Dubai’s cultural landscape welcomes a new permanent address for collectible design as The A/P Room (Instagram) opens its gallery at Alserkal Avenue. Conceived as the region’s first platform to bridge historic and contemporary collectible design as well as a source of design furniture and art advisory services, the gallery positions itself at the intersection of art, architecture and material culture.
Founded by Christelle Bassila and operating under Atelio, the design vertical of Vivium, The A/P Room introduces a curatorial model that connects international design voices with regional talent. Set within Dubai’s leading arts district, the gallery reframes how design objects are experienced, focusing on material intelligence, authorship and presence rather than trend.
Opening the space is At First Sight, on view until 29 March 2026. The exhibition explores a simple yet urgent question: how do we recognise the objects that matter? How do we discover objects that are worthy of our time and a space in our place?
In a time shaped by speed and image saturation, The A/P Room proposes something slower. “At First Sight is about recognising that first intuition and trusting it enough to stay with it,” says Christelle Bassila, Founder and CEO of The A/P Room. “To collect is not only to acquire, but to learn how to see. What stays is what matters. What unfolds over time is what endures.”
The exhibition introduces a considered mix sculptural and material-driven pieces from international and regional designers. Sculptural works by Rogan Gregory and Vincent Dubourg sit in dialogue with pieces by mid-century masters including Joaquim Tenreiro and Jorge Zalszupin.
Elsewhere, quieter material conversations unfold through pieces by Faye Toogood and Andrea Branzi, while a cabinet by Choi Byung Hoon anchors the mezzanine in a contemplative tone. The curatorial gesture is deliberate: to treat design as cultural storytelling, tracing how gesture, craft and material travel across continents and generations.
The ambition is clear: to create dialogue between international designers and regional voices, and to position the Middle East as an active participant in the global design ecosystem.
With plans to open a second space in Abu Dhabi in late 2026, The A/P Room is signaling long-term commitment. More than a gallery, it proposes a cultural conduit, one where design is approached with curiosity, rigour and care.
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