(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) Leading Japanese firm unveils“Chatai”, a handcrafted Japanese tea-inspired gathering space celebrating culture, community and craftsmanship

Dubai, United Arab Emirates,October 2025: Nikken Sekkei Dubai, the UAE design studio of leading Japanese architectural, engineering and urban design firm Nikken Sekkei, one of the world's largest practices, together with Japanese carpentry studio Sobokuya, is set to unveil“Chatai”. The installation will be showcased at the 11th edition of the Dubai Design Week, held at Dubai Design District from 4-9 November 2025.

Chatai is a modern poetic reinterpretation of Japanese tradition, designed as a space where people can connect, reflect, and share. Inspired by the harmony of Chashitsu tea rooms and the conviviality of Yatai food stalls, Chatai brings people together in an environment that feels both light and Japanese Aesthtics and airy, yet deeply rooted in cultural sensibilities.

Dr. Fadi Jabri, CEO of Nikken Sekkei Dubai, said:“What began as a casual sketch on a napkin has since blossomed into a collaborative initiative, drawing the attention of esteemed partners, each contributing their artistry to the Chatai installation. As a leading firm in the region, we feel a responsibility to amplify voices, bringing their culturally sensitive works to international audiences. Chatai stands as a manifestation of this commitment-an invitation to dialogue, to presence, and to the subtle beauty of shared traditions reimagined for today. D3 and Design Week is a perfect venue for such endeavor.”

Chatai is a composition of frames modeled on a 5.6 x 5.6 x 5.6 meter Japanese module, meticulously crafted with wooden binding details that embody timeless mastery and

exquisite craftsmanship. The entrance is graced by an Ikebana arrangement of the Sogetsu school, a gesture of welcome that sets the tone for the experience within.

The space further unfolds into an immersive cultural encounter, featuring poetic architectural exhibits created by the renowned UAE based graphic design firm Abjad Design.

Conceived as a calm, human-scaled refuge in the city's creative hub, Chatai blends the intimacy of the Japanese tearoom (Chashitsu) with the openness of the street-side stall (Yatai), inviting visitors to pause, share tea and connect through the quiet poetry of material, light and proportion.

Chatai is designed as a place where conversations and community form naturally. Timber joinery, tatami, lighting and layout are considered with care to create a tactile, welcoming environment that expresses Omotenashi, the spirit of Japanese hospitality. The installation embodies Nikken Sekkei's sensitivity to proportion and craft while opening an accessible cultural experience to Dubai's diverse design audience.

The installation is based on a design concept by Nikken Sekkei, with co-creators and collaborators including SOBOKUYA in Japan, Abjad Design in the UAE (display and graphics), Panasonic Electric Works UAE (lighting support, a regional company of Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Japan), Hiroshima Jozai in Japan (tatami materials), and Dai Nippon Printing in Japan (building material samples). Chatai strengthens the Japanese design presence at Dubai Design District (d3), helping create future members of the creative community in the UAE.

As part of the installation, Mr IMANISHI, Consul General of Japan in Dubai, will present Ikebana within the space of the Chatai. His sensibility as a Sōgetsu master, expressed through natural flowers, will be revealed. The Ikebana experience showcases creativity and freedom of expression, in harmony with the flowers and the Chatai space.

“Poetry of Architecture” produced by Abjad Design invites you on a journey through the Japanese Aesthetics, where tradition and modernity flow together like verses of a Haiku.

SOBOKUYA's philosophy of respecting nature guides every step of the process-from the forest to the final assembly. Each piece of wood is carefully selected with intention and shaped through a dialogue between the craftsperson and the material. Before the exhibition, a full-scale mock-up was built in Japan to refine the joinery, proportions, and on-site installation details. This ensured both authenticity and precision in the presentation in Dubai.

As Dubai Design Week celebrates over a decade as the region's premier design festival, Nikken Sekkei is proud to exhibit at the Middle East's leading design platform, bringing together creatives from the region and beyond. The 2025 edition of Dubai Design Week will explore a central theme of 'Community', in line the UAE's wider 'Year of Community' initiative, with young architects learning through the Chatai experience.

Looking to the future, Nikken Sekkei is dedicated to supporting regional visions and national initiatives. Through smart design, digital tools, and a flexible team model, the firm continues to build future-ready cities and lasting partnerships, shaping the next generation of urban life in the Middle East.

About Nikken Sekkei:

Nikken Sekkei is a global architecture and design firm with over 125 years of experience delivering context-driven, visionary solutions that enhance urban environments and support human well-being. With more than 3,100 professionals and 11 international offices, the firm's extensive portfolio spans masterplanning, mixed-use developments, commercial and residential buildings, cultural and educational facilities, transportation hubs, and healthcare infrastructure.

Nikken Sekkei in the Middle East:

Nikken Sekkei has been active in the Middle East for over 35 years and now operates through its regional office in Dubai, where it recently established a dedicated regional design studio. The firm blends Japanese design heritage with local insight to deliver award-winning, sustainable architecture across the region. Iconic projects such as One Za'abeel in Dubai and Tadawul Tower in Riyadh highlight its commitment to quality,

innovation, and technical excellence. With a diverse team representing over 20 nationalities, Nikken Sekkei continues to support regional visions and national initiatives through smart design and meaningful urban transformation.

Co Creators

SOBOKUYA:

SOBOKUYA is an architecture firm rooted in the tradition of Japanese wood joinery, where each connection tells a story of craft and care. Wood is seen not just as a material, but as a living partner in a dialogue between tradition and innovation, shaping spaces of warmth, connection, and life.

Founded in 2006, and later incorporated as a legal entity in 2014 in Hokuto City, Yamanashi, SOBOKUYA has grown from a local practice into a global one, with offices in Tokyo, Vietnam, and soon Dubai (opening November 2025). Its mission is to share the timeless wisdom of Japanese craftsmanship-creating architecture that nurtures community, respects nature, and inspires belonging across cultures.

Abjad Design:

Abjad Design is a multidisciplinary studio based in Dubai, dedicated to advancing contemporary Arab design through a human-centered, experimental approach. Offering end-to-end services across branding, print, packaging, digital, and spatial design, the studio works with clients from government to startups-especially in cultural and educational sectors. With deep respect for storytelling and identity, Abjad connects ideas, people, and places through thoughtful design that resonates locally and globally.

Collaborators

Panasonic Electric Works Middle East & Africa (PEWMEA)

A division of Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa FZE (PMMAF), is part of the Panasonic Group, founded in 1918. PEWMEA delivers high-quality, innovative solutions across the Middle East and Africa, including Electrical Construction Materials, LED lighting, Fire Alarm

Systems, Home & Building Automation, Indoor Air Quality, and solar energy-serving diverse needs across consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, and energy sectors.

Hiroshima Jozai:

Founded in Hiroshima in 1926, we are a TATAMI manufacturer, shortly celebrating our 100th anniversary. We have upheld craftsmanship and the spirit of high quality, safety, and reliability, and created TATAMI that fits modern living for nearly a century.

TATAMI delivers comfort and the beauty of Japan with over 1,300 years of history deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Our mission is to spread these values worldwide and carry into the future.

Dai Nippon Printing:

DNP, founded in 1876, has a wide range business fields such as business operations across three divisions: Smart Communication, Electronics, and Life & Healthcare, which includes building materials. The Artellion® exhibited this time is a high-quality surface appearance and highly durable decorative panel with custom printing on an aluminum substrate. It has a track record of high-rise building exterior cladding in Shanghai that was built in 1999.

Ikebana International:

Ikebana International (I.I.) is a worldwide, nonprofit organization founded in 1956. The Ikebana International Dubai Chapter is a vibrant community where tradition meets diversity. For over four decades, it has shared the beauty of Japanese heritage with the people of Dubai. With members from various backgrounds united by a shared love of flower arranging, participants are dedicated to exploring the intricacies of this ancient art and inspiring new generations.

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