Office For Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) has completed its first cultural venue at Alserkal District in the United Arab Emirates with floor-to-ceiling poly-carbonate cladding and full height operable doors, which opens to the courtyard to support outdoor activities. Called Concrete, the project is located in Dubai’s Al Qouz industrial area and Alserkal Avenue was founded in 2007 to promote cultural initiatives in the region. 

Since then, it has become Dubai’s most important art hub with twenty-five galleries and art spaces. OMA's Concrete, a new venue, addresses the districts growing need for a centrally located public space which can host a diverse program.

Led by OMA Partner Iyad Alsaka and Kaveh Dabiri- Iyad Alsaka is responsible for OMA’s work in the Middle East and Africa- the 1,250 square-metre former warehouse provides a multi-purpose venue to accommodate a series of public events, including exhibitions, performances, lectures, and fashion shows. 

Concrete focused on maximizing the event area. All the services were consolidated on one end of the building, allowing the entrance and event spaces to be situated closer to The Yard, the district’s main outdoor public square.

The design for the interior introduces a flexible floor plan to accommodate the required program diversity. Four 8.10 m pivoting and sliding walls can create multiple space configurations depending on the type of event. 

''Dubai is one of the cities that has had a deep impact on our work, and I am very happy that this particular building is our first effort here. In Concrete, we are not introducing a new shape but instead were able to infiltrate an existing building with an arts institution. This building is totally produced in Dubai; it is not a foreign ideal, and that I think is significant,'' said Rem Koolhaas OMA's founding partner.

To maintain a fluid space, all the major interior equipment has been integrated into the ceiling, leaving the walls and floors free of any components. Two linear skylights have been positioned above the movable walls to allow either thin blades of light or full daylight depending on the configuration.

''The Gulf is an important region for OMA, and we are happy to have been able to collaborate with an organisation like Alserkal Avenue, whose vision is so similar to our own. With this project we wanted to keep the interior as neutral and flexible as possible, while transforming the existing exterior so that it would stand out from the surrounding buildings,'' said Iyad Alsaka, OMA’s partner in charge of the project.

The original front façade of the ware-house has been replaced with poly-carbonate cladding and full height operable doors. When the doors are open, the exterior and interior space can merge, activating the courtyard. 

The connection to the exterior is reinforced by the translucent poly-carbonate, which brings the view, daylight and outdoor activities into the interior space.

The rest of the original façade has been maintained and sprayed in a customized mix of concrete with glass and mirror aggregates. The rough texture of the spayed concrete and reflections from the glass and mirror aggregates will make the venue stand out in the context of Alserkal Avenue.

The interior design and engineering was completed by Dubai-based companies. Concrete has opened with Syria: Into the Light, which will be on view until 3 April 2017.

''The OMA team has brought their unique aesthetic and thoughtful approach to urban architecture to the Avenue, and, in doing so, they have created a space that has started a dialogue for architectural evolution in the UAE,'' said Vilma Jurkute, director of Alserkal Avenue.

Project facts

Client: Eisa Bin Nasser Bin Abdullatif Alserkal EST
Partner in Charge: Iyad Alsaka Project Architect: Kaveh Dabiri
Project team: Yoonhee Bae, Aras Burak, Shabnam Hosseini, Mohammed Jabri, Alejandro Noe, Guerrero Ortega, Christin Simonian, Mayar Soliman
Lighting Design: Licht Kompetenz
Local architects: CVTEC
Acoustics: Acoustic Logic
SMEP: Blue Camel Design
Contractor: Blue Camel Design

All images © Mohamed Somji, courtesy Alserkal Avenue

All drawings © OMA

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