects New Zealand’s Expo theme of ‘Care for People and Place’ – the indigenous Māori environmental ethos of kaitiakitanga and the idea there is a deep, inextricable connection and responsibility between people and the environment.
Located in Expo’s Sustainability District, the design story begins at the pavilion’s kinetic façade by Kaynemaile, which moves in time with a low-frequency sound to create a rippling pulse effect. This is a reference to the mauri, or life-force within the pavilion – a Māori worldview that everything has a life principle.
The pavilion’s custom type rauponga-inspired design was developed by Jasmax in partnership with Haumi. The lines, notches, and curves of the design represent the extended fern frond and are often seen depicting the ribs of an ancestor symbolising protection, care and connection to the land. This type design features on the wayfinding throughout the pavilion and on Tiaki’s bespoke chairs by Jasmax in collaboration with Resident and Simon James. The sustainably-sourced solid oak seats are a limited-edition collection designed especially for Expo 2020 Dubai and an homage to the ‘Osaka Expo Chair’ designed by Michael Payne for New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 1970 Osaka. Lightweight in both form and visual imprint, the 2020 seat and backrest are defined by a gentle, welcoming curve.
Upon entering Tiaki, the David Trubridge ‘Navicula’ aquamarine pendant light fittings immediately stand out as statement features in the restaurant. The designs are inspired by microscopic diatoms, or algae, which live in water and produce 50 percent of the air we breathe. David Trubridge is a recognised leader in sustainable design for his high-end lighting that is produced with minimal environmental impact.
Showcasing the country’s innovative, sustainable spirit, the pendant at the restaurant reception is a custom biopolymer made of rare pāua shells, the Māori name given to New Zealand’s unique variety of Black Foot Abalone native to its waters. The bioplastic Trubridge light was developed by Scion, a New Zealand Crown research institute that aims to promote and create a circular bioeconomy.
Città, the artisan design team that created Tiaki’s tableware, furniture and lighting pieces strives to create unique pieces that are made ethically, sustainably, and with respect to the provenance of the raw materials. Its comfortable Aiko Sofa and stylish Linear Tables, designed by David Moreland and Nikolai Sorensen, offer a relaxing space within the restaurant’s Courtyard area. And the striking AB Pendant Light, with its simple, organic form, is a collaboration between Città and award-winning New Zealand designer Alex Buckman.
Celebrating clean, simple and functional design are the Tim Webber Designs Nixon barstools and Duffle stools – furniture to be treasured now and forever.
Abodo eco-timber battens, fins, and panelling bring a soft, warm touch to the eatery’s interiors. Abodo timbers are sustainably harvested from rapidly renewable New Zealand plantations and thermally modified with heat and steam rather than chemical processes, meaning they’re safe for people and the environment.
“The hosting venues’ design not only showcases our ideas and culture but New Zealand’s spirit of ingenuity and creativity. As kaitiaki (guardians), New Zealanders believe we have a responsibility to leave the world in a better place for future generations – and we can see this in the shared sustainability ethos of the design companies specified by Jasmax. These companies are always innovating at every step of the design process to improve outcomes for the environment and for all of us,” said Clayton Kimpton, New Zealand’s Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 Dubai.
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Burj Al Arab celebrates new contemporary artworks and opens to visitors for the first time
1999 saw the opening of Dubai’s most iconic landmark and the globe’s most revered hotel. The Burj Al Arab. Reportedly, the world’s only 7-star hotel, it was proudly designed to resemble a ship’s sail.
The hotel offers the ultimate in luxury and features extraordinary art, design, architectural splendour, ample gold leaf, dancing fountains and a towering 180-metre atrium. Until now, the unique hotel has dominated Dubai’s skyline and has only been accessible by select advanced reservation holders and hotel residents. 22-years later, Louise Duggan’s artworks and new contemporary interiors from KCA International form the exciting new visitors’ experience. The Burj Al Arab is proudly offering access to all visitors so that everyone can enjoy the well-loved and iconic symbol of Dubai.
The Burj Al Arab is translated from Arabic into ‘The Tower of Arabs’.
In January 2021, Louise Duggan, the founder of Ophelia Art Consultancy, was invited by KCA International and Burj Al Arab to develop nine artworks for the new visitor’s experience. Duggan has come full circle. She attended the grand opening ceremony of the Burj Al Arab when KCA International completed the project almost a quarter of a century ago.
The UK born Duggan graduated from Leicester University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Art and Design and English literature. She continued her studies and trained with various award-winning design firms in London before moving to Dubai. Duggan spent her childhood on the vibrant continent of Africa. The colourful cultural heritage has been influential on her work as she deftly demonstrates elements of the African aesthetic.
Client brief
The original interior design concept for the Burj Al Arab was based around the four elements of nature. Khuan Chew of KCA International created an environment of ornate grandeur with an explosion of colour. KCA revisited this theme within the new areas by bringing it up-to-date with a modern twist, clean lines, and elegant features.
The brief was to create nine contemporary paintings to reflect the four elements but in keeping with the rich history of the Burj Al Arab. Designers were instructed to retain the feeling of extravagant opulence whilst creating a modern interpretation of their original design.
Concept
Ophelia Art Consultancy received carpet and fabric samples so they could create a seamless journey from the floor, furniture and art. One challenge was creating artworks that function within the already bold interior but still be powerful enough as stand-alone paintings.
Duggan was inspired by a quote from famed Buddhist nun Perma Chodon. This became the base of their art direction and development. “It’s said that when we die, the four elements – earth, air, fire and water – dissolve one by one, each into the other, and finally just dissolve into space. But while we’re living, we share the energy that makes everything, from a blade of grass to an elephant, grow and live and then inevitably wear out and die. This energy, this life force, creates the whole world”.
Duggan’s pride and the standout piece for this project is the VIP lounge installation. She combined the four elements in their full glory, using yellow, red, blue, and green with overflowing gold lines dripping down the canvas. This painting encapsulates the energy, uniqueness and passion of the project.
The artwork in the bathroom highlights elements of natural marble. Duggan reflects the feminine fire element in the delicate gold lines of energy. Breathtaking zebra marble and dots of gold in the painting express the force of masculine energy. Splatters of vibrant hues of red, green, yellow, and blue represent the four elements.
The extraordinary Burj Al Arab experience commences with two paintings at the Mina a’ Salam hotel. The journey is inspired by numerous gold lines that carefully weave their way through the painting and pick up the fresh verdant highlights from the carpets. Two striking paintings in the prayer rooms represent the grounding forces of the earth with deep brown tones. Duggan used plentiful gold in these paintings to continue the journey of discovery and illustrate the strength of the human spirit.
KCA and Ophelia Art Consultancy worked closely together to develop the paintings to create one voice throughout the interiors. Duggan expressed, “It was truly a celebration to work on such an iconic project”.
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Hansgrohe celebrates 120 years of innovation with a campaign
This year, 2021, the Hansgrohe Group celebrates its 120th anniversary and is launching a communications campaign that reflects the company’s dynamic innovation and pioneering spirit that has revolutionised the bathroom and kitchen market for over twelve decades.
The faucet and shower manufacturer’s anniversary motto is “Setting the Beat of water since 1901” demonstrating how the Hansgrohe Group lives and appreciates the element of water, with its premium brand, hansgrohe, creating the #hansfactor campaign, illustrating the characteristics, skills and qualifications that shape the company’s success. This describes the green innovator’s heart of all team members striving to create unforgettable moments with the element of water. This passion for water is tangible in the art of engineering, in the willingness to experiment and in the company’s demand for perfection, exemplified by the company’s sound and spray laboratory, where highly sensitive microphones are used to search for disturbance sounds.
Marc Andre Palm, Head of Global Brand Marketing at Hansgrohe, comments: “Never losing curiosity and always questioning the status quo, while acting responsibly and putting people first, that’s what #hansfactor stands for. With our innovation-driven product development, we not only set the beat of the element of water, we also continue to set trends and new standards outside the bathroom.”
In the Middle East, Hansgrohe Group has increased its footprint across the region over several years, and now has presence in 13 countries, among them UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, with Pakistan and Iraq the latest additions to a growing list. Some of the most iconic and impressive regional landmarks feature hansgrohe or AXOR products, including Masdar City in Abu Dhabi; Burj Khalifa, the Bulgari Hotel and Skyview Towers in Dubai; Marina Towers in Beirut and King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh, KSA.
The campaign will be rolled out internationally at the relevant brand touchpoints, with creative video trailers about the brand’s milestones and motivating short clips about its innovative power.
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Pia Lakhsmi Sen celebrates two decades of creativity at LW Design
Pia Lakhsmi Sen celebrates an extraordinary two decades with the leading global design firm LW Design.
Sen arrived in the UAE in 1987, after completing her studies at the Institute of Interior Design in Copenhagen. Just over two decades ago, Jesper Godsk and his partners launched LW Design and Sen joined. Since her move to Dubai, Sen has witnessed the evolution of traditional Arabic and Islamic design into a more contemporary language that communicates with GGC residents and global travellers alike. She has the innate ability to create a space that entertains and engages its visitors, embraces tradition and nods to the future.
Empowered by Sen’s work, LW Design successfully introduced many international brands into the city’s exciting and contemporary landscape. Some of her successful commissions include Grosvenor House’s Buddha Bar, B’Attitude Spa, Le Royal Meridien Hotel, amongst others.
Sen understands that the UAE is one of the world’s most remarkable places for interior design; its pace is rapid, and exciting. The city boasts a vibrant and young community that is driven by design and detail. “Today, there is a real mixture of design styles. Like fashion, interior design goes through style phases. We have seen very traditional and classical Middle Eastern design, contemporary, lifestyle, Mid-Century. It seems that we are heading toward a more architectural and minimalist style. Today’s design is also very much lead by the ‘story’ that the designer wants to tell in their design language. The guest experience is also a huge driving force behind ‘Instagrammable moments’. It seems to be the way of the future for a lot of clients,” explains Sen.
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IKEA celebrates 30 years in the UAE with exciting offers
In 1991, the first IKEA store opened in the UAE. Following the vision of Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA, who believed that anyone should be able to afford stylish, modern furniture, IKEA was here to create a better everyday life for the many people. Fast forward to 2021, the brand remains true to itself as it celebrates 30 years of being in the region. To mark the occasion, IKEA, the region’s favourite Swedish home furnishing retailer and a part of Al-Futtaim Group is introducing new home furnishing ideas, inspirations and solutions that are sustainable, affordable and functional to support the many changes that the pandemic has introduced to life at home.
With healthy and sustainable living becoming a part of the consumers’ lifestyle, home furnishing solutions needed to evolve. IKEA’s new products and solutions aim to inspire and enable the many people to live a better everyday life and become people and planet positive. As part of its celebration, IKEA is showcasing rooms and activities that support the new life at home introduced during the pandemic.
Commenting on its 30th birthday in the region, Vinod Jayan, managing director at IKEA – UAE, Oman and Egypt said, ‘’Life at home has never been more important than it is today. Home has become the place where the many spend time with family, relish a meal together, indulge in cooking new recipes and exercising. With these changes, everyone is expected to build a space to pursue hobbies, spend more time in their outdoor space and also create a cosy workspace corner. And we want to be a part of this journey. As we turn 30, we want to offer new home furnishing ideas and solutions to inspire our customers to live a better everyday life.’’
As part of its campaign, IKEA family members who are shopping during this period in-stores or online will have a chance to enter a raffle draw to win AED30,000 home makeovers. Customers will be able to select one room or multiple rooms in their homes for the makeovers. This will be complemented with IKEA interior designers assisting in selecting the ideal furniture and designing the space.
‘’We cannot think of a better way to celebrate and appreciate this milestone, than highlighting our 30 year old products as a token of memory that made IKEA people’s first choice for home furnishing in the region. We want to thank all our customers for the last 30 years and welcome them to the next 30 at IKEA,” Jayan added.
Across all stores in the UAE, IKEA food lovers can enjoy 30% discount on 30 treats from the Swedish Food Market and a free ice cream for every purchase of AED30. Customers can also enjoy in-store activities such as photo opportunities with IKEA’s iconic 30 year old products, acrobat shows, product assembly challenge to win IKEA LACK side table, artistic painting of customers who spend over AED500 and more.
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Brand Creative celebrates 10 years of design and innovation!
Founded by Carla Conte in 2011, Brand Creative is celebrating it’s 10-year anniversary. Conte says: “Deciding to open the company was an easy decision to make as the region was very much in need of a branding and retail expert who could help define a new design narrative for upcoming regional brands.”
Being an expat female with no connections or financial support meant that each decision was a stepping stone that required careful consideration. Family life and duties were put on hold so that she could give her full attention to the growing team, a global expansion plan (Brand Creative has offices in both India and Toronto), and a rock star client list that includes the region’s largest names in retail, beauty, and wellness.
Brand Creative’s vision for being truly multi-disciplinary with projects spanning interiors, graphics, and strategic branding has never faltered. With diverse skill-set, the team at Brand Creative stitch together powerful design stories utilising each discipline in creating a holistic approach to every challenge. “We continue to analyze our offering and ensure that our team is delivering innovative work that keeps them curious and progressive,” explains Conte.
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Beoplay H95: Bang & Olufsen celebrates 95 Years of excellence with new flagship headphones
To celebrate 95 years of innovation in sound, design and craftmanship, Bang & Olufsen set out to create the finest wireless headphones the Danish audio specialist has ever built. The company announced the new Beoplay H95: the highest quality in sound, long lasting comfort, truly effective noise cancellation, a beautiful chassis, the highest quality materials and the most satisfying user experience in a Bang & Olufsen wireless headphone to date.
“Beoplay H95 is a distillation of the best elements of Bang & Olufsen sound, design, and craftmanship – an enhancement within the headphone category that elevates our 95 years heritage of high standards”, says Bang & Olufsen SVP of Product Management Christoffer Poulsen.
Superior fit for long-term wear
Comfort and fit are essential to truly enjoy sound quality. Beoplay H95 comes with an oval, over-ear design with soft lambskin ear cushions that provide a luxurious and superior fit for long-term wear, while an innovative and intuitive user interface is provided through a combination of touch control and mechanical dials.
Through research and experimentation, the Bang & Olufsen engineers created an earpad design that fits nicely around the ears and is no bigger than necessary. This shape, formed in soft memory foam, also creates good contact to the skin, which is important to block the noise from outside. The head-band design has been completely revamped for a cleaner look, with top-grain cowhide, custom-knitted textile, and softly padded with memory foam for comfort.
A brushed aluminium framework contrasts with the texture of the leather headband giving a minimalist and refined appearance. Magnetically detachable lambskin ear cushions feel as good as they look, and the adaptive memory foam inner padding, combined with rotating and tilting earpieces that ensure perfect fit, provide the ultimate in comfortable listening and passive sound cancellation.
“Beoplay H95 is the product of our philosophy that purposeful design is beautiful design— aesthetics and performance working together”, says Bang & Olufsen VP of Design Gavin Ivester and continues: “We express purposeful design with essential forms, driven by function, pristinely executed. That attention to detail and outstanding performance are the core of our design language, Expressive Minimalism, and give the Beoplay H95 its calm, confident personality.”
Optimised in Bang & Olufsen’s Virtual Acoustic Laboratory
Beoplay H95 is designed around a set of customised 40mm titanium drivers with neodymium magnets mounted in ported enclosures, while the sound design is implemented using filters in a proprietary digital signal processing (DSP) engine developed by Bang & Olufsen. The headphones build on its impressive passive noise reduction with the most advanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) of any Bang & Olufsen headphone, which is both adjustable and adaptive. The ANC performance is entirely based on digital processing and uses both a feed-forward and feedback microphone to reduce noise as much as possible. The tuning and testing of the ANC processing was done under real life conditions as well as Bang & Olufsen’s Virtual Acoustic Laboratory (VR Lab) in Struer, where the engineers are able to emulate a variety of different noise conditions ranging from airplanes, train stations, office spaces and street noise.
Precision dials for volume, ANC, and transparency
Bang & Olufsen has pioneered touch interfaces on aluminium surfaces. Today, the Danish audio company is taking this a step further by adding a precise aluminium dial to each side of Beoplay H95. Inspired by the focus rings on the lenses of high-end cameras, the dials move with precision and just the right amount of smooth resistance. Each dial has a fine, linear texture that confirms contact. It is a high-touch element that feels natural to use, and it makes sound preferences quickly accessible. The dial on the right controls volume, while the dial on the left adjusts ANC and transparency.
In today’s world, restorative silence can be vital part of mental space and peace of mind. The new Beoplay H95 headphones build on its impressive passive noise reduction with the most advanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) of any Bang & Olufsen headphones, which is both adjustable and adaptive. The ANC performance is entirely based on digital processing and uses both a feed-forward and feedback microphone to reduce noise as much as possible.
“Home, work and transit can all be dynamic environments that demand a response, whether it is to adapt to a new noise level or change your focus for a minute to respond to someone. The dials make it quick and easy to do what you need and keep the moment flowing. They feel like precision equipment, because they are”, says Gavin Ivester.
Superb battery time and call quality
Beoplay H95 comes with market leading battery time with up to 38 hours of playtime in one charge – even with ANC turned on. If you need to keep in touch with family or work colleagues, four voice microphones give superb clarity when making calls. Beoplay H95 uses beam forming and advanced noise reduction technology to capture the voice as clearly as possible, while simultaneously reducing the influence of background noise. This also includes extensive side-tone processing that gives a more natural feeling of speech. Moreover, Beoplay H95 comes with a user-adjustable transparency mode to allow the user to hear surroundings without removing the headphones.
Folds flat into compact aluminium carrying case
To enable enjoyment in the home, home office, workplace and for travel, Beoplay H95 is easily and elegantly transportable. The aluminium mono arms, a Bang & Olufsen signature element, are sculpted with refined surfaces and upgraded with additional pivoting hinges so the headphones fold flat and inwards to a very small size that fits neatly into a compact aluminium-shelled carrying case. Lined with matching textile inside, the headphones are protected from knocks as you go from one place to another. The case is classic Bang & Olufsen – built to last from beautiful materials and meant to be featured – not hidden to truly complement the Beoplay H95 headphones.
Accessories in aluminium, leather and fabric
The sign of true craftmanship is in the details. Even the accessories – flight adapter, charging cable and audio cable – have been given a touch of refinement with matching aluminium housing and woven fabric cords with a leather strap to make tangled cables a thing of the past.
ACC and aptXTM Adaptive
To further bring an unrivalled listening experience, Beoplay H95 comes with ACC and aptXTM Adaptive – the next generation dynamically adjustable audio codec, designed to deliver robust, low-latency, low-bit rate, high quality wireless audio – while Bluetooth 5.1 secures optimal connectivity.
Pricing and availability
Beoplay H95 which will retail at AED4,050, launches in black and grey mist. It is available online, in select retailers and in Bang & Olufsen stores now.
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