Ala Champ
 
00:00/

A Culinary Journey Through Taiwan & Beyond

Owner-Chef Richie Lin's Taipei Restaurant Remains Highly Acclaimed — And For Good Reason

URBAN RECHARGE IN THE HEART OF TOKYO

Keiji Ashizawa and Norm Architects Design this new Hotel Overlooking Yoyogi Park

Mt Fuji Dreaming

This Glamping Resort is Bringing Guests Closer to Nature

ISSEY MIYAKE SS24

Grasping The Formless: Satoshi Kondo's Spring Summer 2024 Collection

Imagination, Taste and Emotion

In Bali’s Creative Heart, Find a Poetic and Enriching Dessert Restaurant where the Menu Stems from their Own Garden

SHIROIYA HOTEL

24 Hours In One of Japan’s Best Art & Design Hotel Destinations

Terunobu Fujimori’s La Collina

Connecting To Its Surrounding Landscape in in Omihachiman, Shiga

SUBSPACE 2023

The 4-Day Event in Sydney Celebrates the Theme 'ON TRANSIT'

WHERE TO EAT IN PARIS

Seven Best Places & Spaces To Wine & Dine

Architecture Deeply Interconnected With Nature

SANAA's Ryue Nishizawa Weaves Architectural Flow At This Retreat in Karuizawa

Fine Dining at an Altitude of 2000m

Sustainably Championing Ingredients from the Alpine Region

BÀBÁ, FATHER

Photographer Olufemi Adegboye Presents His Intimate Photo Series of Black Fathers

The Delicate Art of Mixology

An Exclusive Hiroshi Sugimoto-Designed Six-Seater Bar Led By Mixologist Tsuyoshi Kimura

Maebashi’s Creative Revitalisation

Akihisa Hirata Structures A Space for Art, Living & New Encounters

A Cinematic Setting for this Modern Sushi Restaurant

A Stand-Out Japanese Dining Destination in Brisbane

THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN LONDON RIGHT NOW

Our Pick Of London's Top 5 Culinary Destinations

Al Rawi

Designed For Book Lovers, This New Café and Coffee Hub in Sharjah Brings The Local Creative Community Together

October, 2018
Interiors are by Dubai-based studio Pallavi Dean | Photo © Al Rawi

Newly-opened, the Al Rawi café, bookstore and creative hub in Sharjah celebrates artists and writers in all forms. The name Al Rawi is derived from ‘the one who tells stories’, with its goal is to first accommodate book lovers. This manifesto is found throughout Al Rawi in the design, with subtle notes to publishing and printed matter. It’s important to note that Sharjah has always celebrated literature, inaugurating the Sharjah International Book Fair in 1982. Al Rawi itself was initiated by the private management company Tetra, who also wanted to highlight this part of Sharjah’s cultural identity but in a modern way, also accommodating the growing community of creatives in the city.

Designed by Dubai-based interior design studio Pallavi Dean, they have ensured the space celebrates books and our relationship to them. Handrails find direct influence from book-binding and stitching, with sculptural wire books hanging from the ceiling above. Books fill shelves which also act as room dividers, and although the overall design is minimal, Pallavi Dean work colour in to fill voids. This is the latest project from Pallavi Dean, and they’ve made great use of space.

The Al Rawi restaurant serves specialist coffee, crafted sandwiches and larger spreads for those with a larger appetite. The restaurant also acts as a multi-purpose venue to accommodate live cooking demonstrations and host culinary events.

Celebrating creativity, there is a dedicated zone for children where they can, paint, draw and get involved in other activities. With Al Rawi situated right on the Al Majaz Waterfront, adults can enjoy the view with no distractions.

Outdoor terrace | Photo © Al Rawi
Open plan kitchen, designed to mimic a stage where cooking classes (theatre) can occur | Photo © Al Rawi
Custom made tables | Photo © Al Rawi
Handrail detailing inspired by book stitching | Photo © Al Rawi
Innovative shelving by Pallavi Dean | Photo © Al Rawi
Custom book sculptures and light mobiles | Photo © Al Rawi

AL RAWI

Al Majaz Waterfront

Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

_

All images as credited

October, 2018