Minimalist architecture prevails at The Serai Wing of the Chedi Al Bait hotel in Sharjah. Crafted by Dubai-based architecture studio Anarchitect, the firm behind considerate and luxurious schemes such as a sprawling villa in Dubai Hills, the new hospitality space occupies a series of 1950s merchant residences that have been transformed to their current use as a stylish and contemporary boutique hotel experience with calming surroundings and all-mod-cons.
The Serai Wing in Sharjah unveiled
Spanning a collection of private rooms and suites, The Serai Wing sits at the heart of Sharjah. The existing Emirati architecture's identity was kept, informing each of the spaces' unique design character. Meanwhile, a tranquil courtyard is placed at the core of the hotel, centred on a generous swimming pool with lounge seating and sculptural shading around it.
'Historic layers sit harmoniously alongside new contemporary interventions realised in travertine stone and perforated white-metal surfaces that create additional and necessary functionality to facilitate the new hospitality program transcended into the properties,' the architects write.
An entirely new, contemporary intervention to the layout's north-east section houses new guest accommodation in the shape of the two-storey Khalid Grand Suite. Clean lines and a serene overall interior dominate throughout, coupled with strategic design gestures that highlight privacy and seclusion – including carefully planned views and openings.
Designed as an inner-city hotel, The Serai Wing feels modern but also of its place, incorporating Sharjah vistas at key moments and a relationship between art and architecture, inspired by the UAE city's strong links to the art world.
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