Switch restaurant in UAE displays interplay of colors and Arabic letters
Switch Restaurant and Lounge, the first restaurant in the UAE designed by Karim Rashid, features color changing, undulating walls, and ceiling adorned with Arab calligraphy.
Designed by New York-based designer Karim Rashid, the interior of the Switch fusion restaurant at the recently opened Dubai Mall, features an arrangement along undulating walls that change color continuously. The ceiling is adorned with illuminated Arabic writing. These backlit, stylized, inspirational Arabic phrases, running along the ceiling across the length of the restaurant, offers a distinct ambiance to the interior.
The shape of the wall is inspired by the Arabic letter 'S' turned on its side and displays a play on the word Switch. The restaurant design complements the meaning of ‘switch’, as the space gets transformed by interplay of light and unique shapes integrated into the walls.
As conceived by Rashid, the 2,150 square feet space features an oasis free from chaos. The designer has taken care to make the restaurant a brightly colored, organic space composed of a continuous, sand-dune-inspired rolling wall that wraps around the entire restaurant, concealing sound and light sources.
The interior showcases a distinct feel of light and shadow reflective of the sand dunes in the desert. The continuous wave seating at the 97-seat restaurant provides a competent and dynamic operating system.
Switch marks the food and beverage debut of the Al Bassam Group, a Saudi Arabian conglomerate of petroleum, industrial and transport companies. The AED5 million ($1.3 million) restaurant is the latest chic venue at the 3.77 million square feet shopping complex, currently home to some 1,000 stores and food outlets.
