Theatre of Possibilities
University City
Sharjah Performing Arts Academy
Sharjah Sharjah
UAE
Hours: Monday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday 10am–10pm
T +971 6 502 9999
infowsd2025@spaa.ae
The 12th OISTAT Theatre Architecture Competition (TAC) is organised by Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) and the OISTAT Architecture Commission with support from Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) and Sharjah Architecture Triennale. The Theatre Architecture Competition is an international ideas competition aimed at students and emerging architecture practitioners. The best entries will be exhibited at World Stage Design 2025 at Bait Al Obaid Shamsi, in Sharjah, October 2025.
We are interested in seeing innovative ideas for a performance space that could be built to provide the best use and highest value for an area of cultural activity.
The site for the competition is the courtyard of Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, situated in the Heart of Sharjah
Site history
Built around 1845 for merchant Obaid Bin Hamad Al Shamsi, the site surrounding the courtyard is situated over two floors. The main building material is coral. Bait Al Shamsi reflects authentic Arabic Islamic architecture and retains the distinctive top ventilation-structures wind-towers known as “Barjeel”.
How can we create a flexible temporary performance studio for six months of the year without losing the locale of the house?
–Embrace the heritage of the site and the region.
–Create a temporary outdoor performance venue for multiple live performance genres, including but not limited to contemporary and traditional music, solo artists and small groups, drama, new writing, and spoken word between the months of October and April.
–Employ sustainable methods in its construction and encourage and support sustainable ways of working in its daily activity.
The full brief, timeline and submission information can be found on our website.
