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The new Nobu Doha will speak, emphatically, of the sea. Echoes of Doha’s pearl diving history will weave their way in and out of the space, whispering of water, shells, fish and milky white jewels.
“The façade resembles a coiled shell, with elliptical ribbons of river stone that, when lit at night, create a magnificent waterside façade. In the open-air entry court, there is a massive suspended installation of hundreds of iridescent pieces of porcelain that resemble scales of a fish, created specifically for Nobu Doha by the Canadian artist Pascale Girardin,” explained Shawn Sullivan of the Rockwell Group, who was the principal designer on the project.
The perimeter of the building will be surrounded by a reflecting pool that elegantly accentuates the building’s close relationship with water. “In the main dining room on the second level are columns clad in white sea shells, a generous terrace area with expansive views of the harbour, and two bars, a white and a black pearl bar that operate throughout the day and are clad in white and black pearl-inspired finishes,” Sullivan highlighted.
Covering 26,000ft², the restaurant will include a main dining room with a capacity of 82, a private dining room able to fit 20 people, an outdoor terrace for 40 and a bar/lounge that is able to accommodate 50 people.
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There will also be a rooftop terrace with an outdoor lounge that offers commanding views of Doha’s increasingly impressive skyline, Corniche and harbour, and has a capacity of 72. Individual sculptural resin canopies, made by Kenneth Cobonpue, will be coupled with custom globe floor lighting to create a sense of intimacy in this space.
Nobu Doha, which is now due for completion in late 2011, will be set on a peninsula on Doha Bay that forms part of the Four Seasons Hotel Doha. The freestanding, three-story structure will anchor the northern end of the city’s grand Corniche and act as an iconic new addition to Doha’s striking skyline.
The building will give the impression of floating effortlessly over the marina – but creating such an intricate structure presented an inherent set of challenges, Sullivan explained. “A huge challenge was to fit the programme within the very intimate site,” he noted.
“What was equally exciting and challenging was that it allowed us to lift the building up so cars could circulate and drop guests off underneath a cantilevered building,” Sullivan continued. “As people approach and see the building from a distance, it will appear to float above the glass entry lobby and reflecting pools surrounding it. It is a complex structural system, which goes along with all the co-ordination issues involved in creating a building surrounded by the sea on all sides.
“The building is meant to be visible from every angle, so every piece of equipment needs to be elegantly concealed,” Sullivan detailed.
This will be the second Middle East location for Nobu, after Nobu at the Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. Rockwell Group has worked with Nobu since the opening of its first ever restaurant in New York – making the US-headquartered design firm particularly tuned-in to the essence of the brand.
As a result, the company had no problems injecting the highly distinctive ‘spirit of Nobu’ into the design of the new Doha restaurant. “The Nobu experience is unique in that it combines a rarefied culinary experience with a vibrant, relaxed atmosphere. This Doha location will be a unique work of architecture that will be elegant and iconic, and that will house a collection of spaces that are dynamic and thrilling,” said Sullivan.
However, while it was essential to capture the essence of the brand, it was also important to infuse the design with cultural context, Sullivan noted. This is no cookie-cutter brand, and this is no cookie cutter design.
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