OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2014. The recently opened Al Mourjan Business Lounge for Qatar Airways’ Premium passengers at Hamad International Airport (HIA), Qatar’s new world-class gateway to the world, introduces luxury design complemented with state-of-the-art technology to meet the needs and desires of premium travellers.

Inspired by Qatari hospitality and underpinned by the luxurious industrial design sense of Antonio Citterio, a leading Italian designer, the Al Mourjan Business Lounge offer privacy and relaxation in a public space. Customers get a first glimpse of the clean lines and superior contemporary style at the lounge entrance, where they are greeted by a five-metre long reception desk made of hammered polished stainless steel.

The same sense of grandeur is emphasized throughout the lounge, and is highlighted by the monumental steel and glass staircase that was designed without a landing - creating a clean and crisp shape. A grand chandelier anchors the middle of the staircase dipping towards a water feature that creates a mirror image of the chandelier and a sense of immense depth.

Materials used throughout the lounge complement the overall design. Fine treated and chiseled Ferretto Sandstone has been tested in the Al Mourjan Business Lounge for the first time – by a machine specially made only for this purpose. This special stone treatment is most visible in the prayer room corridor, which is washed by light from above. Carrara Marble used for the buffet tables was brought directly from quarries in Italy, while the buffet table in the lounge’s Resort Deli/Bistro was also cut from the same block of stone to guarantee consistency. Teak wood flooring in the open resort area, with rubber inserts, is the same that is used on luxury yachts.

Throughout the lounge the designers have introduced various yet complementary seating options offering customers a variety of choice. The majority were custom-designed by Antonio Citterio exclusively for Al Mourjan, while there is also furniture by famous designers such as Bouroullec Brothers, Bertoia, Fukasawa, and Urquiola. In addition, leading Italian and European luxury furniture design companies have also found their place in the lounge, including Vitra, B&B, Cassina, Knoll, Arper, Flos, Fritz Hansen and Unifor.

Technology also plays an important part in the overall design. The lighting technology in the open resort area provides natural shade as it projects shadows with changing colour temperatures and intensities together with different shadow patterns on the horizontal surfaces.

With an enormous range of options to choose from in the 1,000-seat lounge, including the main lounge area, resort area, family rooms, quite rooms, business centre, or in one of the four dining areas offering delicacies from Qatar Airways’ premium chefs, passengers will be immersed in an impeccable design taking their travel experience to an entirely new level.