2019 On Site Review Report

by Raza Ali Dada

5050.UAE

Al-Mureijah Art Spaces

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Architect

Mona El Mousfy, Sharmeen Azam Inayat

Client

Sharjah Art Foundation

Design

2010-2011

Completed

2013

Al-Mureijah Art Spaces

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

• I.
• Introduction

The Al-Mureijah Art Spaces are a series of exhibition spaces set up by the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF).

Following the global success of the Sharjah Biennial the need for flexible spaces to house contemporary art

was inevitable. A part of the historic district was acquired by the foundation, and re-appropriated to house

spaces for contemporary art, installations and performances. New buildings were designed and inserted into the historical fabric, adding a new typology of buildings to the current mix.

The five new gallery spaces are surrounded by courtyards and older structures that also function as spaces for art, installations and performances. The placement and scale of these spaces is mindful of the historical

fabric where one navigates through narrow and shaded passageways punctuated by the courtyards.

A significant urban response eliminates any boundary or formal element to mark the limit of the project, thus enabling pedestrians to walk through or approach the project from a number of sides. This creates an informal relationship and a natural access for the public in this unique urban setting.

• II.
• Contextual information

• A.
• Brief historical background

The Emirate of Sharjah covers approximately 2,600 square kilometres. In addition to Sharjah city, which lies on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, the emirate has three regions on the scenic east coast at the Gulf of Oman: Dibba Al Hisn, Khor Fakkan and Kalba. Therefore it is the only one of the seven emirates to have

land on both coasts.

Since 1972, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi is Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah.

Sharjah has long been known for its strong commitment to the arts, culture and history. In 1998, the city of Sharjah was UNESCO cultural capital of the Arab World, and it was Capital of Islamic Culture for 2014.

The Sharjah Art Foundation is led by Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, and was founded in 2009. The Sharjah Biennial has been running since 1993, and was fundamentally reoriented in 2003 on the initiative and under the direction of Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, introducing a new era for contemporary art in the Gulf. A new curatorial model has been introduced since 2009, and the Biennial has evolved into a significant event not only in the region but on the international art scene as well, attracting a large number of visitors from all

over the world. The Art Spaces were established at the 11^th edition of the Sharjah Biennial and have since served not only

the Biennials but all related programming by the Sharjah Art Foundation.

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• B.
• Local architectural character, including prevalent forms and materials

The local architecture is a mix of different eras present around this site and beyond. As the heritage area has been reconstructed, older building types are present around the site including some merchants’ houses that have been preserved to some extent. They typically have courtyards and detailing using woodcarvings for columns and other elements such as beams and railings. Architecture typologies, elements and decorative treatments such as tiles and carving patterns were often imported or brought back on travels, notably from Iran and India by merchants.

Looking around one observes a mix of mid- and high-rise construction of a rather rectilinear 1970s architectural language featuring continuous shades and balconies. It is largely functional with occasional and casual inclusion of geometric patterns in details to create relevance to local elements and history.

C. D.
Climatic conditions

Sharjah has a very hot and dry desert climate. Temperatures are in excess of 40ºC. Rainfall is scarce and mostly around February and March. Winters are moderately warm while the breeze in the evening can be cool due to the proximity of the Gulf.

Immediate surroundings of the site, including architectural character, access, landscaping, etc.

The site is in the Mureijah area of Sharjah where the immediate surroundings have a mix of building types including the Al-Zahra Mosque featuring elements such as decorative tiles. The structures that are part of the (reconstructed) Heritage Area are built in coral stone. Around them, typical 1970s rectilinear mid- and high-rise buildings containing apartments and offices are predominant.

The site is close to the Corniche road with the Gulf beyond it, with little evidence of public activity along the waterfront in this neighbourhood as the road is quite significant and acts as a barrier between the public

and the water.

• E
• Topography of the project site

The area of the site and its surroundings is flat with no noticeable change in elevation as one walks around

the neighbourhood. Most of the area is paved, with very little landscape.

III. Programme

• A.
• History of the inception of the project; how the project was initiated

The Sharjah Art Foundation and its flagship event, the Sharjah Biennial have a significant presence in the art world. Over the years the foundation has matured into a leading voice from this region in the world.

The Sharjah Art Foundation has been active since 2009 and continued the tradition of the Biennial which began in 1993, under a curatorial model. As the event matured and attracted more attention and participation, it required a more comprehensive set of spaces to facilitate installations, conversations and display of contemporary art.

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The project is a direct response to not just the demand for space and facility but also the evolution of the Sharjah Biennial and its position within the larger network of such events.

• B.
• How were the architects and specialists chosen?

The architect Mona El Mousfy was a Professor at the University of Sharjah and began advising the Sharjah

Art Foundation around 2010. She worked on various concepts including their offices and various exhibition

designs. The Foundation and the architect had established a positive relationship and understanding which led to her

appointment for this particular project as well. She left the teaching position and took the lead in designing

projects for the Sharjah Art Foundation.

• C.
• General programme objectives

The project was conceived under the leadership of Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, who leads the Sharjah Art

Foundation and has directed the Biennial through the years. The architect and the Foundation had already

developed a history of working together for various events serving the Foundation. A good working

relationship and understanding between the two existed prior to this project.

The programming was based on two clear objectives. One was to address the Biennial and its various events

under the foundation while another was to address the urban conditions under which this project was to

take place. Given that the site is in the designated Heritage Area of Sharjah, this combination makes for a

challenging discussion and design exercise.

The impact of spaces for art in the cultural and urban realm became central to the programming and the imagined outcomes. To communicate this impact or message it became important for the new intervention not to imitate the reconstructed heritage in the neighbourhood but instead to have its own identity and prove

that it can add to the fabric positively and with respect.

The programming aimed to address perceived technical and spatial requirements for the upcoming Biennials and similar events and uses the previous events as benchmarks to calculate new standards.

• D.
• Functional requirements (i.e. architect’s brief)

Given the close collaboration and experience between the architect and the Biennial’s director, a focused brief was prepared. The key desires for this project were:

• Exhibition spaces of varying scales • Flexibility for installations of various media • Use of natural light as much as possible • Courtyards interfacing with exhibition spaces • Circulation to offer maximum accessibility to the exhibition spaces • Interconnected rooftops, available for use instead of equipment • Inclusion of landscaping where possible • Integration of the spaces within the urban condition, to blend in • Retaining the identity of new interventions.

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IV. Description

• A.
• Building data: volumetry, massing, number of units, surface in square metres, etc.

Total building structures: 5 Buildings G and H have a courtyard (250 square metres) between them and are considered one unit. Building F Building G, H Building I
152 square metres Clear height 3 metres 499 square metres Clear height 3metres, 4.4 metres 323 square metres Clear height 6 metres
Building J Building P
230 square metres Clear height 4.35 metres, 3.5 metres 587 square metres Clear height 8 metres, 3.21 metres, 3.12 metres

• B.
• Evolution of design concepts, including:

• 1.
• Response to physical constraints – siting, climate, plot ratios, etc.

The project consists of five buildings that had to be inserted in the Heritage Area. The site already has older

buildings reconstructed in the 1990s as an act of preserving the heritage. The new buildings have been

placed using the traces of older foundations and locations of structures that were not present any more, thus allowing for a street or circulation pattern that is close to what must have existed years ago.

The architect has used a planning and siting strategy to create courtyards to enable public gathering and

nodes within the project. These spaces allow for various forms of programming by the Foundation and also provide some relief as most circulation around the project is narrow.

The narrow circulation helps to create a shaded space, as the climate is fairly hot, and also aids in wind circulation, in contrast to vast open and hot spaces around it. The white-cube solid forms are bright during the day and are clearly different from the pale plastered walls of the heritage buildings. However, the contrast is not severe. Due to the limited perspective in narrow walkways or streets, one engages with the planes of the buildings as much as or perhaps more than the forms.

• 2.
• Response to user requirements; spatial organisation

The project addresses the Sharjah Art Foundation’s needs directly. Users get to experience the synergy between the old and the new – something that attracted the Biennial to this site years ago.

Five purpose-built galleries blend into the organic geometry of the old historical city plan and provide covered or open exhibition spaces and courtyards for multiple functions and support areas as required.

The project is supported by amenities such as cafés, gallery spaces, and courtyards for concerts and installations. Such open spaces are occasionally used by the community as a gathering space or to watch a film projected onto one of the large blank walls of the galleries.

This ability to reach out to the users who may be art lovers or just the locals from the neighbourhood has

gained a positive response for the project.

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• 3.
• Purely formal aspects – massing, articulation of façades, decorative features, use of traditional motifs, etc.

In terms of form, the buildings are white-cube-like spaces of varying scales. The larger or taller ones are placed in the centre and shorter ones more towards the edges, so there is a gradual increase in scale as one walks into the project. Due to narrow streets/walkways, one does not get to view a form in its entirety

anyway.

The buildings are placed in a seemingly informal manner but they trace out footprints of earlier structures that used to be present at this heritage site; therefore they are not placed in a regular grid and their geometry is not regular either. They are however simple and rectilinear with no curves or sloping planes.

Some structures have negative courtyard areas within them whereas some have been sited such that the narrow streets open up to form a courtyard adjacent to the new building. Narrow walkways all around the buildings complete a pedestrian network that goes through the site and connects to its immediate

surroundings.

The blank white façades are without any ornamentation or decorative features. The buildings retain their own blank character in contrast to the heritage buildings as part of the brief and pursue an enriched experience by

adding a new typology in the neighbourhood.

• 4.
• Landscaping

Some trees were planted recently at one of the approaches from the west, close to the welcome centre. This used to be a parking lot which is now a landscaped pedestrianised space and has become more welcoming because of the plants. Some of the courtyard spaces have local trees that have matured; one of the courtyards acts as a community garden that reveals a relatively denser landscape. Hard surfaces defining walls, walkways and building volumes remain dominant in the visitor’s experience despite some of the landscape that one comes across.

• C.
• Structure, materials, technology

• 1.
• Structural systems; in restoration projects, structural interventions

Framed concrete structure has been used throughout, except for one building which is a steel structure sporting a tall open hall and a hanging mezzanine floor to one side.

• 2.
• Materials

Concrete pavements have been used throughout the project. There is a slight difference in shade when it is

used in the interior space.

White plastered/painted walls are used on all the buildings. Some walls in the circulation areas and one inside the display spaces use light beige coral stone. It helps relate to and respond to the older construction of the Heritage Area.

Clear insulated glass has been used throughout for calculated windows and skylights. Some of the systems can be pulled completely away to one side, combining the interior with the courtyard space outside.

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Depending on the nature of displays and exhibitions, various films and/or blinds are used on glass to control

the intensity of light.

• 3.
• Construction technology

The construction technology is a reinforced-concrete frame throughout the project, with the exception of one building which has more of a warehouse feel and uses mostly steel with concrete for flooring. Concrete block has been used as an infill for walls which have been finished in a bright white plaster.

In the circulation areas separate from the new Art Spaces but part of the same project, some coral stone walls are made to appear like masonry walls.

• 4.
• Building services, site utilities

Due to the climate, extensive air-conditioning is required which is provided via a central plant located towards

one edge of the site. MEP services run underground below the narrow streets including water, electricity and

air-conditioning and are eventually plugged into each building as required. This is a challenging method rising out of the need to keep all rooftops free for programming as per the initial brief. The UAE’s first nitrogen-based fire-suppression system has been installed to protect artworks, also being safer to use in the context of visitors and the environment than sprinkler methods.

• D.
• Origin of:

• 1.
• T e chnology

The reinforced-concrete-frame and steel-frame structures have been erected through conventional construction methods. These are considered a standard construction method since most buildings in Sharjah have been erected in a similar manner. MEP systems have been laid out in a relatively extensive manner where all services originate from a service building linked to an underground network that serves all the new buildings. This hints towards the importance assigned to freeing the rooftops of the new buildings for maximum potential of their use. Lighting, as understood, is highly specialised due to the diverse requirements for sensitive artworks and installations of varying scales. Daylighting is adjustable through blinds and applying films to achieve the desired levels of natural light.

2. 3.
Materials

The only traditional locally sourced material is coral stone for some of the walls in the exterior circulation

areas and one instance within a gallery space.

Labour force

No specialised labour was required. Locally based contracting firms were sufficient.

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• 4.
• Professionals

• Client:
• Sharjah Art Foundation

Architects: Contractors: MEP Contractor: MEP Contractor: Consultants: Others:
Mona El Mousfy Globe Scott Wilson Geco Godwin Austen Johnson Hassan Ali Al Jaddah (Technical Client Representative and SAF Operations Director)

• V.
• Construction schedule and costs

• A.
• History of project design and implementation, with dates

• 2010:
• Commission

June 2010 – September 2011: Design October 2011 – January 2013: Construction

• March 2013:
• Occupancy

* Design phase extended into design-build

Total costs and main sources of financing

* No Land cost as it is government-allocated land

B.

• Building cost:
• 48,500,000 AED (11,723,000 EUR) (current exchange rate)

• 11,823 AED/m2 (2,857 EUR/m²)
• Cost per square metre:

* costs reflect the built volumes only – exterior courts etc. not included

VI. Technical assessment

• A.
• Functional assessment (use)

It was after Sharjah joined the United Arab Emirates in the 1970s that the planned modern interventions disrupted and disconnected the traditional spaces. In the 1990s, the loss of place identity resulted in the documentation and restoration of the historical buildings, demarcation of the Heritage Area, and the reconstruction of selected lost structures, including Al Hisn Fort and the city wall.

In the heritage quarter, walking the narrow streets amid the plastered walls of the historical structures has a certain charm to it. However warm, harsh or bright, there it is a pleasant experience to share in close proximity with fellow passers-by, appreciating the occasional tree and the breeze near the water. There is movement. Movement of planes, views, wind, shadows and people. Within this movement is the insertion of the new Art Spaces which seem to effortlessly do the same dance and assemble naturally in the geometry of

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the Heritage Area. Carrying their own relatively sterile, but crisp and bright envelope, they manage to uplift the spaces and confidently assert their position as the new attraction of the Heritage Area.

Since this area was already marked as a preferred area for artists and their installations, the inclusion of new gallery spaces has only broadened the opportunities for artists and locals alike. The spaces work seamlessly during the Biennial and create a rich and interactive atmosphere as users move through indoor and outdoor spaces. The scale of the buildings and the circulation through narrow walkways somehow enriches the idea of discovering the various types of art on display. One discovers space, landscape and art in one stream and while doing so, the distinction between the old and the new almost disappears.