Kactus is a contemporary café in the heart of Saudi Arabia’s energetic capital, Riyadh. 4SPACE has designed this eatery in highly Instagrammable colours of vintage pinks and greens. The textures and fabrics used to create interest are oak, steel, leather, terrazzo, bold curved mirrors, a wall full of letters, and plenty of cacti. The café is an expression of international and contemporary lifestyles that celebrate youthfulness and culinary abundance. Kactus is an impressive 230 square metres of glorious space that nods to the 1950s and cleverly blended with industrial touches with corrugated wooden walls and clever pipe lighting.
The client’s brief was simple. They wanted Kactus to look bright, fun, lively, quirky, inviting and comfortable. The use of various textures allows a sense of depth and discovery to keep diners coming back to their favourite city spot. Cactus plants are used throughout the design and are the central focus of desert biophilic living.
Kactus has a modern, chic, tasteful, and contemporary design and was wholly inspired by the fascinating xerophytes. The cactus is a collection of interesting plants that have adapted to live in extreme conditions and harsh environments. Cacti are found in arid, hot deserts across the world. Xerophytes have curious, almost animated features to prevent water loss, including thick, fleshy leaves covered in waxy, spiky and hairy coatings. Kactus allows patrons to connect to nature within a city environment. 4SPACE has paid attention to the unique requirements of desert biophilic design to create a refreshing atmosphere. Think baby-boomer years in Saguaro National Park and towering green desert sentinels that pepper endless landscapes under flushed pink skies.
4SPACE has highlighted an open ceiling concept with beams, hanging plants, and linear lighting at the mezzanine level. The walls and ceiling are kept clean and white and provide an unadorned backdrop for strong accent colours. A seemingly haphazardly placed lens mirror installation provides a central focus. Clever placement of a pink vending machine door, the expansive crossword wall and cacti of various heights, shapes and sizes provide a beautifully screwball vibe.
4SPACE carefully selected expert artisans to fit out Kactus; they communicated frequently with their contractors to ensure a snag-free delivery.
The design is bright, fun, lively, quirky, inviting, comfy and minimalist.
The pandemic gave 4SPACE various challenges to overcome. Long-distance communication was necessary to manage contractors in Saudi Arabia. International product deliveries were also a challenge due to reduced shipping and logistics.
Various fun features throughout Kactus encourage interaction and provide clever illusions and photographic opportunities for social media platforms. The mirror-clad ceilings create playful reflections whilst the crossword wall allows patrons to find their names in the pools of letters on the walls. Neon cacti lights adorn the walls of the café. The café entrance is designed as a pink vending machine door that provides an element of excitement and joy upon arrival.
4SPACE has chosen multi-texture materials and used polished oakwood, steel, leather, and terrazzo throughout. The colours chosen are calm vintage hues of pink and green. Various complementary-coloured neon signs adorn the walls, and verdant plans hang fluidly from the beamed ceilings.
Furniture is minimalistic, and much has been taken from the 'interiors 360' collection. Two hand-crafted banquette seating arrangements are shaped like oversized bunny-ears cacti in pink leather.
Kactus provides an inclusive and fun setting for people from diverse, multicultural backgrounds. The contemporary and ultra-modern design encourages interaction between people and on social media. The eye-catching façade and retro branding which was designed by the 4SPACE branding team is a significant statement on a busy sand-coloured Riyadh street.
About 4SPACE Design
Originally established in Damascus in 2001, founders, Firas Alsahin and Amjad Hourieh, moved their practice to Dubai to be at the centre of this vibrant market. The emirate’s booming growth in the commercial sector was an impetus for the firm to explore all the opportunities in the design industry. Overcoming an uphill battle, 4Space Design has gone on to create noteworthy projects in the UAE. Eschewing quantity for quality, profile of the project and relationship with clients, the studio credit its people’s distinct ideas strategic business development.
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This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features a CGI design of a transformable restaurant-bar venue by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, 4SPACE Design.
PAPA Dubai is an exciting 1,580 square meters dining and entertainment destination in the vibrant Atrium complex, the epicenter of riverside Al Habtoor City. PAPA Dubai will take its visitors on an extraordinary culinary and mixology journey through nine glorious bars, each themed with a unique concept. Comfort and soul food are at the very heart of the dining experience. The fascinating bars have been developed in collaboration with Moscow and Dubai's top bartending figures.
The venue transforms from a sophisticated and immersive dining experience to a chic nightlife venue with DJs and entertainment as evening moves to night. From a quiet dinner with friends to one of the city’s best vibes - feel the energy of this unrivalled sensory-driven experience. PAPA Dubai will host some of the world's most courageous bartenders vying to show off their avant-garde skills throughout the year.
PAPA Dubai is made up of little ‘boulevards’ including the Rum Station, Champagne Avenue, Gin Point, Vodka Lane, Tequila Road, Mezcal Street, Sake Alley, Wine Square, Whiskey Square, and a VIP Lounge called High gate. Each of the nine distinctive bars has been carefully considered and designed by inimitable 4SPACE in a collaboration with Papa's founder Natalia Freys.
SBID Awards Category: CGI & Visualisation
Practice: 4SPACE Design
Project: PAPA Bar
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
To design a dining and entertainment destination as a Sensory experience, an urban playground of avant-garde cocktails, world-class cuisine, and irresistible beats.
The Arched boulevard. To create a cohesive Bar-village feel and to achieve one narrative that wraps around the venue, archways in different finishing are used throughout the expansive space. They create a unified design between each of the bars to form little ‘boulevards’.
4SPACE allowed two months for the design and another five months for the fit-out and transformation. There were various challenges because of the sheer variety of materials required for each bar, the complex mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) requirements, and the acoustic challenges that take the bars from soulful eateries to exciting night venues.
Another challenge that 4SPACE had to overcome are the different terrazzo surfaces that were designed and installed throughout Papas. Cleverly, designers sourced authentic materials and graffiti artists to allow for fully cohesive individuality. The piece de resistance is the nine thoroughly different concepts within one narrative.
The Entrance. It has an impressive, eccentric entrance with red pipe and greenery installation that hangs from the ceiling and customized carpet below.
The transformation. The venue is designed with the ability to transform. As the evening draws to a close, you can dine in style at a chic restaurant. As night time falls over the city the restaurant metamorphoses into an elegant party venue.
Integrated into the design are both architectural lighting and entertainment lighting, providing the ability to have 5 different scenarios of the lighting ambience based on time and experience required.
We've been participating in the SBID Awards yearly and it has been our practice ever since. We trust SBID for its ethics and transparency. We believe that through the SBID platform, our designs gain global recognition and give us the chance to connect with peers, press, and potential clients around the world. We became part of the international design community with new audiences on a global scale.
The CGI project and photos from the completed venue, compared:
Questions answered by Mr. Firas Alsahin, Co-founder and Design Director, 4SPACE Design.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's design!
If you missed the last instalment of Project of the Week, featuring a luxurious villa design by Todd Interior Design, click here to read it.
In this week's interview with 2021 SBID Awards winner for the Office Design category, 4SPACE Design talk about how they ensure a design for a commercial space represents the company's ethos and explain their process of integrating lighting into workplace designs.
SBID Awards Category: Office Design
Entry: BE
Winning an award and being acknowledge by the SBID Awards gives us untold recognition in the field of interior design. Receiving such praise is a testament to the team’s exemplary hard work and commitment to being the best firm in Dubai. The accolade allows us to build trust with our clients, both current and new. The international award gives us the opportunity to promote our award-winning name globally.
Designing spaces for the innovative and forward thinking team at the BE Meliorism office allowed us to weave the personality of the brand into the interiors. The minimalist and sleek lines of the furnishings allowed us to be creative with the use strong colours throughout the office. BE Meliorism is tech reliant and the designs embrace the futuristic core of the business. Open plan spaces allow for ample natural light whilst clever screening affords the idea of privacy.
As a team, we reviewed the brands guidelines and spoke to the owner and the staff to understand the company vision and its core values. We used this vital information and chose and translated the inspirations into the design. Various design elements give good ambience to the space by underpinning the company values
Life in the office was studied to understand how many users there would be throughout the day and into the night during any given 24-hour time period. We were careful to provide the necessary function with beautiful aesthetics so not to detract from the overall design.
We want to continue to support SBID over the coming years. We have lots of exciting projects in the pipeline throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022. The projects are diverse and cover unimagined F&B venues, entertainment, virtual reality and metaverse. Excitingly, we are exploring many possibilities of designing spaces; we are bearing witness to a new world of tech, design and a major shift from the real economy to the digital economy, which have all accelerated since the global pandemic.
Be brave and soar high, strive higher and be patient. Be bold, innovative, and sustainable. Leverage your effort for exponential growth, find ways to navigate the digital jungle to market yourself across different platforms.
Questions answered by Firas Alsahin, Co-Founder, 4SPACE Design.
Originally established in Damascus in 2001, founders, Firas Alsahin and Amjad Hourieh, moved their practice to Dubai to be at the centre of this vibrant market. The emirate’s booming growth in the commercial sector was an impetus for the firm to explore all the opportunities in the design industry, creating noteworthy projects in the UAE.
If you missed last week's Interview with the category Bathroom & Sanitaryware Product winner RAK Ceramics, click here to read it.
“A brief from the team to the team”. The new 4SPACE Design offices are designed for the team. The leaders put together a questionnaire asking the team to imagine their new workspace. Overall, the team wanted there to be an intrinsic sense of wellbeing and belonging within the space. They wanted light. And lots of it. Neutral monochromatic schemes and a large breakout area with a games and relaxation space for the team to draw breath and find a sense of peace from a busy day.
“When brutalism meets minimalism with a twist of industrial”. 4SPACE has paired unfinished concrete breeze blocks with a smooth monochromatic pallet and verdant trees to nod to biophilic living. Richly covered modern furniture, exposed piping, stainless steel accessories, and fluorescent lighting create exciting spaces for work, meetings, and play.
The 4SPACE Design offices are exciting. The exposed breeze block walls are treated with sealer material to enhance and preserve the brutalist look. It’s raw, unfinished, and playful. Modern angular lighting bounces light throughout the open spaces and communal workstations.
The central atrium of the offices boasts a beautifully preserved, semi-artificial olive tree that has been hand-fashioned by craftsmen in Dubai. The trees have come from historic groves across the region. Olive trees are known to flourish until they are several thousands of years old. Introducing biophilic design elements into a space can help alleviate stress, improve cognitive function, and enhance mood and creativity. The space is multi-functional, with open spaces for teams to assemble, but the team can create private spaces with impressive pivotal doors for important meetings.
This project was extraordinarily fast and only took a month to complete. It was a complete family affair where the 4SPACE design team, contractors and suppliers all contributed to the seamless execution of the new office space. Each person provided valuable support to achieve the tight timeline for the transition from the old offices to the new.
The 4SPACE office has the appeal of a solid but inviting fortress. The distinctive concrete modernism provides light-hearted intrigue yet is minimalistic and intimate. The office is set amidst endless city skyscrapers. As a result of the open workspaces, the office possesses spectacular views across the Dubai waterfront and the iconic Dubai Eye.
Contractors struggled to manoeuvre 2.70-metre glass partitions in the elevators; their hard work and brave efforts have created a remarkable installation. The concrete flooring was quite challenging; it had to be poured, dried and levelled precisely. From the questionnaire, the entire design process and construction took a mere 45 days.
There are many focal points, but the most exciting key features are the olive tree, concrete and exposed breeze blocks, the neutral monochromatic colour scheme and the open ceiling concept with exposed industrial metal piping.
Material selection: concrete, glass, metal, aluminium, wood and black leather.
About 4Space Design
Originally established in Damascus in 2001, founders, Firas Alsahin and Amjad Hourieh, moved their practice to Dubai to be at the centre of this vibrant market. The emirate’s booming growth in the commercial sector was an impetus for the firm to explore all the opportunities in the design industry. Eschewing quantity for quality, profile of the project and relationship with clients, the studio credit its people’s distinct ideas strategic business development.
If you’d like to feature your news or stories with SBID, get in touch to find out more.
4SPACE provides quality, distinctive architectural, interior design and design solutions for commercial premises, restaurants, entertainment venues, retail spaces and private residences throughout the United Arab Emirates and further afield. 4SPACE has blossomed over the last 10 years and continuously innovates and intentionally disrupts interior design in one of the world's most extraordinary cities, Dubai. Recognised as one of the finest interior design companies in the region, the company prides itself on blending light and space with delicate, well-considered features to create memorable aesthetics.
Firas Alsahin and Amjad Hourieh adeptly lead the award-winning interior design firm. Their international experience encourages the team to go beyond limits in Dubai. They explore different shapes and forms to create unique buildings that incorporate feasibility, efficiency, and originality. They led 4SPACE to be the overall winner of the Society of British and International Design (SBID) Awards in 2018. Commercial Interior Design Magazine voted the firm among the top 20 most successful boutique interior design firms in the Middle East in 2019.
Firas Alsahin was named one of the 50 most influential interior designers on the power list in the Middle East. He's a fully accredited design professional with SBID. Alsahin's design finesse embraces futuristic, minimalist, functional and sustainable design. He is well regarded in the industry and has an active voice on various discussion platforms in the Middle East.
Amjad Hourieh is also a fully accredited design professional with the SBID. He loves to create an element of surprise and intrigue with his designs. His designs incorporate the organic influence of Art Deco with the expected natural curves and geometry but with an unexpected sense of drama. Hourieh strives to unify visions between each client with innovation and technology.
Their imitable growth led to Ehab Alhariri joining 4SPACE as the principal architect to shape the new architectural division. His experience has seen him work on various projects in the USA and with world-famed Emaar, Dubai properties, Wasl, and Hilton. Alhariri earned global recognition for his sustainable mountain pod that pushed boundaries and merged his design capabilities by integrating art and science.
4SPACE creates environments that inspire well-being, drive innovation, and boost company development. Dubai is the world leader in unique and well-designed properties. 4SPACE, as a full-service design firm, has revolutionised the hospitality industry with its unique floating villas, futuristic sustainable mountain pod, the tube house and the towering Marina Twin Towers. The city’s impressive VR Park located in Dubai Mall is over 5,000 square metres and is the largest virtual reality experience venue in the region. On a smaller scale, designers have created extraordinary interiors for restaurants and retail including, Kava and Chai, Space Cup, Charcoal Garden, Karamna, PAPA Dubai, Tutus Kurniati and the Discovery Channel Store in Dubai Mall.
4SPACE has two fully immersive experience parks in the pipeline; 7000 square metres in Dubai Mall and 2000 square metres in Wafi Mall. The team are also expanding into Saudi Arabia with many food and beverage projects being successfully delivered such as Kactus and Dopeamine. Steam Kitchen, HOOK, Verde and Sandwhere are currently being designed and constructed.
For a comprehensive understanding of the client's needs, the interior designers examine the context of every space and deliver innovative solutions. 4SPACE is considerate and intimately works with each client to generate a comprehensive plan using physical models and mock-ups and provide accurate time frames and budgets. They seamlessly manage projects from beginning to end and communicate freely throughout the design process. The extensive team draws on the knowledge and expertise of in-house architects, technologists, engineers and project developers.
The team of architects and interior designers provides wide-ranging designs for various buildings, including homes, hospitality and entertainment venues, offices, and event spaces. They sympathetically design every element of a visitors journey. 4SPACE intelligently reformulate expectations and create innovative experiences that encourage interaction by playing with textures, materials and light. Their designs encourage touch and are delightful to the eye. 4SPACE creates memories and pleasure.
2021 has seen various successes for 4SPACE. Not only has the firm formed the architectural division, but they have moved offices, launched a new website and expanded their team with new hires.
Throughout the pandemic, each designer's curiosity contributes to impressive restaurant design transformations; they are learning how to evolve, improve and remain relevant. Alsahin and Hourieh believe that their transformational philosophy, continuous development and evolutionary approach will ensure that they remain front of mind in the design field.
One of the biggest concerns for interior designers is often about securing clients for their next project. In the context of high-end luxury design, the burning questions turn to how design practices go about reaching the lucrative market of ultra-high-net-worth (U/HNW) individuals.
SBID organised an insightful panel discussion with SBID founder & CEO, Vanessa Brady as she explores the professional approaches and business strategies of leading international practices when it comes to building relationships with U/HNW clients in the UK and abroad.
Sharing valuable perspectives across the global design industry, the panel boasts an extraordinary wealth of expertise and experience working and engaging with clients on high-value projects around the world. Speakers include Chris Godfrey, Global Principle of HBA Residential; Firas Alsahin, Co-founder and Design Director of 4SPACE Design; and Andrew Linwood, Head of Business Development at Areen Design.
We discover that obtaining connections with those desirable U/HNW clients is much more than presenting a design proposal with pretty pictures. The panel sheds light on key sources for reaching this elite clientelle, how they go about nuturing those relationships, managing client expectations, and ultimately, providing the level of trust, confidentially, and skills that U/HNW clients value when it comes to commissioning an interior designer for their exclusive design projects.
The panellists also highlight their strategies for digital marketing, gaining press coverage, and achieving third-party endorsements through awards and accreditations (like those that SBID provide) as key to enhancing reputation among UHNW individuals.
Chris Godfrey | Global Principle of HBA Residential
Chris has over 23 years experience creating highly considered and finely crafted interiors for the residences of the most discerning clients. Chris cultivated his holistic design approach; combining Architecture and Interior Design to create beautifully conceived and exquisitely delivered residences for clients who appreciate the value of design excellence. In 2018 he received the coveted Master of Design Award from SBID and is also an award-winning Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Chartered Architect.
Firas Alsahin | Co-founder & Design Director of 4SPACE
Firas is the Co-founder and Design Director of 4SPACE Design - a dynamic, multi-talented, and multi-awarded design studio delivering quality architectural and interior design services. He is a fully accredited SBID Professional and was chosen as one of the 20 most influential interior designers in the Middle East 2020 for Commercial Interior Design Magazine.
Andrew Linwood | Head of Business Development
As Head of Business Development at Areen Design, Andrew has over 30 years of experience in delivering a range of projects for Hospitality, Residential and Commercial. He has designed insightful interiors for many of the world’s leading hotel operators including Hilton, Marriott, Radisson, Accor, Hyatt and InterContinental Hotels Group as well as HNWIs and sector specialist developers. He is involved in all aspects of a project: from initial client contact, brief and concept development through to documentation and site installation.
Cover image credits: Project by HBA Residential
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a retail design by 2020 SBID Awards Finalist 4SPACE Design. The Dubai-based design practice was tasked with bringing to life the 140 square metre fashion retail store Tutus Kurniati.
SBID Awards Category: Retail Design Sponsored by Garrett Leather
Practise: 4SPACE Design
Project: Tutus Kurniati
Location: Dubai, UAE
What was the client's brief?
The client wanted to develop her e-commerce platform with its first flagship store, for a more intimate shopping experience. It was important that the design reflected the brand as a luxury resort wear. The client envisioned the space to be modern and very feminine.
What inspired the design of the project?
Since the logo speaks highly of the character of the owner, 4SPACE focused on the featured colours; pink and beach-sand. The interior design was inspired by the waves on the shoreline, rocks, and seashells.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
Completing the project on time for the grand opening of the Mall. We had a hard time with our terrazzo floor as it was installed manually, placing the terrazzo aggregates one by one to ensure that the outcome will be the same as the design.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
The Instagram booth inspired by the beach showers with a neon sign and perfect lighting for an insta-worthy status - a notable design concept that is totally chic and canny.
Steps seating lounge that would appeal to social media-savvy females who enjoy retail culture.
In a cash-free COVID future, Tutus Kurniati was designed with no cash desk where technology works at its best.
Why did you enter the SBID Awards?
We’ve been participating in the SBID Awards since 2016 and we’ve heard nothing but praise. The process for submitting the entries has always been easy and all the coordinators are very helpful. Having a good review and been very consistent in promoting the interior design profession makes us a keen follower and member of SBID. Our founders and Interior Architects of 4SPACE started becoming Accredited professionals of SBID. We’ve also won the “Overall Winner” for SBID Awards 2018.
Questions answered by Firas Alsahin, Design Director, and Amjad Hourieh, Managing Director, 4SPACE Design.
If you missed the last instalment of Project of the Week, featuring an office renovation in a pre-war building, click here to see more.
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