Interior Design: Roar
Furniture: Sancal, Sedus, Hill Cross, Nova, Minotti
Lighting: Huda Lighting
Photos: Yasser Ibrahim
Nature, art, and design are key to understanding this building in the United Arab Emirates. Through a contemporary design approach marked by graceful yet impactful lines, the interiors capture the essence of the region, alternating between elements that evoke the landscape and expressions of local artistic culture.
With a consistent and cohesive narrative, the new Ruler’s Court of Ajman embodies the golden dunes that stretch along the beaches, as well as their enveloping, warm colors. This is immediately apparent in the main staircase, monumental yet expressing a sense of lightness. Its colors and profile draw inspiration from the constantly shifting desert sand dunes.
«The staircase represents the fluidity and resilience of our region’s natural landscapes and mirrors the adaptability required in leadership and governance», explains Pallavi Dean, founder and creative director of Roar. Echoing this sentiment is the dramatic and iconic ceiling along the stairs, alluding to the ripples created by the wind on the desert sand. Reinforcing the connection to the land is an installation by Khalid Shafar: a series of stylized palm tree groupings, up to four meters high and made with local materials, interacts with the ascending movement of the stairs, once again evoking the landscape.
The building thus becomes an echo of the many expressions of its surrounding environment, establishing the foundation for a harmonious dialogue between architecture and nature. The fluid lines of the reception desk are juxtaposed with the artwork of Akil, who fuses Arabic calligraphy onto a support of corrugated metal. The boardroom, furnished with a series of long, low sofas in neutral tones, houses a steel installation inspired by the ancient Al Barwa letters, paying homage to the historical correspondence exchanged between rulers and dignitaries in the United Arab Emirates.
The spatial arrangement is dynamic, with a wide range of fluid environments alternating with more private rooms intended for institutional meetings. The materials chosen for the project – particularly wood, marble, stone, and brass – and the colors selected for the interiors – from white to beige to rust and brown – form a common thread throughout the spaces, which are diverse in function but unified in aesthetics and design philosophy.
