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Architects: Dabbagh Architects
- Area: 2000 m²
- Year: 2016
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Photographs:Gerry O’Leary, Rami Mansour
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Lead Architects: Sumaya Dabbagh
Text description provided by the architects. Scripted around a 4,000-year-old tomb, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre is located in the desert of Sharjah at the foot of Fossil Rock Mountain. The Centre is at the heart of a larger ecotourism development focused on local wildlife, desert activities, and the area’s archaeological riches. Bringing together an indoor museum and a café with outdoor walkways, desert gardens, and contemplation areas, the center is an example of the enriching role that architecture plays when committed consideration for context is taken during the design process.
The placement of the built form was carefully considered, as Dabbagh felt it must respect the historic nature of the site as well as its setting as a potential World Heritage Site. The intangible setting and memory of the place were also considered, as it was recognized as a vital part of the contextual considerations. The combination of a sacred Bronze Age Tomb in its stunning surroundings had to be respected, reframed, celebrated, and reclaimed.
The geometry of the building was generated with the Tomb at its center, while the visitor's experience guided the design approach. The building’s form of concentric walls rippling out from the center were extended so that they would lead visitors to the entrance, the tomb, or the roof. These created three distinct opportunities to experience the site:
First, an experience through the main entrance into the lobby, and exhibition gallery, culminating in the shop and café. Glimpses of the tomb are seen throughout the visitor experience of the Archaeological Centre.
Second, directly to the Tomb and the plaza created around it to allow visitors to view the monument firsthand. An elegant, minimal stone seating area rings the ancient burial place, allowing visitors to sit, take a deep breath, and let in the silence. Rich, locally sourced sandstone walls meld in tone and texture with the surrounding landscape.
Third, a ramp leading up to the roof reveals to the visitor an aerial view of the Tomb and its unique chambers, as well as the surrounding crimson mountainous landscape. The concepts and intentions that have influenced the architectural design are the greatest recipients of what the project offers: a sense of connection to place, to the past, and to one another.
