Melange
Jeddah, KSA 2010
The project is built in an existing building on Tahlia street, extending over two floors and two wings of the building for over 2,500 sqm of gross floor area. The spark for this project came from an orientalist pattern that the firm had kept from early travel. The pattern, a typical Islamic geometric shape, was redesigned to fit a 60x60 cm metal tile that was laser cut and mass produced in Beirut. The tiled pattern was installed on the ceiling of the venue, over 1,250 sqm of tiles. White Corian material and wood completed the set of materials. The outdoor terrace was fabricated in Beirut and opens automatically to give the outdoor experience. The moving canopy was cladded with the same metal patterns. The seating booths are separated from each other by green bamboo sticks imprisoned in thick glass panels, lit from below. Relaxing furniture and light fabrics contracted with the gray metal ceiling.
Tahlia street is an important fashion and shopping street in the mid-town of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It contains many upscale department shops, and boutiques, such as Prada, Gucci, Versace, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani. As the Champs-Élysées is for Paris, Tahlia Street is believed to be the heart of Jeddah and Saudi Arabia's wealthiest district. This commercial street is often the destination of soccer fans, who drive up and down waving club scarfs and sounding their car horns to celebrate victory. An identically named street in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, has been nicknamed Tahlia Street by the residents as it coincidentally shares many similarities with the original Tahlia in Jeddah.
