About
I'm Zahra, an interior designer from Kuwait, where I grew up surrounded by design from a young age. My mother is an interior designer, and watching her work on her own projects sparked my fascination with how thoughtfully shaped spaces can transform the way people feel, gather, and live. My work is grounded in a warm and calming approach to design, with a focus on materiality and a quiet attention to light. I'm drawn to spaces that feel softened and human, places that invite people and connect with their surroundings. Looking ahead, I aspire to design spaces that are as meaningful and special as they are beautiful.
Project overview
AETHER — A Pavilion of Stillness, Light, and Connection
AETHER is an elevated herbal tea pavilion sited on the Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester, a sanctuary lifted above the rhythm of the city. More than just a café, it is a gentle invitation to pause: to sip herbal tea between greenery, to breathe slower, to feel the city soften. Inspired by the bright upper sky from which it takes its name, AETHER weaves planting, ritual, and stillness into a single sensory journey. It is wellbeing built into architecture, a calm urban retreat for connection, reflection, and quiet moments shared with friends, family, or oneself.
The heart of AETHER — where guests are invited to order their herbal tea and choose between cosy indoor seating or the open air outside.
A view along the seating pathway, where guests are nestled between lush greenery on either side.
Booth seating nestled amongst beautiful planting.
A sweeping overhead view of the central pathway, lined with a variety of outdoor seating arrangements.
