Feel Boutique Plaza – A Contemporary Reawakening of an Omani Home

I.C.D.co

Short description

Feel Boutique Plaza is a creative reimagining of an old Omani house and an adjacent commercial structure that lacked spatial and cultural identity. Through a unified architectural vision, these two disconnected buildings were transformed into a multidimensional hospitality space in the heart of Muscat. The intervention revives the soul of the traditional house while extending its spatial language into the newer structure, creating a seamless and meaningful dialogue between heritage and contemporary life.

At the heart of the original house lies a central space not a courtyard in the traditional Iranian sense but a spatial core reinterpreted as a civic like interior plaza. This zone now functions as a third place neither home nor work where residents travelers and migrants can gather connect and experience a sense of belonging through architecture art and hospitality.

The entire design is conceptually anchored in a verse by the Persian poet Hafez
“The porch of my eyes is your nest
Be modest and perch it is your abode to rest”
Rather than merely decorating the space this verse became the conceptual seed of the project. Every line curve and light filtering element draws inspiration from its meaning. The typography was custom designed and transformed into laser cut patterns that project the poem’s presence across the floors and façades as sunlight moves through the day.

The architecture takes on a soft animated character. Curves gentle transitions and subtle detailing bring forth a feminine energy that echoes the concept of anima. Materials color tones and spatial softness all work together to propose an alternative sensibility one that quietly honors presence elegance and openness in a socially layered context.

Custom designed tiles are a central narrative element. Using a single module various traditional motifs resembling regional carpets and symbolic geometries can be recreated through different arrangements. This gives the architecture a mutable identity where cultural memory can be reinterpreted in countless ways through form and material.

The design is also deeply multisensory. Every space was crafted to activate the five senses from the textures of indoor plants and natural materials to the scent of freshly baked bread and perfumes to the taste of curated flavors to the sound of live music and the visual interplay of artworks spatial layers and light. The goal was to awaken a transcendent sixth sense an inward awareness that architecture can gently stir.

The positioning of mirrors and framing of arches creates a choreographed visual rhythm. From different standing points the space offers unexpected alignments layered reflections and orchestrated views that invite exploration and pause. This fluid spatial reading makes the building not only functional but also contemplative.

More than just a café the project integrates a gallery event rooms social lounges and contemplative corners. Each element was developed through a careful study of Muscat’s urban dynamics and the evolving lifestyles of its residents and guests. This is a space designed not just for consumption but for participation a place where design encourages gathering sharing and presence.

Feel Boutique Plaza is not a nostalgic restoration nor a commercial overhaul. It is a spatial proposition rooted in poetry culture and human behavior. It demonstrates how architecture when sensitively crafted can renew forgotten structures and activate them into living breathing platforms for contemporary urban life.