WATG pays homage to Mughal design at The Chedi Katara

General Hotel Management (GHM) has entrusted multidisciplinary design firm WATG and its interior design studio, Wimberly Interiors, with its third property in the GCC region, The Chedi Katara.

Scheduled to debut in November 2022, The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort will offer 59 elegantly-appointed rooms and suites as well as 32 villas complemented by world-class culinary concepts along the beachfront of the Katara Cultural Village.

WATG has drawn on its 77-year legacy to reimagine Doha’s luxury landscape with its interpretation of Mughal heritage with a touch of Ottoman influence.

From carefully detailed frame fretwork, to ensuring precise accuracy behind the hotel’s figurative elements and mouldings, all design elements of The Chedi Katara were curated to be authentic to the fabric of Mughal design. The décor bears great Arabic influence in both old and new. Inspired from an exploration trip to Rajasthan in India, much of the façade is adorned with chhatris that is typical of traditional Indo-Islamic and Indian architecture. Refined details carved out of stone were also specially made to splay across the palatial building.

The epitome of understated luxury, the regal Lobby Lounge makes a charming centrepiece upon guests’ arrival. Fashioned out of a typical Mughal courtyard, the lounge’s 10m-high ceiling and walls adorned by original Mughal and Indian-inspired artworks capture the grandeur of The Chedi Katara, alongside elegant hung tapestries of Ottoman influence. A large window becomes a transformative moving canvas framing the nearby sea.

Few changes were made to the property’s master plan to leverage on its unique location, which included its situation at the northern end of the famed Katara Cultural Village, nestled between the Arabian gulf on one side and a canal on the other, allowing for dual-accessibility to the hotel from either within the village or from Lusail expressway through the canal road. A public promenade in the original structure was removed to let guests wander along palm-lined courtyards and easily access the private beach to sunbathe. A separate stand-alone signature pier restaurant, Marsa Katara, was constructed for indoor, outdoor and private dining, made accessible by a long jetty ride across the azure blue waters.

In tackling Qatar’s challenging climate, WATG’s architects ensured that the property remains mostly enclosed and air-conditioned in its meticulous planning. Glass screens are installed in areas typically left open to the elements in temperate conditions. Working with the Indian and Mogul design language, the screens were glazed to appear as authentic and close to the building’s original architectural details, rather than stand out as something visibly foreign.

“With The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort, we kept in mind the architectural elegance of the locale and fused this with the avant-garde building’s design, materials and colours, with subtle but apparent injections of The Chedi’s rich legacy,” comments Jeremy Heyes, Senior Vice President, WATG London. “The result is an authentic design that embodies the destination and breathes new life for all who enters to relish.”

“We recognised WATG and Wimberly Interiors’ mastery in honouring a sense of place and authenticity by seamlessly infusing sensory cues from the land and culture into beautiful design solutions,” explains Tommy Lai, chief executive officer of GHM. “This strategic partnership aligns well with our vision to expand GHM’s distinctive presence at the most captivating and culturally significant destinations with The Chedi brand’s relentless pursuit of hospitality and design excellence.”