The Flying Saucer, Sharjah
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The Flying Saucer in
Sharjah Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Sharjah is the capital o ...
,
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, is a 1978 building constructed in
Brutalist style Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the ba ...
and originally opened as a café, restaurant, newsstand, gift shop and pharmacy. It was subsequently a Lal's supermarket from 1988 to 1997. It has been restored by Sharjah Art Foundation and is now open as a community art space.


Building

The building sits on the intersection of the Sharjah suburbs of Dasman, Ghubaibah, Yarmouk and Ramla and gave its name to the eponymous Flying Saucer Roundabout until this was razed to make way for the current road network. The Flying Saucer was constructed between 1974 and 1978 at what was, until 1972, the gateway to the
British Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and Trucial Oman Scouts camp in Dasman. Its distinctive shape led to the naming of the roundabout by local residents. The Flying Saucer consists of a star-shaped canopy around a seven-metre-high dome over a circular arrangement of eight columns and V-shaped pillars. The building's facade is panoramic. It became a Co-Op supermarket for a time (1997–2008) before being used as an
Al Tazaj Al Tazaj ( ar, الطازج) is a BBQ chicken Arabic fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The chain has presence in many countries of the Middle East. Meals and service The chain serves limited meals including ri ...
fast food restaurant and was subsequently acquired by the Sharjah Art Foundation for use as a community centre, display space and arts centre. The original café at The Flying Saucer was opened by entrepreneur Gerard Raymond, whose Gerard's Cafés became a popular local brand with branches in Sharjah,
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
and
Ajman Ajman ( ar, عجمان, '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ʿymān) is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Located along the Persian Gulf, it is ...
. In June 2022, the building was selected as one of 20 shortlisted projects from 16 countries for the 15th cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.


Arts centre

Sharjah Arts Foundation acquired The Flying Saucer in 2012 and embarked on a program of renovations under by Mona El Mousfy of SpaceContinuum Design Studio. Fittings, partitions and false ceilings installed by tenants over the years were removed, originally to house the 2015 exhibition '1980–Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates', part of the 56th
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
. The ground-up renovation of the space began in 2018 and has included the construction of the Launch Pad underground space and community art area, built underneath the original Flying Saucer building and lit by a courtyard and three skylights. The Launch Pad includes a public art library and film screening space, as well as workspaces and social areas. The main Flying Saucer building is now being used as an art space, with an ongoing programme of film screenings, workshops, poetry readings and other events. The Flying Saucer is one of a number of 1970s and '80s buildings under restoration by Sharjah Art Foundation and the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, including the Al Jubail Vegetable Market, the 1970s
Khor Fakkan Khor Fakkan ( ar, خَوْر فَكَّان, Khawr Fakkān) is a city and exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fuja ...
Cinema (which is being redeveloped as a music school), and a pyramid-roofed kindergarten (which is being made into a community centre).


References

{{Reflist Arab art scene Sharjah articles