Tr88 House: A Dreamlike Recreational Center by Shahrooz Zomorrodi

Award-winning design inspired by childhood nightmares, blending modern architecture with surreal elements

The Tr88 House stands out for its unique properties. The design team faced the challenge of approaching architecture critically while interacting with modern design and creating an environment that would appeal to people's senses. The intention was to abstractly incorporate nature into the area, despite the absence of actual vegetation. This resulted in a space that is not only visually appealing but also engaging and interactive.

All materials used in the construction of Tr88 House comply with Dubai's fire resistance laws. The architecture group created all of the details, including the biomimetic components, surreal objects, lighting fixtures, and various types of furniture. Warm, vibrant mural paints were applied to finish the artwork, making the project immersive for both the designers and the consumers.

With an approximate area of 100,000 square feet, the Tr88 House offers several areas for entertainment and recreation. Even in the food hall, a place where selling is the primary goal, there are games and enigmatic riddles to be found everywhere. The food court is transformed into an experimental space using the senses and games, which unintentionally involves a family of different ages who are not interested in architecture.

The project started in February 2020 and finished in March 2022. Provisional calculations were made to balance the space areas based on family proportions and user ages. One of the goals of this project was importing 180 tree trunks that ranged in height from 5.5 to 11 meters and joining some of them to reach an impressive 18 meters. It appears to be a system of interconnected treehouses.

The Tr88 House faced significant challenges during its construction. The "core and shell" challenge was the project's designated topic. Significant adjustments were needed to establish entrances and fire emergency exits after adding the roof. Also, the project structure was strengthened by the live and dead load calculations that were incorporated into the building. The project's materials are all fireproof. As compared to the music playing on the rooftop, the open area has acoustically treated 7-meter walls had a noise reduction of 45dB from 105dB.

This remarkable design was awarded Silver in A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2023. The award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.