Siin Beirut Armbånd by Samara Diab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award i Jern in Smykkedesign Competition Category.

JernSmykke· 2022

Siin Beirut Armbånd

by Samara Diab

Client: Samara Diab

A' Design Award i Jern Winner in Smykke Category

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Colors

The Design

About Siin Beirut Armbånd

Siin Beirut er et gull charm-armbånd med 5 bokstaver basert på den kufiske arabiske skriften som danner ordet "Beirut", med diakritiske prikker i turkise steiner. Charmene består av en modulær enhet med tegn på 2,5x5,5 enheter; denne strukturen gjør at over- og underlengdene til de arabiske tegnene er ensartede i størrelse. Mens disse tegnene ofte er forbundet, kan disse isolerte flyttes rundt for å danne nye ord. De spissbuer i skriften er lasergraverte på toppen for å speile buene som finnes i Beiruts tradisjonelle arkitektur.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Jern

Siin Beirut Armbånd er vinner av A' Design Award i Jern, en prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles gode design som oppfyller de profesjonelle og industrielle kravene man forventer av veldesignede skaperverk. Jernvinnere viser stor dyktighet, høy spesialisering, ekspertforståelse og kreativ kapasitet hos skaperne. Siin Beirut Armbånd forventes å være et høyt ansett, beundret og verdsatt skaperverk som er praktisk og nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Jern, integrerer bransjens beste praksis og har kompetente tekniske egenskaper knyttet til kunnskap og talent. Siin Beirut Armbånd respekteres for sin grundighet og er utformet for å gi forbedringer i livskvalitet som bidrar til å gjøre verden til et bedre sted.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The charms are the center of my bracelet's uniqueness. They are a combination of Arabic characters and arches as a local and cultural architectural element.
This bracelet has 5 letters of the alphabet forming the word Beirut which the bracelet is named after. One can mix and match between letters to create different words.
Dimensions & Packaging: The letters are based on the Square Kufic calligraphy of the 12th century. This calligraphy is distinguished by its straight lines, right angles, and equal spacing between lines and spaces to conform to a regular grid. This grid follows a system of units. Each charm on the bracelet has a width of 2.5 units and a height equivalent of 5.5 units. The diacritic dot is equivalent to 1 unit of a turquoise stone. The arches are laser-engraved on top.
Tags: Siin, Beirut, Jewelry, Typography, Charms, Typeface design, Arabic typeface, bracelet design
Production Technology: Materials used are yellow gold metal and blue turquoise stones.
Design Challenge: The major challenge I faced was trying to fit all the charms (Arabic alphabet) of the word Beirut into the same grid. Knowing that the Arabic alphabet has many ascenders and descenders within its characters, it required precise measurements and calculations to have all charms fit into the same height (5.5 units).
Research: After the devastating explosion that occurred in Beirut Port on August 4, 2020, much of the city of Beirut was severely damaged. Many historical features were destroyed; this is why the research concentrated on the historical and cultural background of the city in order to revive and hold it dear through charm designs to commemorate a precious and heartfelt memory. Since most of the old traditional houses in the city stood out from other contemporary architecture, the pointed arches, a particular feature, were thus adapted as the design element complemented by an Arabic alphabet.
Inspiration: SiiN is a concept of a jewelry brand that combines typography with cultural design elements. It aims to treasure the beauty of locations across the world through artistic representations, thus it encompasses several collections that represent different cities. The bracelet is a piece from the Beirut collection. Through the charms, the aim is to preserve the written language and the cultural aspect of Beirut city, to be SiiN (seen) by the whole world.
Project Duration: The project is an Academic project that has started in September 2020 and finished in April 2021 in Beirut, Lebanon.
Operation Flow: Each charm creates an emotional link to the person wearing it as it resonates with a memory of certain places visited and their written language. It can also embody a personalized experience as one can form a word or simply choose letters. The Beirut collection specifically was designed as a tribute to the city of Beirut after the devastating explosion on August 4, 2020. To me, there was a direct emotional link to my city, exemplified by the expression “wearing your heart on your sleeve”.