Elle Decoration‘s two-time designer of the year Marcel Wanders is keeping himself busy. His latest project, Villa Moda in Bahrain, is being hailed as a huge design triumph in the region. Al- Masry Al-Youm got in touch with the renowned Dutch architect and interior designer to talk about his Villa Moda, as well as his formal education, achievements, dreams, and future projects in the Middle East.
“I studied at several schools; I was a restless kid,” stated Wanders, “but by the age of 17 I had finished school.” After Wanders graduated with honors from the school of the Arts Arnhem in 1988, he quickly took over the world of design and opened his studio “Wanders Wonders” in 1995.
Throughout the 1990’s and into early 2000, Wanders participated in various artistic projects and design companies, including Yoo in London, Moooi in Amsterdam, and WAAC’s Design and Consults in Rotterdam. The designer’s recent and most influential project is Villa Moda in Bahrain. “Villa Moda opened its doors as a modern fashion store two years ago. Sheikh Majed [el-Sabbah] had suggested the project five years ago and I was excited by the idea as it was my first fashion project and also my first project in the Middle East,” said Wanders.
The idea behind the fashion store, according to him, is to create an international market that incorporates the region’s traditional ways of shopping with modern decor. The store features ornate Oriental architecture and history: “I basically implement the idea of an oriental souq into a 3D contemporary concept,” the architect explained.
On conquering the Arab world in design, Wanders said that it all involves the same product everywhere in the world: space.
“However, a designer needs to be in touch with the local ideas; his creations need to feel authentic and natural in their surroundings while also adding a new flavor,” added the Dutch artist. Wanders thinks of design as containing an international language that people all over the world understand.
Villa Moda will not be the only work for Wanders in the Middle East, as he and his team “are now discussing two new projects, one in Jordan and the other in Qatar,” he boasts cheerfully. Wanders also hinted at a fresh new project coming to Egypt at the end of the year but refrained from giving any specific details.
“My dream is to design a mosque one day,” says Wanders, admitting that he would need outside help for the project. “Anywhere in the Middle East, I don’t care, I just want to design a mosque one day.”
When asked where his inspiration originates, Wanders reflected on the common misuse of the word. While commonly perceived as a commodity that comes from outside sources, Wanders sees inspiration as starting from the self. “Inspiration for me is the glowing fire within; so if my eyes are folded and I am tied to a chair in a dark room, my style can be inspired.”
