It all began with the space. Nina Parvaresh had been searching for a larger office for the Dubai arm of her multidisciplinary design firm, Concept-Me, and realised that none of the skyscrapers she was looking at were striking a chord.
Then she came across a two-level, 370-square-metre warehouse in the backstreets of Al Quoz and fell in love. “I really love industrial spaces. I lived in New York, and am a real New York girl. I love the Meatpacking District, how it used to be. I like Dubai’s Al Serkal Avenue, and have many friends there, but for me, it is too polished.
“I found this space, and it is surrounded by carpenters and mechanics and steel workshops. It was raw and rough, and gave me the chance to create some magic. I signed the lease without really knowing what I was going to do with all that space,” Parvaresh laughs.
While her accountant was unimpressed with such spontaneity, Parvaresh decided to transform the warehouse into a creative hub – a space dedicated to celebrating design, interiors, art and architecture. She has dubbed it DiaA-gram No 4, after the four disciplines showcased there.
The space, which officially opened its doors last week, is anchored by the Concept-Me studio, a cafe, and a retail space showcasing and selling art, design and home accessories.
But the warehouse at DiaA-gram No 4 is also meant to act as a hub – and a catalyst that encourages collaboration between creatives of all kinds. As a starting point, Concept-Me has kicked off an “in-house” collaboration with the award-winning design and architecture firm Orproject, and will be partnering on future projects with the company.
“I find that there is a real lack of content and collaboration in the region,” says Parvaresh, who landed her first project at the age of 24, launched her design firm in Paris in 2009, soon after graduating from university, and went on to open offices in Saudi Arabia and, more recently, the UAE.
“Architecture is a very elitist field. Architects only care about architecture and architects, and I hate that. I am an entrepreneur first and an architect second. Architects do not work on their own – they have to collaborate with interior designers, landscapers, contractors, suppliers and a whole host of other people. But here [in the UAE], it feels like everyone is working against each other.”
With the growing popularity of areas such as Al Serkal Avenue and D3, Parvaresh is convinced that the Dubai market is mature enough to appreciate a space such as Concept-Me. It might be a little off the beaten track, location-wise, but much as Dubai loves its themed neighbourhoods (Media City, Internet City, Healthcare City, etc), there is no need for everything to be grouped into themed clusters, she says. These kinds of creative hubs should be found across the city, acting as an inextricable part of the urban fabric.
“Dubai is often accused of lacking content and soul, which is why creative spaces like this are so important. The market needs more crazy spaces like this. There’s no choice, if Dubai wants to maintain its standing as a regional hub for the creative industries.”
She appreciates that the concept may not be easy to grasp at first, but that’s partly the point. “Everything is so carefully categorised and put into boxes here. I am trying to break down those boxes. This is a hybrid space that is accessible to everyone. Anyone can come here and find something – from professional interior designers, to the carpenter who works in front of our office and came here on our opening night and found a gift for his wife. Design should be something for everyone.”
The space is nothing if not diverse. Taking centre stage when you enter the double-height warehouse is a bright-red, classic Corvette Stingray (which, incidentally, is for sale, along with everything else). Concrete floors and exposed ceilings highlight Parvaresh’s eagerness to maintain the rawness of the space, but are offset by accent walls covered in rich, densely patterned wallpapers.
Elsewhere, wallpaper and fabric swatches have been framed and hung up, transformed into three-dimensional works of art. These are courtesy of Pierre Frey, one of the many brands being exclusively stocked by Concept-Me.
The stunning rugs found underfoot are by Golran, which specialises in exquisite handmade Persian carpets. “There are so many people who helped Concept-Me become what it is,” says Parvaresh. “So I gathered together creatives who have become part of the family over the years. Brands such as Golran and Pierre Frey, but also creatives such as the photographer Helmy Alsagaff.”
Alsagaff’s vibrant photographs hang alongside paintings by the artist Shabnam Parvaresh (Nina’s cousin) and doodles by Nadim Basna, an advertising executive and self-taught illustrator who had to be coerced into showing his work in the store, but whose tongue-in-cheek pieces sold out on opening night.
It’s an enchanting mix – wooden palettes sit beside Dh50,000 rugs; delicate jewellery by Snow Flake is set against oversized chandeliers by Vistosi; and dotted through the space are tiny decorative pomegranates that fit in the palm of your hand, sculptural wooden lamps by the French product designer Lea Silvestre and quirky iPhone cases by iStyle. There are high-end wardrobes by Creative Closets, chairs emblazoned with Persian cats, pomegranates and old-school telephones, and sumptuous bedding by the Lebanon-based Ponti. But the real highlight of the collection is the limited-edition, handcrafted accessories, which range from hammered brass lampshades and vases to knitwear stools and delicate porcelain birds, that form part of Concept-Me’s own Zero line. The architecture and design studio is found on the second floor.
For many, establishing a multi-pronged creative hub in one destination would be challenging enough. Not so for Parvaresh. Her short-term plans include the launch of an e-store, due in June, followed by the opening of a similar concept in Jeddah. “And in five years, I want us to be opening one in New York. That’s the dream.”
Concept-Me is in Al Quoz 3, Dubai; For more information, visit www.concept-me.com or call 04 333 5189.
sdenman@thenational.ae
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