design et al are delighted to announce that HBA have been shortlisted for Bar/Club/Lounge – Global Award in The International Hotel & Property Awards 2019.
The only beach club in Al Mouj, Zale Beach Club is a sophisticated shorefront hotspot, where the guests can share a delectable platter with friends or enjoy a sunset drink in a vibrant ambience set in luxurious surroundings and amazing beach front location. The word Zale means ‘power of the sea’ in Greek, a meaning that truly becomes apparent to guests as they arrive at the beautiful stretch of sand.
The space planning of the 2-level club was done in such a way that it draws the wanderer onto a space that tells a story of an early Omani coastal trading town where the covered and open-air spaces are interlaced, an assortment of experiences – loungers, cabanas, sunken firepit seating, and visually layered zones. The indoor upper floor offers a VIP area for private groups, Zale is a family beach club by day that seamlessly transforms into a nightclub as the sun sets.
The team at HBA engaged in extensive research that led them to an enhanced appreciation of Omani’s social, historical, cultural contexts. HBA came to have a new understanding and collaborated in creating a setting that reveres the rich tribal & maritime history. And with the support of talented Omani fabricators the design came to life beautifully and it’s truly exciting to see.
The design concept led to use of materials that Omani sailors have traded centuries with India, China and the Coast of East Africa. Throughout the interior, one will find locally crafted bamboo & rope ceilings, antiqued clay urns and coconut palm fibre woven seating. All materials locally harvested and local craftsmen worked on the fitout.
Zale Beach Club is reminiscent of the deep Zanzibari heritage and how the Omani seafaring legacy has been so beautifully preserved in an ever-modernising society.
