Where Nature Dines Indoors
Restaurant Lounge — Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi
Monolith delivered the complete fit-out of the Restaurant Lounge at Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi a bold, nature-inspired dining environment that transforms the conventional mall restaurant experience through an extraordinary biophilic design concept, rich in texture, greenery, and warmth.
Client:
Restaurant Lounge — Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi
Re-imagining the Future of Space
Idea
The design concept was built around a single powerful idea: bringing the garden inside. Monolith created a dramatic overhead installation of custom timber crate shelving units, each overflowing with cascading green foliage, that spans the full length of the dining room and transforms the ceiling plane into a living, breathing canopy. Combined with vertical green walls, natural stone cladding, and warm timber structural columns, the result is a restaurant that feels like dining in an urban garden — vibrant, fresh, and completely unlike anything else in the mall.
Conceptualization and Planning
Design Process
The spatial layout was designed to create a clear dining journey from the lush, plant-framed entrance through to a series of banquette-lined dining zones that feel both social and intimate. The overhead crate installation was engineered to be structurally sound while maintaining the visual lightness of a natural canopy, with each branded timber crate positioned and planted to create a sense of organic abundance. Teal upholstered banquettes and natural wood dining chairs were selected to complement the green and earthy palette, adding a pop of colour that keeps the space feeling energetic and contemporary.
Implementation and Styling
Design Process
Monolith executed the full fit-out scope, including the bespoke overhead timber crate and planting installation, all joinery and banquette seating, vertical green wall panels, natural stone wall cladding, flooring, ceiling works, and lighting. The branded timber crates each stencilled with food-related words were custom-manufactured in Monolith's joinery factory, ensuring consistency of finish and structural integrity across the entire installation. The result is one of the most visually distinctive restaurant interiors in Abu Dhabi a space that guests remember long after they leave.
