The Al Qasba is the main cultural centre of the Emirate of Sharjah. Two 150 m long four storey buildings facing each other on the two banks of the Qasba Canal house art galleries, theatres, shops, restaurants and offices. The Eye of the Emirates Ferris wheel at the end of the Northern building is the landmark of the Al Qasba. Magma architecture redesigned the interior of the Masrah Al Qasba, the venue’s multipurpose auditorium. It is the home of large number of events amongst others the annual Sharjah film festival.
The design proposal is to wrap the walls and ceiling of the space in an undulating surface resembling sand dunes. Light spills out of cracks in the surface softly supporting the dune like shapes. They are made out of stretchable fabric and form a clean surface shielding all the installations and acoustical insulation tucked behind the fabric. The seating is retained, but covered in a new textile in the same earthen color as the walls and the ceiling.
A technically simple solution was developed to create the double curvature surfaces of the auditorium. Telescopic rods push out the expandable fabric to form the hills and valleys of the enclosure. The angle of the aluminium bends were defined using a computerized bending machine. The fire rated fabric is fixed with Keeder clips into a framework of aluminium profiles.
PROJECT CREDITS
Architects.- Magma Architecture.
Magma Architecture team.- Martin Ostermann, Lena Kleinheinz, Hendrik Bohle, Philipp Mecke, Anke Noske, Carlos Lara.
Client.- Al Qasba development authority.
Mechanical & Electrical engineering.- Sarraj Smep engineering consultants.
Acoustics.- Akustik ingenieurbüro moll.
Fabric and aluminium construction.- Ellermann Gmbh, Rietberg, Germany.
Total area of conversion.- 820 m².
