SOL Beach Club wins AHEAD MEA Event Space Award 2023
What a thrill! We share this award with Lulie Fisher Design Studio and we're so proud of this collaboration.
This was a new way of working where we as Art Consultants had an equal seat at the table with the Interior Design team, and it was both inspiring and alot of fun!
A totally immersive experience with an authentic design narrative that lead to a viral sensation, getting picked up by Hospitality and Luxury Lifestyle Instagram accounts.
See all the winners of the AHEAD MEA Awards 2023 here
About the Project
Capsule Arts and Lulie Fisher Design Studio collaborated on the design working together to integrate art and interiors, centred around an experiential moment that embodied the spirit of the place.
Capsule Arts and Lulie Fisher Design Studio collaborated on the design working together to integrate art and interiors, centred around an experiential moment that embodied the spirit of the place.
Our approach focused on creating a journey marked by a series of artistic installations that guided the guest throughout the event space.
This experience was designed and installed into the hotel building whilst still a construction site without facades and closed roof structure. The site was known to be particularly windy. What was seen as a potential problem by our client was celebrated by us as we capitalized on this natural wind tunnel phenomenon to create a holistic arrival experience which engaged the senses – sight, sound, touch and smell.
A flock of migratory birds charted a route through the façade-less lobby beckoning the visitor to follow their journey as they moved with the changing wind patterns. A murmuration of birds swooping, diving and whirling in unison. A large rectangular opening in the ceiling slab (destined to become a skylight later in the construction phases) was utilized as an escape route for the flock of birds swooping through the entrance, along the main concourse and out through the open skylight to continue their migration.
A series of sheer fabric ribbons dyed the colours of sky and clouds, rose and fell in elevation and curled and swirled in plan to form a fast-moving skyscape, animated by the building’s natural wind tunnel effect. Alluding to moving waves, sea-breeze and flapping sails this textural palette provided unusual touch points and was complimented by sounds and scents of the ocean that pervaded the open lobby.
This focal point of the experience drew the guest’s eye through the interiors and out to the beach bar and azure seascape beyond. Capturing the client’s brief for an instagramable moment, this resulted in content that went viral on Instagram attracting great international attention.
On descending the stairs to the lower ground floor beach lobby, the colour and material palette transformed to a watery iridescence. Iridescent coloured glass fins and sculptural mobiles lined the routes to essential functions such as washrooms, a retail store pop-up and the basement carpark. It was at this level that the visitor alighted to the beach and cabanas.
Famed Egyptian musician Amr Diab’s close connection to the venue influenced a musical element in the art installations, incorporating the symbiotic relationship between sound and movement. Sculptural forms played with flowing ribbons and wind chimes, while musical instruments, sheet music and musical notes inspired sculptural forms.
By the waters edge, oversized children’s windmills created a unique moment of surprise and provided a charming and nostalgic seaside vibe that were brought to life by the natural elements.
