Mix Restaurant, Palm Jumeirah

Alain Ducasse’s new restaurant in Dubai has been designed as a large Fabergé egg embedded within the main dome of the Kempinski Emerald Palace in Palm Jumeirah. Clavel Arquitectos kept luxury, sophistication and surprise as the key concepts behind the design for the avant garde cuisine of the international chef. The egg (20 metres high by 10 metres in diameter) is the main feature of the restaurant, and also connects the three levels of the restaurant. The lower part floats in the central void of the main restaurant (level 6 and below deck) and the exterior shape and materiality respond to structural and sensory issues respectively. The design focus is more than just on the aesthetics, as the egg represents the mystery of life and its true secret is inside, on the upper level, where only a privileged few can ascend using a private access elevator.

A minimalistic design palette pervades with the focus being more on designing a museum than a classic restaurant concept. Therefore light became a matter of importance. Lighting is designed to be soft to make diners feel comfortable. The directed architectural lighting is concentrated on the dishes, not on the guests, and it is a flexible system where the position of the luminaires can be adapted according to the different arrangements of the furniture. Conceived as a contemporary interpretation of Islamic muqarnas (a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture), a fluid ceiling of clear acrylic tube pipes covers the 500-square-metre dining room with a single gesture. The walls disappear thanks to the use of a rhythm of mirror layers that celebrate the movement of life.

The white marble flooring and purple rugs have been arranged in order to achieve a fluid dialogue of continuity. 

Beyond the dining room, the terraces open into an outdoor seating space surrounded by stunning views of the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai skyline. The terrace is designed as a flexible space that can adapt its purpose based on climate varying uses required.