Award-winning architectural studio X-Architects seeks inspiration from Arab culture to deliver contemporary solutions.
Founded in 2003 by architects Ahmed Al-Ali and Farid Esmaeli, Dubai-based X- Architects specialise in creating progressive spaces that seek to reshape the identity of architecture emerging from the Middle East. Connecting the Gulf’s unique identity with a contemporary interpretation, the studio has designed mosques, futuristic desert resorts, and wildlife sanctuaries that, whilst remaining rooted in their geographic and cultural context, offer a new typology for Middle Eastern architecture.
Revelation Mosque │Abu Dhabi
The contemporary mosque symbolizes Islamic monotheism and Muslim unity. The cave-like interiors maintain a peaceful setting for prayer, while the water feature that wraps around the front of the domes emphasises a connection between the earth and sky.
Wasit Natural Reserve │Sharjah
The first time a project in the United Arab Emirates has won an Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the Wasit Natural Reserve features a mix of sand dunes, salt flats, and lagoons, framed by three slender building volumes and a network of woven canopies. Built on a former a rubbish dump in Sharjah, it is now home to 350 species of birds.
Mana Saeed Al Otaiba Museum │ Abu Dhabi
Inspired by the endlessly fascinating appeal of the desert, and the openness and flexibility of the Bedouin tent, the museum’s enclosure is a simple form that uses two suspension points to house its functions.
Abu Dhabi Media HQ │Abu Dhabi
Covered with a translucent envelope inspired by traditional Bedouin structures, the project takes the form of three terraced pyramids that intersect with each other forming an outdoor and indoor working environment at every level.
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