From the outset, the MO Bakery owners knew they wanted a space that presented their baked goods as the stars of the show, highlighting them like precious jewels in a display case. Masquespacio honed in on water as a theme after realizing it’s one of the main ingredients in both baked goods and coffee, dividing the space into three different areas that each represent a different phase in the process of baking and brewing.

The first zone is dedicated to the liquid state, where water makes the dough start to come together. Next is the bar zone, where a massive waterfall-like installation made of sandblasted glass tubes hovers overhead. The front of the bar features the “solid-state” zone, with lamps representing ice. The third zone is the “gaseous state,” where a series of fire bulbs represent the moment when the pastry is baked in the oven.

Throughout the interiors, custom seating ranging from low lounges to high stools offers comfortable vantage points to take it all in. The various metallic finishes were designed to generate reflections mimicking the distortion that occurs when viewing objects through water. The scale of the space encourages people to stay a while, gazing up at everything and taking in the scents of the bakery’s goods.

“On the other hand, the lighting incorporates fully controllable RGB lighting to set moods that could convert the space to a different status, being able to represent a ‘different space’ within a space, in campaigns, engagements, or talks, which is also extended by the reflections of the space in chrome fabrics, tables, and spheres [that create] another level of optical fusion,” say the designers. “This space is not solid. It is interchangeable and dynamic following what the brand has to say. Welcome to the new mood branding.”

With decor and lighting that moody, the MO Bakery almost feels like a bar or nightclub instead of a daytime-oriented café. Which begs the question: why don’t we have more cool spaces to hang out in that aren’t bars or nightclubs? Masquespacio is onto something here.

MO Bakery wanted to stand out from its competition, and it’s probably safe to say they’ve successfully done so with this imaginative interior design. Check out three previous projects that capture Masquespacio’s creative approach to design: a vivid and playful Mango teen store in Milan, Italy; a lavender-hued sunglasses store in Bogotá, Colombia; and a pastel Bun burger restaurant on Milan’s Via Dell’Orso.

The post Masquespacio’s Retrofuturistic Bakery Inspired by Flowing Liquids first appeared on Dornob.

Towering 1,640 feet above sea level, the city will be 656 feet across and occupy a total of about 13 square miles, according to a recent article by CNN.

Itself part of the Neom project (a larger mega-development backed by billions from the Saudi government that began in 2019), the Line is just the latest in a series of developments, architectural projects, and cultural reforms collectively referred to as “Vision 2030,” a plan aimed at making Saudi Arabia a vacation hotspot on par with its neighbors Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Critics have repeatedly cited the country’s human rights record as a somewhat disturbing backdrop to this rebrand.

The crown jewel of Vision 2030 was the earlier announcement of the Red Sea Project. Itself a plan to dramatically transform the desert into a luxe island and mountain resort with its own airport, the development would undoubtedly become a bastion for billionaires, and a huge boon for the Saudi economy.

But The Line may even outshine this mega development. A high-tech paradise featuring its own high-speed rail, the vertical city will also be largely sustainable. “Powered by green energy and run with the aid of artificial intelligence…robot maids, flying taxis, and a giant artificial moon” are just some of the proposed features mentioned in the press release.

Ambitious? Yes. Dystopian? A little. Imminent? Probably, though undoubtedly years into the next decade. As Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently said in a press release, “[The Line] designs…will challenge the traditional, flat horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhance human livability.”

Whatever the outcome, it’s clear that Saudi Arabia is carving out a path for itself to be a world leader in both sustainable development and global tourism with this towering techno dream that even George Jetson would approve of.

The post Saudi Arabia Announces Plans for 100-Mile-Long City in the Desert first appeared on Dornob.

Believe it or not, this inventive project is actually on the docket. Recently announced as the latest undertaking by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), it’s so much more than an amusement park. By converting an existing oil rig into an over 100,000-square-meter tourist destination, the complex will be the first of its kind: entirely offshore, accessible only via sea or air, and featuring everything from hotels to entertainment and world-class attractions —all designed to add to Saudi Arabia’s allure as a top worldwide tourist destination.

Dubbed “The Rig,” the project will not only provide a boon to the local economy, it will also work stringently “to ensure the sustainable preservation of the environment in the project’s vicinity…[by following] leading global standards and best practices,” according to an official statement. These sustainably measures come as the country seeks to expand its efforts to focus on broader environmental protections.

Despite drawing millions of visitors every year to visit the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia seeks to reposition itself as more of an entertainment — rather than religious — destination; “a global hotspot [able] to compete with the likes of nearby Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Oman,” according to a recent article from CNN.

Part of a larger PIF strategy to increase innovative projects and drive development in Saudi Arabia’s tourism and entertainment sectors, the offshore amusement complex is just the latest in a series of projects meant to promote the country as a worldwide tourist destination (one that’s especially popular with visitors from nearby Arabian Gulf cities).

Earlier this year, as part of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project, two hotels were scheduled to be built on the Ummahat Al Shaykh Island. Commissioned by the Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) and designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, the villas will be luxe to the extreme. Built on both land and over water, they will also continue the country’s focus on sustainable development.

Also this year, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirmed the country’s plans for a second national airline, part of a larger $147 billion investment into increasing transportation throughout the Middle Eastern nation.

Though there is no release date as of yet for “The Rig,” Saudi Arabia hopes to eventually welcome approximately 100 million new tourists as a result of its “global repositioning” as a top tourist attraction, and the announcement of the offshore amusement park complex in the Arabian Gulf is just the tip of the iceberg, as the country continues to exhibit its desire to “drive innovation…[by creating] promising development opportunities to achieve economic diversification.” If this involves the world’s first tourist destination built entirely on offshore oil platforms — all while promoting sustainability and development— then surely the world will soon see a tourist destination that rivals that of even the most lavish neighboring hotspots.

The post Saudi Arabia Plans Luxe Amusement Park on Offshore Oil Rig first appeared on Dornob.