UAE developer Arada has appointed Japanese architect Tadao Ando as the designer for its new performing arts centre -  Il Teatro - that will play a prominent role in Sharjah’s mega lifestyle community, Aljada. 

 

A fully fledged cultural complex spread over a 260,000 sq ft area, the Il Teatro at Aljada and its surrounding plaza will host a wide variety of performances and shows, including opera, theatre, dance, ballet, musicals, concerts, films, art exhibitions and festivals.

 

As well as a 2,000-seat auditorium, Il Teatro will incorporate a gallery and boutique restaurant, stated Arada, the master developer behind Aljada.

 

Revealing the designs of Il Teatro’s striking structure, which will anchor the community’s Naseej cultural district, Arada said the design for Il Teatro consists of a pure, cylindrical concrete mass, which faces a multi-layered cultural plaza. 

 

Featuring Tadao Ando’s trademark architectural simplicity, the culture centre's design will boast a dramatic secondary feature; a large, arched opening that enlivens the front of the building, forming a strong connection between its interior and exterior. 

 

Arada Vice Chairman Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal said: "Il Teatro at Aljada represents an impressive new attraction for Sharjah and the wider UAE and adds significantly to the list of museums, galleries, entertainment venues and other cultural spaces for which Sharjah is already well-known."

 

Il Teatro occupies a prime position within Aljada, situated on the main access road into the master community. It also sits at the centre of the Naseej creative district, a cluster of 19 buildings that also incorporates the Vida Aljada hotel and branded apartments complex, which will be operated by Emaar Hospitality. 

 

Residents living in the creative district will be able to enjoy access to Il Teatro via two ‘green spines’ or urban parks that contain lush foliage and dense tree coverage, with workshops, artist studios and cafes facing the parks on both sides, it stated. 

 

"We’re extremely proud to be working with Tadao Ando, who has a long record of designing exceptional public spaces that enthral and engage their visitors, and we look forward to working with him to bring his vision to life," noted bin Talal.

 

"Spread over two levels, the plaza is an elevated public space that floats above a water feature and contains a large outdoor amphitheatre that faces Il Teatro. Brought to life by a series of events and activities, the plaza will also provide a multi-dimensional experience designed to inspire local artists and the growing creative community in the UAE," he added.  

 

Winner of the Pritzker Prize in 1995, Japan’s Tadao Ando is one of the world’s most celebrated architects, whose dedication to the beauty of simplistic design has been incorporated into his major works, which include the Church of the Light in Osaka, Azuma House in Sumiyoshi and the Chichu Art Museum. 

 

Il Teatro is the second of Tadao Ando’s projects in the UAE, following the Armani Beach Residences at Palm Jumeirah, also in partnership with Arada, which was announced earlier this year. 

 

“Il Teatro at Aljada will leave a lasting, intergenerational impact through its emphasis on culture and art," remarked the group founder Tadao Ando. 

 

"I have designed the central structure of the building to be round like the Earth as I wanted to create a new world inside it that will attract not only local people but visitors from around the globe," he added.

 

Arada Chief Architectural Officer Elie Mrad said: "Tadao Ando’s style neatly incorporates a range of natural elements including stone, concrete, light and water, all of which combine to represent the beauty of simplicity."

 

"That approach has been captured in the design for Il Teatro and its surrounding plaza, which will act as a sociocultural meeting place for everyone," he added.-TradeArabia News Service