Visionnaire launches a new flagship store on Jumeirah Beach Road
Visionnaire launches a new store in Dubai at 908 Jumeirah Beach Road. The new flagship store, which occupies a villa in a high-profile residential compound, has a total surface area of almost 800sqm on two-storeys, complemented by a roof garden in one of the most sought-after locations on Jumeirah First beachfront.
“In a meeting of cultures with such an important purpose as redesigning a better future, Dubai Expo 2020 seemed to us the best context to celebrate the opening of our store” says Eleonore Cavalli, co-founder and art director of the brand “Visionnaire Dubai is a special space where you feel welcomed just like in a home. Thanks to the proximity to the sea and the large open space that the building is equipped with, it is possible to enjoy indoor and outdoor settings in perfect harmony and continuity. In dialogue with some brand’s bestsellers, the store showcases the very latest new collection, unveiled simultaneously in all Visionnaire’s flagship stores worldwide Milan, London, Miami, Los Angeles and Hong Kong”.
The villa’s various rooms are arranged around a central hall that serves as the starting point for the pathway that takes visitors through the store. One of the main living areas features the new Babylon Rack sofa, designed by Alessandro La Spada as an evolution of the iconic Babylon model. This product was conceived as a modular mini-architecture, featuring a number of functional elements developed for study, work and leisure.
The 2021 newcomers are perfectly complementary to the brand’s iconic pieces, such as the dining tables Kerwan, designed by Alessandro La Spada and Raidho designed by Steve Leung, featuring exclusive craftsmanship and a range of fine marble tops. The versatile new Caprice capsule collection, designed by m2atelier for interior and outdoor use, is showcased in the store’s outdoor areas that accompany visitors to the entrance of the Embassy. This space features the Ilario sofa and the Siesta sunbed, with its hallmark curves and rounded profiles. The shopping experience continues on the upper storey, that visitors reach by a stunning helical staircase, enhanced by the presence of a Pavone armchair showcased under the curved stairs. The second storey is home to a variety of solutions for the bedroom, including the Emotion bed by La Conca, the Beloved and C Foscari beds designed by Alessandro La Spada.
“With this significant direct investment in Dubai – concludes Leopoldo Cavalli, co-founder and CEO – Visionnaire comes closer to its Middle Eastern clientele, for a simpler and more immediate purchasing experience”. This stunning, high-profile direct property branch, just a stone’s throw from the Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Bulgari hotels, will attend directly to the development of the Middle Eastern, African and Indian markets with its staff of architects, interior designers and sales managers. This opening is also an important milestone for Visionnaire, as the Dubai company was established without the need for a local partner, but as a direct investment in wholly Italian capital. It is one of the very first 100% Italian companies in the United Arab Emirates, undoubtedly the first in the home furniture sector, since only a few weeks ago the Emirate liberalised the establishment of companies in Mainland.
This operation was managed under the brilliant consultancy of John Shehata, a PWC TLS partner. This new challenge, which we decided to accept despite the countless uncertainties facing the global market, is a reaction to the protracted pandemic that has generated changes in consumption and travel habits”. On November 23rd for the official opening of Visionnaire Dubai, a press conference was held in the morning and an exclusive cocktail party in the evening, Under the auspices of the Embassy of Italy in the United Arab Emirates, with the participation of customers, professionals and prestigious partners from the most exclusive sectors: Rolls Royce Dubai for the automotive industry, Vacheron Constantin for high watchmaking, Omniyat one of the most visionary real-estate development and service groups in the Gulf Region, Jetex for global private aviation, Gulf Craft leading shipyards and manufacturers of the Luxury Yachts and ınar for the artisan production of carpets.
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B&B Italia opens its first flagship store on Jumeirah Road
High-end furniture supplier B&B Italia announces the opening of its first single-brand store in Dubai in collaboration with long-time partner Baituti Home. Located on Jumeirah Road, the 950sqm two level showroom represents one of the most coveted, high-end design destinations in the heart of Dubai, featuring a wide selection of the latest collections from B&B Italia’s luxury brands, including Maxalto, B&B Italia Outdoor and Azucena.
Also displayed are the remarkable creations of internationally renowned designers such as Mario Bellini, eight-time winner of the Golden Compass Award, masters of contemporary design and architecture Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni, and Italian architect and design pioneer Gaetano Pesce among others. Gilberto Negrini, CEO of B&B Italia, declared: “The launch of this showroom represents for the B&B Italia Group the unique opportunity to highlight our prestigious design collaborations and award-winning brands with our trusted partners, Baituti Home.
Dubai is a design hub in the region, and we hope to continue to inspire and engage this community through our brand heritage and passion as we showcase some of the world’s most iconic pieces of made in Italy furniture.” Mohammad BinHendi, Deputy Chairman of BinHendi Enterprises says: “Through this esteemed partnership we are proud to be delivering the award-winning brands under B&B Italia to the design community in Dubai. The launch of the flagship store unveils new opportunities for B&B Italia and we look forward to being a part of the group’s success in the region.”
Among the design furniture pieces displayed is the iconic Camaleonda modular sofa system and Cutter chairs by Mario Bellini, B&B Atoll and Ray seating system by Antonio Citterio, Naviglio sofa by Yabu Pushelbeg, and Tufty-Time by Patricia Urquiola. In addition to showcasing B&B Italia’s latest collections, the store in Jumeirah will provide professional services for clients, architects, and developers in the region, including design consultations, and restoration for both residential and contract projects.
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Ellington Art Foundation launches ‘The Art of The Silk Road’ competition to support local talent
Ellington Art Foundation, an initiative by property developer Ellington Properties, has announced a new nationwide art competition under the theme ‘The Art of The Silk Road’, to support aspiring and emerging artists in the UAE with commissioned pieces.
The initiative has been launched in line with the art foundation’s goal of promoting the UAE’s creative scene and supporting the nation’s goal to be a global centre for art and design.
Aimed at fostering local artists, the competition will offer homegrown talent an opportunity to elevate their visibility in the art sector by showcasing their creative work at one of Ellington’s award-winning residential projects, Wilton Terraces. The contest is open to all UAE residents aged 18 and over.
Robert Booth, managing director, Ellington Properties, said: “The Wilton Terrace Art Competition highlights our commitment to support and empower the UAE’s art community. We offer local upcoming and striving artists an avenue to showcase their creativity and join the league of featured artists by the Ellington Art Foundation at our communities. Our exceptionally designed residential developments deliver the finest in every aspect of life, and Wilton Terraces will serve as an ideal venue to exhibit award-winning art.”
Artists, photographers and designers can submit their concepts for paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations that display the fusion of oriental and occidental cultures using neutral palette and earth tones. Submissions are open until October 31, 2020 and entries will be reviewed by a panel of seasoned industry experts.
Ellington will award promising artists a premium exhibiting space within their stunning residential development, Wilton Terraces, in addition to monetary support from Ellington Art Foundation to craft the masterpieces.
Some of the art installations and pieces produced and commissioned as part of earlier initiatives include Emirati artist, Khalid Shafar’s sculpture – Palm Bouquet in the reception lobby of Belgravia, Hamama, a suspended art installation created by design students of the American University of Sharjah in Belgravia II and ‘V’, a wooden wall sculpture by Nour Daou in Eaton Place.
Zaha Hadid announces the design of 2 Murray Road, Hong Kong, China
Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s central business district, the 36-storey Murray Road project for Henderson Land replaces a multi-storey car park to create an urban oasis adjacent to Chater Garden within a short walking distance to both Central and Admiralty MTR metro stations.
With its base elevated above the ground to shelter courtyards and gardens cultivated with trees and plants in the centre of one of the world’s busiest cities, the design creates new civic plazas that are enveloped by nature.
Echoing the organic forms of the natural world; the redevelopment connects with the adjacent public gardens and parks. These tranquil outdoor areas flow into the generous communal spaces of the interior; the craftsmanship and precision of the curved glass façade enhancing this seamless connectivity between the building’s interiors and the surrounding gardens and city beyond.
The design reinterprets the structural forms and layering of a Bauhinia bud about to blossom. Known as the Hong Kong orchid tree, the Bauhinia x blakeana was first propagated in the city’s botanic gardens above the Murray Road site and its flowering bud features on Hong Kong’s flag.
At the core of the city’s financial district, the project is situated at the east-west / north-south junction of Hong Kong’s network of elevated pedestrian walkways; connecting directly with surrounding gardens, shops and restaurants as well as the offices of leading financial and civic institutions.
A high-tensile steel structure provides very wide span (up to 26m) of naturally lit, column-free, Grade A office space with a 5 metre floor-to-floor height giving maximum flexibility; its vertical core located on the eastern side of the building to optimise views of Chater Garden and the city’s renowned skyline to the west.
Working with the Henderson Land and Arup’s Building Sustainability Team, the design has achieved LEED Platinum and WELL Platinum pre-certification together with the highest 3-Star rating of China’s Green Building Rating Program. The design, procurement and construction targets full certification at occupancy.
The building’s smart management system creates a contactless pathway for all occupants from the street to their workstation that eliminates direct contact with communal surfaces and includes AI-assisted lift controls. Using a mobile phone, contactless smart card or biometric recognition, occupants can enter the building and pass security, call lifts to their office floor and access other zones such as lounge areas and washrooms.
Arranged for access on multiple levels, the large double-height foyer at ground level welcomes staff and visitors with its interplay of natural light, planting and organic forms leading up to the second floor public lobby on the city’s elevated walkway network. Suspended above the canopy of its surrounding tress, the sculptural glass façade of this expansive lobby defines a variety of nested spaces, each refined for purpose and experience.
With construction works beginning last year and its procurement targeting embodied carbon reductions as well as the use of recycled materials, 2 Murray Road looks to the future with the integration of advanced design, construction and operational technologies.