The Buhais Geology Park, designed by Hopkins Architects and inaugurated in 2020 by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, is located 50 kilometers southeast of the city. It is a site of exceptional prehistoric and geological importance, home to marine fossils over 65 million years old, dramatic mountain ranges, and ancient burial sites from the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages.
The geometry of the pods was inspired by the fossilised urchins present on site and developed into a typology which could be sized to suit the centre’s different functions. To minimise disruption to the existing fauna, geology, and terrain, the pods were designed as pre-fabricated concrete structures and only lightly touch the ground on in-situ reinforced concrete foundation discs. A sixth, unconnected pod is used as a service building.
The pods are clad in steel panels, coloured to reference the different hues of the surrounding landscape as well as to shade the precast concrete structures. These panels are fixed into an array of steel ribs, giving the pods their distinctive sculptural, cantilevered forms and further referencing the exoskeleton of the urchin fossils.
Visitors enter the building along an elegant ramp to the central hub where, once inside, they are greeted and guided through the centre. The restrained palette of the interior materials complements the pods’ exposed pre-cast concrete shell segments. In some pods, glazing and oculi have been inserted to control natural light into the space, tempering the brightness of the desert sun. Linking the pods and looping sinuously around the site is an outdoor trail accessed from the main exhibition area. This trail – designed to encourage visitors to explore the jebel (Arabic for mountain) – incorporates viewing areas, a classroom shaded by a high-tensile canopy and raised walkways across natural rock formations and ancient burial grounds.
Participants explored the five interconnected pods of the Interpretive Centre, which feature exhibition spaces showcasing geological phenomena such as plate tectonics, geomorphology, and sedimentation. The tour also included a visit to the immersive theatre, a café with panoramic views of the dramatic Jebel Buhais ridge, the buhais trail which incorporates viewing areas, walkways across geological sites, unusual rock formations, and ancient burial grounds.
This event highlighted the Buhais Geology Park as an important educational and conservation site managed by Sharjah’s Environmental Protected Areas Authority, reinforcing RIBA Gulf’s commitment to celebrating architecture and its integration with cultural heritage.
Simon Fraser, Principal and Lead Designer, Hopkins Architects said: “Rarely is an architect offered the opportunity to design a building for such a beautifully barren landscape with so much geological and cultural significance.
“Our ‘light touch’ approach references the site’s marine fossils by delivering a series of ‘urchin’ pods that sit cleanly on the ground and seek to become a part of the local environment. The Centre’s inner spaces enable visitors to follow a journey that ultimately leads them to explore the jebel itself. We are confident that this exciting new facility will encourage many people from all over the world to understand the way in which landscapes are formed by tectonic activities and how the Earth has changed over time.”
Peter Jackson, Architect Advisor, in HH the Ruler’s Office Sharjah said: “The Park is important in locating a significant interpretive centre outside of the main urban centre, where traditionally museums have been sited. Though primarily an educational resource, the Park is also important for tourism in the Emirate. Hopkins’ powerful but sensitive architecture offers Sharjah an exciting new environmental focus, containing a dynamic exhibition authored by the geologist, the late Dr. Gautam Sen, which is especially relevant as we face further dramatic climate change.”
The event was well attended by RIBA Members based in Gulf, in present Sandra Woodall FRIBA, RIBA Gulf Chapter UAE Representative, Grammatiki Zamani, RIBA Gulf Chapter Committee Member and Mark Harris, RIBA Council Member – Middle East and Africa. Architecture students from RIBA Validated universities such as Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus and Abu Dhabi University, were also present.
This event was delivered by RIBA Gulf office led by Aldrine Sanchez, Senior Development Executive – Gulf Region, RIBA, and supported by Emma England, Head of Membership Experience - International, RIBA.
For any upcoming events and activities in the region, please visit the RIBA Gulf page.
