AME Info, United Arab Emirates
Dec 4 2008

Post modern vision takes top prize at Index Dubai 2008

A post-modernist vision of a hotel room has won two talented students
for their university and the opportunity to work with one of the
region’s leading interior design companies.

‘We set out to create something out of the ordinary,’ said Shant
Krichelian, one of the two final year students of the School of
Architecture and Design at the American University of Sharjah whose
entry won the top prize in Al Habtoor Interior’s Young Designers
Award. The awards were presented today at Index, the region’s biggest
interior event at Dubai International Exhibition and Convention
Centre.

Index is hosting the winners of Al Habtoor Interiors’ Young Designers
Award on a specially designed stand featuring a mock up of the hotel
room and artists’ impressions of work by the winners and runners
up. ‘Their work shows much hope for the future,’ said Guy Roukaerts, a
design journalist and one of the judges for the awards. ‘The quality
of presentations was striking,’ he added.

Shant, from Armenia but born and brought up in Sharjah, co-operated on
the winning hotel room design with fellow interior design student
Nazaneed Azarbaijani, from Iran. ‘Our design is post modern and all
about function and comfort,’ said Shant. On plans for an interior
design career on graduation, Shant said: ‘I haven’t decided yet but I
will go wherever the flow takes me.’

Second placed in the awards were a team from Ajman University made up
of interior design students Tarek Karaly, Ahmed Hamdy and Mohammed
Ziddan. Third placed was a team from MAHE Manipal University that
included Gurpreet Kaur, Sabrina Kenssous and Sherin Samuel.

Sponsored and organised by Al Habtoor Interiors, a pioneer in interior
design solutions, the awards are aimed at encouraging creative talent
within UAE universities. Paul Watson, General Manager of Al Habtoor
Leighton Group Associated Business, congratulated the winners and
wished them the best for their future careers.

Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg media Dubai organisers of
Index, said:

‘It is the responsibility of everybody involved in the industry to
encourage young talent and we are delighted to be able to help open
doors that may lead to a big break.’

The world’s major suppliers of furniture, fixtures and fittings are
taking part in Index. Nearly 1800 companies from 60 countries are
exhibiting in this year’s event, which runs until Sunday 7 December
2008. Index is open each day to professionals and trade visitors. The
show is open to the general public after 5 pm. There is a special
evening opening from 5-10 pm on Friday 5 December.