Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort

Reinvent a landmark without erasing it. The commission was to turn Bab Al Shams into a contemporary and glamorous desert resort while keeping much of its original heritage — and to do it with a cost- and time-conscious approach, which is a constraint most published project copy leaves out.

Re-use, decided early. In the concept phase the team set out to preserve and re-purpose key furniture pieces, iconic artwork and accessories into the new design — adding, as the article puts it, to the resort’s overall sustainable value and heritage. The restrained material palette marries barasti-style canopies, adobe walls and columns to the existing vernacular-inspired architecture, and the art programme was curated by Capsule Arts to tie into the interior narrative rather than to decorate around it.