DIOR
Femme

The history of the DIOR dress demonstrates how invention lies within the structure of fabric. The design for DIOR is inspired by the brand’s legendary couture; dynamic, ethereal, and crafted with precision.

location

Doha, Qatar

client

DIOR

Facade Consultant

Front

Lighting Designer

Molly McKnight

Executive Architect

Facade Contractor

Seele

Solid Surface Manufacturer

Rosskopf + Partner

Local Contractor

Blueprint

Facade Engineer

Schuler

LED Panels

Cooledge

DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary

Just as DIOR’s use of pleating turns something soft into structure, this design transforms the softness, movement, and luminous qualities of fabric into architecture.

DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary

DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary

Like the pleats in a Dior dress swaying with the movement of the body, the facade tries to capture a fleeting moment with an architecture of unexpected lightness.

FINS

The 22m tall facade is defined by a series of flowing fins. The fins and the translucent surface behind them are all made from solid surface sheets. Each fin has a grooved pattern etched on its surface to diffuse the light and soften its materiality. Across the façade, the fins vary in depth and oscillate in texture to create a sense of depth and reveal layers of light as one moves around it.

DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary
DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary
DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary

LIGHTING

The lighting design is tunable and creates a subtle shift in hue and intensity of light through the day, interacting with the daylight and dims into the evening. This interplay of the light enhances the façade’s depth to create the effect of movement.

DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary
DIOR Femme © Gerry O’Leary

MATERIAL INNOVATION

The design process began with paper models to capture the idea of movement. After a long period of testing and experimenting with a range of materials, thermoformed solid surface was selected as the material that could accomplish several critical feats. It has the plasticity to be molded into the desired curvature, the structural integrity for the depth of the cantilever, and it can be produced (miraculously) with seamless joints. Also, when cut thinly enough, solid surface becomes translucent and when paired with a lighting control system, it acts as a programmable light source. Working together with the incredible team at DIOR, Front, Rosskopf + Partner, Schuler, and Seele we generated algorithms to design within the material constraints of spans and curvature. Each fin bends to limits of the material. In the end the installation is the largest most complex solid surface application worldwide.