Shurooq bags awards for design

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), has announced that the iconic House of Wisdom has bagged three awards for excellence in design at the seventh annual identity Design Awards held at the Address Beach Resort in Dubai recently.

Developed by Shurooq and designed by international architecture firm Foster + Partners, the House of Wisdom won the coveted 2021 Design Awards launched by identity – the region’s leading monthly magazine dedicated to contemporary design, interiors, architecture and property, in three prominent categories.

The futuristic cultural hub was named winner in the ‘Interior Design – Public Space’ category for its open, square plan design that serves as an inclusive and immersive space for learning, sharing, creating, and accessing knowledge.

The jury named House of Wisdom as winner of the ‘Architecture – Design of the Year’ category for its minimalist aesthetic and contemporary design that features a large cantilevered floating roof and a transparent rectilinear form.

The House of Wisdom was awarded in the ‘Architecture – Public Building’ category for providing collaborative, creative and culturally rich spaces to enrich the lives of the community by hosting a wide range of educational, cultural and entertainment activities.

Commenting on the distinguished honour, Marwa Obaid Al Aqroubi, Director of the House of Wisdom, said: “The three prestigious awards reaffirm House of Wisdom’s symbolic architecture and sustainable public space design as the bedrock which embodies its world-class cultural and social development goals. Its combination of distinctive interior and public designs, integrating rich Emirati cultural and heritage elements, coupled with its modernised architecture are all major factors that position House of Wisdom as the library of the future created for all cultures, social groups, sciences and arts.”