WIDN-World Interior Design Network
Corian, an award-winning material from Du Pont, has found another application at the Morocco Mall, a new destination for entertainment and shopping in Casablanca, western Morocco.
With over 70,000 square meters of retail space, the Morocco Mall is a joint project by Groupe AKSAL and Al Jedaie Group, and has been designed by Design International architectural studio. The mall features over 350 retail units, an aquarium and a luxury brand section, bringing together 600 brands.
The design creates a natural bridge between the building and the sea. Among the many architectural aspects that distinguish the mall is the use of the infinity “8” symbol which complements the Atlantic Ocean it faces. This is the first building in the world which encloses another building: the Galeries Lafayette store, one of the most famous French brand, world-wide. On the other loop is the premiere brand area.
According to the designers, the site looked very expansive at first glance. The design envisioned a space where one could see the beginning but not the end. This led to conceptualising the space featuring a long curved facade, where the centre of that curve would be far out in the ocean. So when one walks along the building they can’t see where it ends.
Outside the Mall an enormous IMAX cinema has been featured which is designed by architect Yasser Kahlaoui. The building closes the infinity symbol and acts as a natural connection between the mall and the exterior landscape. It can accommodate 400 people and offers the first digital projection in Africa. Within the building, a 550 square metre red shell-like form weighing 20 tons architecturally reflects the ties to nature and is made entirely in DuPont Corian which is also used for the bright red interior ceilings and some of the wall cladding. The natural solidity and ability of DuPont Corian to take on any form or shape allowed Yasser Kahlaoui to create the illusion of an entire 3D structure. Each of the DuPont Corian red panels has different sizes and inclinations to create suggestive volumes.
This interior 3D red shell in DuPont Corian is unique in the sense that the choice of red reflects enthusiasm and a desire to dominate the scene. At the same this colour enhances human creativity and spreads energy. DuPont Corian has also been selected for sales counters.
Du Pont Corian has been used at various places in the new shopping centre which include the white reception desk in the lobby, decorated with a five-pointed Moroccan star pattern; all the black and white signaling totems, the TV panels that provide tactile information; the advertising screens, the “static directory” board located at every floor and the bathroom design in the luxury brands area. Furthermore, countertops on the second floor restaurants are in DuPont Corian chosen for its easy-to-clean hygienic properties and durability. It has also been used to create monolithic and seamless furniture.
A selection of the newly refined DuPont Corian colour palette has been used to maximise visual effects such as red for the IMAX ceiling, an unusual brown for the advertising screens, and black and white for the totems. Inside the bathrooms located on the luxury floor, DuPont Corian has been used to create beautiful ‘moucharabieh’ style space dividers, in a white version for the ladies cloakroom, and in a black version for the men’s, giving a modern look to an object traditionally made of wood.
All the furnishings made in DuPont Corian, for both the mall interiors and the IMAX cinema ceiling and walls, have been fabricated by Deborel Maroc.
