Rania M. Hamed, the founder of the VSHD Design, was asked to create a spa in Dubai’s Jumeirah neighborhood, she decided subtle and serene would be her watchwords, creating the ZAAZ Wellness & Beauty Spa. Since ZAAZ’s specialty is the Moroccan hammam, Hamed used heritage materials to give the space the warmth of a Moroccan interior. The designers chose Tadelakt, a waterproof material imported from Morocco, to line the hammam on the second floor.
A form of lime cement, Tadelakt is rammed, polished, and treated with soap to make it waterproof. Applied as a paste, it can turn corners seamlessly. And while it’s time-consuming to install, it has a gentle quality that makes rooms comfortable to be in. Importing Tadelakt from Morocco was in keeping what ZAAZ’s overall approach, which includes importing organic skin oils and creams also from Morocco. Light filters in gently either through walls of translucent glass or small cutouts reminiscent of the mashrabiya screens of Arab architecture. Where hard floor surfaces were needed, the designers used traditional, hand-chiseled Zellīj tiles set into a plaster base, in this case in a herringbone pattern.