Dubai – Page 2 – Dawser and Partners

YNot can be characterized as a very urban night venue having an industrial look with some elements of pop.

YNot Bar & Kitchen is a two storey wine bar located at the 5 star InterContinental Dubai Marina Hotel, Dubai, UAE. The hotel has several fine dining outlets, which determined the idea to create a contrastive lifestyle outlet with a more relaxed ambiance for a younger crowd.

The bar is subdivided into several areas: two spacious lounge zones for larger group, which allow a certain privacy; one central social area with a five meter table in the middle, which encourages guests’ interaction. The ground level of the bar has spectacular views over Dubai Marina promenade, while the upper lever overlooks onto the bar activity below.
The peculiarity of the space is that although all the decorative and furniture elements are different in appearance (chairs, lounge chairs, stools, tables, accessories), they have been carefully selected to create an aesthetically pleasing and harmonious atmosphere.

Inspired by the bustling traditional trattorias in Italy and by the iconic Mercato Centrale in Florence, the concept was to create a warm, inviting space, similar to that of a grandmother’s kitchen.

Mercato, is a traditional Italian trattoria and bakery in the DIFC serving home style Italian dishes using the highest quality ingredients and is now open from 7 am to 6.30 pm.

The design aesthetic evokes feelings of nostalgia, giving the impression that the restaurant has been in place for decades. Draw Link Group was responsible for the design concept and development, the FF&E procurement and installation of the outlet.

Commenting on the design of the restaurant, Daousser Chennoufi, Draw Link Group CEO says, “the design brief of Mercato restaurant was to create a casual daytime Italian eatery, inspired by the vibrant streets of Florence, within the business hub of the DIFC.”

The restaurant boasts 160 square metres and accommodates around 30 guests indoors, with the option for an additional 40 guests dining alfresco outdoors. The floor tiles are of various Italian inspired patterns, in either black and white or in colour. Wall paneling is a combination of natural raw materials that create a fresh feeling. The façade, is designed in two contrasting colours, blue and green. The furniture and lighting selection is carefully procured, creating an eclectic feel, while still managing to look unified. Another distinctive feature of the space is the traditional wood truss ceiling in aged wood, along with the signature designed 6 meter long solid wood communal table, custom designed and made specifically for the venue.

Marina Social & The Social Room is a 170-cover fine dining venue designed in a contemporary sleek and sophisticated style. The restaurant is part of acclaimed Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton’s “Social” restaurant empire, and celebrates deformalized dining within a relaxed, social atmosphere.

The restaurant is split into two parts which are connected by a bridge – the bar (The Social Room) and the dining area (Marina Social). Although occupying a sweeping 535 sq m space within the hotel, the restaurant is subtly compartmentalized by diving walls and mixed seating for a heightened sense of intimacy.

The use of natural and raw materials was the driving force behind the design concept, creating a rustic ambience which gives a feeling of being in a renovated old space. The wood mesh panels, the red colored glass and of course the peeking heads of the 8 meter height sculptures coming all the way up from the ground floor contribute to the overall artistic theme of the hotel to ensure a visual connection between the spaces.

The hotel concept revolves around a museographer atmosphere with a sequentially punctuated by amazing artworks that arouse the curiosity and the surprise of the visitor. Their use is different depending on the area and the wish of the designer to amaze and divert the artwork from its original context. The latter is surprising the visitor by proposing objects of unexpected scale which projects him/her in an unusual or even destabilizing environment.

These artworks are original toward the expression of their scale and materials. Their forms mark the space and the spirits of those who explore it. They shed lights on the space by identifying it, thus, becoming as signage and land marking.

When strolling through the hotel, the visitor feels like he is inside a Museum. A special focus has been done on lighting in order to emphasize the artwork’s value while wandering around. Works, which are born through a studied staging of lights, are in favor of art through using a perfect mastery of the natural and artificial lighting.

Art reigns everywhere through different forms starting from gigantic sculptures to the barely noticeable engravings and paintings.

The choice of light fittings is not only done for their performances but also for their ability to furnish the space and embellish it as well. Some of them are likely to be art installations than light fittings.

The use of raw materials in their texture, their finishing and their staging gives a sober and authentic character for the environment. Thus they seem to be the ideal background of all installations and artistic objects that punctuate different spaces.

The chosen furniture is exclusively contemporary and visually minimalistic in order to avoid crowding the space which allows the materials to interact with lighting and artworks. The fully opened bathroom allows throughout its transparency the diffusion of visual glimpses not only across the room, but also the panoramic view through its large bay windows. The “solid surface” is widely used in the room, as well as in the bathroom whether through its cladding (walls and floor) or its sanitary wares, which introduce a finishing colour.

In the same Museum concept, the headboard is entirely designed in back lit solid surface as it has been perceived as an artwork. In addition. engraved Arabic calligraphy was used to bring an arabesque touch to the space which is enhanced by lights.

The choice of materials is focused on a fairly original concept, which seek an uncommon effect of material such as matt solid surface, and acrylic paint that is lightly textured on a natural wooden stand, or a vinyl woven floor covering.

In stark contrast to many of Dubai’s five-star hotels, the new Hotel JAL Tower Dubai revels in its own simplicity. The 471-room hotel is housed in one of the two buildings that make up the new JAL Towers mixed-use complex-a slick addition to Sheikh Zayed Roads multi-faceted skyline.

JAL Hotel, a Japanese hospitality brand that was launched in 1970 as a subsidiary of Japan Airlines, was already present in the UAE with the Hotel JAL Fujairah Resort & Spa. However, as its first venture in Dubai, the company was keen to ensure that the Hotel JAL Tower captured its brand ethos and spoke proudly of its Japanese heritage.

Dubai-based design firm Draw Link Group was initially called to design the hotel’s food and beverage outlets, but this scope of work was soon expanded to also include the hotel’s lobby, convention centre, executive lounge, business centre, spa, gym and 32 suites. Most of the hotel, in fact, apart from the standard rooms.

According to Daousser Chennoufi, CEO and key architect at Drawlink Group, the intention was to create an interior design scheme that was striking in its simplicity. In keeping with the origins of the brand, the aim was to embrace the minimalist undertones of Japanese styling. “The concept was to make it as simple as possible.” The idea was to introduce fewer things., with greater impact. That is why the types of materials used in the various spaces has been kept to a minimum,” Chennoufi said.

Because the brand is Japanese, they wanted that Japanese styling. But simple doesn’t mean not innovative, or not creative,” he stressed. In fact, minimalist design schemes are more complicated to get right than interiors that are overly decorative, Chennoufi maintained. “A design with lots of things in it is easier to create than a design that is done in a very minimalistic way,” he insisted.

And the benefits of a minimalist design go beyond the mere aesthetic, Chennoufi suggested. “For the owner, as an investor, a more simple design is also a good way of managing the budget. Most other projects in Dubai use a lot of materials and design elements. This costs the investor more, takes longer to build, and is harder to maintain.”

Furthermore, in a city that has long valued overly elaborate design schemes, minimalist interiors still present a fair amount of novelty value. So, the extreme simplicity of the Hotel JAL Tower’s entrance area may initially feel quite foreign to those that are used to Dubai’s more dense design style, but it is highly refreshing nonetheless. This is our approach. The owner could have gone to any number of bigger companies to get their design, but the mentality of most firms in Dubai right now is to over-design five-star hotels. Our approach is to be very simple.” To keep the design as straightforward as possible, Draw Link worked with a limited but rich palette of materials, and played with texture and lighting to introduce richness and depth. “Lighting is very important in all our concepts. Effective lighting helps to add value to certain materials,” said Chennoufi.

In Indothai, the hotel’s 100-seat Asian restaurant and bar, original, handcrafted items from all over Asia combine to create an authentic ambiance that also manages to retain sense of modernity. The restaurant is brimming with traditional statues, intricate pieces of art carved from wood and stone, and dramatic, dried out trees that have been sprayed-painted in white. “It creates an authentic ambiance, but at the same time its not rustic or old-fashioned,” said Chennoufi. “It is not that traditional Asian aesthetic that you see everywhere else. The restaurant is open but we created sub-spaces, without really dividing them up. Spaces are divided by the works of art, which are semi transparent.”

The property is also home to Benkay, a unique Japanese outlet located on the top three levels of the hotel. Each level of the restaurant specializes in a different type of cuisine: authentic Japanese, sushi and Teppan Grill. The restaurant is home to the largest ever space dedicated entirely to Teppan Grill tables.
With its panoramic views of Sheikh Zayed Road, and lofty location on the 49th, 50th and 51st floors, Benkay is another of the Hotel JAL Tower Dubai’s signature elements-and like the rest of the design, is a reminder that JAL is a Japanese company, and proud of it.

Composition: 471 Rooms, 32 Suites, Lobby, Convention Center, Executive Lounge, Spa, Asian Restaurant, All Day Dining.

To warm up the vibes, the hotel’s décor offers something truly unique by playing with a challenging colourtheme of orange, blue, green and yellow on the solid elements of the interior design which includes marble, wood and solid surfaces. These daring colours skillfully blend-in with the other elements. Including unforeseen textures such as regular quality marble which has been masterfully enhanced by special craft techniques, as well as bold motifs evoking contrast and comfort throughout.

The abundance of glass, from the translucent lift to the see-through railings, enables a play of perspectives and impressive views. The sophisticated interplay of transparency and colours creates a fascinating atmosphere throughout the hotel and, in combination with the natural lighting from the skylight, a clear feeling of space.

The interior design of the hotel was inspired by its close location to Al Meena Port, therefore the main theme was chosen to be maritime. To realize the theme in the real look of the hotel, Draw Link Group has collected more than 60 photographs with all the ports and seaside buildings in the UAE and applied them full-scale from various angles on every room-door of the hotel, so no door is the same.

From the customer perception, Draw Link wanted to create such an ambiance which would combine comfort, fun and conviviality. This was achieved through non-standardization of the hotel spaces, various colors of floorings, walls and furniture items.

The public areas, such as the lobby and the meeting rooms are open spaces with several functions, e.g. lobby operates as a restaurant.

“A high end contemporary minimalist hotel and hotel apartments, oriented for business travelers, that incorporates a wide variety of dining venues around the inner courtyard”.

Draw Link was chosen for the second time to provide interior design consultancy services and to be the fit-out contractor for Roberto’s restaurant. You can check the new design over here “Roberto’s Restaurant – year 2018“.

The project concept was to design a warm and welcoming environment that inspired simplicity and accessibility, using a choice of straightforward, uncomplicated and neutral materials such as leather paneling, wood and travertine marble, thus creating the perfect sensory balance between texture, space and fine dining.

Made up of four select areas, with a variety of flexible seating possibilities, each spot was artistically enhanced by refined and sophisticated lighting and sound, providing guests with a distinct taste, ambience and feel to match their gourmet experience.

The comfortable and relaxed mood is enhanced by live piano music, which ideally complements the lounge’s warm and cozy setting. To add to our guests dining experience, a cigar lounge was created adjacent to the bar that provides a different seating atmosphere altogether, where clients can choose their preferred brand from a wide selection of cigars, presented in a unique display.

The outdoor terrace is cleverly designed in such a way that it can be divided into two distinct areas, forming just the right scenery for private parties and other events.

The establishment is home to the largest ever space in the Middle East devoted exclusively to teppan grill tables, with cooks preparing the food on flat surfaced grills in front of the guests. Clear-cut and unfussy designed furnishing, made from comfortable outdoor materials in harmony with the look and feel of the interior, skillfully provide different types of seating whether guests are enjoying the al fresco dining experience or relaxing in the casual lounge area.

All these attractive and distinctive characteristics, added to an assortment of selected wines for all tastes and savory desires, makes Roberto’s a unique and stimulating culinary experience that leaves a pleasantly lasting sensation on all who patronize it.

Urban, a bistro with an open, relaxing informal ambiance, is without a doubt a contemporary restaurant offering its guests a cozy and inviting atmosphere with a distinctive European feel. Design inspired by the surrounding Media city settings, its core idea is to create different and distinctive scenarios that can satisfy the varying needs of its patrons. This is achieved by developing three main areas that although different from each other, retain the overall look and feel of the establishment. The Deli, designed as a long counter with built-in fridge displays and six iconic standing tables for the quick food experience, offers a selection of delicious graband-go sandwiches and salads.

The bistro section is the main dining area of the restaurants, with different types of seating arrangements that can cater to all client requirements. A long high communal table clad with gray brushed textured Armani marble, accentuating the urban effect, and topped with a solid wood cantilever, offers an cool and social reminder of what a bistro experience really is. Loungy long relaxing sofas, with low tables created from a combination of thick solid wood resting on steel legs, proposes a more comfortable and easy-going eaterie mood.

The central area of the bistro consists of contemporary but simplistic and rustic seating arrangements, that match the rest of the design and generate a harmony of different colors and finishes.

Full opening doors that give on to the extended terrace undoubtedly provide the highpoint and focus of the establishment; a great view of the lake and surrounding external landscaped areas. Visual breakthroughs are created along all the partitions from the lobby side, done in order to attract people and accentuate the smooth transition and movement between the indoor/ outdoor experiences, traversing all the restaurant and offering panoramic views of the outdoor areas.

The lower terrace is emphasized by an eruption of different vibrant colors in the furniture, adding an extra element of gaiety and vivacity to the restaurant, ultimately giving an iconic desirability and a landmark quality to the whole space.

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