Sand dunes and skyscrapers: UAE opens new doors for Ines J. Pedras

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Ines J. Pedras (full name Ines Jimenez Pedras) is a Spanish architect, artist, founder, urban planner and engineer. She focuses on digital design technologies, building information modelling (BIM) generative design and robotic manufacturing. Ines focuses on materials, disciplines and scales that can unite architecture, biological design and art. Having exhibited her work in Spain, Japan and the UK, she has contributed to award-winning projects around the world as part of architectural teams, including the refurbishment of the Tokyo and Japan Paralympic Games venues in 2018.

Her research led her to establish Gemstone Architecture as a vehicle for her personal practice (the values of which include the geometric and structural complexity of carved stones). “My work aspires to combine a new multi-disciplinary genealogy with nature as master,” she says. “For this reason, I approach the living, structural world through experiments in geometric and biological processes.” She is intrigued by the triangular form, which, she feels, not only adds aesthetic value to the mechanism of a complex structure, but also allows her to solve spatial problems.

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“I have been experimenting ever since I can remember,” she says. “Painting and sketching have allowed me to expand my learning and ignite my curiosity.” She considers architecture an art form, though she has chosen to focus on engineering-based technical learning. Arabic arts and architecture are integral to her approach, which includes research in complex mathematical combinations of original forms. Though she says Arabic and Spanish cultures are different, she has discovered their shared history. “However,” she adds, “I have to admit that I find my generation, and in general people who live in the West, are somewhat disconnected from these cultural bonds. I am very happy that I came and saw with my own eyes and was able to connect it to my practice.”

She has found that historical elements of Arab architecture are similar to their Spanish cousins. She has also noticed, for example, that some of the names of Spanish cities originate in Arabic, such as the prefix ‘Al’. She has learnt that the pronunciation of some words are very similar in both Arabic and Spanish. The contemporary architecture of Dubai, such as its skyscrapers, fascinates her and she has followed their construction. She has been to Dubai Museum to “learn about the 50 years of urban expansion, the mind-blowing changes in the city and about the union of the United Arab Emirates.”

  Ines J. Pedras hails from Spain.

Being surrounded by high-tech buildings here was kind of intimidating, at first. But she turned the challenge into an opportunity and saw it was also a chance to confidently expand her career and outlook, both professionally and personally. “The eye-catching new contemporary style that is continuing to flourish in the city is the part I feel most influenced by,” she says. “My design approach could be related to sci-fi futuristic architecture, which I feel is in common with Dubai. I see Dubai as an emerging and exciting city, full of contrasts, disciplines and people from all over the world; it is nurturing an atmosphere full of intellectual aspiration, which will be remembered by future generations.”

Desert dunes have also captured her attention, partly because the north of Spain, where she hails from, has a rocky topography, with a rainy climate. It could not be more different from the geography of the Emirates. But for Ines, it is yet another great source of inspiration and a chance to enrich her creative narrative. This was enhanced during her Tashkeel residency. According to Ines, Taskheel (with spaces in Alserkal Avenue and Nad Al Sheba), established in 2008 by Lateefa bint Maktoum for contemporary art and design rooted in the UAE, was a “great discovery.” “Tashkeel appeared almost like an Arab palace!” she wonders, “with its arches and vegetation (in Nad Al Sheba). It became my own place to concentrate, with even some elements that almost reminded me of a distant past life. For example, I required a computer with design software and it was an amazing relief to find it ready when I arrived. Taskheel is without doubt, a special place with a unique charm. It cares about the little details that makes everything work.”

In 2022, she revealed her works at Tashkeel, under the title ‘Geometric Integrity’ (the original title was Biotensegrity Foldism). It was a combination of ‘integrities’, both physical and digital, which goes to build a versatile network. It coincided with her participation in an exhibition at Expo Dubai, which consisted of a series of modular elements and shell structures, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the UAE and Accion Cultural Espanola. The exhibition was accompanied by workshops and conferences.

The project was based on a creative interpretation of Arab culture’s geometric world that combined mathematics, arts and architecture of the Al-Andalus period. “It united the relationship of the Arabs with a part of the history of Spain,” Ines says. She has just unveiled the Tower Series, which, she says, represents the ambitious vertical growth of Dubai over the years and the future to come. “The Towers aim to showcase my architectural intentions that yes, I want to see them built in real life, in the heart of the metropolis, and I will work for it. People say that Dubai is the city where dreams become reality.” The Towers are on display in Tashkeel Alserkal Avenue till September 5.