Nicholas Szczepaniak Architects has combined smoked timber joinery, huge sheets of steel and raw concrete to create the brooding interiors of this men's spa and barbershop in Dubai.

In the middle of the space lies a lounge area that riffs off the appearance of private members clubs. It has a pair of black leather Chesterfield sofas, faux stag's head, and a cluster of bare light bulbs suspended from the ceiling.

Partition walls crafted from smoked oakwood have been divided up into a series of deeply inset shelves, intended to cast dramatic shadows and create an overall "sense of darkness and intrigue".