Museum for Modern Arab Art Sharjah, New UAE Architecture, Dubai Architectural Images
Barjeel Museum for Modern Arab Art in Sharjah
Rifat Chadirji Prize 2019: Architecture in Dubai Area, UAE – design by AIDIA STUDIO Architects
2 Nov 2019
Barjeel Museum for Modern Arab Art, Sharjah
Design: Architects AIDIA STUDIO
Rifat Chadirji Prize 2019 First Prize Winner, Tamayouz Excellency Award

Barjeel Foundation
Location: Sharjah, Dubai, UAE

images courtesy of AIDIA STUDIO Architects
Barjeel Museum for Modern Arab Art in Sharjah, UAE
Concept
There are three main drivers in the development of the design. The first and foremost is the art collection of the Barjeel Foundation, so the question we posed ourselves was, how to best present the artworks and to provide an atmosphere which is suitable for their display and conservation in the long term" The second driver which informs the museum is the climate and atmospheric conditions of Sharjah.
Having collaborated with Jean Nouvel for five years on the design and construction of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, we know how big a challenge this poses on the visitor experience, so from very early on we focused on strategies to activate the exterior spaces through elements that could contribute to a larger argument for sustainability. We achieved this by imagining a beautiful lattice-frame wooden roof draping over the museum providing shade and diffused light into the courtyards.

The roof works in tandem with the wind towers by funnelling...