AHMED BUKHASH
Emirati architect Ahmed Bukhash founded Dubai-based architecture practice Archidentity in 2009 with the aim of creating built environments and spaces that reflect their surrounding culture through a modern design language, while reinterpreting traditional archetypes. Archidentity’s body of work embodies regional symbolism and vernacular through a post-modernist approach, and includes residential villas for private clients, mosques and other public buildings. Archidentity has been awarded the design for the Expo Live Pavilion at Expo 2020, which the firm is currently working on, in addition to a number of high-end private residential villas in Dubai. Bukhash is also heavily involved in the field of architectural education and serves as a member of the Dubai Advisory Committee for Architectural Program Development at the American University in Dubai.
French-Lebanese designer Aline Asmar d’Amman is the founder of Culture in Architecture. With offices in Beirut and Paris, the practice spans architecture, interiors, furniture design and art direction. Culture in Architecture exemplifies the use of hand-crafted materials and embraces heritage and innovation. From projects spanning luxury hospitality to private residential, d’Amman is behind key international projects such as the art direction of Hotel de Crillion’s renovation and the interiors of the new Le Jules Verne restaurant located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. And while her many notable projects are located in Europe (she is currently working on the Rosewood Hotel in Venice), d’Amman has strong ties to the Middle East, with recent projects including a residential project for a royal ruler in Bahrain and another residence in Riyadh. She is also committed to the reconstruction of Beirut, working with students to create proposals for the redesigning of urban structures and restoration in destructed areas of the city.
Sudanese-born, Bahraini designer Ammar Basheir founded his eponymous practice, Amman Basheir Creative Studio, in Manama in 2009 with the aim of creating atmospheric spaces that elevate Middle Eastern design in its own right. Basheir has since designed over 120 private houses, retail spaces and restaurants, as well as public installations. His notable projects include: the interiors of On Motcomb, an haute couture fashion boutique in London; the Post Museum in Manama; the Nuzul Al Salam Hotel, a restored traditional Bahraini house and the first hotel under the Pearling Path project in Muharraq – a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and, most recently, the interiors of the Green Corner, as part of a collaborative effort between Bahrain’s Shaikh Ebrahim Centre and the UAE’s Ministry of Culture. He is currently working on the restoration of Bahrain’s oldest hotel.