adjaye associates unveils design for the new africa institute campus in sharjah, UAE

the africa institute —the first center of its kind to focus on the advanced study, research, and documentation of africa and the african diaspora located in the arab world— has commissioned adjaye associates to design its new campus within downtown sharjah, in the united arab emirates. since its establishment in 2018, the institute has held a series of international conferences, art exhibitions, performances, and public programs. scheduled for completion in 2023, the new facilities take shape as a red concrete volume that will include numerous spaces of different characters, including auditoriums and libraries, to welcome the institute’s inaugural class of students.

all images courtesy of adjaye associates

designed by david adjaye of adjaye associates, the architecture of the africa institute generates an enclosed campus with four wings between four and seven stories each. these wings are all interconnected with an arrangement of open-air interior courtyards and punctuated by large overhangs which provide shade and relief from the heat. the low carbon concrete construction enhances the desert typology which calls for a sensitive and contextual response. meanwhile, all open-air areas incorporate water features and native planters, to further improve air circulation and ensure natural cooling.

the campus will integrate spaces of differing characters and scales in order to house class halls and seminar spaces, as well as a research library and climatized archive facility, a flexible auditorium and performance space, a restaurant and café, and a bookstore. access points are allocated on each of the structure’s four façades to welcome the public and connect the new campus with other surrounding institutions and public walkways.

‘we selected david adjaye to create the first purpose-built home for this vital institution because of his experience in designing buildings that foster learning, collaboration, and community building,’ shares the africa institute president hooral qasimi. ‘david’s ability to create such a beautiful sequence of diverse spaces and welcoming sense of place will make the africa institute a nexus for knowledge – building and learning that will serve people in the region and our partners across africa and around the world for generations to come’.