ABU DHABI // Vincenzo Visciglia was born in Brazil to Italian parents and spent much of his life in Miami, but the well-travelled interior designer has a keen eye for all things Emirati.
In the four years he has been in the Emirates he has worked exclusively with UAE nationals, helping to bring to life their requests for traditional Emirati designs fused with modern ideas, while also incorporating environmentally friendly ideals.
“Abu Dhabi was a great place to come as an architect”, he said. “To be a success here you need to be a pioneer: the way you design, how you handle a project and how you understand the local mentality.”
In 2010 Mr Visciglia was hired by Rasha Al Dahani to create the interiors for Pappa Roti restaurants in Masdar City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Dubai Mall. “It’s about creating rich materials and including the items that for the locals feels like home. You want the customer to feel like it’s a majlis that they want to stay and sit in,” Mr Visciglia said.
“It needs to have a sense of privacy for the ladies too. We used planters and laid out the furniture so that there was a feeling of it being closed off to others passing through it.”
His latest project is Osha, an Emirati restaurant that will open in Masdar after Ramadan.
“The owner wanted to keep original materials, like the things used to cook Emirati food, and bring the younger generation in by mixing the old and new.
“He gave me the freedom to create a modern space using the UAE flag’s colours and traditions including the low seating, like the majlis feel.”
The colours of the flag are discreet. Images from the UAE’s past adorn the walls, reminding younger customers of their roots, while keeping novel traditions, such as eating with your hands, alive.
“When you look around you don’t see the flag’s colours, but if you pay attention, you will see the patriotism hidden in the details.”
Mr Visciglia takes great pride in the sustainability of his projects. This ethos is something he has grown up with and has applied to his work designing the interiors of villas for Emirati clients.
“In Brazil, you’re pushed to be as creative as you can with limited materials because of the budget. Here, we don’t have so many skilled people or the materials available, but I can make the best out of what we have,” he said.
He discourages buying furniture from shops when outfitting villas, preferring to create one-off pieces from reclaimed materials such as wood and metal. This can be a challenge when working with clients who have certain brands in mind.
“I’m challenging them to explore new ways of designing,” he said. “They won’t be any less Emirati if there aren’t so many crystals or there isn’t so much gold. The beauty of working here is the speed. You see your designs alive within two or three months.”