This Exhibit Seeks To Unearth The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork

In contrast to Bañó’s intuitive approach, where he often works without reference points or even measurements, Esrawe pursues precision and intent. Across his Gear Desk—a bronze replica of a to-scale paper model—layers of cast polished metal echo the intricate ridges of honeycomb-shaped cardboard. His Frecuencia chairs, meanwhile, exude a more deliberate rhythmic resonance. Crafted from bent steel bars, their repeated forms and subtle variations convey a soft optical vibration that catches the sunlight and casts intricate shadows across Gallery Collectional.

Esrawe’s penchant for ornamentation intertwines with Bano’s minimalist ethos in EWE Studio’s Nebula Lighting Sculpture, a piece that captures the tension between rigidity and fluidity, structure and motion. These luminaires evoke cosmic origins, made from a caged glass technique where molten glass expands within brass frames to create organic, cloud-like forms.In the Táas Cabinet, a stepped sequence of uniquely shaped brass panels reveals and conceals in turn, with each dimension influencing the nex

Throughout the exhibition, on view until December 12 at Eden House, Al Satwa, the designers dig into the cultural roots of their muse—Mexican metalwork—to chart the evolution of the craft. Their works combine research-driven testing with organic explorations, drawing inspiration from Mexican stories, traditions, and vernaculars. Both share a mutual appreciation for the inherent beauty of metal and the labor and artistry behind each creation. This focus extends across various dimensions of the exhibition, where the production process is immortalized both in the textures of the works and in an accompanying olfactory element and soundscape that captures the atmosphere of the workshops.

Explore Works On Display In ‘Unearthing: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork’

Badie Architects Ignites Cairo’s Dining Scene with Escá Cueva

Among the inspirations for Escá Cueva, a new restaurant by Egyptian firm Badie Architects that’s heating up Cairo’s culinary scene, is the feminine form. “I was looking to reflect the body’s complex elegance, while prioritizing comfort and practicality,” recalls founder and chief architect Mohamed Badie, who earned his master’s in architecture from SCI-Arc. But, as witnessed by the sweeping rocklike formations pervading the 5,300-square-foot venue, it’s clear nature contributed to the concept as well. “There’s a sense of enclosure and intimacy, similar to what would be experienced in a grotto,” adds junior architect Farah Kamel—an apt description, as cueva means cave in Latin. 

Sited atop a hill with panoramic city views, the architects have built upon the existing base of a former home, softening and reshaping it with organic forms cut from silhouettes of the human body in motion, and added an expansive dining terrace to take advantage of those vistas. The undulating contours, while raw and elemental, were complex to formulate, made possible by mixing 3-D software and traditional hand craftsmanship by local artisans, wrapping a steel skeleton with a cement-polymer mix painted the color of sand dunes.

Rough surfaces, such as the ecru flooring, complemented by modern custom furniture upholstered in earthy-toned leathers ground the scheme, illuminated by natural and artificial light. Stretched ceiling fixtures emulate the diffuse glow of sunlight filtering in through the rounded openings, while others embedded into creases and depressions accentuate depth and texture. “Blurring the lines between architecture and nature, the user and their surroundings, strategic placement of lighting helped enhance the forms, creating a visual peace,” Kamal adds. The vibe intensifies, however, in the restrooms, where the fluid, monumental curves are lit by vividly hued LEDs that may remind patrons of saffron, a common Egyptian spice.

Explore This Trendy Restaurant by Badie Architects

PRODUCT SOURCES FROM FRONT: AQUA ART: STUCCO WORK (RESTROOM). THROUGHOUT NEOCEMENT: WALLS, FLOORING. COLORTEK: PAINT. MRIYA BY ELLA: BLACK CERAMICS. ARCHILIGHT: LIGHTING DESIGNER. FREE ART STUDIO: GENERAL CONTRACTOR. 

Inside a 1930s Mansion Turned Eclectic Show House in Milan

Within the storied walls of a regal 20th-century mansion, six international interior designers have staged decorative interventions celebrating Italian craftsmanship. For Artemest’s L’Appartamento exhibition during Milan Design Week, the designers each reimagined a room as an immersive vignette that interlaces with the authentically Milanese backdrop. Their curations are united by a commonality: The exclusive integration of Artemest’s contemporary art and furnishings crafted by Italian artisans.

Stepping inside, the Entryway is bathed in warm earthen tones reminiscent of Gulf landscapes, with Studio Meshary AlNassar adorning the space with silhouettes evoking classical colonnades underneath a chandelier sprouting Murano glass sunflowers. Transitioning into the Flower Room, dreamlike pastel hues are accentuated by Art Deco steles and mouth-blown vases teeming with floral invasions.

Elicyon’s Cocktail Room weaves sensorial textural depth into the architecture’s grandeur—from the long-hair fur lounge chair to wall-mounted rugs. Beyond, VSHD’s Dining Room’s juxtaposes minimalist modernism with ornamental baroque aesthetics, placing a whimsical paper chair beside Luciano Baldessari’s Futurist floor lamp.

L’Appartamento’s classical Living Room by Rottet Studio embraces wooden parquets, gilded brocade walls, and celadon wainscotting, infused with Venetian glass accents, a pyrite- and Cubism-inspired cabinet, and a dichroic glass table that refracts light. Tamara Feldman’s Bedroom recalls Mexican haciendas with terracotta textures and saturated red walls. Biophilia injects the space with vitality through glimpses of botanicals, wood, and natural stones appearing alongside yellow and green hues echoing those of the foliage outside.

A verdant extension of the interiors, GACHOT’s culminating Courtyard becomes an intimate outdoor living room with lounge and dining areas and a bar shrouded in local blossoms. A fire pit sculpted from local Dolomia stone interacts with the delicacy of the Murano drinking glasses and the rich burgundy tones of the iron bowl.