UK architect Adjaye Associates has designed a 31,800 sq m campus extension for the Africa Institute, an research organisation in the UAE.
The campus will offer postgraduate qualifications in African and African diaspora studies, as well as degrees in African languages.
The dusty red concrete development in Sharjah’s Al Mankah neighbourhood contains an enclosed campus with four wings, each measuring between four and seven storeys.
The wings are linked by a series of open-air courtyards, which have large overhangs to provide shade.
The campus will contain a research library, archives, as well as an auditorium. A series of site-specific installations will be commissioned by artists for its public spaces.
Canada’s WSP is working on the project as the architect of record and the structural, electrical and mechanical engineer.
David Adjaye said: "I envision the campus as a springboard, connecting and embodying the incredible history of Africa, the African diaspora, and the Arab world."
Images courtesy of Adjaye Associates
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