This month, we break away from our regular visits to construction sites and take a look at the much anticipated restoration site of the UAE, the Heart of Sharjah. Lorraine Bangera looks into the progress at the cultural space and speaks with the project’s architect, Khawla Al Hashimi, about the importance of sustaining heritage in this region
Every major city in the world has a space dedicated to its heritage and its roots, a site that reflects where the city comes from and how it was built. Some exalt these spaces by turning it into museums or heritage centres, which is exactly what the emirate of Sharjah aims to do with the Heart of Sharjah. Heart of Sharjah is a space that will define Sharjah itself and mirror its spirit as a whole. Located in close proximity to Sharjah Corniche and Sharjah International Airport, the location surprisingly is placed right in the centre of the city.
The project is said to be the largest historical preservation and restoration project in the region. Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has set up a joint committee – comprising representatives from leading governmental and private bodies – to oversee the implementation of this project. It will be planned over a period of 15 years and is said to be completed by the end of 2025. It primarily aims to revitalise the heritage district as a vibrant cultural destination for tourists, displaying the city’s glorious past. The project includes restoring historical buildings, constructing new structures inspired by the city’s traditional architecture, and transforming these structures into hotels, restaurants, cafes, art galleries and markets. It aims to be a space where current and future generations can experience Sharjah’s cultural.
The project is considered to be a restoration project rather than just construction. Khawla Al Hashimi, Architect at Shurooq, points out that there is a difference in constructing a building with a traditional design and restoring a traditional building. She says that both processes come with their own set of challenges. “That being said, restoration is perhaps more challenging simply because of how delicately these structures have to be treated.”
Looking back in history
Sharjah itself is built on a strong foundation with rich history and tradition that dates back to 6000 years. Over two centuries ago, the Heart of Sharjah area was where the first families took up residence in their stone-built homes. The Old Sharjah was divided into four main districts, and each district was divided into neighbourhoods or Freej. The Fort (now part of the project) in Sharjah was built in 1804 along with the wall of Sharjah and a number of towers in the middle. It was the seat of the governing Al Qasimi family during the formation and settlement of the emirate.
Khawla Al Hashimi, Architect at Shurooq, says that the past provides a strong foundation for the future. “As we all already know foundations are the single most important aspect of any structure,” she quips.
According to Al Hasimi, in this modern era, things change quite quickly. She says that new developments tower over old every single day, and thus in this ever-changing environment it is more important to hold on to a city’s history.
“Heritage has always been a focus for us at Shurooq,” she says, “as it defines who we are and where we come from and acts as a guide to where we are going.”
To progress, she emphasises, it is important to learn from the past. She also says that the Heart of Sharjah is an important platform from which Shurooq sets to initiate and take off all its projects.
Restoration in young cities
“Restoration projects aren’t very common in the GCC,” says Hashimi. However, she admits that this is changing. She says that it is important to remember that most of the GCC nations are relatively still young. “Thus, the first priority of any young nation is to progress and develop as quickly as possible.”
She observes that it is inevitable that these countries feel pressured to play ‘catch-up’ with their more established counterparts. The game of catch-up then translates into a mind-set where “new” and “modern” is considered to be better, especially in terms of architecture and infrastructure. “Basically, heritage restoration tends to take a backseat when future development is planned.”
However, she acknowledges that things seem to be getting better for heritage sites. Recently, restoring and preserving physical heritage is starting to get more attention. She explains that this is probably because so much of it has been lost in the quest for modernisation.
She states: “Sadly so, it was only after many precious traditional structures were gone that we truly came to realise their importance to our identity as a nation, which is why heritage preservation is now starting to gain real traction.”
Present-day project update
The Heart of Sharjah used to be a rich cultural milieu with narrow alleyways cutting through old school buildings, market places and traditional homes. It reflects social, political, military, culture and all forms of art left behind by the nation’s forefathers. The space highlights the significant stages of Emirati cultural history.
The upcoming restoration and development in the area will feature diverse commercial, cultural and residential projects, including a boutique hotel, restaurants, retail shops, art galleries, traditional and contemporary markets, archaeological sites, museums, play areas and commercial offices. Most of these will be situated in renovated old houses, as an act to integrate the city’s modern life with its history and to protect its national historical character.
The restoration at the Heart of Sharjah has been divided into five phases. Al Hashimi says that the first step was launch of a discovery centre which acts as a starting point and guide for visitors. The house restored for the centre was specifically chosen for its strong central location and historical significance.
This has been followed by the revival of souqs located around the centre as an act to bring back life in the area with increasing visitors. Al Hashimi says: “We have just completed and successfully handed over Souq Al Shanasiyah which acts as a link between the covered souq in Merraija area and Souq Saqir in the Shwaiheen area.”
She explains how this project is a key example of following traditional planning. “We started off with a geographical survey, followed by excavation to reveal foundations with which were our guide for development.”
The next step, according to Al Hashimi, is currently under construction. It is the establishment of a hotel onsite to help ensure visitors could plan to live in these areas. The boutique hotel, Al Bait Hotel, will be the main focus for this year. It will be the region’s first traditional Emirati hotel and will spread over almost 10,000m2.
Upcoming phases would involve continually evolving operations rather than a fixed plan. Al Hashimi says: “Consider Heart of Sharjah as a live project with many external and internal influences.” This sort of organic development is international as that is how the area would have evolved in the past as well.
The development at Heart of Sharjah aims to maintain open areas and courtyards similar to the ones existing in the 1950s. Al Hashimi says that we are trying to build on old foundations while simultaneously respecting the original layouts and orientations. With open areas comes the question of cooling agents, and Al Hashimi says that they are taking wind into consideration. “Wind was an integral aspect of how our grandparents oriented their houses.”
When it comes sustainability, Shurooq adheres to a strict set of sustainability guidelines that have been designed to be on par with best practices globally. Al Hashimi says that in addition to following these guidelines, they have also taken great care to rebuild on old foundations. “We are using materials that are from the region while also taking into consideration factors such as sun direction, heat gain, and wind in order to minimise the footprint of the restored structures.”
Integrating the new and the old
In developing the Heart of Sharjah project, Al Hashimi says that they have constantly strived to find a balance between preserving and restoring the old, while utilising the best of the new. On one hand, she says that they are going to be maintaining the core architectural and planning features like scale, sikkas or alleyways, proportions of rooms, materials, and finishes. On the other hand, she states that they will be introducing modern amenities that were not necessarily available in the original houses. She also points out that unlike the original Heart of Sharjah, restored site one would not be a home to the majority of Sharjah’s families.
By restoring heritage sites in the Heart of Sharjah, Shurooq seeks to reflect what Sharjah was like half a century ago. The project will revamp the city’s traditional areas to create a tourist and trade destination which still has the feel of the 1950s with contemporary touches.