Raw Threshold Pavilion by Al Borde, Sharjah

Raw Threshold, designed by Al Borde for the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, is a temporary pavilion that questions what it truly means to be local in a globalized, consumption-driven world. Situated in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the project occupies the former Al Qasimiyah School, a site transitioning from an enclosed educational facility into an open civic venue. Through minimal intervention, reused materials, and a deeply contextual design strategy, the pavilion establishes a new architectural threshold between the site, its users, and the city.

In a context where materials, products, and resources can be imported effortlessly from anywhere in the world, Raw Threshold resists this condition of abundance. Instead, it proposes an architecture grounded in economy of effort, material reuse, and local construction knowledge. The project responds to the erosion of local identity caused by capitalist development and urban homogenization, positioning architecture as a tool for cultural reflection rather than consumption.

Transforming a Former School into an Open Civic Space

The Al Qasimiyah School once functioned as a protected, inward-looking environment defined by perimeter walls and a clear institutional role. With its transformation into a venue for the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, the site shifts toward openness, accessibility, and public engagement. New pedestrian entrances from the north and west converge at a central platform, creating a moment of encounter and transition.

Raw Threshold occupies this point of convergence. Rather than introducing a monumental object, Al Borde designed a welcoming architectural threshold: a shaded structure that encourages pause, gathering, and informal occupation. This threshold acts as both an entry point and a spatial experiment, testing how the site can be inhabited in its new role as a public and cultural space.

Shadow as Architecture and Climate Response

At the core of the project is the idea of shadow as a primary architectural element. In Sharjah’s hot climate, shade is not a secondary feature but a condition for inhabiting outdoor space. The pavilion creates this shadow using a simple structural logic that can be built with readily available materials, emphasizing adaptability and construction simplicity.

However, in a place where “everything is available,” the notion of availability becomes ambiguous. Al Borde addresses this by redefining availability through proximity, reuse, and low-energy transformation, prioritizing materials that already exist within local systems.

Reused Wooden Poles and Palm Mats as Building Materials

The structure is assembled from reclaimed wooden utility poles sourced from the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA). As part of an infrastructure upgrade, SEWA replaced wooden poles with metal ones, resulting in hundreds of preserved poles stored in a depot. Al Borde selected the most suitable elements, trimmed damaged ends, and assembled a varied collection of logs capable of supporting the suspended shading system.

The shading itself is made from palm tree mats, a traditional and widely available material in the region. Commonly used in domestic floors, souk ceilings, and enclosures, these mats are inexpensive, versatile, and deeply embedded in local building culture. Their texture, permeability, and variability create a tactile spatial experience while filtering light and heat naturally.

This material strategy minimizes energy use associated with production, processing, and transportation, reinforcing the project’s commitment to sustainable architecture, circular material use, and low-impact construction.

A Raw and Tactile Architectural Experience

The resulting pavilion is intentionally raw and unpolished. Natural materials are left exposed, allowing users to read the construction process and understand how the structure is assembled. This tactile quality establishes a direct and intimate relationship with the site, grounding the intervention in its physical and cultural context.

Beyond its functional role as shade, the pavilion becomes an invitation. It draws the attention of visitors, residents, and workers in the surrounding neighborhood, encouraging them to cross boundaries, both physical and conceptual, and engage with the newly opened space.

Temporary Architecture with a Complete Life Cycle

Raw Threshold is designed to exist  only as long as it is needed. Its temporary architecture allows for easy assembly, disassembly, and relocation. When its role at the site concludes, the wooden poles can return to storage, awaiting future reuse, while the palm mats can be repurposed for other applications.

Eventually, as materials naturally degrade, they will return to the earth, completing a full life cycle aligned with natural processes. In this way, Raw Threshold embodies an architecture that does not aim for permanence, but for responsibility, adaptability, and harmony with nature.

All photographs are works of  Danko Stjepanovic