The Dubai branch of the LA-based design studio, CRA, has signed an agreement with developer KhaleejCapita to design the interiors for JW Marriott in Bahrain Bay.
The project is 97,000 square meters and has one 50 story tower staggered and connected through a series of atriums atop a 5-story podium with three parking levels.
The east side of the tower will house the 276-room JW Marriott Hotel and its related facilities, the west side of the tower will house 96 serviced apartments. The 5-story podium includes a banquet and meeting room, the main entries, lobbies, and common areas for restaurants, bars and health clubs.
“Unlike some studios we are not a faceless corporation. Rather than relying on mid-level designers, we as senior partners are actively handling all stages of the design process from concept to construction,” said Martin Wojnowski, regional director CRA Middle East and Asia.
CRA’s Dubai branch opened last year, the company is now finalizing agreements with investors in the GCC and the Indian sub-continent.
“We are very proud to be involved with JW Marriott Bahrain Bay. The architecture by Yousif Alsayegh is truly exceptional. We were briefed to develop design in the eclectic, international style (rather than the regional one). We believe the hotel will offer a great deal of comfort, individuality, sophistication and understated luxury expected from the JW Marriott brand,” added Wojnowski.
Established in LA in 1994, CRA is a design studio specializing in high-end hospitality projects. CRA’s founding partners: Mike Lindenlaub, Hydee Hirschmann and Fernando deMoraes are involved in all projects.
Close collaboration with Peter Morton, founder of Hard Rock Hotels, on its Las Vegas property had brought CRA wider recognition. It has completed over 40 hotels in Mexico, USA, Taiwan and KSA.
Ongoing projects include: Hyatt Regency Maui, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach and a boutique celebrity retreat in Mexico. The studio has recently completed various private residences in Hollywood Hills.