Waset Youth Center
Sharjah, UAE
2018 - 2022
Lead Designer
tri Design

Area
18,800 ft²

Scope
Exterior & Interior Renovation
Landscape Design

Client
The Executive Office of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi
Sharjah Youth

Collaborators
Nada Al Obaidi
Nada Abu Shaqra

Photography
Farah Al Amin
Nada Al Obaidi
Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council

© Farah Al Amin, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council

Being a civic building, the exterior renovation proposal introduced a public open space within the building boundary allowing for public engagement and providing an opportunity for urban social activities. Pre-cast graphic concrete panels follow the existing pattern of windows, with an added three-dimensional playfulness bringing lightness and dynamism. The durable pattern adds another layer of visual appeal to the facade.

We were tasked with a comprehensive renovation project for the community center, covering an area of 18,800 ft², and to create a community hub focusing on fostering a connection to Emirati cultural heritage.

We seezed an opportunity to engage local artisans as makers for partition walls that responded to the spatial planning requirements. The studio facilitated the connection between the owner and Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, a body promoting local crafts in the UAE. This partnership led to the commissioning of Emirati women artisans to 'weave' the walls, preserving the intangible heritage of Emirati weaving traditions. The act of weaving not only supported these artisans financially but also facilitated a transfer of knowledge within the artisan community, elevating the craft to new scales and territories.

Farah Al Amin

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