Art Rotana: A Futuristic Oasis in the Heart of Bahrain

Golden A' Design Award Winner Ethospace Pte. Ltd. Brings Arabian Heritage to Modern Hospitality

The design of Art Rotana is inspired by the rich Arabian heritage and the contemporary landscape of ideals. It encapsulates the essence of the Bedouin culture, known for its warm hospitality even in the harshest of desert life. The hotel welcomes its guests as a brother would welcome his own people, reflecting the traditional Arabian approach to hospitality.

Art Rotana stands out for its unique design elements. The entrance of the hotel features two modern tents, a magnificent steel sky frame canopy, and an elegantly sculptured leather tent in an Arabic inspired tapestry. The use of water jet technology to create Arabian calligraphic expressions on marble floors, bent wood forms, and fibreglass with moulded plaster adds depth to the design, making it expressive of the future Middle East.

The hotel boasts 311 rooms, 8 state-of-the-art meeting rooms and conference facilities, and 8 food and beverage outlets. The design process was a romantic appreciation of the Middle East, with a focus on creating a collection of exquisite forms expressive of Oriental culture. The result is a hotel that celebrates design in praise of philosophy, sciences, and the arts definitive of a refined lifestyle that originated from the Middle East.

Art Rotana is the result of a four-year project that started in December 2010 and finished in December 2014. The design project was a result of modern romance from oriental fables of old, made possible by the creative use of materials from advanced technology and science integrated with creativity. The project was supported by a very resourceful Project Team headed by a competent Project Director.

The design of Art Rotana faced several challenges. The main challenge was understanding a culture that the designer had always admired. This design assignment was seen as an opportunity to give birth to a romantic novel of a culture and people the designer had grown an affinity to. The Art Rotana, in design, evolves around themes expressive of a futuristic Oasis. It is reflective of a Bahrain aspiring to create windows like eyes looking out into the world.

The Art Rotana was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2018. This award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.