Brief

A Novotel at the heart of Dubai’s business district is more than just a hotel. It sits at the crossroads of business and technology, surrounded by art galleries and skyscrapers, where high-paced city life meets calming urban parks. S+S Studio didn’t simply refresh the interiors but rethought the brand, creating a space where guests can feel the rhythm of contemporary Dubai.

Concept

S+S (Sundukovy Sisters) set the tone: this is where modernity meets the future. Metal, reflections, fluid forms and lighting create a restrained, almost musical dynamic. It’s less about style and more about energy – a place where innovation and human warmth don’t compete but amplify each other.

Layout

The space is organized as a unified ecosystem without rigid boundaries yet with a clear internal rhythm. Every zone has its own personality. 

The lobby is open and fluid where the reception desk loses its traditional stance and becomes part of the flow. 

The lecture hall transforms from a business stage into an evening hub of ideas functioning as a form of art space.

Vana Nana Café is a daytime oasis – a soft breather between meetings.

Embers Restaurant features a grill concept with an open kitchen at its core and massive riveted metal columns. The restaurant bar is designed as a softly glowing element, a visual point of attraction that feels more like an installation than a fixture.

Brassmith Bar is like a breath after fire: deep blue tones, jazz, metal accents and gentle lighting.

The swimming pool is a relaxation zone seamlessly integrated into the visual language of the project – part of the story without stylistic compromise.

Challenges & Solutions

We worked on a fully operational site – a building that doesn’t tolerate pauses and demands spatial flexibility. We merged the bar, restaurant and lobby into a single composition without visual noise, resolving it through lighting and geometry. Transformable furniture and finishes respect the brand’s standards while a unified color palette and strict zone hierarchy keep everything coherent.

S+S preserved the spirit of an international brand while giving it a local DNA introducing metal, bold forms, art elements, and fluid lines. Dubai is present but not shouting.

Interior  

Novotel now speaks a new language – contemporary, bold with a strong focus on materiality. Lighting emphasizes layers and zones are defined through light and shadow.

The lobby welcomes guests like a technological lounge, where every detail is about motion. Here form meets texture, cold contrasts with warm. In Embers, heat and energy take over – the open kitchen and flame become part of the design story. Brassmith Bar is darker, deeper with velvet acoustics and visual drama: blue tones, layered lighting, and a bar counter as the central stage.

Novotel Dubai WTC is an example of how a global brand can gain a local interpretation: a contemporary, flexible, emotional interior that speaks of time and place without losing comfort or the spirit of hospitality.

This is one of those rare cases where a global standard becomes a personal story, one that went on to inspire the design guidelines for all future Novotel properties.