US design specialist Di Leonardo International focused on continuity and harmony when designing the interiors for Al Faisaliah Center's hotel, apartments and banquet hall

Creating harmony and synergy within the Al Faisaliah Complex were watchwords for Di Leonardo, the US-based award-winning interior designer which specialises in the hospitality sector.

The seamless flow from one space to another, combined with a sense of subtly recurring elements has shaped the project. There is richness and clarity that comes through in all aspects of the project and this can be attributed to the attention to detail paid at every level of the project.

The hotel was the starting point for the design team. Di Leonardo met the challenge of designing the Rosewood-managed hotel at the Al Faisaliah Center by combining the classic elegance associated with the Rosewood name with the contemporary image of this development.

And the hotel is a very sophisticated contemporary experience. The design was approached so as to create a sense of continuity and harmony within the space as well as with the architecture. Each of the restaurants has been developed very closely with the food and beverage director of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to create an holistic approach to all aspects of the experience including interior decor, foodstuffs, tableware and graphics.

Among the striking experiences for guests will be the upmarket gourmet seafood restaurant. The design elements of the space include use of materials such as Brazilian mahoganies and warm inlaid bronze pieces. The area comes alive through the use of rich materials such as pearl-beaded gold shear draperies, custom Venetian glass chandeliers and commissioned pieces of art. Plush carpets combined with exotic marbles create pathways throughout the space, which eases circulation within the restaurant. This experience is both unique and intimate for the traveller and the local market.

Another exciting concept at the hotel is the Brazilian Barbecue. This space is an open-air environment that maintains a strong focus on the view from the balcony and involves much interaction from the waiters as they come to each table with skewers of different meats and fish.

The design reinforces this theme with a very dynamic floor pattern. Pods of wood and Indian slate are scattered throughout the space. Low plantings and freestanding torchieres add a freshness and softness to the space, which will make it a unique experience in Riyadh.

Continuity, balance and attention to detail are the focus of the project as is also evident through rich juxtapositions of materials such as deep wood combined with warm but slightly irregular limestone. This shell wraps the space, creating a liner for the building as a whole. The elliptical geometries found in the forms of the buildings themselves are repeated throughout many spaces. In the lobby, a decorative screen which runs the length of the window plays with the ellipse used as a joint.

As one moves through the space to the three-meals-a-day restaurant, the ellipse as joint finds its way onto the wall. It then transforms itself into a sculptural element, which divides the restaurant to form a pedestrian path.

In the gourmet restaurant custom-glass light fixtures become glowing elliptical forms that float over the space. The gourmet restaurant combines Old World elegance with new materials, allowing the play of light, forms and texture.

Continuity is evident in the guestrooms with corridors undulating in elliptical patterns to add interest and shorten the perceived distance of the corridor. The lighting treatment mimics this both in the corridor and in the guest baths.

The guestrooms themselves are an elegant extension of the public space. The furniture in the guestrooms has all been custom-designed to blend Old World quality with a new definition of luxury and style.

Combinations of fabrics with varying textures and scales give the room a residential feeling, which is combined with the latest room technologies.

One of the most exciting spaces in the complex is the top of the tower restaurant - the Globe. This space itself is enclosed in a geodesic dome and the interior space of three levels is well suited to this structure. This space will serve a differing clientele ranging from the local patron to the international business traveller.

Furniture, fabrics and finishes chosen for the project all share a sense of simplicity and elegance that reflects the quality of the project.

In many instances, the furniture and lighting has been custom-designed for this project. In order to create something in harmony with the entire scheme and to achieve the level of distinction Di Leonardo was looking for, it was necessary to go beyond the limits of "off-the-shelf" products.

This is evident in the guestroom casegoods as well as carpeting and lighting for many of the public spaces.

With the hotel having been the starting point for the designers in keeping with Foster and Partners' master plan of the site, the apartment building is an interpretation of the hotel using much of the same colour palette and materials. The conference centre and anterooms are designed for a range of uses including the annual King Faisal awards. The space is rich in materials as well as detailing with stone moldings paired with gold leaf and bronze columns.