With Ali Saqban and Sultan Al Hammadi
Ages 17+
In English and Arabic
In this workshop, you are invited to rethink architecture, not as the act of building anew, but as the art of seeing, interpreting and transforming what is already there.
Discover the principles and practices used in conserving, restoring and adaptively reusing heritage buildings across Sharjah. Explore adaptive reuse as both a cultural and architectural practice in the city’s layered and evolving built environment.
In the first session, you will delve into case studies about late twentieth-century structures preserved by Sharjah Art Foundation (e.g. a former telephone exchange, schools and industrial warehouses), which have been reimagined as public spaces, art institutions and exhibition venues. Reflect on the cultural, functional and environmental significance of traditional materials and the collective memories embedded in historic buildings.
During a site visit to one of the restored buildings in the second session, engage in discussions and hands-on exercises to explore repurposing as a design strategy that challenges conventional approaches to preservation. Consider how the value of existing buildings can be reactivated through minimal intervention instead of a reliance on new forms.
This workshop is ideal for emerging architects, conservators, historians and cultural practitioners. The session is free, and all materials are provided. Transportation for site visits will be provided.
The Foundation is committed to making its programmes inclusive and accessible. You will find disability access symbols for this session on the registration form. Kindly contact us in advance to arrange for any support needed.
For more information, email learning@sharjahart.org or call (06) 568 5050.
Sultan Al Hussain Al Hammadi currently serves as Director of Projects and Heritage Sites, Sharjah Institute for Heritage. His work focuses on the documentation, restoration and adaptive reuse of traditional architecture. He is also pursuing a PhD in Global Studies, exploring historical and urban connections between the Gulf, South Asia and East Africa.
Ali Al Saqban is an architect at Sharjah Art Foundation, working at the intersection of the adaptive reuse of buildings, art production and exhibition design. He has worked in Sharjah for the past 11 years, focusing on the activation of historically and culturally significant buildings through a research-driven approach.