Gulf Construction Online - Designer dreams up contemporary classic

The Fairmont Dubai

Tree lamps ... one of the distinctive features of the atrium.

Designer dreams up contemporary classic

01 December 2001

Elegant contemporary themes dominate The Fairmont Dubai, says Decorpoint, the interior designers for the hotel part of the property.

The Italy and Dubai-based firm, which started work on the project in December 1999, played a key role in the hotel redesign.

"Apart from interior design, our Italian company also manufactured and supplied furniture for the hotel suites and business centre," says general manager Edward McHardy. "The majority of the furniture in our scope of works was manufactured in Italy, however, our fabrics workshop in Dubai also assisted with the manufacture of drapes, bedspreads and cushions etc. We also designed, manufactured and supplied the unique tree lamps in the atrium that contain both the air-conditioning supplies and speakers in order to service the centre of the atrium space.

He continues: "The design was carried out between our head office in Italy and our Dubai office. It was a collaboration between the two offices, which worked well together to come up with ideas."

The Fairmont has been designed as a contemporary hotel, with stainless steel extensively used throughout the project.

"When we became involved in the project, the atrium was just an open space and we literally had to design it from scratch," says McHardy. "First, we redesigned the connecting bridges to the office levels (5 to 7). Our Italian office came up with the idea of connecting the levels with polished stainless steel trusses clad in a translucent polycarbonate skin which is then bathed in a blue light. They resemble large light shades. A space-frame roof was designed over level 10 to break the atrium into two parts.

"As you come down from the higher levels in the panoramic lift, you suddenly break into an area full of surprise and interest. Two majestic glass and light features suspended on stainless steel rods and cables referred to as the River of Light flow down the walls and terminate in actual water features.

"The atrium at Level 33 was floored over and Level 35 has a glazed barrel vault over to enclose the space and form a unique dining area at a high level.

"The VIP dining on the first floor was designed in a boat-like shape with the glazed cladding details testing the cladding contractors ability to the full. "The ballroom and VIP lounge features an elegant contemporary style," he says. "The materials exude a feeling of quality and luxury. It has been designed to allow flexibility within the ballroom depending on the function being held, allowing for various combinations of space and purpose while still keeping its identity."

The three chandeliers within the ballroom are enormous and have been beautifully engineered by an Italian company. The style of the business centre is a mix of high technology and elegance achieved by the use of modern materials such as stainless steel, glass and polished plaster, inset into a more traditional background of timber panelling, marble and parquet floors.

"The fitness centre on the ninth floor has an overall classical Roman style while the style of the health club follows through from the fitness centre. In both areas, murals have been incorporated to emphasise the theme. All changing areas have an old Roman core to retain the style. However, they are predominantly modern with fresh simple lines portraying a clean and healthy environment," he says.

The typical suites occupying floors 10 to 20 have been created to give a feeling of elegance of a contemporary setting.

"The floor has polished granite tiles, softened by area rugs accentuating the colours and textures of the fabrics," he says. "The furniture has been selected as individual pieces each with its own identity and character, brought together to achieve an elegant yet cosy environment. The general colour scheme is based on tones of beige with bold accent colours used to acquire intensity."

For the typical guestrooms the style is contemporary. The floor is a combination of granite and polished graniti tile. Furniture has been selected for its elegance and soft curves.

"The style of the specialty guestrooms on level 31 was determined by their ethnic origins. All materials and colour schemes were selected to evoke originality and the atmosphere of the culture of the countries they represent. The Japanese rooms are minimalistic in design with strong contrasts of colour while Arabic rooms have very intricately-designed pieces of furniture with a bold colour scheme," McHardy says.

The executive guestrooms on level 32 are styled on elegance created by the materials selected. "The floor is a combination of granite and parquet with soft area rugs," he says. "The furniture has been chosen for its individuality and style to create a luxurious and chic environment. The colour scheme uses a combination of light and dark wood for contrast with tone-on-tone rich fabrics and a splash of colour for the accent pieces to achieve an atmosphere of opulence."

The project, says McHardy, presented Decorpoint with a great opportunity to design. "Every space designed is completely different from the other. It is like a journey of discovery as you go through the building. There was a great team effort. Everybody involved - from the client, to the project managers, consultants and contractors - contributed to its success and everyone should be proud of what has been accomplished,'' he says. ''We hope we can work on another project like this with the same team spirit that prevailed on this project and wish the very best for the future.''

Decorpoint, an international interior design company, was established in 1979 in Ponsacco (Pisa) Italy. Its activities range from complete turnkey projects to design, manufacture, supply and installation of any interior design element. The company has been operating in the UAE since its inception in 1979 and over the years has been involved with a number of projects ranging from villas, hotels, international conference centres, embassies and airports.

"For most of our projects, we run from design concept through to completed work. However, we also offer our services to other consultants for sourcing, procurement, manufacture, supply and installation of all interior elements such as furniture, fixtures and fabrics," says McHardy.

Decorpoint has established a wide network of contacts over the years, making sourcing and procurement of any interior element an easy exercise and its head office has an extensive library of high-quality products, including an extensive fabric library.

Through its associate companies in Italy, it can design, manufacture and supply furniture from one-off bespoken pieces to production line furniture. The company has made substantial investments in computer equipment and software to ensure the transfer of information between its head office in Italy and Dubai takes place efficiently and effectively. Each office has networked computers with the transfer of information taking place on a daily basis between offices. Its Dubai office also has additional computer stations to allow the transfer of staff from Italy to complement the local staff when the need arises.