Architectural Digest Middle East

Meet this year’s AD100 honourees. Esteemed creatives from the Middle East and North Africa who are, quite simply, today’s top talents in interior decoration, architecture, and product design. Plus, find out who the newest AD100 Hall of Fame inductees are, and see some of their finest work here

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), a destination for creativity in Saudi Arabia, has been redefining the cultural and creative landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for nearly a decade. Throughout the year, Ithra offers programmes, workshops, performances, and more, to help foster creativity and cross-cultural exchange. At its core lies the annual flagship design conference Tanween, a week-long event that provides engaging opportunities for emerging talents to network with the design community and learn from key global design industry experts. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dpRS5Vdr

For most of 2024, the courtyard of Turin’s Museo Egizio – fondly known as Turin's Egyptian Museum and one of the world's oldest museums dedicated to ancient Egyptian artefacts – has been enveloped in scaffolding, signalling preparations for a monumental occasion: the museum’s 200th anniversary, a milestone that brings with it an ambitious transformation, led by Dutch architecture studio OMA, which partly aims to redefine how visitors experience the monumental statues of ancient Thebes. Discover more: https://lnkd.in/d4dVcfXj

The biggest problem associated with an addiction to buying books is finding enough space to house them. It’s not a difficulty that the owner of this Georgian-style Belgravia townhouse on London’s Eaton Square is ever likely to encounter, for the standout feature of his home is a library so capacious it can cope with decades of collecting. In fact, his entire home was designed around his collection of paintings, sculptures and books, says Che Huang of London-based Child Studio, which renovated the four-bedroom, three-storey home from top to bottom. Tour inside: https://lnkd.in/drbxURyY

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) recently concluded the seventh edition of its flagship design event, Tanween Creativity Conference, leaving an impact on the region’s design landscape. Held from 31 October to 6 November, 2024, the annual celebration brought together international and regional creatives under the theme, ‘Fail Forward’, which highlighted failure as an integral (and perhaps unavoidable) part of growth and success. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dr9QVzUJ

Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes are coveted by design lovers and real estate gurus alike. They are known to hold their value, and are indeed era-defining pieces of architecture. So imagine the demand for affordable Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes; also known as Usonian Houses they are veritable unicorns in the property world. Take a full tour: https://lnkd.in/dHbprgYu

A Monaco export known for its signature Thai-Japanese flavours, MayaBay Dubai is certainly no stranger to highlighting the very best of Japan’s cuisine and culture. And now the award-winning eatery will be delving deeper into its roots with an evening dedicated to exploring Tokyo’s bustling nightlife scene every Wednesday. Dubbed Tokyo Underground, the late-night concept is the city’s newest mid-week party hotspot, which sees the space next to Jumeirah Al Naseem’s Turtle Lagoon transformed into a hub of art and music from 11pm. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dRh3XSgy

Mocha mousse and dentists don’t seem like a perfect pairing, but for Filippo Calvagno, founder of Studio Calvagno, the quest for a winning smile also led to him winning a new client. The design brief was concise and open-ended: to create a scheme that is visually pleasing and functional. “When I first saw the space, we immediately agreed on a colour palette, feeling intuitively that warm pink and brown tones would be perfect,” recalls Calvagno of the Mocha mousse style decoration. “These colours became the foundation for the design, around which everything else was planned.” Given its size, the client wished to tackle the project in stages, starting with the rooms that need less structural work. “We aimed to preserve the original charm of the two front rooms as much as possible, since their ceilings and details are in impeccable condition.” Take a full tour of the mocha-hued home: https://lnkd.in/djs8ZfcT

Over 400 years old, the marvel gets its name from its striking azure hue, and is often mistaken for Hagia Sophia. https://lnkd.in/dXxb9vQv

#AD100 designer Ali Mohammadioun's Dubai villa is a crisp and clear reflection of his approach to designing contextual spaces that are rich, yet modern Mohammadioun (who helms architecture and design studio E Plus A Atelier) is definitely what one would call a collector – not only of artworks (of which he has hundreds), but of trees and greenery as well. While looking for a home with a large plot to accommodate his paintings and plants, he stumbled upon this Dubai villa, which at the time was under construction. “I liked the scale of the property and the fact that the architecture was calm and not too overdone,” he recalls. “The plain canvas allowed me to build my Dubai house very close to how I envisioned the perfect home. Step inside the contemporary Dubai villa: https://lnkd.in/d3aWDQkx