From 23 to 30 March, the Italian Design Day in Qatar expanded into a Design Week in the model city of Msheireb, in the heart of the capital Doha, which this year will also host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. An exhibition with 50 exemplary objects that have made the history of design and Italian companies and that are confronted with the new generation of IoT objects already in the Cloud and also made by young startups.

In the exhibition, in addition to the objects, two large screens show films on design and architecture, among which two exemplary projects stand out in representing the relationship between architecture and design and between Qatar and Italy through design in an international context: the interiors of the International Airport and Doha designed by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel and the United Nations Multilateralism Room in Geneva, donated by the State of Qatar, and designed by Giampiero Peia and Marta Nasazzi.

The Italian Design Day continues in a Design Week with the opportunity to broaden the debate on the cultural, social, educational and economic significance of design, its ability to be a bridge between countries and disciplines and to be climbed from the “Spoon to the City ”, A SMART city like the one hosting the exhibition.

The complementarity between city architecture and object design becomes the field of solutions that can be immediately implemented to reverse the path of self-extinction that we already see with the devastating effects on the planet, on our economies and society. The curator of the exhibition, architect Giampiero Peia, also wanted schools and universities to participate in the exhibition to raise awareness of Italian design and discuss the impact that design and architecture have on our choices and in our lives. And encourage the enthusiasm of the new generations towards multidisciplinary creativity that allows them to optimize sustainable technologies and natural resources, research and development with education and culture.

A culture that combines utility and beauty for a new renaissance of humanity.

The villa is situated opposite the sea. the intervention was mainly involved in interior design. The use of “mujarabie” glass facade and wooden plus mirror in double-heigh space is a approach to the local culture in a modern way. Precious materials like marble, ebony wood are presents on the floors and wall covering. Italian glass chandeliers complete the furnishings.
In the living the niches in the wooden walls allow the space for a number of paintings and art objects.

The house is facing the beach and has a direct relation with it. The traditional local “mushrabiya” is revised in a modern way and utilized as brisoleil in front of the full glass facades.
Volumes of the two wings hosts at ground floor living room and dining room, and in the upper floor the suites. They have been studied to appear as ‘binoculars’ pointing towards the sea. The layout positions the bedrooms in a privileged spot to benefit the best view.
The triple height volume of the entrance hall connects the two wings and hosts a sculptural staircase. A panoramic transparent lift shaft driving the light from the roof top to the underground basement.
The entrance volume facades are covered by stone and consists of hollows allowing light to pass through. White marble, wood and glass are the material that form the composition of each block assemble.
The composition plays with juxtaposition of light and shadow, solidity and emptiness.
The water bodies surround the villa by reflecting ponds and swimming pools to separate greenery and the beach from the architecture.

The Spa, run by Chakra Spa with Guerlain sponsorship, is located at 39th and 40th floor of Alfardan residential Towers in Doha.
The use of golden colour as finishing material matches the style of Guerlain brand.
Wall decoration in the hallways consists of small round mirror inserts, which translate ancient and traditional Indian decoration into a modern one.
The continuity of the floor (resin floor) and walls (“spatula stucco finishing”) material and the organic shape of the ceiling break the length of corridors to distribute the “treatments suites”.
One floor is dedicated to fitness area and the panoramic double height space indoor swimming pool, the other floor is dedicated to health centre and includes 11 treatment rooms, the typical “Rasul”, chromo therapy steam room, Turkish bath, relaxation rooms and a female “Majilis” (a kind of living room for socializing).

This project is a multifunctional structure done by twin towers connected by a commercial podium with an elegant and exclusive retail area.
A wide entrance hall contains a black  glass scenographic staircase that leads to the
The interior space of the double height  podium is designed to re-assemble duplex shops with independent entrances by the public “Inner Plaza”:
The glass panels,  the polished black stoneware as flooring, the polished stainless steel of the slab finishing and the reflective ceiling made of black reflective stretched ceiling,  enhance the reflexes between surfaces giving a “vertigo” sensation.
Reflective leaves in the entrance lobby walls and floral patterns on the ceilings recreate the “Rajasthan  Mughal Palaces” decoration, mixed with the precious Baccarà chandeliers and contemporary furniture pieces.

L’obiettivo principale del Al Jazeera Spirit Cafè è quello di mostrare lo spirito di Al Jazeera. Dare l’opportunità  al marchio Al Jazeera di  esporre e rivelare se stesso al mondo esterno, mostrando  ciò che lo fa spiccare da altre reti, creando l’interazione tra lo spettatore, il pubblico in generale, visitando scuole e Al Jazeera, che unisce media e intrattenimento con un tocco di giornalismo dal vivo.
L’idea e il concetto di questo progetto è di creare un libero e fluido spazio moderno senza manomissioni con la struttura esistente ma migliorando e aggiungendo allo spazio. L’idea è di trasformare le solide pareti esistenti a pareti trasparenti (vetro), creando in tal modo la chiarezza di visione e leggerezza nello spazio. La motivazione  è quella di mostrare  Al Jazeera al pubblico catturandoli con il loro ‘spirito di apertura garantendo  loro un’esperienza inconcepibile.

The 62 floor high tower consists of medium-long term rental apartments located in the tower, public areas in the podium and SPA and wellness center in the first floor. The design of the apartments, especially Triplex and ‘’Sky-Villas’’ involved the research of balance between luxury requirements, European style high-end hotels and  the local traditions of the Gulf.The entrance hall brings the theme to a more complex relation; here the theme of the arabic courtyard “sahn” with a central fountain and “mushrabiya” windows looking into it from different levels is blended with more contemporary elements such us the composition of space through the subtraction of pure volumes, the use of modern material such as white painted stainless steel and the use of high technologically lighting system, which consists of RGB light sources originating behind “mushrabiya” producing a very rich and delicate shadowed effect. The theme of “mushrabiya” is thus re-elaborated and articolated in an elegant texture composition.Other public areas such as the restaurant introduce new local themes created with privacy using warm materials.

The project theme for the Cultural Village is inspired from the heritage architecture which is the true and easy explanation of the country’s cultural roots. The Cultural Village’s complex architecture is clear about this target through the amazing historical reconstruction and re-invention of the Qatary magnificence, based on the simplicity of the typical iconic shapes of the culture and the richness of decorations and aesthetic contents of the same Arabic and Islamic tradition in the region. In our opinion the best way to transmit the love for the proud roots of the country to the new generation is by developing an honest contemporary reinterpretation of the tradition itself. The Multipurpose hall competition is an important occasion to give a more deep meaning to the cultural message of an elegant modality, refusing the use of “styles” and the direct comparison between contemporary trends and the values of the memory as opposed to the usual consequent  fight between past image and future vision. At the same time a very strong contemporary approach might seem detached and in sharp contrast with the cultural heritage orientation. Therefore the only solution for the multipurpose hall which is a place to attend cultural conferences, parties, live music or performing art events must be like a story “staged” with a clear metaphorical meaning. The idea and concept of the project comes from the abstraction of the main icons that symbolize the milestones of the local culture and its own transmission to the world. The “flying carpets legend” is the symbol of new media. Hi tech video, leds, projections facilitate the flexible approach of the hall.