Since first opening its doors in 2003, Bab Al Shams has long since been an iconic Dubai destination, renowned as a resort rooted in true Arabian hospitality. Featuring a modern spa and luxurious amenities sprinkled around an expansive landscaped oasis in the middle of the desert, with equine activities and organised trips to provide a glimpse into the local culture, Bab Al Shams is an elegant yet laidback 5-star resort for the perfect getaway in paradise.
The resort underwent a recent refurbishment, providing a much-needed facelift to the 20-year-old interiors, while ensuring that the design remained relevant and future-proofed. Lighting Designer Studio Lumen worked closely with the core design team of architects, interior designers and landscape architects to achieve the balance required to accent the splendour of the location and to provide the right navigation throughout the meandering resort.
The combination of culture and modernity was an important factor in the lighting concept, integral to curating a warm and relaxed ambience that provides the perfect desert getaway for guests while preserving the authentic visual heritage and blending this with contemporary Arabic elements.
Patterned decorative lighting, combined with fittings that are integrated directly into the interior and landscape details, provided the primary layer of light. Downlights and additional light sources complemented this visual effect, adding additional accents and highlighting key features.
Guestrooms feature a comforting light balance to provide a relaxed ambience, with lighting programmed to ensure the optimum levels for different times of the day and night. The lobby and lounge incorporate a blend of zones for different activities, with lighting playing an important role in creating this flow while maintaining a distinct identity for each space.
Lighting is also a key feature of the open-air restaurant Al Hadheerah, with a warm glow of lanterns set to welcome guests and create a serene dining experience, transcending to a spectacular night that explodes into a dynamic display of colours.
Siddharth Mathur, Managing Partner at Studio Lumen, commented: “The aim of this refurbishment was to blend the existing ethos of Bab Al Shams with an upgraded, enhanced design strategy for the next 10-year cycle. This was an important cue for the lighting concept, and the design by Studio Lumen brilliantly repurposed existing fittings, implemented new luminaires, and ensured that the lighting details and technology all responded perfectly to the brief to exceed the client’s expectations.”
The lighting design has been an integral key to reinventing Bab Al Shams as a luxurious, modern space, without compromising on the influences of its rich culture and history.
