Al Masaood Bergum delivers modular and prefab solutions to Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba
Al Masaood Bergum, and a part of Al Masaood Group, one of Abu Dhabi’s leading modular and prefabricated building solutions providers, extended support to the ongoing Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. The festival, which showcases a range of fun-filled traditional and international festivities, will run until April 1, 2022.
Al Masaood Bergum delivered more than 50 temporary structures for the event, including ablution cabins, accessible washrooms, offices, tower lights and ticket booths. This is the second year in a row that the company played a role in the large-scale festival.
Jens Otterstedt, general ,anager, Al Masaood Bergum, said: “The Sheikh Zayed Festival is being held annually to shed light on the UAE’s history and the great achievements of our people. This makes the festival one of the most important activities in our country. Al Masaood Bergum is proud to have contributed to the hosting of this year’s event by providing our end-to-end prefab solutions that are known for their cost-effectiveness, quality, safety, environmental compliance and excellence.”
He added: “We are delighted to a play an important role in the event once again. This is in line with our commitment to promote the UAE’s uniqueness globally and advance its prosperity by promoting local culture and traditions. We look forward to supporting similar noble initiatives in the coming years.”
Being staged under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Festival features grand pavilions, exhibitions, and popular folklore performances that highlight the Emirates’ history, traditions, and cultural heritage. This year, it has put the spotlight on the journey of the UAE since its establishment five decades ago.
Al Masaood Bergum provides support to mega-events such as the festival. Its customer base also comprises organisations of all sizes across sectors, as well as high net-worth individuals.
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AlUla Design Award makes its debut at the Saudi Design Festival
In its inaugural edition, the AlUla Design Award (ADA) launched an Open Call, inviting Saudi, regional and international designers to deliver product concepts inspired by the heritage, nature and art of AlUla – a spectacular desertscape with an oasis, and the heart of the ancient Incense Road.
More than 400 submissions were received and reviewed by an esteemed jury panel, tasked with selecting six winners of the award from each of the VIP Gifting and Commercial Retail categories. AlUla Design Award will be presented in a special pavilion at the Saudi Design Festival in JAX District, Diriyah, Riyadh between January 10-29, 2022. The pavilion includes multiple sections for exploration: a sensory experience rich with the aesthetics and materiality of AlUla, an Inspired by AlUla presentation exhibiting previously-designed products, and the winners showcase that will reveal the journey of the participants in the competition.
The AlUla Design Award pavilion will also stage keynotes from experts and practitioners, and host the award ceremony happening on the 26th of January, 2022. The selected winners will have their designs produced and presented at AlUla’s cultural retail outlets and through a range of communication platforms.
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Design by Mahsa completes Oporto restaurant at Dubai Festival City
Boutique firm Design by Mahsa has successfully delivered an Australian native restaurant, Oporto at Dubai Festival City.
The scope of design for the project included the design guideline development for all branches based on extensive market studies conducted in the GCC, as well as playing the role for interior, design, construction, and supervision. A key directive was a new and fresh interior design concept, taking into consideration local market taste in the region. The design guidelines known and used in Australia were vastly different from that which was adopted for its GCC vision. From wall finishing to layout, seating, art and ambience, the design guidelines reflect a one hundred percent representation of the local market requirements.
Oporto is widely recognised for serving sumptuous flame-grilled chicken, fiery but tasty burgers and its legendary intense flavoured sauce; with all recipes first created on Bondi Beach, Australia, is now spread across all cities within the country and for the first time in the international market.
Mahsa Gholizadeh, founder and design director at Design by Mahsa, said: “After we submitted the initial design concept to the Oporto team in Australia for the first time, it was approved for rollout in all the upcoming GCC branches of the franchise. We then developed a full-scale detailed interior design, FF &E specifications as well as the Bill of Quantities for the project. These were received by contractors, KOJ Interiors who took charge of the construction of the project. We also partnered with furniture supplier – Interior 360, fabric supplier – Squisito and our favourite paint supplier – Colortek. Dubai is a cosmopolitan city bustling with different cultures, and so I am particularly excited that for this project we successfully infused a Portuguese menu by an Australian franchise in a Middle Eastern setting through creativity and great partnerships within the local market. We were also keen on paying attention to aesthetics, the use of innovation, sustainability, and functionality in making sure that no detail was left out in bringing the upscale space to life.”
Photo credit: Ales Photography
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Dubai Festival City Mall launches an exclusive art exhibition
To celebrate the holy month, Dubai Festival City Mall is bringing a unique, one-of-a-kind art exhibition for its visitors throughout Ramadan. The 15 art display stands will showcase the 99 names of Allah in a beautiful exhibition located in various places around the mall. Furthermore, the first one hundred visitors to the exhibition each day will receive an art collector book to take home to extend the experience.
The mall will also host a live painting demonstration where a specially selected artist will produce exceptional pieces of art to create a mural across a space on the first floor of the mall. Customers can catch the show on weekdays from 4pm-10pm and weekends from 5pm-11pm.
In line with the Ramadan tradition of helping others, Dubai Festival City Mall will be giving back to both its customers and the Al Jalila Foundation throughout the holy month. Customers that spend AED200 at any of Dubai Festival City Mall Restaurants and cafes will get a chance to play the memory game on Festival Rewards app and win a Festival City Mall gift card worth AED50. For everyone that plays the special game hosted on the app, Dubai Festival City Mall will donate AED 10 to the Al Jalila Foundation.
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Al-Futtaim Malls announces premium retail outlet wing at Dubai Festival City Mall; set to open in Q1 2022
In line with its promise to enrich the lives of its customers, Al-Futtaim Malls has announced it will be launching a fresh, new retail experience for residents and visitors to the UAE. Combining the atmosphere and quality that has become synonymous with Al-Futtaim Malls, with the innovation, inclusivity and convenience of an outlet mall, the premium retail outlet wing at Dubai Festival City Mall is set to open in Q1 2022, offering the world’s most prominent brands a high-quality environment closer to their customers.
Strategically located in the heart of Dubai and conveniently close to Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, with an estimated population of 3.72 million, the new Premium Outlet will be ideally positioned to attract the 500,000 households in the primary and secondary trade areas. The space will offer seamless connectivity on the south-end of Dubai Festival City Mall, near flagship IKEA store and the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels in Dubai Festival City as well as access to over 1,000 direct parking bays. It will feature distinct retail concepts for luxury and aspirational brands with 35 stores spread over 10,200sqm of gross leasable area and offer VIP services such as personal styling and home delivery as well as an omnichannel ecommerce solutions and warehouse space for last mile delivery.
A key goal of the new proposition is to provide value to shoppers who will be able to purchase premium brands at discounts of over 40%, while also delivering a social, experiential shopping experience. Customers at the mall will also be able to avail offers and rewards through Al-Futtaim Malls’ Festival Rewards app across the outlet. A recent survey commissioned by Al-Futtaim Malls revealed that 47% of UAE residents are looking for value for money more than before the pandemic and 48% are looking for more offers and deals than before.
Timothy Earnest, group director, Al-Futtaim Malls, commented: “Al-Futtaim’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables us to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing demands of our customers and this is a direct response to what our customers have told us they want. Through our inherent customer-centric approach we are committed to continuously diversifying our offering to be able to deliver on our commitment. Some of the world’s most admired and innovative brands from across the globe trust Al-Futtaim with their reputation and commercial success and we aim to continue this with the launch of the new premium retail outlet wing. With this new venture, we are confident that we are bringing to market a fresh new experience to delight shoppers across the region.”
d3 Architecture Festival 2020 explores cultural infrastructure in GCC region
Dubai Design District (d3) hosted a talk titled ‘Emerging Cultural Infrastructure in the Gulf’ as part of the d3 Architecture Festival 2020, organised in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Gulf Chapter.
Moderated by Khawla Al Hashimi, Director of Project Development at the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the panel discussion explored contemporary cultural infrastructure and its relation with the heritage and built environment in the GCC. Participants included Sumaya Dabbagh, Principal and Founder of Dabbagh Architects, Paolo Rossi, Associate Director of Architecture at Pace, Wael Al Awar, Principal Architect and Founding Partner at waiwai, and Islam El Mashtooly, Design Director at Croquis.
The panellists defined cultural infrastructure as culturally rooted and context-driven projects that preserve the memory of a place. They agreed that context goes beyond tangible elements, and is crucial to incorporate humanist design in real estate development.
Sumaya Dabbagh said: “Every place has a story, and architecture should build on that story without erasing the memory of the place. The modernisation of Middle Eastern cities, such as Dubai and Riyadh, has prompted a search for identity, and I am encouraged by the move towards delivering meaningful architecture that can add to the community.”
Islam El Mashtooly highlighted the significance of mosques that transcend their religious role to serve as real urban living rooms. On another note, he used India as a prime example of a country with a deep understanding of cultural localism in architecture.
Wael Al Awar said: “Culture is always tied to context – location, people, nation – which is key in addressing every architectural project. The UAE did a fantastic job to bring the right architects in order to keep its identity. It used Japanese architects, who are tied to their identity, unlike Western architects, who have blindly adopted the modern style.”
To illustrate the importance of getting clients on board, he recounted the story of his firm designing Al Warqa’a Mosque in Dubai that involved a 1.5-year conversation with Dubai Municipality about the meaning of identity in architecture, which opened the way to other architects having more progressive dialogues on mosque design.
Al Awar added that he looks forward to breaking stereotypes about the UAE as a desert country at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, where the theme of wetlands will feature prominently in the national pavilion.
For his part, Paolo Rossi said: “A museum is a medium between mankind and its culture. It’s not an object, it’s not a place – the new trend for museums is to be part of the exhibition. The power of an idea is more important than object or form.”
The inaugural edition of the d3 Architecture Festival runs from 11 to 13 November 2020 under the theme ‘Identity, Context and Placemaking in the Gulf’. Celebrating the achievements of local and regional architecture companies, the event takes place during Dubai Design Week, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
Dubai Design District offers great discounts for Dubai Home Festival
To promote Dubai’s retail industry and support homegrown and international furniture, interior design and homeware brands, retailers in Dubai Design District (d3) will offer discounted shopping and the chance to win AED50,000 during this year’s Dubai Home Festival (DHF).
d3 has partnered with the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), organisers of DHF, to provide incredible deals and encourage people to explore the district. Marking the first time that d3 has collaborated with DFRE on the annual festival, the exciting initiative will run from October 3-10, 2020, as a part of d3’s commitment to champion its retail-focussed business partners.
More than 20 luxury and boutique homeware and furniture retailers located in the stylish and innovative landmark district will offer shoppers discounts of up to 40 per cent, with every purchase securing entry to a competition to win a voucher worth AED50,000. This can be redeemed at any of the participating d3 homeware stores or showrooms, which sell premium and well-known brands such as Archiade, Armani Casa, Kohler, Ligne Roset, Molteni and Vitra.
Commenting on the initiative, Khadija Al Bastaki, executive director of d3, said: “Our community is home to many local and international home interior brands and retailers, so being part of the Dubai Home Festival allows us an opportunity promote this brilliant collection. It’s also a great opportunity to open up our doors to people who’ve always had a passion for interior design and are curious to find out how they can incorporate some of the world’s best products in their homes. We’re excited to be part of this initiative and look forward to welcoming people back to our community – at a safe, social distance.”
Dubai Festival City Mall launches 2nd edition of Dubai Home Festival
Home to some of the biggest events in the city, Dubai Festival City Mall constantly bring the greatest experiences to customers and the 2nd edition of DFRE’s Dubai Home Festival is no exception. Customers can enjoy a variety of offers across retailers like ZARA Home, Pan Emirates and IKEA and others as well.
This year, the Dubai Home Festival aims to bring even bigger and better deals. Shoppers who spend AED500 at home stores across the mall get a chance to win a rent-free two-bedroom apartment at Marsa Plaza, Dubai Festival City, for a year! With its stunning views of the historical Dubai Creek, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Creek Harbour, Marsa Plaza offers one, two and three-bedroom apartments as well as three and four-bedroom duplexes and penthouses suitable for small or large families. Located within Dubai Festival City, the residential tower offers its residents an unparalleled choice of lifestyle experiences and amenities including a world-class mall, international schools, an office tower and hotels, cinema complex, restaurants and cafes, all located within walking distance or a short drive.
Marsa Plaza with its signature shape and majestic architectural design is a striking landmark on the Dubai city skyline and offers its residents a stylish, cosmopolitan place to call home with incredible views of the Dubai Creek and cityscape. Additionally, one can furnish their new haven with a gift voucher worth AED 10,000 from Swedish furniture giant IKEA. Shoppers can double their entries by spending at stores including IKEA, Ace, Jashanmal, H&M Home, The Mattress Store, and many more.
To top things off and kick off the celebrations in style, after a six-month refurbishment period and with new musical fountain shows, events and unbelievable laser and projection mapping experience, IMAGINE, the much-loved, two-time record-breaking visual and sensory extravaganza at the iconic Festival Bay will be making its return tonight, 24th September.
Marking its comeback with a spectacular firework display at 9:00pm, IMAGINE will debut a new exclusive Baby Shark medley, voted by shoppers as the number one choice of song to be introduced to IMAGINE.
Event will run from September 24 to October 10, 2020
Nulty completes the lighting scheme for Festival Plaza in Dubai
Lighting design consultancy Nulty has completed the lighting scheme for the interior and exterior sections of Festival Plaza in Dubai. Nulty delivered a high-quality and efficient lighting scheme in partnership with architect BSBG and focused on a design solution that provides a sense of intimacy, vibrancy, and comfort.
Horizontal and vertical surfaces are emphasised to give more volume to the space, whilst a combination of spot lighting and surface wash-lighting emphasises the scale of the high ceilings. All of the interior spaces utilise colour rendering light fixtures in order to provide as much lustre as possible. A variety of layers of light creates a visual hierarchy by creating contrast and improved composition. The primary lighting layer evokes general uniform illumination, perfect for functionality and wayfinding, via a combination of linear lights, downlights and wall-washers.
A second layer of lighting provides the vertical illumination, highlighting the walls and grazing the façade fins. A third and final layer of light creates an additional feature within the curved ceilings, creating a dramatic and vibrant effect. Nulty specified a DALI based lighting control system to provide flexibility and ensure that the artificial lighting is balanced with the daylight that pours through the windows.
A sustainable lighting design has been achieved through a combination of considered selections of efficient luminaires and making use of new low-energy lamp technology. The lighting is controlled to ensure that light only falls where and when required in order to provide an energy-efficient solution. Diffused general lighting combined with accent lighting in specific areas, highlights dramatic finishes, particularly surrounding the outside space.
The façade of the mall boasts an angular design which has been highlighted with careful application of wall-washing and discreet luminaires. The main focus for Nulty’s work on the façade was to display the variation in architectural elements and tie them all together through the lighting. This has resulted in an impressive canvas which entices visitors and encourages them to spend time at the mall.
Ahmed Saliem, project director at Nulty Dubai ,comments: “It was a pleasure working on this project and we are so proud of the result. We worked closely with the design team to bring out the true character of the building and enhance the experience for the end user. The result is a mall that is inviting, comforting and vibrant.”