TwentyOne06 is proud to announce two major wins at the 19th annual Commercial Interior Design (CID) Awards 2025 – MENA, one of the region’s most prestigious interior design award ceremonies. This milestone recognition cements our position as a leading hospitality and lifestyle design studio in Dubai and highlights the strength of our creative team.
The awards ceremony, held under the theme Cyber Garden, brought together the most influential names in interior design, architecture, and fit-out across the Middle East. TwentyOne06 celebrated in style, debuting our new brand identity and walking away with two awards that reflect both our design innovation and the people who power it.
Award Highlights:
WINNER: – Interior Design Concept of the Year: Retail
Cheese Board UAE, Bluewaters Island, Dubai
Located on Bluewaters Island, Cheese Board’s first flagship outside the Grandiose supermarket network redefines what retail can be. Far from a grocery store with theatrics, the 1,126 sq ft space is a stage where cheese takes the spotlight, design is the stagecraft, and guests become the audience. Commissioned by Grandiose and reimagined by TwentyOne06, the project demanded more than identity work — it called for a complete repositioning of retail into cultural experience. The outcome is a premium yet approachable “Gallery of Taste” that celebrates cheese as both a product and a cultural artifact.
Key Design Strategies:
1) Storytelling-driven retail: Displays are organised by narrative, profile, and pairing rather than origin — transforming shopping into discovery.
2) Immersive zones: From tasting counters and curated pairings to The Vault, which elevates rare cheeses on sculptural plinths, each zone is designed to extend dwell time and encourage exploration.
3) Materiality as metaphor: Raw stone, warm wood, and sculptural lighting abstract the textures, colors, and stringiness of cheese, creating a space that feels edible yet refined.
4 )Commercial choreography: Spatial sequencing and merchandising strategy increase premium sales, repeat visits, and loyalty through personalised curation and tasting experiences.
This award win underlines TwentyOne06’s expertise in hospitality-led retail design — proving that with the right mix of brand storytelling, material innovation, and behavioral strategy, even a supermarket-born concept can evolve into a cosmopolitan destination for Dubai’s most discerning guests.
Read more – How we designed Cheese Board UAE
WINNER: Unsung Hero of the Year
Hanaa Azmi
At the 2025 CID Awards MENA, Hanaa Azmi, Design Storyteller and Marketing & PR Manager at TwentyOne06, was named Unsung Hero of the Year. With a background in Fine Art and a Fashion Design degree, Hanaa brings a unique creative lens to interior design communication — blending artistry, narrative, and strategy. he was also featured in Commercial Interior Design’s March issue as one of the Top 16 Creative Women in the Middle East You Need to Know, cementing her influence as a young creative leader.
In just two years, she has transformed TwentyOne06 from a boutique studio into one of the most visible names in hospitality and lifestyle design market, securing over 100 press features, 60+ award entries, and doubling the studio’s digital reach. Beyond just marketing and being mentored by award-winning designer , Govind Shepley, she directs shoots, curates stories, mentors students, and shapes the studio’s voice. Hanaa’s recognition is not only a celebration of her impact, but a reminder that design storytelling is as vital as design itself.
A Milestone for TwentyOne06
Winning two CID Awards in one night marks a pivotal moment in our journey as a studio. Since our founding in 2018, TwentyOne06 has grown from a boutique team into an award-winning global design practice, known for our expertise in hospitality design, F&B concepts, and lifestyle retail spaces.
These awards prove what drives us forward:
- 1) Creativity that inspires hospitality-led experiences
- 2) Strategic design that merges storytelling with commercial success
- 3) A team culture that values every individual contribution
