Spanish wood solutions manufacturer Finsa has commissioned Dubai-based multidisciplinary design studio Tinkah to create a gateway to Dubai Design Week at Dubai Design District (d3), titled “Umbra”.
Finsa, a pioneer in the manufacturing of particleboard and MDF, will be composing the project entirely from their Fibracolour material; fully pigmented particleboard, for the first time. Their collaboration will be with Dubai/UK design firm Tinkah, who have imagined this material into geometric lattices forming an entry point into Dubai Design District (d3) during Dubai Design Week.
Inspired by the Mashrabiya patterns of the Middle East with Emirati-specific perforations, Umbra will take the shape of an immersive design installation inviting audiences to explore the interplay of shadow and light, cast through a series of colourful architectural grids.
The Mashrabiya, a design element of traditional Middle Eastern architecture, was historically used as a window or spatial partition. Mashrabiyas’ geometric perforations enable visitors to observe activity without themselves being visible and simultaneously prevent the sun from overheating homes, limiting the light allowed in while still inviting a breeze. The reimagined partitions give way to a peppering of creative products and furniture highlighting the vibrant colours found through the core of the Fibracolor material, and while visitors interact with the structure and objects, the sun will paint shadow patterns across the guests and surfaces within.