Nicholas Szczepaniak Architects has combined smoked timber joinery, huge sheets of steel and raw concrete to create the brooding interiors of this men's spa and barbershop in Dubai.

The barbershop is situated in the Dubai Design District, a development populated by several galleries, fashion boutiques, and eateries.
It is the third Chaps & Co to open in the city, joining a branch in the Dubai Marina and another in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers. All three have been designed by London-based practice Nicholas Szczepaniak Architects, who were briefed by the brand to establish "stylish and welcoming havens for the modern gentleman".

The latest store features a dark colour scheme and a selection of raw materials, but has a floor space that is three times larger than it's predecessors. In the middle of the space lies a lounge area that riffs off the appearance of private members clubs. It has a pair of black leather Chesterfield sofas, faux stag's head, and a cluster of bare light bulbs suspended from the ceiling.
Partition walls crafted from smoked oakwood have been divided up into a series of deeply inset shelves, intended to cast dramatic shadows and create an overall "sense of darkness and intrigue".

The lounge area is meant to serve as a central meeting point from which all other rooms can be accessed.
"This avoids the need for lobbies and corridors but also enhances the social vibrancy of the space," Nicholas Szczepaniak, director of the pr...