.jpg)
.jpg)
A discussion with the architect designer behind the Royal wedding
Dana Al-Zyadat, Jordan news
- +
- -
AMMAN — Anoud Abdullah Al-Zaben is a Jordanian architect
specializing in residential architecture, but when she became a mother, she
left work in architecture because it takes a lot of time and started working on
small projects and designing weddings, gatherings, and small events.اضافة اعلان
Since her childhood, Zaben used to attend Jordanian weddings and banquets in the community and in her home, "My father, who had a great passion for agriculture, used to hold large banquets on the farm. My passion for design and nature began there when I was eight years old.”
She said that she began designing tables in an innovative way during her stay in Dubai, specifically during the period of the pandemic and lockdowns, where she found on the table a world of creativity. Also around that time she began giving online lectures on Biophilic design and how to introduce nature into spaces. After the lockdown began to be lifted, Zaben had a group of friends over for dinner, and she had designed her table for the event with designs invoking nature. The guests loved what they say, and urged her to continue this professionally, and organize special events.
“My goal in these designs to find myself in contact with nature, stressing the strong foundation that my study of architecture gave me,” Zaben said.
"I never thought that designing tables in my home would be a milestone in my career and that it would be so admired. I have established an office in Dubai that deals with organizing events, galleries, exhibitions, weddings, and providing workshops for those interested in artistic designs”.
Zaben added that the first inspiration in her designs is the nature of Jordan and the diversity of seasons, so she relies on the use of seasonal plants found in Jordan, such as lavender, qaysum, wormwood, and jasmine. Her designs reflect the seasons and the quality of plants that grow in each season.
She stressed that she deals with each project in privacy. In the first two weeks, she conducts the necessary research and study to come up with a completely new design, as she intends for each design to be entirely authentic.
The Crown Prince’s Wedding
In designing the wedding of the Crown Prince, she said that from the beginning, the request of the royal family was clear that the wedding be Jordanian, so she had to translate and define the concept of the Jordanian wedding through designs related to Jordanian customs, traditions and, heritage. She also worked to make the design carry symbols from the north and the south; the designs had to symbolize the diverse nature of Jordan, with its forests and its deserts.
Zaben said that “the wedding included the concept of Celebration in Jordan, and we came out with five items, Connection to Heritage, Love, Land, Links, and Legacy. As for the element of love, it reflected the love of the newlyweds and the love of the Crown Prince for his people and the people for the Crown Prince. This item included symbols of perennial olive trees in Ajloun surrounded by hills of dates in the form of braids to reflect the Jordanian and Saudi culture. As for the land, simplicity was in reflecting plants such as jasmine and inspired by the gardens of Amman in the sixties.”
In the prepertory stages, Zaben designed a complete model and continuously presented samples to reach the end goal.
When the guest enters the reception, they are shown a 20-meter-long tapestry in an earthy color. It is called a pure tapestry, which 12 women from the Bani Hamida tribe in the Makawer area worked on, noting that there are wild plants on both sides of the tapestry.
After this section, arches appear, whose color symbolizes Wadi Rum, inspired by the Islamic architecture in the Husseiniya Palace, Zabin added, who confirmed that those who worked on designing the arches and followed up on their implementation were Jordanian engineers.
On either side of the arches there are olive trees inspired by the perennial olive trees in Ajloun, surrounded by dates. The stone on the tables is from Madaba, and the chairs and embroidery worked on them by women from Jerash, and the glass crystals are also from Jerash.
Zabin indicated that "one of the most beautiful designs present at the reception was the buffet murals, which were inspired by the threshing board that was used to separate the grain of wheat from the seed, and the artist Muhammad and his daughters from Umm al-Qattin in Mafraq worked on it on basalt stone.
She confirmed that she had worked with many craftsmen in Jordan, as they made great efforts, stressing that most of them submitted the work required of them before the required dates.
Zabin added that in Jordan we have creative and innovative youth, so young people should strive towards achieving their passion because this will inspire them to enter into experiences and expertise that enable them to innovate, and Jordanians must reflect an aspect of their country in their work to introduce the world to Jordan.
Since her childhood, Zaben used to attend Jordanian weddings and banquets in the community and in her home, "My father, who had a great passion for agriculture, used to hold large banquets on the farm. My passion for design and nature began there when I was eight years old.”
She said that she began designing tables in an innovative way during her stay in Dubai, specifically during the period of the pandemic and lockdowns, where she found on the table a world of creativity. Also around that time she began giving online lectures on Biophilic design and how to introduce nature into spaces. After the lockdown began to be lifted, Zaben had a group of friends over for dinner, and she had designed her table for the event with designs invoking nature. The guests loved what they say, and urged her to continue this professionally, and organize special events.
“My goal in these designs to find myself in contact with nature, stressing the strong foundation that my study of architecture gave me,” Zaben said.
"I never thought that designing tables in my home would be a milestone in my career and that it would be so admired. I have established an office in Dubai that deals with organizing events, galleries, exhibitions, weddings, and providing workshops for those interested in artistic designs”.
Zaben added that the first inspiration in her designs is the nature of Jordan and the diversity of seasons, so she relies on the use of seasonal plants found in Jordan, such as lavender, qaysum, wormwood, and jasmine. Her designs reflect the seasons and the quality of plants that grow in each season.
She stressed that she deals with each project in privacy. In the first two weeks, she conducts the necessary research and study to come up with a completely new design, as she intends for each design to be entirely authentic.
The Crown Prince’s Wedding
In designing the wedding of the Crown Prince, she said that from the beginning, the request of the royal family was clear that the wedding be Jordanian, so she had to translate and define the concept of the Jordanian wedding through designs related to Jordanian customs, traditions and, heritage. She also worked to make the design carry symbols from the north and the south; the designs had to symbolize the diverse nature of Jordan, with its forests and its deserts.
Zaben said that “the wedding included the concept of Celebration in Jordan, and we came out with five items, Connection to Heritage, Love, Land, Links, and Legacy. As for the element of love, it reflected the love of the newlyweds and the love of the Crown Prince for his people and the people for the Crown Prince. This item included symbols of perennial olive trees in Ajloun surrounded by hills of dates in the form of braids to reflect the Jordanian and Saudi culture. As for the land, simplicity was in reflecting plants such as jasmine and inspired by the gardens of Amman in the sixties.”
In the prepertory stages, Zaben designed a complete model and continuously presented samples to reach the end goal.
When the guest enters the reception, they are shown a 20-meter-long tapestry in an earthy color. It is called a pure tapestry, which 12 women from the Bani Hamida tribe in the Makawer area worked on, noting that there are wild plants on both sides of the tapestry.
After this section, arches appear, whose color symbolizes Wadi Rum, inspired by the Islamic architecture in the Husseiniya Palace, Zabin added, who confirmed that those who worked on designing the arches and followed up on their implementation were Jordanian engineers.
On either side of the arches there are olive trees inspired by the perennial olive trees in Ajloun, surrounded by dates. The stone on the tables is from Madaba, and the chairs and embroidery worked on them by women from Jerash, and the glass crystals are also from Jerash.
Zabin indicated that "one of the most beautiful designs present at the reception was the buffet murals, which were inspired by the threshing board that was used to separate the grain of wheat from the seed, and the artist Muhammad and his daughters from Umm al-Qattin in Mafraq worked on it on basalt stone.
She confirmed that she had worked with many craftsmen in Jordan, as they made great efforts, stressing that most of them submitted the work required of them before the required dates.
Zabin added that in Jordan we have creative and innovative youth, so young people should strive towards achieving their passion because this will inspire them to enter into experiences and expertise that enable them to innovate, and Jordanians must reflect an aspect of their country in their work to introduce the world to Jordan.
NEWS RELATED TO