AMMAN
Gimme shelter
Shade-y goings on in the Jordanian capital
The Living Wall complex in Amman may look like it is modelled on a pile of coat hangers, but the horizontal lines are intended to recall rock strata. UK architects Foster+Partners’ project, estimated to cost US$150million, is being built on a rock-shelf in the heart of Jordan’s capital.
Six inter-connected sculpted towers – with double-skin facades with screens to provide shade and stimulate air circulation – are mounted on a podium in front of a sheer 30m backdrop. Shaded rooftops provide venues for cafes and restaurants, with impressive views across the city
The podium will contain retail and leisure sites, while the spaces between the towers will house public spaces such as a sunken amphitheatre and a piazza. Work on the project is due to be completed next year.
www.fosterandpartners.com
OMAN
Drop in for a stay
Guests really do arrive in style at the Gulf’s latest upmarket resort. Visitors to Oman’s new Six Senses Hideaway can reach their destination by paraglider (as a passenger on a rig piloted by a professional), by speedboat or by driving down from a peak that overlooks the resort.
The hotel is nestled between mountains and 1.6km of beach at Zighy Bay, a fishing village on the sultanate’s northern Musandam Peninsula. You’re best to fly into Dubai, however, because it’s 90 minutes’ drive from the airport there, but five hours’ drive from Muscat.
The complex has 82 villas and villa suites, all with infinity pools, plus its own marina. The resort’s spa has nine treatment rooms, plus two hammams, while eating options include a brasserie, a seafood restaurant and something called the “mountain dining experience”. www.sixsenses.com
LONDON
Welcome back
The 110-year-old Connaught Hotel closed just less than a year ago for renovations that cost US$120million. Now guests can again stay at the Mayfair venue, the rooms of which have been updated by designer Guy Oliver. A new wing has added 31 rooms to the existing 96, with a penthouse suite, a spa and meeting facilities. www.the-connaught.co.uk
KUWAIT
Brought to book
Alef Magazine has made its name as the style journal for the Middle East. Now it’s building on that reputation to launch a chain of Alef Books stores in the region, in a joint venture with luxury retailer Villa Moda. Both companies are owned by Shaikh Majed Al-Sabah.
The shops will offer art, design, photography, limited edition, lifestyle and gift books. “Alef Books shops will be the first of their kind in the region,” says Paul de Zwart, editorial director of Alef Magazine and co-founder of wallpaper*.
The first branch has opened in the Villa Moda Al-Manshar shop in Fahaheel, Kuwait, and has been designed by London-based architects Sybarite UK. From here, Alef Books stores will open in Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar and Damascus.
www.alefmag.com
Mugging up on fashion
Website Dia Diwan was conceived by banker Rasha Khouri to keep Middle Easterners informed of the region’s latest fashion, luxury and culture. It has just produced an exclusive range of mugs by Rana Salam, whose design studio has worked with Harvey Nichols, Villa Moda, Paul Smith and Boutique 1. www.diadiwan.com |
