Category: Design

I’d say it’s just slightly better than their previous version. The colors are much more subtle but I think all the graphics and icons are a bit too big and bulky. You can check it out yourself [Here]

Monstariam are three guys who were united by their shared passion for creating art. This exhibition is their first and will feature a multitude of artworks from intricately designed canvas posters to framed A4 prints and original sketches to exclusive bespoke vehicles.

The winners of the 2011 Emporis Skyscraper Award was recently announced and Kuwait’s Hamra Tower came in second place. The Emporis Skyscraper Award is a renowned architecture prize for new skyscrapers and the winners were chosen from over 220 skyscrapers completed in 2011. The tower that came in first place was the 8 Spruce Street which looks pretty impressive as well. [Link]

A friend of mine runs a local women’s fashion magazine and is looking for full time graphic designer (preferably female) to work on the magazine layout. If you’re interested send her an email [email protected]

StudioToggle is a design studio for Kuwaiti architect Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George. They’re the same team behind the coolest movie theater design I’ve ever seen which I posted about last year.

The same team have now created a temporary pavilion called Pneumatic_Grove, which they’ve installed infront of the National Library of Kuwait facing the Gulf Road. It is part of the Housing Sessions conference which started a few days back at the National Library. The pavilion is an urban intervention which comments about the inaccessible landscapes of Kuwait. The official opening for the pavilion was two days back but it will be running until tomorrow the 8th of November. If you’re also interested, they’re having panel discussion about the pavilion today at 4PM as well.

Their old logo (above) was not that great but their new one (below) is just horrible. They should have just hired the agency that did the 360 Mall branding.

Getting close to the opening of The Avenues new districts and our plans for future expansion of The Avenues we created a new iconic logo with a distinct personality that conveys a more abstract thought of simplicity and boldness. It’s an interactive logo with maximum flexibility for messaging.

Iconic? Don’t think so.

Maybe it’s because its 3AM right now but I found the clock above super cool. It was taken by a friend of mine at The Zoo Concept in Dubai. [Link]

[YouTube]

Nuqat is currently taking place right now and finishes in 2 days time so if you still want to attend a workshop or lecture you still might be able to. [Link]

The NUQAT design conference is taking place this year from October 4th to October 9th. There will be a ton of lectures and workshops to suit everyones interest. Below are the speakers participating this year:

SULAYMAN AL BASSAM
Theatre Director

DR. NASSER ABULHASAN
Architect, founder and partner of AGI architecture – Kuwait

RANA SALAM
A world renowned branding designer, based

TAREK ATRISSI
Internationally acclaimed graphic designer and typographer based in Holland

ELIE BOU JAMRA & MIRNA HAMADY
Co-founders at Kashida, Lebanese product design studio

ALFRED TARAZI
Political mixed media artist from Lebanon

JASSIM AL SADDAH
Kuwaiti Architect, Founder of Bab Nimnim

KHALID SHAFAR
Emirati product designer

SH. ALANOUD AL SABAH
Kuwaiti jewelry designer, founder of the label, Octium

AHMAD ANGAWI
Up & coming product designer from Saudi Arabia

PLUS AZIZ
Senior Trend analyst at NYC based marketing company Fathom+Hatch

LAMYA GERGASH
Emirati Photographer and Artist

HALEH ANVARI
Iranian published Writer & Photographer

NUR KAOUKJI
Fashion Designer, owner of Noon

YOUNES DURET
Global design agency creator from Marakesh

SALEM ALQASSIMI
Graphic Designer, Artist, Instructor, and Founder of Fikra

PASCAL ZOGHBI
Acclaimed Type Designer Founder of “29 Arabic Letters”

L’ATELIER NAWBAR
Jewelry Designer

For more information or to register visit the NUQAT website [Here]

I’ve driven by the site and I have to say it’s going to be HUGE. [YouTube]

Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah is planning on creating an 86,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall, scheduled to open in 2014 inside Kuwait City’s 360° Mall. Who is he getting to design the hall? The legendary Rem Koolhaas!

Like the glass cube that is Villa Moda, the new department store will consist of transparent facades, punctuated by circular cutouts to let in natural light. Unlike the average high-end mall, however, its design and programming will pay homage to its surroundings: Corridor-shaped shops reflect “the geometry of the Middle East,” WWD reported, with a special push towards spotlighting homegrown talents.

“We want to introduce the future Elie Saabs and Zuhair Murads,” Al-Sabah told the fashion industry paper. It’s a timely decision, in light of the Arab Spring uprisings. As a result of the region’s tumultuous political climate, there has been increased interest among denizens in local leisure activities and, consequently, local art as security concerns in cities like Beirut and Cairo have kept would-be travelers grounded.

Here is a link to the full article [Link]

Note: Dear Sheikh Majed, please let me know when Rem Koolhaas is in Kuwait so he can sign my S,M,L,XL book!

The Kuwait Towers have been closed for a few months due to the fact they’re being renovated. If you’re curious to see how they will turn out after the work is completed check out the video above. [YouTube]

Update: I just found out the video above is a design proposed around six years back but was never approved. There currently isn’t an approved design since they’re still getting proposals from various companies and this process requires another 6 to 9 months. There are plans to have a 3D theater and some other features you can see in the video above but again there is no design finalized as of now.

Currently the Kuwait Towers are closed and the interiors of all three towers have been ripped out since they’re upgrading the fire system, plumbing, electricity cables etc.. in preparation so that once a design is approved they can start work immediately. It’s expected to take 3 years for the project to be completed and the towers to reopen.

Earlier today I got a press release from Avenues regarding their new Multi-Purpose Hall that’s being constructed as part of Avenues Phase III. Since I hadn’t heard any information for quite sometime on the Avenues mosque that was designed by Zaha Hadid (pictured above) I asked them about it. Turns out for some reason they decided not to build it! Turns out it was only a concept design but never got the go ahead.

I think that’s such a major disappointment. Zaha Hadid is such an incredible visionary and I’m 100% sure the mosque when completed would have looked a hundred times nicer than the rendering above. Just watch the video below and look at what she did with the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

[YouTube]

Imagine how beautiful and futuristic this mosque would have turned out to be. It would have been a landmark for sure and now it’s never going to happen. I’m pissed off.

Agi Architects was awarded with a “A’ Design Award” for their proposed hospital design which is pictured above.

You can find out more about the Kuwait Children’s Hospital design [Here] and you can read about the award [Here]

The AlJazi Villas are the villas located right in front of The Village in Abulhasaniya. I always thought they looked interesting from the outside but was curious to know how the inside looked like as well. Conveniently, I just noticed ArchofKuwait have pictures of the interior as well as some information on how the project originated. They’re pretty cool villas and you can check out the photos [Here]