SHEIKH ZAYED BRIDGE
Renowned for being one of the most complex bridges ever built, Sheikh Zayed Bridge was designed by none other than Dame Zaha Hadid and sits at 842-metres-long and 64-metres-high. Construction on the awe-inspiring structure began in 2003 and used 12, 000 tonnes of steel and 250, 000 cubic metres of concrete, crossing the Maqta and the Arabian Gulf. The silhouette of the bridge is said to resemble the three desert dunes.
MLEIHA ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTRE
Located in the desert of Sharjah, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre brings together history, culture and ecotourism. Designed by Sumaya Dabbagh, the centre features an indoor museum, an area that’s rich in history and archaeological findings, outdoor walkways, and desert gardens. The archaeological centre’s concentric walls, which flows out from the centre is used to guide visitor experience towards a scared Bronze Age Tomb at its centre, which can be seen throughout a visitor’s journey. Sumaya also created the jaw-dropping Gargash Mosque, which can host up to 1,000 worshippers.
SHARJAH MOSQUE - THE FIRST TO BE DESIGNED BY A WOMEN IN THE UAE
Emirati architect and engineer Magda Abdul Latif Al Muhaidib broke the glass ceiling when she became the first woman in the UAE to have designed a mosque. Designed in the 1970s, the Sharjah-based Mosque still stands and was recently recognised and celebrated on social media with an image and caption that read: “From the memory of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing – currently the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure – in the seventies, a mosque designed by the first Emirati architect, engineer Magda Abdul Latif Al Muhaidib.”
RAIN ROOM BUILDING
Having toured cities around the world, the Rain Room is one of the most famous installations in the world having been displayed at the MOMA in New York and Yuz Musuem in Shanghai to name a few. A few years ago, Sharjah Arts Foundation decided to permanently house it and commissioned Mona El-Mousfy’s SpaceContinuum Design Studio to design the building for the Rain Room. Today, the stunning 900 sqm structure in Sharjah is surrounded by spaces that removes the visitor from an urban environment and is two-metres below ground level. According to El Mousfy, in an interview with Dezeen, as visitors descend and adapt to darkness, they begin to hear the sound of water.
THE BURJ RESIDENCE
Interior architect Rania Hamed rose to prominence since founding her company VSHD, an interior design studio based in both Dubai and Montreal. With a string of acclaimed projects to her name, Rania’s Burj Residence design was chosen for this list due to its subtle use of elegance and natural light. The VSHD team looked at an L-shape design for the 1600 sqm house so the residents could enjoy the outdoor space while also maintaining their privacy. Rania and her team wanted to create a space that was grand but subtle and so opted to do this using natural materials and light. The project proved successful and earned Rania and her team the Global Excellence Award for Large Residential at the International Interior Design Association Awards in 2017.
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