Khorfakhan, Sharjah · design study, completed to detailed design
A design study for a heritage building in Khorfakhan’s old town, reimagined as a boutique café and cultural venue. Arkenstone carried the scheme through to detailed design; it is shown here as design work rather than as a completed fit-out. The interior is inserted into the existing shell rather than imposed on it, balancing local material language with the working demands of contemporary hospitality.
The ceiling does the heavy lifting: a carved, dune-form raft in layered plaster runs over the seating, hung with stacked-orb pendants. Beneath it the floor is polished microcement, the seating a mix of cane-backed armchairs, A-frame oak tables and a slatted timber banquette. A beaded floor mirror, magazine ledges and stacked patterned floor cushions give the room a second, slower register away from the counter.
Limewashed and fluted timber, polished microcement, layered plaster, cane and rattan, with copper rails and sconces. Feature lighting runs from stacked-orb plaster pendants to ribbed paper shades and recessed linear track.
Joinery, wardrobes and upholstered furniture are produced in Arkenstone’s own 10,000 sq. ft. Dubai atelier, with no outsourcing. See inside the atelier.
