Interview with Sophia Sebti ARCHITECT

A graduate architect from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Sophia Sebti continued her studies at the Escola da Cidade in Sao Paulo. Her field of expertise is vast and varied, encompassing small- to large-scale projects in a continuous alternation between urban planning, architecture, landscape, interior design, stand design and urban furniture design. She has been working from her "212/conception" studio since 2009, and her projects have a strong character and remarkable originality. 

• How would you describe Sophia Sebti's style?

 

What we're looking for at the agency is a kind of alchemy between practicality and aesthetics. The beauty of architecture and its practicality go hand in hand.
This also comes from the expression of 20th-century American architect Louis Sullivan: "Form follows function", to which I like to juxtapose "Function follows form". These two notions are intimately intertwined.

Another point that characterizes our style is the design of spaces with lots of openings. The inside of a volume is connected to the outside and vice versa.
Architecture is born from within the project, and it's by opening up to the sky that we connect with the outside. For example, we created several glass roofs in the restaurant that didn't exist before. The roof becomes the fifth façade of a volume from which natural light penetrates.

Finally, we try as much as possible to opt for local materials such as zellige from Fez, stone from Taza, marble from Khenifra...

• What were your inspirations for the Umayya restaurant renovation? 

 

Umayya initially had a lounge/cabaret feel. We wanted to bring in light and high ceilings right from the design stage, to make the place pleasant day and night, with roof windows that let in zenithal light.
The owners wanted to revitalize the restaurant with Mediterranean cuisine from the Levant. Umayya boasts a unique view of the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Casablanca lighthouse. The many colors of the sea inspired us to use zellige and glass colors: morning blue, evening blue, blue on a sunny day or a gray day... All these nuances give a result that's close to its context. We also used a lot of mirrors to duplicate the view of the ocean, so that everyone could capture it.

The restaurant's style is marked by a blend of different moods. There's the chic of a brasserie, a noble floor with white marble interrupted by strips of black & white zellige, parquet flooring, grooved plaster, Aït Manos zellige - made in-house using a thousand-year-old process - on half the walls, contrasting with the industrial feel of the ceiling with its exposed lighting and air-conditioning.

• Why did you choose to use Aït Manos zellige for this project?

 

Zellige has been a favorite of our customers and ourselves since the very beginning. The use of Zellige in architecture combines classic, design and essential values. Crafted in our workshops by the finest master zellige artisans, Maison Aït Manos creations enhance our spaces and give our projects a local yet contemporary touch. We particularly like the wide choice of compositions and colors offered by Aït Manos.
We've been working with the brand's co-founders, Ghalia Sebti and Tawfik Bennani, for over a decade. Tawfik brings a wealth of technical and creative know-how that is rarely found. Ghalia, with her professionalism and attention to detail, ensures a continuous presence from the initial proposal to site delivery.

In the toilets, we opted for full Aït Manos zellige, but played with dimensions and colors to create a particular, warmer atmosphere in contrast with the ocean side of the great hall.
For this more intimate area, we created four different toilets. Four cubes with specific ceiling heights, like a Lego construction.
Each cube carries a different color: Pink, Purple, Red and Peach. The Chocolate zellige floor leads and connects these 4 spaces.

Credits Photographers:

Alessio Mei

©Lahcen Mellal