Ah, the desert. That endless expanse of sand, heat and, let's face it, a certain monotony that makes you long for a bit of green. Well, hold on tight: a Sharjah, one of the United Arab Emirates, have decided that monotony is not good and that green can be to build. Yes, you understood correctly. Not a small villa with an English lawn, but an entire city. Something that, if you think about it, is a bit like ordering an igloo in the middle of August in Palermo. They call it Khalid Bin Sultan City and promises to change the face of a piece of that golden nothingness, bringing water where there is none and shade where the sun beats down mercilessly. Stuff for a 'starchitect' of another era, or perhaps just yet another proof that when you have a little too much money (and sand) in your pocket, your ideas come out a little... dry?
The architect who designs dunes in Sharjah
So, who is behind this latest mirage of concrete and palm trees? Obviously, a studio with a name that weighs: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). Already known for having placed in the desert of Sharjah the curious dune-shaped location for BEEAH, the client of this new effort.
And, as it happens, it seems that the inspiration for the new city comes precisely from there, from the fluid forms shaped by the wind. Zaha Hadid, even if it is no longer there, it leaves its curvilinear and at times slightly… alien imprint.
They want to create a “multi-centric urban network”. Which, translated for us mere mortals, means that there is not a single center, but many small nuclei, all connected. The idea is beautiful on paper, especially when it comes to escaping the infernal heat.
The 2-Km Long Oasis: The Green Heart of Sharjah?
The highlight, the real twist of this project Sharjah, it is an oasis. Not a puddle or an artificial lake, but a two-kilometer-long green "ribbon" (you understood correctly, two kilometers), shaded, which winds through the city.
Imagine it: a linear park that changes shape and width, creating different “pockets,” each with its own feel. They say it will give the city a “unique sense of place.” Well, considering it was just sand before, I’d say that’s for sure. The idea is to focus on pedestrians and public transportation. No cars rattling around, at least not in the ideal plan. Moving on foot between the greenery and the water, trying not to melt under the sun. Quite a feat, huh?
The Seven Neighborhoods and the “Missing” Details
The city will be divided into seven distinct neighborhoods. Each nucleus will have its own houses, offices, shops, places of worship. In short, everything needed to build a city from scratch. But be careful, here comes the best (or the least best): At the moment, fundamental details are missing.
Like? The total size of the city. Its population. And, not least, when the hell will it be over.
They promise green roofs, native plants, trees and bodies of water.. All to make life a little more bearable. And here a question arises spontaneously: how much water, how much energy, how much maintenance will be needed to keep alive this artificial paradise in the middle of a desert?
Sustainability? It depends on the air conditioning
They talk about renewable energy systems (at least in part) and recycled water for irrigation. These are commendable steps, of course. But can a city that exists only thanks to massive human intervention really be defined as “sustainable”? to combat a climate that screams “stay home or die of heat”?
The challenge is not only to build, but to maintain. Keep the shade, the water, the air breathable. And here the air conditioning (which is never explicitly mentioned in the enthusiastic descriptions, but you know it's there) plays a role, let's say, Central.
This project, like a city that “will rise from the desert”, is another piece in the mosaic of the Gulf's ambitions.
You are not alone in building in the void
Already Dubai is struggling to make his city a little more “pedestrian-friendly”, perhaps an attempt to remedy the excesses of the past. And then there is Saudi Arabia, which is literally going crazy with titanic projects like the JEC Tower (the skyscraper that was supposed to touch the sky and is now on hold) and above all The Line.
A concept which, as I mentioned here, is that of bending geography to human will (and economic possibilities). These initiatives seem like competitions to see who has the most… artificial? Biggest? Craziest?
Moreover, according to various sources, the Middle East is the new playground of extreme architecture, where the only limits are imagination and the amount of oil extracted.
So what? Will we live in a plastic oasis?
In the end, the Khalid Bin Sultan City a Sharjah is yet another chapter in this story. A story of ambition, money in spades and the desire to demonstrate that even in the most inhospitable place you can create something "human", "green", "livable".
It makes you think, doesn't it? About our eternal struggle against nature, about our need to shape the world to our liking, even when this goes against all apparent logic. Will it really be a place where people will want to live, walk under the filtered sun and admire palm trees that look a bit like photoshopped? Or will it be just another glossy postcard, a movie set in the desert?
Let's go back to the initial sand. That infinite expanse that, with its monotony, at least did not promise you artificial paradises. This new project promises you an oasis. Let's just hope that, once there, the water is not fake and the air is a little fresher than you imagine, even if you are one step away from a "forest" of cranes.
