Emirati heritage shapes the layout of Al Maktoum Archives
At Dubai’s Al Maktoum Archives, Kart Group brings the warmth of a traditional majlis into a government workplace. Palm-frond weaving, hand-tufted wool, and CNC-cut marble carry Emirati heritage into the interior, integrating cultural references into the everyday setting of the archive.
Designed by Mustafa Khamash and his team at Kart Group, alongside contractor EMKAY, the 8,000-sqft headquarters occupies Level 2 of Dubai’s Emirates Towers. The working institution safeguards historical records, private manuscripts, and cultural narratives documenting the Maktoum family’s lineage and the emirate’s evolution. The design combines the requirements of a contemporary workplace with references to this history.
The traditional Emirati majlis informs the furniture layout, with a seating suite positioned at the center of the space. Mashrabiya motifs from the Al Shindagha Museum provide another starting point, with their repeating geometry reconstructed from fundamental units and adapted to contemporary surfaces and fabrication methods.
all images ©Sebastian Böttcher
Traditional motifs take on new forms across the interior
Geometric motifs are particularly visible in the custom carpet, hand-tufted from New Zealand wool. Its pattern aligns across the floor, extending the geometric composition beyond an individual furnishing. Al Khoos, the traditional palm-frond weaving craft, introduces another material reference through woven palm fronds, fine metal inlays, and stenciled wall coatings. At the principal feature wall, CNC-cut and engraved marble brings the heritage geometry to an architectural scale, with the pattern digitally redrawn for stone.
Each motif was adapted by Kart Group’s design team to its medium, from hand-tufted wool to furniture inlays and machine-cut marble. This allows the references to remain recognizable while responding to the different qualities and tolerances of each material.
Kart Group brings the traditional Emirati majlis into a government workplace
Wool, palm fronds, and marble anchor the workplace
Material selection balances longevity, texture, and cultural relevance. New Zealand wool provides resilience and softness underfoot, woven palm fronds maintain a connection to traditional making, and marble establishes a sense of permanence. Contemporary textiles from Romo, Dedar, and Kirkby Design sit alongside these materials.
The traditional majlis suite is complemented by an AJZAL Burj Rashid coffee table, while Herman Miller Aeron task chairs and Polflex leather armchairs support the workplace program. These contemporary elements keep the archive grounded in present-day use rather than historical reenactment.
The interior connects the archive’s institutional purpose with the continued use and adaptation of inherited patterns and craft traditions. Heritage extends beyond the collection itself into the materials, furniture, surfaces, and working environment surrounding it.
Al Maktoum Archives occupies Level 2 of Dubai’s Emirates Towers
traditional craft references extend from the archive collection into its working environment
Estudio EA