The ACT Hotel, Sharjah

Draw Link Group was assigned the delicate task of creating a hotel which would significantly contribute to the development of the tourism sector in Sharjah. This hospitality project was requested to be one-of-a-kind in order to raise the overall tourism rating in the emirate. As a result, Draw Link brought to life another intriguing themed hotel to the UAE which was named The ACT, and revolves around the concept of a theatre. The 5 star hotel with a total area of 21,727 sq. m  is composed of 18 floors, has 180 rooms and suites, 2 F&B outlets – The Oscars All Day Dining and The Scene Coffee Lounge, 5 meeting rooms, a ballroom, full treatment spa and gym, an outdoor swimming pool.

To enhance the dramatic ambience of the space the light fittings were strategically placed in such a way as to light up the reception area and then gradually dim the light intensity while going deeper into the hotel. If we perceive the hotel to be a theatrical entity, the bright public areas can be visualized as ‘stages’ while the ‘proscenium’ spaces (corridors, lounges, elevator halls) are purposely designed to be darker, with the ‘crossover’ (back of house offices) entirely concealed from the visitor’s point of view.

Design features include customized out-of-scale standing stage projector lights, deliberately positioned in the main lobby in order to immediately provoke a ‘theatrical’ feeling as soon as one enters the hotel; pendant ceiling lights; contemporary artwork inspired by the famous tragedies (e.g. Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet) are displayed on the walls of the typical floors; large print of the renown Oscars cinematic figurine in All Day Dining; giant sculptural metal chandeliers in the public washrooms; parallel slats of wood with concealed lighting, luxurious golden mosaic tiles and a customized horse-shaped floor light in the ballroom.

Draw Link tried to upgrade the typical hotel guestrooms by incorporating the services found in the hotel apartment. This was achieved through the provision of a kitchenette in the suites, making the room much more functional. The rooms are designed to adapt to different circumstances and moods by being split into 2 key zones: the sleeping area and the social/entertainment area.

Every material used has a subtle texture, which adds a personalized touch, e.g. textured veneer desks in the meeting rooms, woven carpets with cross weave patterns, intricate laser-cut curvaceous patterns in the corridor solid surface wall panels.