More than mashrabiya

 

Every project needs to be anchored to its environment in some way or another. Designers are obliged to create a connection between spaces and the landscapes they inhabit. So, even when it is not spelled out in the brief – which, more often than not, it is – designers in this part of the world must inject Middle Eastern influences into their work.

 

Often, however, this means that designers work some kind of mashrabiya motif into the project and leave it at that. 

 

Token gestures and half-hearted nods to Middle Eastern culture aren’t hard to come by in this region – but beg the question of what, exactly, ‘Middle Eastern design’ means. 

 

“Unfortunately, the mashrabiya motif is used quite commonly to give a soulless design the illusion of being ‘local’. The wind tower has also been copied to death,” said Markus Schwitzke, branch manager, Schwitzke & Partners, Dubai.

 

“What defines Middle Eastern design is hard to say, especially since it is dominated by western architects and designers at present. There is no Middle Eastern design without local protagonists.

 

“I believe Middle Eastern design has so far been defined by the needs of the region. It is a combination born out of dynamic developments created by an international crowd but is often also based on the rich culture, traditions and religion of this area, which is what makes it so interesting and different,” he said.

 

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In its purest form, Middle Eastern design has been shaped by a rich, culturally-unique history, strong religious ties and climactic influences. “Middle Eastern design is the evolution of architecture and interior design over 1,400 years,” noted Supriya Fernandes, principal architect, 3 Square Design, Dubai. 

 

“Many elements of design and decoration in ‘Middle Eastern design’ are attributed to the prohibition of images in Islam, which led artists and calligraphers to create beautiful scenes using geometric imagery and turning type into pictures,” she elaborated.

 

“The use of inward looking spaces, to reduce the amount of sunlight and heat entering a dwelling, shuttered windows, cool blue ceramic tiles and mashrabiyas, were all functional elements that reduced the harsh impact of the inhospitable climactic conditions while becoming defining elements of a design style.”

 

As so many elements of Middle Eastern design evolved as a direct response to climactic conditions, it is perhaps unsurprising that in an era of ubiquitous air-conditioning, many of these are now regarded as redundant. “The primary evolution for the style came as form followed function in terms of climate.

 

“Once we have managed to totally control climactic influences, with temperature-controlled environments, many of the functional elements became merely decorative,” Fernandes agreed.

 

In the quest to create a Middle Eastern design ethos for the 21st century, designers can call upon historical, cultural and religious motifs, but also have a varied and striking landscape to draw from, said Alfred Johnson, founder of Dubai-based design firm, Imagination. 

 

“Middle Eastern design is about bringing in not just the deserts, but the oases, the gorgeous sun and the beautiful beaches. It is about incorporating all of that. Design should be an echo of society and how it has advanced, and this is a society that is extremely old and rich, and which has come so far. That’s what you need to convey,” Johnson said.