After more than a decade as a Middle Eastern design vanguard, Dubai’s LW Design Group continues to bring European sophistication to the region and with the establishment of a new office in Hong Kong those same notable award winning design standards to Asia.
In a part of the world known in the public mind as the definition of ostentatious as well as for its hyperbole, Dubai’s LW Design Group is a design oasis. Since its foundation in 1999, LW Design has been designing some of Dubai’s most memorable contemporary and elegant hospitality projects and creating some of the city’s most iconic designs.
LWD’s dominance of Middle Eastern hospitality began in 2000 with the Rotana Beach Hotel and the firm’s portfolio now includes some of Dubai, and the Gulf region’s — and beyond (the practice is currently engaged in projects in the US and China) — most notable properties.
Combining the clean geometrics and a sophistication with both interior and exterior function, every LWD project shares a flawlessly integrated design and unified vision.
To date, LWD’s completed portfolio counts over 70 hotels and resorts and 200 bars and restaurants and counts some of the world’s top brands among their Client list including; Starwood, Hyatt, Accor, Emirates Airlines, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Marriot International, Fairmont/Raffles Hotels and Resorts to name but a few.
LWD’s projects are duplicates of each other. Holistic design means being responsive to individual clients and their specific needs, be it a mixed use development or fine branding options of international hotel operators. From the sultry, textured luxury of Buddha Bar, to the creative use of colour in the watery blue of Seafood Market at DXB Terminal 3, to the distinctive but simultaneously complementary mountain-set Hatta Resort & Spa, LWD transforms clients’ ideas into realities.
LWD’s architecture and interior design work incorporates site planning and covers properties ranging from resorts, hotels, mixed use developments, dining outlets and bars, in addition to its defining commercial work; their work has recently been recognized with awards for Best Bar in the Middle East for Vault and Best Spa in the World by Hospitality magazine for Buddha Spa.
Perhaps an exemplar of LWD’s flexibility and range is its contribution to The World, Dubai: the condominiums and villas of France and Spain and its Missoni boutique hotel. The resort component is a five-star experience that brings a touch of the Mediterranean to the UAE. In bringing the outside inside, the hotel is marked by intimate harbour views from all suites, ideally situated courtyards and an environment that fosters al fresco living.
As quickly as LWD’s contribution to The World recalls the low-density atmosphere of southern Europe, the 111-storey Jumeirah Beach Hotel, also in Dubai, is as urban and urbane as a modern tower can be. The sleek, modern tower with its glass façade is one of the tallest proposed on the Dubai cityscape, looming over the water of Jumeirah Beach.
The glittering needle, a triangular plan, allows for views of the water from every angle as well as view corners from adjacent buildings. The mixed-use development incorporates a five-star hotel, serviced apartments, duplex condominiums and one-of-a-kind penthouse units. Also included are public spaces comprising bars and restaurants, a plaza, beach and a jaw-dropping atrium running the height of the tower.
But LWD works just as well away from the tangle of skyscrapers that make up modern cities. Sitting on the pristine white sands of Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi is the Monte Carlo Beach Club. Marrying contemporary lines with a tactile space that has an almost tropical ambience, the club is organic and intuitive, where the architecture binds the entire development in perfect harmony.
The island’s white blond sands and azure waters are reflected in the club’s interiors, in a natural colour palette with matching natural materials that brings the surrounding nature of Saadiyat to the living spaces.
Multi-disciplinary, holistic and design forward, LW Design Group now boasts a staff of over 80 working in Dubai, with an adjunct office in Hong Kong and can comfortably call itself one of the region’s premier commercial design firms.
More information at: www.lwdesigngroup.com.