4Space draws on cultural significance of Arabian horses for UAE restaurant

Design studio 4Space “explored the physical and kinetic qualities” of horses for the fluid, organic design of Falwa, an Abu Dhabi restaurant celebrating modern Emirati cuisine.

Located in the Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Art (ADREA) academy, the contemporary restaurant is led by Michelin-starred Emirati chef Faisal Alharmoodi.

To showcase the importance of the Arabian mare as a cultural icon in this equestrian space, 4Space designed the restaurant to represent abstract depictions of horses and their anatomy.

“The design team explored the physical and kinetic qualities of the animal itself, specifically its skeletal structure, muscular tension, and fluid movement,” 4Space said.

It aimed to convey the animal’s cultural and historical importance through architecture, using an organic design language throughout the restaurant, which fittingly opened in 2026 – the Year of the Horse.

Named Falwa after the Arabic term for a young female mare in her first year of life, the eatery has a fluid interior with stretched, curved walls designed to evoke horses in motion.

The restaurant interior also references a specific horse named Rabdan, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s, which inspired the custom-made dusty white mineral plaster that wraps its walls and adds a tactile feel.

“This earthier, softer alternative to pure white acts as a passive canvas for the shifting daylight, allowing natural and artificial light to paint dynamic shadows across the curved walls, evoking the powerful presence and coat of the horse,” 4Space explained.

Rabdan’s coat also influenced Falwa’s overall colour palette, which features warm reddish, tan and brown hues against the white walls.

“By utilising rich crimson tones and warm, tactile materials, the design team evokes the powerful presence and coat of this legendary steed,” 4Space explained.

Falwa’s tactile, organic feel of the walls is contrasted by the polished, glossy flooring, which was made from Breccia Aurora marble. Its beige and brown veining matches the restaurant’s earthy brown leather and wood tones.

While the restaurant mostly features abstract references to Arabian horses, 4Space also added more specific equestrian details to the interior.

4Space created custom-made dining chairs with decorative leather straps, visible stitching and metal hardware in a nod to horse saddles and tack.

Above the central tables at the restaurant, a tactile sculpture with a skeletal, undulating design once again evokes movement and anatomy.

4Space also used the Vibia Plusminus lighting system by designer Stefan Diez for Falwa. Its signature textile straps, from which glass globes are suspended, match the equestrian leather straps on the chairs and add a playful effect to the interior.

Overall, 4Space aimed to tie Falwa’s food and interior together, with both aspects of the restaurant functioning as contemporary expressions of Emirati culture and heritage.

“The design demonstrates how a deep cultural relationship can be expressed as a living, modern architectural language,” the studio concluded.

To learn more about 4Space, visit its website.