PROJECT 
The White Arcade
DESIGN STUDIO 
DTD aka D'Ora Tokai Designs
LOCATION 
The Villa, Centro 1, Dubailand (Wadi Al Safa 5), Dubai

ABOUT

The White Arcade is a complete interior architectural transformation by D’Ora Tokai Designs, reimagining a former Spanish-style villa in The Villa, Dubai, into a sculptural family sanctuary defined by clarity, proportion, and calm.

 

Once visually heavy and enclosed, the home was reworked from the inside out. Walls, corridors, and spatial connections were refined to open sightlines, invite natural light, and restore a sense of flow. Designed for a family of five with demanding, fast-paced lives, the architecture translates movement into serenity — allowing spaces to transition quietly and intuitively, without visual noise.

 

The layout centres around a double-height courtyard that anchors daily life and brings rhythm to the home. Public spaces on the ground floor open toward this central void, while private areas upstairs follow the same clear geometric logic. The programme includes two kitchens, six bathrooms, three walk-in wardrobes, and a sequence of living and family spaces that balance openness with retreat.

 

Architecturally, the project is shaped by a dialogue between softness and structure. Repeated arches reference the villa’s origins and the family’s cultural heritage, while European elements — picture-frame mouldings, herringbone oak flooring, and disciplined proportions — introduce order and stability. Light-toned materials, brass accents, and a restrained palette of whites and warm neutrals heighten the sense of ease, allowing architecture to take precedence over decoration.

 

Nearly all major furniture pieces were custom-designed for the home, reinforcing the architectural language and ensuring coherence between structure and inhabitation. The result is a space that feels considered yet effortless — elegant without excess, calm without austerity.

 

The White Arcade is a home designed to hold its inhabitants — an architectural sanctuary where clarity replaces noise and daily life unfolds with ease, reflecting D’Ora Tokai Designs’ belief that well-considered architecture can restore, steady, and quietly support the lives lived within it.

Bespoke furniture: DOT Objects