Sharjah Design Centre Unveils Plans for Rammed Earth Building Opening in 2029

Sharjah Design Centre (SDC), a new institution dedicated to design, material research, prototyping, and production, is scheduled to open in 2029 as part of the Sharjah Creative Quarter in the United Arab Emirates. Designed by Taller de Arquitectura – Mauricio Rocha in collaboration with architect Daniel Rosselló, the centre will bring together specialist laboratories, research facilities, production spaces, and public programmes within a purpose-built building. Under the leadership of H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Majid Al Qasimi, SDC aims to connect designers, manufacturers, researchers, and entrepreneurs through an integrated framework for material experimentation, fabrication, and knowledge exchange.

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The building's architecture responds to the local climate and landscape through the integration of local materials, vernacular principles, and contemporary technology. Rammed earth construction is incorporated into the design as part of an approach to reducing environmental impact. As a component of the Sharjah Creative Quarter, SDC will join institutions including Irthi Museum, Sharjah Fashion Lab, Qasimi Archives, the Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi Collection, and L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. The district is scheduled to open in 2029, bringing together cultural, educational, and creative institutions within a shared urban setting.

Located across from Sharjah's University City and adjacent to the House of Wisdom, the centre will form part of a newly established cultural district dedicated to art, design, craft, fashion, and cultural heritage. The Sharjah Creative Quarter is conceived as an interconnected network of institutions supporting creative industries through research, education, production, and public engagement. Within this framework, SDC will focus on connecting design research with manufacturing capabilities and professional practice, providing infrastructure for the development of projects from initial experimentation to material application.

The centre's facilities will include seven specialist laboratories dedicated to textiles, rapid prototyping, glass, ceramics, jewellery, metal, and wood, alongside a Material Library, Digital Archive, exhibition spaces, co-working areas, private studios, and a retail space. The Material Library will catalogue material research, document experimental materials, and support education through a collection of design-related publications. Connected to the library, the Digital Archive will store research, digital publications, and industrial mappings, providing a searchable resource for the centre's members and researchers. SDC will also organise workshops, courses, masterclasses, residencies, collaborative research projects, and professional development programmes. These activities will address the relationship between design education and professional practice while facilitating collaboration between designers and industry.

Research collaborations are already underway with Atelier LUMA, a programme of LUMA Arles, and the American University of Sharjah (AUS), focusing on local material research and potential applications. The work is supported by the AUS Energy, Water, and Sustainable Environment Research Center, BEEAH, and Sharjah National Oil Corporation. Through Theatrum Al Kimiya, an ongoing research initiative developed with Atelier LUMA, SDC is investigating locally sourced and waste-based materials, including salt, brine, limestone, sand, clay, palm, shells, demolition waste, ceramic waste, wool, and mycelium. The research builds on Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council's Architecture of Culture publication, released in 2023, translating material research findings from craft into design applications.

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