W
ith studios in both the UAE and
Oman, Tony Kettle, design prin-
cipal of international architec-
ture, masterplanning and design
firm Kettle Collective, has worked on a number of
projects in the Middle East, including a series of
developments in the UAE, the Port Sultan Qaboos
in Oman, four museums in Saudi Arabia and a wa-
terfront project in Lebanon.
With another project under construction – the
Dewa Solar Innovation Centre in Dubai’s Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park –
Middle East Architect speaks to Kettle about his
company’s plans for future growth in the region.Tell us about Kettle Collective.
Kettle Collective was formed in 2012 by Colin
Bone and myself as an international architecture
and design collective. We have studios in Edin-
burgh, Dubai, Muscat and Hong Kong. As a design
collective we also work with local partners across
the world in Russia, Malta, China, Lebanon, Saudi
Arabia and Bahrain.
As a multi-disciplinary practice, we work across
architecture, masterplanning, urban, interior de-
sign and landscape. Our sister company, Ink, fo-
cuses on graphic design including CG renders, VR
and film.
We have worked on a number of projects
around the world, including the Lakhta Centre in
St Petersburg – Europe’s tallest tower, which I led
the design whilst I was at RMJM and then went on
to design phase two at Kettle Collective.Discuss opening offi ces in Dubai and
Muscat. Why those two cities, and what
markets are you serving from those bases?
Colin and I have both worked in the Middle East
for over 20 years and when we set up Kettle Col-
lective, we thought the ideal hub in the Middle
East was Dubai. Dubai Design District (d3) hosts
so many creatives that we knew that was where we
wanted to be based.
It has such a great atmosphere for designers
and it has become a real hub for suppliers and
designers alike. Soon after we opened the office,
we brought in former colleague, Tony Archibold
as regional director of MENA. Following the suc-
cessful appointment on projects across Oman, we
set up an office with good friend and local partner
Muamir Al Hasny, who has now been appointed as
country director.
Our offices in Dubai and Muscat allow us to
successfully serve clients across the United Arab
Emirates, Oman, Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.What projects in the region have you
worked on?
We have worked on a number of different projects
with many of the major developers across the re-
gion. Lately, we have been working on a number
of hotels and residential projects, but we have also
completed a few masterplans in Dubai and Oman.
We designed the DEWA Solar Innovation Cen-
tre, which is due to open later this year. We de-
signed the building using a 3D-extruded form
based on Islamic squares and the formula fromTo ny Ke t tl e
The design principal of Kettle Collective speaks about
opportunities in the GCCWritten by Rima Alsammarae
Images courtesy of Kettle Collective20 / INTERVIEW