Sans Souci unveils lighting installations at Claridge’s Hotel in London
Sans Souci reveals a series of custom-made installations for Claridge’s Hotel in London. 264 pendants were specially designed and produced to illuminate the world-famous art deco interiors.
The contemporary lighting refit was the vision of leading lighting designers L’Observatoire International with each installation designed by French architect Sylvain Dubuisson, well known for mixing classical style with cutting-edge lighting technologies. Each piece is made from opaque, sandblasted glass crafted into geometric patterns, which ensures unique light dispersion. This is further enhanced by fitting two-tone LED strips and one main light source to create a very special and sophisticated ambience.
“When I designed these pieces for Claridge’s, I wanted them to be both decorative and intriguing to fit with the elegance of the art deco interior design. This was achieved by combining two contrasting patterns – rectangular and circular – similar to Chesterfield sofas. The large, complicated designs were then produced in white glass, which embodies simple sophistication. Manufacturing large installations such as these is complicated but I am thrilled with the results, which stay true to my original designs.“ said Sylvain Dubuisson, architect and designer.
“We were delighted to have the opportunity to work with L’Observatoire International and Sylvain Dubuisson, world leaders in lighting design. Dubuisson is always looking to work with new technologies and materials, which is something we are passionate about at Sans Souci. The development process took lots of time and resources to create these beautiful pendants in a colour that is entirely unique to this project. The final installations are elegant and one of a kind, just like Claridge’s.“ added Dominik Cienciala, managing director for Sans Souci UK.
“First, we brought an ambient layer of cove lights that accentuated the height and ornate detailing in the corridors, and introduced a system of tunable white fixtures that warm gradually from day to night. Secondly, we needed to design a light fixture that was iconic and completely unique; that fit perfectly in the design heritage of Claridges, but felt timeless. With longtime collaborator Sylvain Dubuisson, we designed a fixture that is both beautiful and functional- with many layers of light that allowed it to provide cooler, diffuse light in the day then transition to warm, more directional light at night. The realization of the design was made possible with the expertise of Sans Souci and their experience with cast glass- whose involvement throughout the process ensured that we were able to devise specific fabrication solutions for these very beautiful pendants, that transformed these spaces and became a beautiful addition to the hotel.”
A total of 264 pendants and 198 wall lights were made to illuminate Claridge’s interiors. This adds to the list of Sans Souci projects London, which includes the Southbank Spa, Connaught Patisserie, The Langham Hotel, 1 Blackfriars Tower Crown Plaza hotel, Royal Lancaster hotel, and Fortnum & Mason – the Parlour & the Fountain Restaurant.
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The FITOUT successfully completes interior construction of 432 luxury apartments at the Palm Tower Hotel & Residences
The FITOUT announces the successful completion and delivery of interior fit-out services for the Palm Tower Hotel and Residences. The design and construction of the interior of 432 rooms were completed by the fit-out service provider.
The FITOUT’s opulent and innovative designs will feature the kitchen, vanity units, wardrobe, fridge, and other storage spaces of the 109,808 sq. m luxury building. As part of building the interior, The FITOUT offered state of the art fit-out solutions for fully furnished studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that offer an astounding view of the Arabian Gulf, Palm Jumeriah, and Dubai skyline.
Sherif Nagy, general manager, The FITOUT said: “The interior of Palm Tower Hotel & Residences that follows the highest standards in the industry resonates with the quality of our work, and we were meticulous in following their requirements. As an organisation, we implement our projects in line with globally recognised benchmarks to ensure superior experience for our clients and their customers, especially in the hospitality sector. The successful delivery of this project is an illustration of our commitment to provide high-end, bespoke joinery and fit-out works in the UAE.”
He added: “By being the interior solutions provider for Palm Tower Hotel & Residences, we have also become part of their initiative to deliver a memorable and positive experience to their guests and residents.”
Furthermore, The FITOUT has also delivered top-quality bespoke joinery for the mega- project that aims to enhance the experience and convenience of residents and visitors in Palm Tower Hotel and Residences by offering premium interiors and top-class facilities.
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Dubai is home to the Middle East’s first ever 25hours Hotel
The first ever 25hours Hotel in the Middle East has finally opened, overlooking the stunning Museum of the Future and just a stone’s throw away from Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Relaxed, fun and packed full of things to do; guests of 25hours Hotel One Central will experience ancient traditions of the Bedouins brought back to a modern life
Boasting 434 rooms and suites, 25hours Hotel One Central seamlessly blends nomadic yet contemporary design, masterminded by world renowned interior design firm, Woods Bagot. Unapparelled gastronomy and eclectic experiences making it the perfect playground for travellers and residents of the city to enjoy and revel in.
Commenting on the launch, Christoph Hoffman, CEO 25hours, said: “We are thrilled to be finally opening doors to the 25hours Hotel One Central playground and welcoming the local community and travellers from all across the globe. All our experiences and offerings have been carefully curated to make this property truly multi-dimensional – a living room, a party paradise, a romantic getaway or simply the go to destination for creative business meetings and co-working. This is one of the most exciting projects I have worked on, and me along with our incredible team are looking forward to paving the way for a new hospitality experience standard in Dubai.
The urban tale starts in the 25hours Hotel One Central lobby where guests will be greeted by the ‘Fountain of Tales’, a colossal fountain with seating spaces and bookshelves featuring over 5,000 books. Adorning the top of the fountain is a rotating lit up globe showcasing artwork created by a number of local artists around the concept of modern nomadic lifestyle.
As guest scan upwards, they will find the ceiling taken over by a stunning piece of art – ‘Under the Same Sky’ by Dominik Bulka – inspired by the constellations in the sky and interpreting them from a humorous, light-hearted point of view. Guests will be able to explore narratives that relate to Dubai and reference 25hours, its stories and ethos.
That’s not all, art enthusiasts will also find a curated collection of artwork scattered across the property inspired by a modern interpretation of the rituals and traditions of the Dubai area and its people. As modern nomads, the guests will be invited to discover the magic of the Bedouin and Hakawati heritage and take part of the narrative that shapes modern day Dubai.
All rooms and suites at the property serve as a relaxing oasis for urban nomads after a long day exploring the city. Each sanctuary draws on local influences, featuring quirky design elements such as hammocks, double rainfall showers, roll-top baths, Schindelhauer bicycles, analogue telephones, UE Boom Bluetooth speakers and much more. Room themes include Bedouin Room drawing on influences of when Bedouins once resided in Dubai, Glamping Room inspired by urban nomads and perfect for couples or special occasions, Farmstay Suite ideal for those looking for something super spacious and the Artist Village Suite which is an extra-large suite made for those looking to impress.
The jewel in the crown is the Hakawati Suite. Featuring a unique Sheikh ‘triple-king’ sized bed and eye-catching views of The Museum of The Future, the room also boasts a double bathtub, dancefloor, private bar, private terrace, photo booth and much more. The room interconnects with 2 additional bedrooms through a secret staircase.
Other creative spaces include a trade in desk where guests can exchange their personal items for a night’s stay, a pottery studio, games room and a podcast studio.
With a fresh approach to spa, The Extra Hour is dedicated to ‘you time’ and everyone is welcome. Guests can indulge in a variety of treatments from quick (25minute) fixes to full-body treatments. The 6th floor is also home to the rooftop pool and Monkey Pool Bar featuring stunning Museum of the Future views, where guests can relax poolside, sip cocktails and take in the view.
With a ladies’ salon by renowned celebrity hairdresser Wassim Steve, Dubai’s first outdoor mixed-use sauna and an indoor and outdoor gym inspired by the vibes of Venice Beach – are you ready for relaxation?
Cycling enthusiasts can look forward to complimentary Schindelhauer Bikes available from the lobby or in all Artist Village suites. The urban speedsters can be taken on a spin around the local neighbourhood and parklands. For those who fancy heading further afield, they can also explore the area with a free test drive on four wheels thanks to the partnership with MINI.
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Havelock One Interiors completes turnkey fit-out of new Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Bahrain
Havelock One Interiors, a leading turnkey fit-out contractor and manufacturer in the Middle East, implemented the interiors for the Hilton Garden Inn, an upscale yet affordable business and leisure hotel, nestled in the heart of the Bahrain Bay.
The 23-storey landmark destination opened its doors to guests mid-July this year. The hotel tower comprises 192 rooms, including 35 suites, with a mix of family, twin and king rooms. Covering 269,098 sq. ft., the hotel has other distinctively designed amenities such as an open all-day restaurant, meeting rooms, a gym, and an infinity pool.
Havelock One’s manufacturing and fit-out teams based in Askar and Sanabis, Bahrain completed the turnkey interior fit-out of this four-star property designed by dwp | design worldwide partnership. The hotel overlooks the Bahrain Bay and has a breath-taking view from its public areas, complimented with soothing sea-inspired hues and colour palettes for the interiors. The design vision of this hospitality project is to reflect the emergence of a unique urban hotel, anchored between a vibrant shopping mall—The Avenues Bahrain—and the bay leading out to the sea.
“Having completed the Hilton Garden Inn – Kuwait in 2019, we were very keen on the award of the fit-out packages for the property in Bahrain. The brand is young, vibrant and has a playful undercurrent, which allows us to be innovative with the specified materials and design features. Fortunately, our off-site mock-up rooms convinced all stakeholders, so we were recommended to manufacture the custom joinery, to carry out the finishing of the hotel’s interiors, as well as to coordinate all MEP works integration with the interiors,” says Jihad Raad, Division Director, Hospitality Manufacturing and Fit-out Bahrain at Havelock One.
Since Havelock One and its supply chain partners had been responsible for the mock-ups, already, they were able to fast-track and deliver the project even with the COVID-19 pandemic overshadowing the execution period. While the factory in Askar manufactured and supplied large ceiling panels, reception counters, banquet seating, tables, countertop, doors, sliding doors and complete millworks for the guest rooms, the fit-out team carefully selected premium materials for the finishes, which included regular and acoustic gypsum cladding, corridor wall cladding, painting, wallcoverings, tiling, carpets, glass and massive operable partition works.
“One of the eye-catching installations in the Hilton Garden Inn is their rickshaw (Tuk-Tuk) food truck located in the Together & Co Lobby Café. A Bajaj rickshaw was sourced by Havelock One and fully customised into a service station. This feature demanded our setting-out experts to develop a 3D digital design to fully understand and cater to the needs of the operator and to integrate the exact MEP requirements. The scope of the project also featured additional decorative items, such as a custom beam ceiling installation in the all-day dining area and customised operable partitions with pass doors in the meeting rooms,” adds Raad.
This fast-track project required a high-level of planning and coordination among all stakeholders, and hence the interior fit-out scope started along with the main construction works on-site to ensure that the Hilton Garden Inn Bahrain Bay was ready for its recent launch.
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Inspired by art deco, Form Hotel Dubai is a wellness hub
Traditional Arabic heritage. Spectacular cultural offerings. The Culture Village is an exciting place to be. And with so much to explore and experience, Form Hotel Dubai, Design Hotels’ first property in the region, is the perfect stepping board to experience it all.
With magnificent touches of elegance and a carefully curated concept that relives the origins of Dubai’s heritage, Form Hotel Dubai brings a unique and uncharted experience to the neighbourhood.
Sublime design? Check. Highly personalised? Check. A bespoke individual experience? Check. In a city long defined by over-the-top grandeur, there’s something refreshing about stepping into Form Hotel’s contemporary art deco-inspired interiors, brought to life by Paris-based Architecture Studio.
Everything here is custom-made. The brushed brass knobs. The polished art frames. The glistening marble countertops. The delightedly detailed wood paneling. It’s all luxurious no doubt, but it’s not blinding in-your-face luxury. There’s lot of white, perfectly punctuated with marble, brass, walnut wood furniture and few other colours.
And all guest rooms come with custom-crafted art and photography by Nina Dietzel, completing a sharp, tightly curated visual experience that is both contemporary and timeless.
The calming wellness driven concept is noticeable throughout, especially with their food and beverage outlet and terrace that boasts sustainable, good-for-you menus. Looking for relaxation? Take the ride up the elevator and you are greeted with a serene rooftop pool, offering stunning views over Al Jaddaf’s boatyards, private yoga sessions and much more. There’s also Salũs Housetop, a designer sky lounge with great seating and even better mocktails.
With an emphasis on well-being, a carefully curated design and an array of visual experiences and moods, there is a discreet yet instantly timeless allure to Form Hotel Dubai, one that’s completely in sync with the heritage of Culture Village.
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The FITOUT delivers total interior solutions to SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences in six months
The FITOUT has announced the delivery of complete fit-out services to luxury landmark SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences. The hotel’s more than 630 rooms were fitted out with the company’s world-class interior solutions in six months.
In 2019, The FITOUT was awarded the contract providing SLS Dubai with best-in-class services such as fit-out, joinery, customised items, headboards, doors, and architectural finishes. Considered as one of The FITOUT’s high-profile undertakings in Dubai, the project has a total built-up area of around 180,000 square meters.
Sherif Nagy, general manager of The FITOUT, said: “SLS Dubai can rely on the quality of our finished works because we fulfilled the hotel’s requirements according to the highest industry standards. Meeting globally recognised benchmarks is a norm in our organisation and results in the satisfaction of our clients across sectors, including the hospitality industry. The completion of this project illustrates our commitment to provide high-end and bespoke joinery and fit-out works in the UAE and the region. Through this initiative, we have become part of SLS Dubai’s efforts to extend the best experience and most memorable stay to its guests.”
The FITOUT also pays extreme attention to sustainability when delivering projects to its clients. Its environmental policies and management system are based on ISO 14001 standards and include measures raising the environmental awareness of its employees.
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Dubai welcomes the first 25hours Hotel outside of Europe, designed by Woods Bagot
Unlike anything the city has ever seen, 25hours Hotel One Central is set to be a thrilling assault on the senses. A fun and vibrant property with a wonderfully welcoming aura- a real place, intended for real people to come as they are! Getting ready to finally throw its doors open in Q4 2021, 25hours will make your stay one to remember, transporting you to an exhilarating playground that feels like it’s almost home. The very first 25hours hotel to launch in the Middle East, the highly anticipated Dubai outpost will celebrate and champion individuality, reverberating the mantra that 24 hours is simply not enough!
Overlooking the Museum of the Future and boasting 434 rooms and suites, 25hours Hotel One Central tells the region’s story through its interiors, combining the ancient traditions of the Bedouins with a progressive, forward-thinking design and a nod to the future. Impactful, breath-taking and phenomenal design awaits at the UAE outpost.
Masterminded by interior design firm, Woods Bagot, elements of tales where the traditional meets the modern are intricately woven and exhibited floor-by-floor, creating an entirely contemporary narrative, promising a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Prepare to be electrified!
Offering a unique take on co-working spaces, 25hours Hotel One Central provides an inviting space, fully equipped with a modern ‘open’ pantry concept to encourage a community feel, allowing local heroes to connect with the well-travelled. A paint and pottery studio, podcast recording room and record decks also add another stellar dimension to the offering in true 25hours style.
Dubai welcomes the first 25-hour hotel outside of Europe.If an epic culinary and nocturnal adventure is what you’re looking for, then rest assured 25hours Hotel One Central will not disappoint. A plethora of fantastic spots awaits, each one promising to leave its own distinct mark on everyone who ventures inside. Dining experiences include ERNST – a traditional Bavarian beer garden, Tandoor Tina for Northern Indian cuisine with a British twist, Nomad Day Bar by Dubai-based cult coffee roasters, Nightjar and the super popular Berlin import, Monkey Bar.
With 12 unique hotels in nine cities including Berlin, Paris, Zurich and Vienna, 25hours isn’t about making you feel at home with familiar surroundings and a uniform aesthetic. 25hours is anything but ordinary and resting on the laurels of mediocrity will not do! Instead, it will thrill, surprise and delight with dynamic interiors, an unparalleled vibe and a brilliantly unconventional approach to ensuring an unforgettable adventure for every guest. What happens in the desert stays in the desert after all!
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Maximum impact: DZ Design renovates the Citymax Hotel in Business Bay
DZ Design unveils its latest sustainable refurbishment project for Citymax Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai, achieving 40% savings through upcycling, reusing, and recycling existing furniture and finishes.
“The Citymax Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai, was ready to be opened to the public in February 2020. However, when the owner visited the hotel, he was not satisfied with the overall look and efficiency of the space,” explains Zain Belgami, managing director at DZ Design.
Given that the project was complete, allocating more funds for additional refurbishment was a worry. DZ Design was given AED3mn to rebuild and upgrade the lobby, public areas, public restrooms, three F&B units, the spa, gym, pool bar, conference rooms, and 22 suites, while 350 rooms will be refurbished during the second phase.
“Our team came on board the last-minute, proving that the design process that’s careful yet simplified can meet tight timelines and limited budget. This project is about the well-planned refurbishment that elevates and impacts the guest experience while recycling, retaining, and upcycling the existing finishes and furniture,” adds Dina Murali, design director at DZ Design.
Bold, warm, vibrant and full of life, Citymax is a distinctive hospitality experience focussed on delivering high-perceived value. Due to its typology, the hotel caters to long-stay business travellers and local guests; however, with greys and whites previously dominating the interiors, the client felt space was “too clinical”.
DZ Design chose a contemporary modern design, bringing warmth through timber finishes and indoor greenery associated with four-star hotels. The greatest impact was made in the lobby area. After the refurb, the lobby coffee shop doubles as a work café.
“They wanted us to look at the furniture details as they were unhappy with the overall look and feel and felt that the ethos of the brand did not stand out in any manner,” explains Murali. “We have reused existing storage counters, shelving, tables and chairs while existing sofas were re-upholstered. They’ve also created light fixtures from beer kegs in the bar instead of purchasing accent lighting. The furniture was also made locally, using the frames of existing units.”
DZ Design’s team also conceptualised the artworks in lobby and other lobby areas.
“Through thoughtful design and space planning, we’ve managed to increase the overall capacity in all public areas while adhering to the required social distancing guidelines. The lobby area was increased from 38 to 50 people; all-day dining from 60 to 91, and a roof-top pool bar from 20 to 30 people,” adds Belgami.
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