Workshop Series / Exhibition Maraya Art Centre Explores Sharjah’s Historic Bank Street

Maraya Art Centre, the innovative contemporary visual arts hub in Sharjah, have unveiled the results of an experimental architecture workshop series, organised in collaboration with Amsterdam-based research platform Failed Architecture, focused on exploring the development of Sharjah’s “beating heart” Bank Street area.

During the four-day long workshop series participants researched the area around Bank Street according to the Failed Architecture methodology. This included conducting interviews, examining online sources, extensively exploring the area, and attending a series of lectures on various related topics with the aim of gathering information on the development of the area’s built environment, its reputation, as well as the prevailing social, political, and economical context.

Sharjah Bank Street © Hind Mezaina / Courtesy of Maraya Art Centre

Sharjah Bank Street © Hind Mezaina / Courtesy of Maraya Art Centre

Participants had the opportunity to listen a number of presentations delivered by leading experts and respected authorities, which included a talk by Sultan Saud Al Qasimi, founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation, and a presentation on cultural mapping and studying the hidden features of an area by George Katodrytis, Professor of Architecture at the College of Architecture, Art and Design, American University of Sharjah (AUS). Other presentations included a talk by Mona El Mousfy, Professor of Architecture, College of Architecture, Art and Design, AUS, which focused on the central area of Sharjah and its urban/architectural history from the 60s to the present as well as a presentation by Mr Eissa Abbas, a reputed archaeologist from the Sharjah Heritage Department who gave an overview of conversation project for Meleiha Fort.

Sharjah Bank Street © Hind Mezaina / Courtesy of Maraya Art Centre

The Heart of Sharjah development has also been listed on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites and May Al Mazrou, Assistant director at the Sharjah Heritage department, gave a presentation detailing the various restoration projects being undertaken in the area supported by tour of the Heart of Sharjah and the Sharjah Heritage Museum.

Speaking about the workshop series, Maraya Art Centre Manager Giuseppe Moscatello, said, “The Bank Street area holds a special place in the hearts of Sharjah’s residents and its redevelopment has attracted a great deal of attention. We are therefore are extremely pleased to have had the opportunity to partner with the Failed Architecture initiative to gain a deeper insight into this vital area. The intensive workshop series produced a highly insightful overview of the architectural fabric of Sharjah’s heart and we proud to be able to share the results of this endeavour with the community at large.”

Sharjah Bank Street © Hind Mezaina / Courtesy of Maraya Art Centre

The efforts of the workshop series culminated in the creation of physical timeline which gives an overview of the history, the current situation, and possible futures of Bank Street’s urban fabric. This timeline is also currently open for viewing by the public at the Maraya Art Centre in the form of an exhibition, which will run until May 15, 2014.

The workshop series took place in the last week of April and was open to students as well as professionals in a vast number of fields, including architecture, urbanism, arts, sociology, geography, economics, politics, and media.