The brief was to create a contemporary Emirati dining destination at ADREA, Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts, for Michelin-starred Emirati Chef Faisal Alharmoodi — a space establishing a dialogue between contemporary local cuisine and the UAE’s deep-rooted relationship with the horse. Rather than a themed space with literal heritage symbols, the goal was to translate these cultural references into a progressive, modern architectural language expressed through form, movement, color, material, and detail.
The concept translates the Arabian horse and regional heritage into abstract architectural elements. Taking its name from Falwa — an Arabic term for a young female mare post-weaning, symbolizing grace, youth, and freedom of movement — the design translates the horse’s anatomical qualities, its skeletal structure, muscular strength, fluidity, and movement, into physical space. A parallel layer draws on Rabdan, the celebrated horse of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, manifested in a warm, dusty-white envelope of soft, mineral-toned surfaces reminiscent of his dust-inclined coat.
A monumental sculptural installation stands in the main dining room, inspired by the palm tree: a warm metallic framework expanding into a geometric canopy with woven natural textures and mirrored sections that capture fragmented architectural views. Conventional boundaries between walls, columns, and ceilings disappear, creating a continuous sculpted envelope with large organic, asymmetrical openings. Regional planting, curated traditional objects, and dallahs sit alongside sculptural contemporary furniture, balancing heritage with forward-looking style.
The envelope is sculpted across the ground floor so that surfaces seamlessly stretch, curve, narrow, and expand — a sense of anatomical weight where some forms appear muscular and grounded while others stretch with fluidity. Fine lines of integrated light trace these transitions, mapping the contours and making the geometry legible. The ambiance is warm, tactile, and highly atmospheric, defined by light and shadow moving across the dusty-white mineral walls throughout the day and evening. The space feels fluid and in motion, communicating organic strength and grace while remaining sophisticated and serene rather than overtly theatrical.
The ultimate test lay in executing this fluid, organic geometry and translating a conceptual vision into buildable reality. To control the continuous forms where walls, columns, and ceilings merge into a single envelope, the team relied on extensive 3D modeling and highly detailed technical drawings to maintain absolute geometric consistency. This required meticulous coordination between interior architecture, structural requirements, and MEP services: conventional service routes, access points, lighting, and air-conditioning were completely reimagined and seamlessly embedded within the winding forms. The final space conceals this complexity entirely — what presents as an effortless, fluid landscape is the result of rigorous digital modeling and disciplined on-site craftsmanship, preserving the unbroken, seamless quality essential to the story of the horse.
The result is a completely literal-free equestrian narrative, where the horse is never illustrated but experienced purely through structural movement, material details, and spatial transitions — an anatomical architecture of boundary-dissolving transitions that mimic bone, muscle, tension, and movement. Integrated linear lighting is recessed along the curving contours to trace and highlight the forms, while the Vibia Plusminus system uses its structural brown textile straps and hanging luminous globes as both illumination and a conceptual nod to equestrian tack.
The palette is rich, tactile, and low-contrast, moving through dusty white, cream, sand, Breccia Aurora, white travertine, walnut, and saddle brown. Custom dusty-white plaster forms the soft, matte backdrop for the entire envelope; Breccia Aurora marble spans the floor with expressive veins of cream, beige, and warm brown, a polished contrast to the matte walls; solid white travertine grounds the table bases; and rich walnut brings depth to table tops, joinery, and details. Saddle brown leather and warm metallics add final textured accents — carried down to custom dining chairs with leather straps, visible stitching, and refined metal hardware that echo the heritage of saddlery, bridles, and harnesses, with curved banquette seating custom-fit around the base of the central palm installation to encourage congregation.