Words by Allegra Salvadori
In Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue—an ecosystem where contemporary art, design, and experimental thinking converge—floristry has been radically reframed. The new space for UrArtU Gallery, designed by Crosby Studios, proposes flowers not as ornament, but as architecture: structural, emotional, and spatial.
Led by artist and designer Harry Nuriev, the project unfolds across 220 square metres conceived as a multi-purpose environment—at once gallery, workshop venue, and cultural platform. Here, floristry is liberated from the vase and elevated into a discipline that operates with the same authority as architecture or sculpture. The guiding philosophy is Transformism: a Crosby Studios doctrine that questions fixed typologies and reassigns meaning through material, tension, and narrative.
At the centre of the space rises a six-metre-high orchid, fabricated entirely from aluminium. Weighing 250 kilograms, it stands as both sculpture and load-bearing protagonist—a deliberate contradiction. Fragility is translated into mass; ephemerality into permanence. Flowers, traditionally fleeting, are rendered monumental, asserting their capacity to hold space and command attention.
This dialogue between opposites continues throughout the interior. Microcement floors ground the gallery with a raw, continuous surface, while bar and column structures are clad in Italian marble tiles, introducing a controlled sense of luxury. Aluminum composite wall panels with a stainless-steel effect reflect light and movement, softened by a custom grey finish developed with Jotun. The palette is restrained yet expressive—industrial, reflective, and quietly theatrical.
One of the most striking moments is the red-lit walk-in fridge, which functions as both technical infrastructure and immersive installation. Stainless steel interiors, argon-filled double glazing, and an integrated lightbox emit a crimson glow that subtly activates the surrounding space, blurring the line between back-of-house necessity and experiential design.
Smaller gestures reveal the project’s precision. Orchid motifs reappear discreetly in custom door handles, embedding floristry into the tactile language of the space. A dedicated coffee area supports pop-ups and events, while an upstairs open zone is reserved for workshops, talks, and programming—positioning UrArtU not simply as a gallery, but as a living cultural system.
Founded by Gurgen Yeritsyan, UrArtU has always advocated for floristry as a form of cultural expression. In collaboration with Crosby Studios, that ambition materialises fully: flowers become architectural gestures, emotion becomes structure, and space itself becomes a medium for storytelling.
Located in Alserkal Avenue, this new chapter for UrArtU signals a broader shift within Dubai’s creative landscape—one where disciplines dissolve, and beauty is no longer decorative, but constructed.
