Aukett Fitzroy Robinson (AFR), an award winning international architecture and interior design firm, has completed two high profile hotels in Abu Dhabi since returning to the Emirate in 2007.

Appointed as lead consultant, architect and interior designer by Aldar Properties, AFR completed the new 397-room Radisson Blu Hotel and 204-room Park Inn Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, to coincide with the 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The project was completed only 25 months after commencement of the design. The contemporary design of the hotels is in keeping with the innovative and creative spirit of Abu Dhabi and the Yas Island experience, a statement said.

“The aspiration was to create a new breed of hotels for the next generation – contemporary flagship properties with bold interior design solutions,” explained Anne Kyzyk, director of interior design at AFR.

“This ethos is reflected in the design of the hotels’ signature restaurants, particularly the exemplar Filini Restaurant, and spectacular light sculptures at the heart of the Radisson Blu.”

The hotels are operated by Rezidor Hotel Group, and follow the success of award winning hotels by AFR for Rezidor at Stansted, Manchester and Heathrow Airports in the UK and Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

“Working on two of the hotels on the now internationally famous Yas Island has been a fantastic experience,” said Stephen Embley, managing director of AFR Middle East.

“The inaugural F1 Grand Prix was an internationally acclaimed event and it was extremely exciting to be part of the team delivering this global spectacle.”

AFR originally built a strong reputation in Abu Dhabi during the 1970s and 1980s and designed a number of iconic buildings, including the Arab Monetary Building on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche and the National Day Grandstand on Khaleej Al Arabi Street, which today forms part of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company.

AFR is planning to replicate that success in Abu Dhabi and is already committed to doing the interior design of two more hotels in the city, the statement said.

“Abu Dhabi is a very exciting part of the world to be a designer,” added Embley.

“Driven by the ambition and vision of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al Nahyan and guided by the 2030 Plan, Abu Dhabi is fast becoming one of the world’s leading cities,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service