Main Contractor: KPS
Interior design: Roar
Furnishings: Colan; bespoke joinery for boardroom tables
Rugs: Jaipur Rugs, Hatsu
Photo credits: Chris Goldstraw
Over 20 years ago, the sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, sovereign of Sharjah, dreamed that this desert city would become a center of education. Today Sharjah hosts an incredible concentration of young talents, and it is one of the most populated cities in the United Arab Emirates. So it should come as no surprise that an entrepreneurship center like Sheraa has now created its third facility, assigning the proper attention to local human capital. The interiors have been designed by the Dubai-based studio Roar, founded and helmed by Pallavi Dean, as a perfect interpretation of the mission of the brand that aims to make the city into a lively hub for startups.
The extreme flexibility and diversification in the configuration of the spaces reflects the aim of fostering a culture of experimentation and critical thinking within the new generations. To provide the support needed to transform ideas into reality, creating solid foundations on which to construct sustainable businesses and flourishing careers. Expanding on the brief, Roar has developed the project around the concept of inclusion, with the objective of responding to the needs and preferences of a vast range of users.
Understanding the fact that startups can have different sizes and requirements, the project incorporates workspaces made to measure, adapting to various personalities and approaches. The facility perfectly combines open-plan areas with much more secluded spaces, lounges with individual workstations, stand-up desks with more conventional working positions. An area devoted to flexible work features metal screens matched with spherical lamps, offering different seating options to encourage cooperation.
Obviously connectivity and technology are at the center of the design, always close at hand with plug-and-play spaces, recharge points and AV/IT systems that are joined by very fast Wi-Fi service. Roar has lavished the same attention on the needs of the Sheraa staff, offering them special spaces. The functional separation calls for coworking zones and a series of rooms for seminars and training, which thanks to sliding and folding dividers can be easily transformed into meeting rooms.
The Sheraa designed by Roar also features a visual narrative of the legacy of the United Arab Emirates, evoking the roots of a city of trade and a center for pearl diving. The work of local artists stands out in subtle elements of Arabic calligraphy and the stylemes of Al-Sadu, the traditional Bedouin weaving technique. The amphitheater in the reception area references the waves of the sea, together with a metal structure that symbolizes a precious pearl.
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The furnishings and materials reveal great attention to detail, in the creation of a harmonious and functional space. From the custom carpentry of the tables in the meeting rooms to the ceilings in metal screen, to the natural oak that is a dominant feature of the spaces. The palette of colors is based on those of the Sheraa brand, with tones of blue interacting with orange.
