Architectural surfaces leader Cosentino and Dubai and London based design practice ANARCHITECT jointly unveiled ‘Context Reflections’ a slow-tech public installation at the heart of Dubai Design District (d3) as part of Dubai Design Week from 8-13 November 2021.

Built using Sunlit Days, the first-ever carbon neutral surfaces collection from Silestone by Cosentino, the permeable installation invites visitors to enter a darkened chamber to pause and discover the intriguing play of penetrated light created via a naturally occurring optical phenomenon. The self-operating, analogue installation draws inspiration from the principles of ‘Camera Obscura’ of why we see what we see. The moving images conjured on the inside wall – inverted ‘live’ projections of the surroundings outside the construction – suggestively asks visitors to slow down, observe with attention and reflect on the constantly changing environment.

In a panel discussion moderated by regional design expert Rue Kothari during the launch event at Cosentino City Dubai on 7th November, the ANARCHITECT Design Team and Cosentino’s Middle East Marketing Manager Miriam Llano revealed several facets of the installation.

Elaborating on the concept, founder and director of ANARCHITECT Jonathan Ashmore commented, “Context Reflections continues ANARCHITECT’s ongoing research into the relationship of natural light, materials, and the importance of context in all architecture and interior spaces we engage in. Given the diverse and unique international settings the Practice works in, the installation concept was developed by our Team for Cosentino to highlight the consistent importance of light and materiality in our work; as well as raise our sustainable collective consciousness by going back to basics  and calling for the observation of the contexts that surround us, here purposefully using a low-tech, full-scale analog design tool”.