Ministry of Cabinet Affairs Office, Dubai

Kart Group was commissioned to design the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs Office in Dubai, and collaborated with Cambridge Design + Build to execute the client’s brief. The client wanted to invoke positive energy through Feng Shui and also chose to incorporate biophilic designs to promote health, well-being, and productivity among the employees.

Bespoke artworks were specifically commissioned, with an installation that has gradient colours superposed on different layers, designed to be visible from one angle and displaying an abstract artwork from another. Elements of industrial style were also incorporated throughout the office through open spaces, weathered wood, metal grids, concrete building systems, exposed industrial lighting, and ceiling fixtures.

In the gallery lounge, a creative hand-made installation of marine ropes cocoons an informal seating area. The twisted net of natural jute was inspired by the dyyeen, a woven bag that pearl divers used – connecting the modern era with the past. The continuum of past and present is similarly evoked in the clear mirror that has been symmetrically installed on the floor and ceiling to create an infinite reflection, anchored by a magnificent preserved tree.

The executive wing is designed with luxurious marbles, natural wood, and Majlis lounges while the staff areas, in contrast, have a more contemporary, industrial and playful design, with multicolour accents and relaxed, informal spaces for breakout areas and creative brainstorming. Overall, the workplace resembles a conventional public sector space that is inspiring and sustainable, with hints of cultural heritage scattered around the office.