‘The Hub’, a stylish restaurant located in the Dubai International Airport - Terminal 3, has won the ‘Outstanding use of American Hardwood in the Middle East’ award at the Commercial Interior Design (CID) Awards 2013, which took place on Monday, September 16, 2013 at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Dubai.
The award was presented by Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania to Cliff Caley, Area General Manager, AMBB Interiors, who were responsible for the complete joinery on the project.
This is the third year running that the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has supported the prestigious CID Awards.
The Hub was recognized for its simple use of American white oak, which flows seamlessly throughout the design from the floors, to the ceiling trellis, to the bars and furniture.
Designed by the LW Design Group, Dubai, the interior is sophisticated, and the look is entirely consistent from the entrance to the back. The judges praised The Hub for its ’simple use of American white oak to good effect, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality’.
The judges also felt that ‘the oak is economical, adds warmth and conceals unwanted steel structures’. In addition, the ‘Highly Commended’ spot this year went to the ‘Hakkasan Doha’ restaurant, which was submitted by Woods Bagot, the winner of the award in 2012.
“Located in Terminal 3, which has an annual capacity of 43 million passengers, The Hub recalls the imagery of an upscale cabin, with a variety of warm, natural materials, such as the cow hide rug and the fluid combination of design elements including the antler-shaped lamps, leather couches, and the blue under-glow that frames the entrance desk, all of which make it truly stand out. The clever use of both veneers and solids to conceal the hidden steel structure that supports ceiling and columns and the attention to detail makes the whole structure appear to be made of solid timber. This has resulted in a very economically viable product, which enhances the restaurant experience with its warm and friendly tones,” said Roderick Wiles.
AHEC’s involvement as the Gold Sponsor is part of its extensive outreach campaign championing the usage of American hardwoods and reflective of its commitment to educate specifiers and to increase awareness of the potential applications offered by American hardwoods. The ‘Outstanding use of American Hardwood in the Middle East’ category once again attracted nominations from leading design practices across the region. The shortlisted nominees this year included ‘KOI Restaurant’ by Bishop Design; ‘Cadiz Restaurant’ by LW Design Group; ‘Urban Bistro’ by Draw link Group; ‘Hakkasan Doha’ by Woods Bagot; and the winner of this year ‘The Hub’ by AMBB Interiors.
“The Hub is a worthy winner of this year’s award and the credit has to go to both the design and joinery team that a restaurant with such a high visual aesthetic can be incorporated into such a busy transport terminal. In addition to The Hub, the other nominations stand out in their own right and prove that the CID Awards continue to provide a unique and exciting opportunity to see some of the very best projects in the region. Our partnership with the CID Awards is aimed at strengthening our ties with the region’s top architectural and design firms and we are confident that American hardwoods will remain a preferred material for specifiers in the region in the years to come,” concluded Wiles.
The CID Awards is an annual event that pays tribute to the projects, interior design firms and designers that have made their mark in the region’s interior design industry. This year’s edition featured 15 award categories that covered the whole spectrum of commercial interiors, from hospitality and retail, to public sector and institutional.
The panel of judges this year included: Cyril Zammit, Fair Director, Design Days Dubai; Dariush Zandi, Architect and Owner, Total Arts; Marcos Bish, Managing Director, Summertown; Linsey Thomas, Interior Design teaching fellow, Hariott Watt University; Pallavi Dean, Design Director, Pallavi Dean Interiors; Tara Rogers, Co-founder and Managing partner, Mojo Group; Alan McCready, Managing Director of Middle East operations, ISG; Sarka Olivova, Senior Designer, Preciosa; Khalid Shafar, Head Designer, Khalid Shafar; Paul McElroy, Partner, Kinnersley Kent Design; and Rima Alsammarae, Editor, Commercial Interior Design.