SOMA Wins Nomination for the Middle East Interior & Design Awards 2015 for Unilux

    NEW YORK, NY, May 13, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- International architecture firm SOMA Architects has been shortlisted for the prestigious Middle East Interior & Design Awards for Best Design in the retail category for their design of Unilux in Beirut, Lebanon. Designed for Unilux Group, the largest supplier of high end light fixtures in Lebanon, the showroom was completed in January 2014 and has been recognized for it's ingenuity in retail design ever since.

The Middle East Interior & Design Awards will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center on May 18th, where the winners will be announced. The MEIDA awards recognize outstanding design in the Middle East and Africa. The winners are chosen by a panel of world-class architects.

"Through using sophisticated digital modeling software and algorithms we were able to create an all-immersive lighting experience and make the space feel larger than the 20 m by 4 m dimensions of the space," said Michel Abboud, SOMA principal and founder. "The result is a matrix of 1000 arrayed cubes carved and crafted to create a dynamic and inhabitable space in which users can interact not only with the light fixtures themselves, but immerse themselves in the interaction of the light along the complex surfaces."

In January, SOMA released a video of Michel Abboud describing the designs methodology and software used to create a two dimensional system that evolves into a sophisticated matrix that guides the design process throughout the space. While the street-front showroom extends into the street and draws people in, the Unilux products are displayed on the lower level in a mosaic of different colors and shades of light expressed in their individual niches, reflected in the floor and ceiling. The final result is not only an efficient and intelligent use of space, but also a space which in itself becomes a brand for the client and retailer.

About SOMA
International architecture firm SOMA, headquartered in New York, was founded in 2004 by Michel Abboud. With a focus on incorporating craft, digital technologies and environmental responsibility. The firm's designs and work have attracted critical acclaim for their boundary pushing nature. SOMA's work is rising around the world today--in New York, Dubai, Lebanon and other international markets--with remarkable offerings of luxury hotel, condominium and mixed-use developments that underscore the firm's cutting edge appeal.

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