Designer Karim Rashid has completed the interior of a restaurant in Dubai, UAE.
Called Switch, the restaurant is arranged along undulating walls that change colour continuously.
The ceiling is decorated with Arabic writing, lit from behind.
“The wall is inspired by the Arabic letter S turned on its side. ‘Shin,’ like the Greek Sigma, a play on the word Switch,” explains Rashid.
“Shin as a prefix even means “which,” going along with the name of the restaurant, Switch,” he continues. But switch is also something like a change of direction, a transformation. The space actually transforms, and takes one on a journey. It is a truly unique environment.”
More about Karim Rashid on Dezeen:
Fluxus by Karim Rashid and Michela Vianello
Doride lamp by Karim Rashid
Snap chair
Here’s some more information from Rashid:
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SWITCH Restaurant
I wanted Switch to be a strong, symmetrical vision composed of a continuous, undulating wall that wraps around the space. The design creates an interesting texture for light and shadow, evoking the sand dunes in the desert. It is a unique environment of symmetry and balance that completely envelops the guests.
Every experience is composed of views, smells, tastes and sounds; here, the senses create individual backgrounds for a truly amazing global dining experience. The backlit ceiling artwork consists of stylized inspirational Arabic phrases. The continuous wave seating provides an efficient and dynamic operating system.
I wanted to create a powerful, clean space that offers a beautiful perspective. I wanted to create an oasis free from chaos. My intention was to create a truly unique space for the Dubai Mall that will become an iconic reference, not only in Dubai, but also in the rest of the world.
CLIENT: ALBASSAM GROUP
CATEGORY: RESTAURANT
LOCATION: DUBAI MALL, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
FACILITIES: 97 SEAT RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
AREA: 200 SQM / 2150 SQF
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Posted by Rose Etherington
September 4th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Wow! It’s “One Thousand & One Nights”.
Francois Beydoun
September 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Do you get a pair of sunglasses with your meal!!
September 4th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
but why?
September 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
What’s on the menu? Chuppa chupps?
September 4th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
McDonalds deluxe
September 4th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Its like an arabic version of the house in 13 Ghosts…
September 4th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
If anyone was clubbing in London during the late 90s they would remember a Club called Denim (Russell Sage designed?)… do I need to say anymore
September 4th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I like each disparate design element but taken all together I do think there’s too much going on. I can’t imagine having a peaceful meal here. I think I’d be overstimmed right into a migraine, which is never a place I want to go.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
dated and tacky.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
really?? did no one think at any point, hold on will people actually like this?
September 4th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
when will i ever get to see something from him that i find genuinly unique and thus likeable – as he segregates the space it seems his work is segregated by a multiple reference system of pop-art iconography. would happily pass on a drink there – with or without shades …
September 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
why not?
feels like the “clockwork orange milk bar” arrived in 2029!
now only a somecowboys and knights shoulb be there to serve
September 4th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Yes. White Sunglasses.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
but why not?
September 4th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Oh, Karim – will you please stop this nonsense you call design, and accept the fact
that you are not suited to this line of work.
September 4th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
amazing!!…so inspiring for the design student to see that creativity still lives on
September 4th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Hello acid trip!!!
September 4th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
WOW! well thats a budget and a half you have there!
It feels like Mr Rashid has pushed his style forward a little bit, this feels more mature somehow albeit quite cluby… For me it works… but i understand Karim is like the marmite of the design world, he must be doing something right though.
September 5th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I’ve been to this one, its in Dubai mall, its not that impressive, especially the reception desk, with its connection to the floor, you also feel it is completely dated, although the chairs are really nice.
you feel he has many good objects, but when combined together its too much.
September 5th, 2009 at 7:56 am
…hmmm, was he going for a natural feeling?
September 5th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
After dinner mints are little blue pills I believe.
September 5th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
makes for a really nice strip club.
I want to stroke those walls or spank them.
September 6th, 2009 at 1:10 am
i had a quick at switch, food is good and it looks whiter in reality not that busy in pics!
September 6th, 2009 at 10:13 am
The first impression is wondefull,but continue digesting the whole body as a resturant it is dyspeppsia..!!!!
September 6th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I think we should make a limitation of using the digital technology
September 6th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
How did you feel about knowing that this place will be staffed and constructed by foreigners being paid only $2,000 a year and legally treated as second-class citizens because they’re not born in UAE?
September 7th, 2009 at 12:11 am
U. G. L. Y. it ain’t got no alibi, it’s uglyyyy, it’s uglyyyy!
September 7th, 2009 at 7:39 am
okay to the arabic celeing.
okay to the flashing walls
okay to the fact that it even changes color
NOT okay is the floor with the Windows Media Player lightning bolts
September 7th, 2009 at 8:36 am
….it seems that no one will visit this bar like all the other hotels bars and stores in dubai > so we needn´t take any care of it.
Artemide was introducing a wonderful lamp named ´doride´ > sometimes karim is wonderful too.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I’ve noticed Dezeen blocks some nasty comments about both Rashid and Lovegrove.
Come on editors – open them floodgates!
September 7th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
déjà vu! déjà fait!
probably good for people without any archi-design culture…
September 7th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
asdfghjk daud:
“I’ve noticed Dezeen blocks some nasty comments about both Rashid and Lovegrove.”
I go along with that. I used the word ‘ooze’ in referring both to the self-idolatrous text & the general feel of the interior. I also raised the point that thought should be given, not to the transient customers, but to the poor people who have to pass hour after hour & day after day working in the place. I further expressed the hope that worker protection laws were effective in Dubai although I did express the doubt that perhaps they left something to be desired.
It seems that twinky-twee design is OK but it’s indelicate to bring social implications into the open. I thought we painters were a protective & precious crowd but having followed Dezeen for a time now & read many of the texts we are small beer by comparison.
September 8th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Interesting. I’m not sure I mean that in a favorable way however. There are some nice elements but overall . . . interesting. The pattern seen in the 4th picture from the top will most certainly lead patrons to epileptic seizures if exposed for any length of time. If I had to use one word to describe this it would be , ‘busy.’
I must add though that Karim Rashid is making a more comfortable living as a
designer than myself so what do I know eh?
September 9th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
go,go karim,you are the best,we students of interior design in lebanese university are so proud to have someone like you
September 10th, 2009 at 10:01 am
It think its all quite fitting and true to form of Karim
September 11th, 2009 at 5:02 am
it’s a good design,, with new idea…
I Like it…
-success Karim- ^^
September 15th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Cafeteria 2100. Overbearing just because we can walls, dime a dozen lounge furniture, pulsing anti-appetite lighting. Should have just put a bunch of chairs in a circle so the fashionistas can stare at each other because theyre not going to be doing anything else in this environment. Itll be a Footlocker or something equally benign in a couple of years.
September 15th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Well atleast the Dubai exodus seems even more rationalized…Shows what happens when you let a city bask in it excess just a bit to much. Bread and Circus anyone?
September 16th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Where do the grown ups sit?
September 16th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I like it
can utell me about material u used on walls & ceiling
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Unlike most of the above I actually ate here yesterday. The food and service were fantastic. But the colour change every five seconds did become nauseating quite quickly. The big wavy wall is impressively seemless.
December 5th, 2009 at 7:38 am
i have been to this place YESTERDAY.. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! iT WAS KINDA OK OK
December 6th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I passed this restaurant a million times and never have i seen one soul in there. you really don’t want to be seen eating here.
December 6th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I’V BEEN THR ON EID FRI!!! DID NOT FIND A TABLE TO SIT….
KARLA TOLD ME THE FOOD IS GOOD
December 6th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I don’t like the pix above
but in reality its funky and ppl love it ! come on when was the last time you ate a decent meal in dubai ?
December 6th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
love love love -
i read this artc abt swtch
http://www.7days.ae/storydetails.php?id=84939&page=local%20news&title=Food%20talk
December 6th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
i dn really care abt thr wallss and lights …
but man the food is Fantastic …
December 8th, 2009 at 4:35 am
NEWS, i threw up on the 3rd image, how far did you get….
December 9th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
How does the customer sit on the seats against the wall? By skipping athetically over the table,mayhap?