Qatar Luxury Group awarded UXUS the mission to develop a groundbreaking retail experience for its global luxury brand, Qela. The Qela luxury collection will include leather goods, fine jewelry and women’s fashion, designed and crafted in Qatar to the highest standards.
From the Architects:
Qatar Luxury Group awarded UXUS the mission to develop a groundbreaking retail experience for its global luxury brand, Qela. The Qela luxury collection will include leather goods, fine jewelry and women’s fashion, designed and crafted in Qatar to the highest standards.
The new store strikes a delicate balance between the brand’s cultural heritage and its progressive spirit, immersing customers into the world of art, culture and design. Following this concept, the boutique’s design blends the atmosphere of an intimate salon with the dynamism of a world-class art space: inviting clients to explore a continuously changing gallery of crafted luxury products and fine art.
Aesthetically, the Qela experience has its roots in travel and embodies its native country’s aesthetics of quiet, pure and natural landscapes. Undulating forms and flowing curves echo majestic Qatari vistas, punctuated with rich, luxurious materials and a palette of elegant desert tones to highlight the Qela collection.
The unique use of textures and branded design elements conveys an atmosphere of understated elegance and comfort that is iconic to Qela. Bronze, solid walnut, travertine and distinctive nero d’avola stone slabs are softened by bespoke hand-knotted silk rugs and swathes of satin and linen curtains. Both traditional hand-carving and the use of state-ofthe- art manufacturing techniques on a vast scale add a subtle level of intricacy to the site’s generous volumes.
Celebrating the brand’s Arabic roots, the store features a signature Qela moucharabieh pattern created from distinct elements of the Qela logo. The pattern forms the façade and, through freestanding moucharabieh bronze screens inspired by abstract dhow sails, defines intimately curated spaces within the store. Breaking with traditional retail norms, product displays are focused on solid wood and stone plinths to create a more personal customer experience, and to help reserve walls for the hanging or projection of works of art.
As customers move deeper into the store, the journey becomes more refined and personalized. Upstairs, haute-joaillerie is displayed in precision-engineered freestanding cylindrical vitrines that allow a full 360-degree view of the collection’s unique jewelry pieces. Above, the “celestial vault” of a wood cupola is also intricately carved with the moucharabieh pattern and its eight-pointed stars, providing a rich, almost infinite backdrop to the gallery space.
Around the upper floor, individualized services and made-to-measure couture collections immerse clients in a tailored shopping experience. At the heart of this personal experience, the cashmere-tented Private Salon draws inspiration from the hospitality symbolized by desert hearths and invites customers to enjoy a moment of calm.
Arriving at the store, an imposing video display announces art shows within, replacing traditional window displays and setting the scene for a new paradigm in luxury retail. Throughout the store, cutting-edge low-energy lighting can be remotely positioned and dimmed to bring-out the inherent qualities in works of art and products alike.
At the intersection of culture, fashion and design, Qela represents the 21st century definition of luxury as the ultimate blend of art, savoir-faire and innovation. The new retail experience embodies these brand qualities, taking customers on an aspirational journey that sets a new benchmark for the world of luxury.
Project: QELA
Designed by UXUS Design
Client: Qatar Luxury Group
Area: 400 m2
Contractor: LEADS Construction
Fixture Manufacturer: The Set Company
Lighting: DPA Lighting/ RCL Lighting
Photography by Adrian Haddad
Location: The Pearl, Parcel 1, P.O. Box: 15604, Doha, Qatar
Website: www.uxusdesign.com
