Hot Shots: Bleek.Bureau

founder: Polina Nosikova
social: @bleek.bureau
project: self.space, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

standout: Having spent several years working on projects ranging from residential to restoration, the Russian-born architect, an alum of the V.I. Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute, launched her U.A.E.-based practice last year to specialize in high-concept, brand-forward interiors for boutiques, pop-ups, and other commercial spaces. Bleek.Bureau’s inaugural project demonstrates Nosikova’s agility in resolving tricky technical and cultural restraints: a photo studio for taking professional-caliber self-portraits enhanced on the spot by AI-powered retouching. She converted a bare concrete shell into a cosseting, slightly futuristic environment that maximizes visual and acoustic privacy (important in this modesty-focused region) and puts selfie-takers at ease via gallerylike art installations, sink-right-in green-velvet sectionals, and sculptural lighting including reception’s disco ball riff.