Wasit Natural Reserve

After years of efforts to bring the non-migratory birds back to a damaged eco-system site in the Arab Emirates, X-Architects designed a visitor center that mimetizes with the surroundings.

Windows become frames that narrate the space

A home filled with peace, built with a few essential gestures and a palette of materials in harmony with the surrounding landscape. The anthracite-colored windows by Edilpiù take center stage in this visual narrative.

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X-Architects designed a natural reserve visitor center for bird watchers and researchers, established to continue protecting the natural environment, educate people on the richness of the wetland ecosystem and to provide information about the birds that live in that specific area and other areas of the emirate.

X-Architects, Wasit Natural Reserve Center, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2015

Wasit Natural Reserve was originally a waste-water and rubbish dump. The rehabilitation process of the damaged eco-system started in 2005, with 40,000 sqm of rubbish removed, 35,000 trees been re-planted, healing the land from toxic chemicals and conservation of the Unique salt flats and coastal sand dunes. After years of efforts to bring the non-migratory birds back to the site, WNR is now home to 350 species of birds, a landing zone for 33,000 migrate birds, and a breathing lung to Sharjah city.

The architecture of the center blends with its’ surroundings and uses the existing topography to minimize the visual impact on the natural scene. When visitors arrive, a pathway leads them underground into a linear gallery. A fully transparent wall allows the visitors to experience the birds’ natural environment and become part of it.

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