Rolls-Royce Phantom Arabesque: an ode to Middle Eastern architecture

Rolls-Royce is synonymous with luxury, but also with craftsmanship, precision and personalisation, the latter being a task carried out by the client themselves in collaboration with the brand’s personalisation centres, of which there are five exclusive ones called Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office spread across the world in key areas where luxury and wealth are concentrated, such as Dubai.

It is precisely in this city that the Rolls-Royce Phantom Arabesque was born, a unique personalisation project in the world that pays tribute to the traditional architecture of the Middle East, specifically to the shapes and geometries of a traditional latticework called mashrabiya. The mashrabiya is a type of traditional Arab architecture originating in the Middle Ages and commonly used until the mid-20th century, based mainly on what we know as a gallery made of wood and enclosed by lattice screens with different shapes and patterns, a method of construction used mainly to provide shade and protection from the sun while allowing fresh air to pass through.

Besides having a practical function, the mashrabiya also served a decorative role through intricate patterns, patterns that are taken as a reference to reproduce them on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Arabesque in different areas such as the laser-engraved bonnet, thus becoming the first Rolls-Royce to feature a bonnet entirely engraved with a laser. This technique, recently patented by the brand and whose development has taken them five years, takes as its reference the Italian sgraffito, which is based on the artistic practice of revealing contrasting layers of colour by precisely removing the upper surfaces.

To achieve this effect, the craftsmen of Rolls-Royce began by painting the bonnet in a darker colour, which is sealed with multiple layers of clear varnish before applying a lighter top layer. The mashrabiya pattern is then engraved with a depth of only 145-190 microns into the upper surface, revealing the darker tone underneath and resulting in a three-dimensional surface. Finally, each and every one of the engraved areas is hand-sanded to guarantee a uniform and sculptural finish.

Overall, the Phantom Arabesque features a two-tone bodywork in which Diamond Black has been used for the main body and Silver on the upper surfaces as a contrast. It includes a hand-painted Short Coachline, decorated with a mashrabiya motif, and concludes with the Spirit of Ecstasy figure and the grille, both illuminated, along with 22-inch wheels that have been partially polished.

We conclude with the interior of the Arabesque, which uses rosewood and Bolivar Black wood inserts that, combined, evoke the details of the mashrabiya, which also appear in other areas such as the headrests of the seats upholstered in Selby Grey and Black leather. On the doors, they are finished with illuminated sill plates featuring a cross-section of the mashrabiya engraved on the bonnet.