Architectural surfaces leader Cosentino unveiled Moon Vignettes at Downtown Design, an immersive tactile installation born out of their debut collaboration with Kuwait-based Babnimnim Design Studio (BNN).
Moon Vignettes is a contemporary reinterpretation of The Moon Gate, a mystical architectural element of Oriental origin. The archetypal moon-like gateway of yore is reimagined as free-standing circular portals that appear to rise from the ground. Symbolic of the cyclical nature of life, the abstracted moon gates in the installation also allude to the “circular nature” of Cosentino’s sustainable surfaces Silestone and Dekton – the brand’s large format hero materials that seamlessly clad everything from the walls to the flooring. The installation stands out for pushing the frontiers of materiality in design by using Cosentino’s impressively scaled slabs as place making elements rather than mere cladding.
Jassim Alsaddah, Partner and Creative Director of BNN.
Embracing the elegance of simplicity in design, Moon Vignettes, is an artistic composition of three elements: rectangular monolithic walls, circular cut-outs and intricate wooden joinery.
The installation is visually stimulating for its play of earthy colours, textures – a juxtaposition of fluted, matte, high gloss and suede, and ever-changing views though the moon gates, each vignette more alluring than the other. Remarkably permeable, the design invites free flow through the portals on all four sides and a kaleidoscope of vistas both looking-in and looking-out as one walks through and around the installation.
“Our goal was to create a holistic installation that invites interaction from all angles, breaking away from conventional booth designs that typically emphasize a front and back. The key design feature of the booth, ‘the moon vignettes’, offers multiple vantage points, creating an immersive experience for visitors”, explained Jassim Alsaddah, Partner and Creative Director of BNN.
Visualized as a design gallery, the interior displays the choicest of statement pieces: a bespoke table clad in Silestone Jardin Emerald from Cosentino’s latest Le Chic Bohème collection, design pieces from Cassina and lighting novelties from Vibia.
The Utrecht armchair, a 1935 classic by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Mario Bellini’s Cab Stools – the world’s first example of a free-standing cowhide design stool and Soft Corners, a collection of versatile furniture by a Dutch designer Linde Freya Tangelder, are the collectibles from Cassina curated for the space. Vibia’s Array pendant lamps, an exploration of thread lighting by Umut Yamac, circular wall scones from the Dots collection by Martín Azúa and the Flamingo Mini, an intriguing creation that recalls a bird hovering overhead, are the chosen elements of illumination.
Since 2018, Cosentino has been a regular at Downtown Design, each year creating stand-out installations in partnership with some of the region’s most well-known design practices. Talking about this year’s brief, Cosentino’s Region Director Middle East & India, Eddy Abou Khalil said, “It started with a visual, a photograph of Beyond The Wall, a permanent outdoor sculpture by Architect Daniel Libeskind at Cosentino HQ. It was our open invitation to play with the large format monolithic scale of our materials to create something sculptural. Babnimnim Design Studio surprised us with a multi-layered concept that highlights not only materiality but also ideas of wellness, circularity and design permeability.”
Other extraordinary details of the installation include phases of the moon captured through sculptural pieces made from offcuts and flora spilling out of the portals like flowering cornucopia. Partnering with landscape design company Secret Gardens, Moon Vignettes will incorporate a range of indigenous species and ornamental plants.
Some of Cosentino’s stand-out collections is integrated into the design. These include EARTHIC by SilestoneXM, a capsule collection designed in collaboration with iconic Italian design studio Formafantasma, Dekton Pietra Edition, a Mediterranean natural stone inspired collection by designer and architect Daniel Germani and Dekton Ukiyo, a first of its kind fluted collection with designer Claudia Afshar.
A perfect balance of masculine and feminine, Moon Vignettes is designed to be calming yet invigorating. Celebrating the interconnectedness of life, the installation invites visitors to slow down and immerse in a world were tradition meets modernity.
Moon Vignettes Project Collaborators
Furniture: Cassina | @vivium @cassinaofficial
Lighting: Vibia | @vibialight
Landscaping Partner: Secret gardens | @secretgardenslandscaping