User:Mr. Ibrahem/Bayati2

King Saud University Entrance Gate, (Faith & Knowledge), Riyadh
Dr. Bayati’s design for the entrance gates to the King Saud University is based upon the theme of faith and knowledge; two pillars of Islam that must be taken together, "Knowledge cannot do without faith nor can faith ignore knowledge for Islam calls always for faith and knowledge to run in parallel."

"The design consists of two books representing knowledge and faith. They have been so placed so that their pages are interlocked thus showing the close connection between faith and knowledge. Verses from the Quran on faith and knowledge are written in beautiful script on the cover of each book."

Church Island House, Staines, 1987
Church Island House was a building commissioned by the publisher of Academy Editions and Architectural Design magazine, Andreas Papadakis.

"For his luxury mansion on his Greek-island-in-the-Thames, the great man chose not Michael Graves, one of the deconstructivists or even CZWG, but pragmatic classicist Basil Al Bayati, whom he instructed to design a country house in the English turn-of-the-century manner." The plan of the house is based on multiple units of structural geometrical forms and utilises extensive brickwork in a postmodern, art & craft style. It was "designed in a vernacular manner, using building materials similar to those traditionally used in the area."

In 1988, Church Island House was exhibited at the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt in an exhibition titled The Architecture of Pluralism that included work by James Gowan, Terry Farrell, Charles Jencks and some twenty other internationally recognised architects.

Hyde Park Gate Mews, London, 1990
This building reflects the more classical side of Al Bayati’s architecture and is a four storey post-modern classical townhouse in the heart of Kensington. Architectural Design magazine wrote of him and this work: "He is steeped in the history of Islamic architecture, and deeply inspired by Persian tomb-towers, Cairo Mosques, Moghul palaces etc. He is also, however, motivated by Western Classicism, in for example his project for Park Gate, London, drawn from the Classical ordering system of proportion, as well as the use of columns and mansard roofs."

The building can be seen as part of The Decorative Arts Society architectural walk – A Walk Around and About ‘Albertopolis’.

Oriental Village by the Sea, Dominican Republic, 1988
The Oriental village by the sea "is based upon Oriental building types arranged in a plan originating in patterns of insect and plant life. The exoskeleton of a dragonfly forms the main body of the building’s layout, its triangular mouth of stairs on the waterfront leading to the creature’s circular head of the entrance lobby. The insect’s long segmented yellow body is the central corridor, dome-lit, which intertwines with a branch of a tree, its stem a road and its leaves the roofs of condominiums and leisure facilities.  The colourful berries are cone-topped villas intended to be reminiscent of Chinese temples."

This design was awarded the runner-up position and an honourable mention in the 1988, Las Terrenas Competition for Architecture.

Tomb of Gul Baba, Budapest, 1987
"Dr. Bayati’s design presents a large complex which successfully combines the styles of Ottoman architecture (as it was practised in Eastern Europe) and Hungarian architecture in the style of Lechner. The platform on which this complex is envisaged is already standing.  The new buildings flank the turbe to the right and left.  The building to the left, or more precisely to the south of the turbe, is a mosque.  This is covered by three domes, all resting on drums of various heights, that in the centre being taller than the lateral ones.  Due to the cold climate of the country the mosque is entirely covered and is rectangular in shape.  Since colour is very much in evidence both on the exterior and interior of the building, it is envisaged that the mihrab will be coated with Zsolnay tiles and framed by a rectangular border containing Quranic inscription."

Furniture
After finishing his studies and whilst running his first practice, he became interested in furniture design. Many of these early designs were created especially for architectural projects that he was working on. They were made from carved wood, made with the assistance of the classically trained carpenter, Faruq al-Najjar and displayed Assyrian and Sumerian motifs together with muqarnas (a mixture of pendentive and squinch). i.e. the offices of the President of the University of Basra.

Later, in the early 80s, Al Bayati continued his experiments with furniture design, mixing floral wood-carving with geometric inlay and turned work. Much of this work was made in Cairo and India and was once again designed specifically for houses that had been built by him in the Middle East. Some of these pieces are now on display in his centre in Málaga.

In the mid-80s Al Bayati’s furniture design took a bold turn – influenced perhaps by the wave of post-modern architects and designers of the time. His designs attracted the attention of a number of flamboyant clients who commissioned suites for their weddings. His furniture of this period was all made at the exclusive OAK factory in Cantu, Italy, owned by the Pologna family with whom Al Bayati became close friends. His work, at this time, was considered by some to be post-modern although to others it readily escaped such definitions. Michael Collins in his Post-Modern Design said of it: "Pluralistic Post-Modernism is evident in the exotic furniture designed by Basil-Al Bayati…….inspired by Persian tomb-towers, Cairo Mosques, minarets, and the balconies of Moghul palaces, to name but a few sources. His is fantasy furniture, inflected towards Islamic colour and luxury."

In 2000 Al Bayati opened ‘Basil Leaf’, the first of a series of organic food shops in London in which all of the specialty gourmet food furniture and displays had been designed by him. The design of these pieces was extravagant and theatrical, using Sumerian mythological figures, chariots, temples, elephants and even Saint Basil's Cathedral as sources of inspiration. At the same time, the pieces were practical, functional creations – cake display cabinets, coffee grinders, fruit cabinets and so on. A number of these pieces can be seen at his centre in Málaga. In 2013, he was introduced by a mutual friend to Sidqa Usta, an expert craftsman from Istanbul. Together they began working on a new line of new furniture that was to include tables, display cabinets and wall units, in a uniquely Arabesque style utilising wood, marble and bronze as the principal materials. A number of these can now be seen in the centre in Málaga.

Metalwork
His frequent visits to Istanbul put him in touch with a number of local artisans, from sculptors, carvers, glass workers and metal workers. One of these was Yuksel Ustaoglu, an expert metal worker specialised in bronze and brass. Al Bayati began frequenting his workshop in the old Ottoman market and with Al Bayati’s designs, they soon began producing a collection of chandeliers and lamps made from bronze and brass, five of which can now be seen in the cafeteria of his Málaga centre. The inspiration for this collection came this time from the natural world, in particular the geometric patterns and shapes of unusual sea creatures, blended with traditional old Ottoman-style lamps and lighting.

Glasswork and ceramic
In 1990, he designed a collection of cutlery and tableware, called the Palm Banqueting Suite, based upon the motif of the palm tree. It was a one-off commission for one of his buildings for a client in Kuwait and was made by a local Italian artisan. A reproduction of this set, made in Morocco, is on display at the centre in Málaga.

In 1980 he designed a glass fountain for one of the Saudi royal family. The piece was so particular in its design that it took an expert glass-blower seven attempts before being successfully executed.

During the last few years he has continued his experiments, combining bronze and glass to create a series of bowls and sculptures that can be seen in the centre in Málaga.

List of works


(Non-exhaustive)