Rockwell Group Europe and Dhaliliyah Est. are nearing completion of the interior of the Nobu Hotel Riyadh, the first Nobu Hotel in the Middle East and the first luxury boutique hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Opening in the first quarter of 2015, the hotel will be located in a modern, 23-storey skyscraper on King Fahd Road in the heart of the city’s financial centre, close to major cultural and shopping destinations. In addition to the hotel’s 90 guestrooms and 44 suites, Rockwell Group Europe is designing all of the hotel’s public spaces, including a tea house on the ground floor, an all-day dining restaurant on the first floor mezzanine, A VIP lounge with sweeping views of the city from the 16th floor, banqueting facilities and meeting rooms, and the hotel’s in-house, 700 m² signature Nobu restaurant.

Rockwell Group Europe’s approach combines contemporary design and manufacture with Japan’s artisanal traditions, featuring raw materials such as wood and stone, warm earth colours and custom lighting features inspired by the Japanese art of origami. A porte-cochère made of a double-height rectangular wood frame, wrapped in natural fiber rope, will mark the hotel’s entrance, creating a sense of warmth and intrigue upon guests’ arrival. In the double-height entrance hall, visitors will be greeted by a sensuous ribbon of stacked horizontal wood slats, about five meters wide, inspired in shape and structure by the binzasara, a traditional Japanese percussion instrument.

The project reflects the collaborative design vision of Rockwell Group Europe and Dhaliliyah Est., and builds on many years of experience with Nobu Hospitality, a partnership with acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert de Niro and film producer Meir Teper.

www.rockwellgroup.com
www.dhaliliyah.com