DBM DESIGNS FIRST INTERNATIONAL ISABEL MAYFAIR in ABU DHABI
Located within The Galleria on Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island, Isabel Mayfair is a 580-sqm hospitality venue designed by Dubai-based practice DBM (Design by Mahsa), founded by artist and interior designer Mahsa Gholizadeh. Commissioned by BNF Hospitality, the interior establishes the London restaurant brand’s first international outpost. Rather than replicating the British flagship, the design constructs an architectural narrative around an imagined muse named Isabel, integrating bespoke artworks, architectural metalwork, and craft-driven finishes directly into the structural envelope.
SILK EMBROIDERIES AND SUSPENDED GLASS CANOPY adorn the interior
The interior palette juxtaposes reflective polished brass, heavily veined Calacatta Viola marble, dark stained oak, and midnight-blue velvet upholstery across curved custom banquettes. Botanical motifs appear at varied scales and fabrications: a monumental brass floral sculpture anchors the main dining volume, while tactile three-dimensional silk embroideries, hand-painted gold-leaf surfaces, and custom wallcoverings line the private dining alcoves and washrooms. Above the central bar, a suspended brass-and-glass canopy redistributes light across the room, adjacent to an enclosed wine storage pavilion clad entirely in reflective brass panels. Realized on a compressed three-to-four-month construction schedule, the project by studio DBM balances large-scale fabricated metal installations with fine-gauge textile craft.
