The architectural practice set up by the late Zaha Hadid has been chosen to design the ‘Central Hub’ — the entertainment and cultural zone — at the Dh24-billion Aljada development in Sharjah. The is the firm’s first project in the UAE since Hadid’s death in 2016
The Pritzker Prize-winning architect had been associated with Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Bridge and the uniquely shaped Opus from Omniyat. The development value of the Central Hub is Dh1 billion, excluding the cost of land. For the Sharjah project, “we conducted a global design competition (and) featuring a number of the largest global architectural practices”, said Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, chairman of ARADA, the developer of Aljada.