Rolls-Royce continuously seeks to extend the vocabulary of contemporary craft, developing new techniques and materials to interpret time-honoured forms that resonate across generations and cultures. Curated by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office Dubai, one of five only-commissioning hubs in key global luxury destinations around the world, this one-of-one Phantom Extended celebrates the forms and geometry of traditional mashrabiya latticework, a defining feature of traditional houses, palaces, and courtyards throughout the Middle East. The mashrabiya pattern is reinterpreted in various ways: as the first laser-engraved bonnet ever created for a Rolls-Royce, as an intricate Blackwood, and Bolivar marquetry artwork, and as a suite of Bespoke motifs subtly placed throughout the motor car.
In architectural setting, mashrabiya is built using intricately carved wooden screens that create privacy, allowing those inside to look out without being seen. The latticework also encourages airflow, providing natural cooling for the building’s interior. Decorative, functional, and perfectly attuned to the region’s climate, these geometric forms are a hallmark of regional craftsmanship and architectural identity.
“Mashrabiya is one of the Middle East’s best-known and most enduring design languages. For Phantom Arabesque, we were inspired not only by its beauty but also by the privacy, light, and airflow it creates. Our aim was to interpret these qualities in ways that feel both culturally rooted and unmistakably Rolls-Royce,” Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer of Rolls-Royce Private Office Dubai, remarks.
The first Rolls-Royce in history to be graced with a fully-laser engraved bonnet, Phantom Arabesque is presented in a Bespoke two-tone finish, with the main body in Diamond Black and the upper surfaces in contrasting Silver. This newly patented technique is the result of a five-year development programme led by the marque’s Exterior Surface Centre. It draws an inspiration from the Italian sgraffito technique, the artistic practice of revealing contrasting layers of colour by precisely removing upper surfaces. It takes five years of experimentation, testing, and calibration to perfect a process capable of delivering the depth, clarity, and consistency demanded by Rolls-Royce artisans.
To achieve this effect, the bonnet is first painted in a darker colour, then sealed beneath multiple layers of clear coat before a lighter top layer is applied. The geometric mashrabiya pattern is then engraved to a depth of just 145 – 190 microns into the uppermost surface, revealing the darker tone beneath. The result is a richly textured, three-dimensional surface that catches the light and invites exploration: a pattern intended to be discovered by both the eye and the hand.
Each of the engraved areas is meticulously hand-sanded to ensure an even, sculptural finish. By integrating the pattern within the paint itself rather than applying it on top, this method achieves an exceptional level of refinement and durability, while variations in laser velocity and intensity create subtle visual shifts as light moves across the surface.
