Al Hamriyah Studios, Al Hamriyah, Emirate of Sharjah

Built on the site of a former seaside market, Al Hamriyah Studios offers multifunctional spaces for the production and exhibition of artworks. Combining avant-garde and modern architectural technologies, the complex preserves much of the original footprint of the market, including the central courtyard, now landscaped with local greenery and sculpture, which can serve as a place for quiet contemplation or conversation. In addition to providing studio spaces, the venue often hosts exhibitions, site-specific installations, performances and outdoor film screenings. Designed by architect Khaled Al Najjar, Al Hamriyah Studios was inaugurated by the Foundation in 2017. 
 

Facilities:
•    Two exhibition spaces
•    One large studio
•    One medium studio
•    Six small studios 
•    Pantry
•    Restrooms
•    Garden
•    Convenient access to the Foundation’s Fen Café & Restaurant for dining and coffee breaks

Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Arts Square, Sharjah City

Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, a creek-side heritage house in the Al Shuwaiheen neighbourhood, was the personal residence of pearl merchant Obaid bin Hamad Al Shamsi and his family until the 1970s. Dating to the mid-nineteenth century, the complex comprises 16 rooms, which surround an airy central courtyard. In the late 1990s, the house was restored and repurposed as a suite of artist studios and exhibition spaces. The complex offers panoramic views of the creek from its rooftop terrace. Serving as a Sharjah Biennial venue for large-scale installations and performances since 2009, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi also hosts regular art workshops, residencies and year-round events.
 

Facilities:
•    Four ground-floor studios

•    Three rooftop studios

•    Two live-in studios

•    Restrooms with showers

•    Laundry room

Bait Al Serkal, Arts Square, Sharjah City

Once the personal residence of Issa Bin Abdul Latif Al Serkal, the British Commissioner for the Arabian Gulf, and later home to the late Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Bait Al Serkal dates to the nineteenth century. Converted into Sharjah’s first maternity hospital in the early 1960s, the heritage house was restored and transformed into an arts and cultural centre in the mid-1990s. Small rooms lining arched corridors as well as an open courtyard, large hall and portico on the upper level are used for Sharjah Biennials and a range of other Foundation programming.

Facilities:
·    five studios suited for desk-based creative practices