OMA’s first UAE project transforms warehouses into multi-purpose art district venue

A new art house will be OMA’s first foray into the United Arab Emirates.

The Rotterdam-based architecture firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture is turning four warehouses on Dubai's Alserkal Avenue into a 1,000-sm multipurpose gallery.

ArchDaily reports that the new building will connect local architects with artists and showcase intelligent design. It will feature four 8-meter moveable walls, creating spaces that will provide enough room for lectures, exhibitions, shows, and other gatherings. Full-height transparent sliding doors are also part of the design.

“The main strategy for the design of the event space is to blur the boundary between interior and exterior by bringing view and daylight into the space and extending the action and events to the public space outside," said Iyad Alsaka, OMA's MEA Partner in Charge.

Located in an industrial area, the Alserkal Avenue district contains 25 contemporary art galleries and arts spaces. OMA will separate the venue from its neighbors by wrapping its exterior in a customized concrete spray.

The gallery is being previewed this week at the Dubai Art Week and it is expected to open in the fall.

Other recent OMA art and museum projects include the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, the Lehmann Maupin Gallery in Hong Kong, and the Fondation d'Entreprise Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

(Click photos to enlarge)