From November 9th of this year to February 8th, 2020, Sharjah will welcome visitors in for the inaugural edition of Sharjah Architecture Triennial. This is said to be the first major platform inviting dialogue on architecture and urbanism in this part of the world. Curated by Adrian Lahoud, the event will foster a Rights of Future Generations theme, raising questions about the power architecture has to create alternative modes of existence.
“Sharjah has enjoyed a slower rate of development compared with other Gulf cities," says Lahoud, explaining what makes Sharjah such an appropriate site for the Triennial. "Its built environment retains a human scale while historic, modern, and contemporary buildings coexist in a layered urban landscape. Situated on both the Gulf and Indian Ocean coasts, with a long history in trade, Sharjah has a vibrant, multiethnic 20th century landscape where restored coral stone buildings and courtyards juxtapose with modern neighborhoods.”
To showcase the city’s architecture, the Triennial will transform two venues that are leading examples of the 1970s and ‘80s architecture you see in this region. The Al-Qasimyah School and the old Al Jubail vegetable market decommissioned public buildings will now be the setting for the event's exhibitions.
To give more insight into the significance of these venues, Lahoud explains: “The Triennial engages with Sharjah as its site and context through site-specific commissions which respond directly to certain conditions in the city or the UAE more broadly, as well as through various public programs that seek to engage both local and international visitors in discussions. It responds to a need for creating a new space for critical dialogue that includes architectural practitioners, scholars, government bodies, students, and the general public, which marks an exciting new moment for the region.”
In this context, the Rights of Future Generations theme looks into the way architecture can address climate change while also showing a commitment to intergenerational legacy. The architect and advisor to the event, Mona El Mousfy, says: “We consciously opted to work with the possibilities of existing structures in the city rather than start with a blank slate. Not only is this approach environmentally sustainable, but it also creates a layered architecture in continuous dialogue, building upon the city’s history and memories while responding to contemporary uses and evolving aspirations. We believe that thoughtful adaptive reuse of culturally valuable buildings supports the re-evaluation and transformation of architecture.”
El Mousfy is also leading the renovation of the Al-Qasimyah School building. Once complete, it will continue its educational purpose through providing a resource for a future generation of architects while retaining a sense of the original structure. As well as offering a community hub, it will come with a library, café and exhibition spaces, plus the Triennial’s permanent headquarters. The venue located within the old vegetable market, meanwhile, pays homage to Sharjah’s history as a trade hub.
Throughout the event period, visitors can expect to see and engage with a variety of projects, performances, talks and a music and film program designed to prompt thought and discussion. An opening weekend program is scheduled for the 9th to 11th November, 2019.
Find out more by going over to sharjaharchitecture.org.
