In November 2019 Dublin Airport opened “The East Lounge” – a brand new premier lounge for Business and First-Class passengers travelling to eastern destinations. Nineyards were responsible for bringing the space to life.

The ethos of “The East Lounge” is underpinned by the concept of east meeting west. An “Oasis of Calm”, it provides passengers flying to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong and Istanbul a last opportunity to enjoy Irish culture, design, food and beverage at the airport before they depart.

With an opportunity to completely reconfigure and elevate the existing area; our intent was to create an environment that delivers the renowned warmth of Irish hospitality in tandem with the premium touches the modern traveller expects.

Therefore we designed a set of bespoke elements inspired by the very best of contemporary Irish textiles, art and raw materials – and engrained with a real sense of comfort and practicality. As our base elements, we utilised premium local materials such as Connemara Marble and Kilkenny Limestone – with their associated warm grey and rich green hues as palettes – and matched them with brass, gold and leather flourishes to bring our design intent to life.

We ensured a series of tactful connections to the East meets West ethos of the space with select ambient touches such as ensuring the grain of our Irish Oak tables and panels were angled between 45 and 135 degrees; meaning they are always pointing towards the east.

While the furniture, cushions and coverings and the custom made wall hangings were meticulously handcrafted locally by Delaney’s Bespoke Furniture and STABLE of Ireland respectively.

“Working with Nineyards has always been such an enjoyable experience, working together on The East Lounge was no different. The team made significant effort to understand the objectives of the space and our vision while also working closely with our marketing agencies to keep everything aligned. The finished product totally exceeded our (and our customers) expectations. The space constantly impresses in terms of aesthetics. While the finer details which are spotted by the eagle-eyed are always well received. 

The Nineyards team used their own internal expertise but also utilized their relationships with suppliers which enriched the concept and story even further. We are already looking forward to working with Nineyards on the next project- its always a pleasure!”

– Laura Groves, Head of Dublin Airport Travel Services