AD Design Awards 2021 Winners

This year AD Design Awards acknowledged the positivity and resilience that runs throughout the MENA region’s design community. Find out who were the winners and be inspired by some of the best designs the Middle East has to offer.

Residential Project

Messila Villa, Kuwait, by Walid Sfeir

Built to show off a treasured art collection, this Kuwait residential project is truly worthy of the AD Design Award. It uses rich decoration in marble, brass, and textiles as a dramatic foil for sculptures and paintings.

“Art plays a primary role here, with paintings and sculptures by renowned contemporary artists dotted throughout the rooms,” Sfeir explains. “On the outside, the villa is built in an oriental style, but the owners wanted the interior to be more contemporary.“

Architecture

UAE Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE, by Calatrava International

Santiago Calatrava was inspired by the falcon, the national bird of the emirates, and by the region’s traditional bedouin tents. The renowned Swiss-Spanish architect masterfully united these elements and created a true architectural masterpiece. The emirates pavilion design is an iconic building and an expected winner of the AD Design Award.

In the interior, each visitor can contemplate the marvelous history and a glimpse of the future of the Emirates. The pavilion’s great exhibitions are complemented by an exterior with an outdoor garden, with native trees and other important flora. Calatrava’s design managed to visually create the exclusive experience that this pavilion offers to its visitors in Expo 2020 Dubai.

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Commercial Project

Msheireb Downtown, Doha, Qatar, by Allies and Morrison and Msheireb Properties

Doha’s recent meteoric growth has resulted in a dramatic expansion of its urban footprint fuelled by the automobile. This deeply progressive project aims to change this direction of travel. It creates a dense, walkable neighborhood knit together by naturally cooled streets built at a human scale. Set in the heart of the city, there are more than 100 contemporary buildings, each distinct yet all expressing a shared architectural language rooted in the local culture and climate. This ambitious project justified its AD Design Award perfectly.

Interior Design

Apartment in Achrafieh, Lebanon, by Marc Dibeh

This interior design project won the AD Design Award and you can easily see why It is not only a beautiful carefully designed project but it has also many layers and thought in each element.

“This project in Beirut has a thoughtful, elevated aesthetic and is imbued with meaning.”

Innovation & Sustainability

Netherlands Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE, by V8 Architects

The Netherlands pavilion, designed as a biotope, gives visitors a sensory experience. The climate system and the unique design allow visitors to experience the connection between water, energy, and food.

The Netherlands pavilion is unique. It is much more than just a building: it is a biotope where we unite water, energy, and food through innovation and show the connections between these three sectors.

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Hospitality Design

Habitas AlUla, AlUla, KSA, by Habitas

Located amongst dramatic sandstone cliffs and the archaeological remains of Hegra lie Habitas AlUla. Bathed in local rituals and traditions, Habitas AlUla is an oasis of calm and tranquillity in the rugged desert and worthy winner of the Hospitality design AD Design Award.

Cultural Project

The Flying Saucer, UAE, by SpaceContinuum Design Studio for Sharjah Arts Foundation

United Arab Emirates’s third-largest state Sharjah is far from its gilded neighbors in its landscape. Here, modest scale colorful buildings and walkable streets lead to a tranquil seaside stretched across the Persian Gulf. And it is in this amazing location that the cultural project AD Design Award was given.

The cultural fabric is a standout in the region. Sharjah Art Foundation spearheads an ambitious year-long program, including a cutting-edge art biennial, nestled across the city’s intact texture. Internationally-attended citywide gatherings also provide an opportunity to repurpose the city’s dormant buildings. The Flying Saucer is a perfect example of an amazing cultural landmark in the region.

Product Design

Transcendence by Nada Debs

AD Design Award was given to Nada Debs, who has chosen the arched doorway and dome, which are recreated within the carpet weave to indicate religious architecture found across mosques, minarets, shrines, and ancient churches rooted in the Byzantine architectural tradition from as early as the 7th century.

Designer Of The Year

Ammar Basheir, Bahrain

In his decade-long career, Ammar Basheir has carved out a niche for himself as the go-to designer of atmospheric spaces for some of the Gulf’s most discerning tastemakers. Basheir managed to build a multi-million dollar business entirely through word of mouth. Despite this, his status as a best-kept secret in the region is about to change thanks to a string of high-profile projects, and now the given AD Design Award for the designer of the year.

“Effortlessly spanning commercial, cultural and residential projects, this designer’s bold visual signature is gaining global recognition for their home country.”

Emerging Talent

Exil Collective, Lebanon

“This talented group in Beirut has established a bold platform to research, prototype, and product design, offering the opportunity to many designers to realize their vision, too.”

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