Kuwait-based architecture studio WEFT uses arched brass displays and Kuwaiti desert sand to tell the life story of Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah - a prominent member of Kuwait’s ruling family.
The biographical exhibition scheme presented as a photographic essay draws inspiration from Sheikh Jaber’s drawings of his own birthplace - a traditional Kuwaiti mud house built around a large liwan with arched portals connecting to the living areas. At the exhibition,
the contemporary arched displays take on a figurative role as gateways to the celebrated person’s life. Meanwhile, the perimeter of the central display is filled with Kuwait’s desert sand, standing as a metaphor to Sheikh Jaber’s childhood in the pre-oil economy times, when Kuwait was a vastly undeveloped desert.
“Creating a contemporary space that is meant to resonate with someone’s life is a particularly challenging architectural brief. More so in a place like Kuwait, where a sense of culture
and tradition is so firmly at play. We tried to remain sensible throughout the whole design process; we continuously questioned ourselves - how would Sheikh Jaber feel when he stepped into a space that attempts to be a form of representation of his life,” said Ricardas Blazukas, the Founder and Design Director at WEFT.
The exhibition embodies an intimate ambience achieved by a combination of subtle material tones, carefully crafted brass details, thoughtful lighting placement, and is completed with Arabic Oud instrument sounds playing in the background.
The exhibition is located in the recently completed Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex, Kuwait.
Project Details:
Size: 100m2
Location: Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex, Kuwait
Date of Completion: 2021
Credits:
/ @weft
/ @weft
Exhibition Content: Al Diwan Al Amiri, Kuwait
Materials:
Marmorino Plaster Walls: San Marco, Kuwait
Lighting: iGuzzini, Italy
Brass Mesh: Banker, USA
Leather: Dani - Sustainble Leather, Italy
Floor: Trend Terrazzo, USA
Ceiling: Wood Skin, Italy
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