MEAN* (Middle East Architecture Network), led by Riyad Joucka, has completed the Send Location fl agship store in Dubai, a 300 square meter interior conceived as a place of gathering as much as a place of retail. Designed for Khabib Nurmagomedov ’s lifestyle brand, the project is organized around an octagon shaped Majlis that brings cultural reference, spatial clarity, and everyday use into a single architectural framework.
The Majlis occupies the center of the plan and de fi nes both circulation and experience. Its geometry draws from two traditions: the Arab and Islamic space of communal gathering, and the octagonal ring associated with mixed martial arts. Inserted within the existing shell, the form engages directly with the building’s constraints. Positioned between two structural columns that intersect the octagon, the columns are absorbed into the architecture and clad to form vitrines displaying Khabib’s fi ght out fi ts and personal memorabilia. This approach preserves the Majlis as the symbolic and spatial core of the project while making e ffi cient use of the footprint. A custom carpet, informed by Dagestani textile patterns and reinterpreted through a restrained triangulated graphic, anchors the space and reinforces its role as shared ground.
The material palette is deliberate and tactile. Marmorino rendered walls establish a textured architectural backdrop, paired with polished olive toned fi nishes that soften the atmosphere. Upholstered seating in faux fur introduces a cultural reference to the papakha , the traditional white sheepskin hat worn by Khabib, while also o ff ering a place to sit, pause, and gather. Together, the materials express strength through control and comfort rather than excess.
Retail elements are arranged to support movement and interaction rather than fi xed display. Powder coated steel frames with warm wooden inserts are positioned around the Majlis, allowing merchandise to be adjusted for launches, events, and seasonal changes. Changing rooms are absorbed into the wall surfaces and concealed like lockers, maintaining visual continuity. Each opens into a compact interior with a bench and two parallel full height smoky mirrors, creating a quiet sense of depth that contrasts with the solidity of the surrounding architecture.
Brand identity is embedded through architectural detail and material articulation. A mashrabiya screen reinterprets traditional latticework using the Send Location logo as its repeating module, offering a restrained reference to the geometry of the fighting ring cage. Behind the reception counter, a neon calligraphy artwork spelling “Alhamdulillah” in Arabic, developed in collaboration with Palestinian Jordanian calligrapher Muthanna Hussein, is set against black striated sintered stone panels, establishing a controlled relationship between illumination and material mass. Seating elements are conceived as beam profiles, translating the project’s structural language into objects of use and reinforcing the space’s sense of strength and solidity.
Beyond shopping, the flagship is designed to host conversation and exchange. Integrated audio visual systems and adaptable seating allow the space to support podcasts, live recordings, and community gatherings. In this way, the store functions as a contemporary Majlis, open to multiple forms of use and shared presence.
“We approached the project as an architectural interpretation of gathering across cultures and within the subculture of mixed martial arts,” says Riyad Joucka. “Culture and identity are articulated through space, structure, and material, rather than through objects or products.”
The Send Location flagship presents retail as a social and cultural interior, rooted in place while remaining open to a broad and international audience.
