THE ARCHITECT SHAUN KILLA L ast year, when the Museum of the Future opened in a shimmering stainless-steel oval covered in Arabic calligraphy, it was immediately dubbed “the most beautiful building in the world” by Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The sentiment was shared by many of the city’s residents, who had watched its progress with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. “The museum has made a significant impact on Dubai’s architectural and cultural landscape,” says Shaun Killa, the architect behind its design. “This is a city that continues to push the boundaries of architectural imagination, and the Museum of the Future is a symbol of its commitment to innovation and progress.” The building drew attention not only for its unconventional design, but also for the groundbreaking engineering methods that brought it to life, with the complex diagrid structures of its constantly growing skeleton being fully visible throughout its construction. Killa first moved to Dubai in 1998 to work on another architectural icon, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, a building, he says, that played a pivotal role in shaping Dubai’s image as a hub of exceptional hospitality. The 53-year-old South African architect is currently working on a new project that is expected to do the same, the soon-to-open Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, part of a complex of seven beachfront hotels by the Dubai-based Jumeirah brand, with a silhouette inspired by luxury superyachts. “The design story here depicts an evolution, starting with the Al Qasr and Mina A’Salam hotels with their traditional architecture, moving onto Al Naseem’s classic design, transitioning to modern architecture at the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and concluding at Marsa Al Arab, where we look at what the future holds through more sinuous architecture,” he says. But, while Dubai’s extraordinary buildings may be a draw for visitors, they can also have a major impact on future-proofing the city for residents – and in meeting the UAE’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. “The role of architecture in making Dubai future-proof is placing a far greater emphasis on environmentally sustainable developments and urban infrastructure,” says Killa. It’s a big undertaking in a place that shows no signs of slowing down, but is one that is starting to be taken seriously. PHOTO SIDDHARTH SIVA 92 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
Creating a conscious cinema is what we’re about, so the component of community and bringing people together is a big part of what our work is dedicated to PHOTO COURTESY BUTHEINA KAZIM THE CINEMA FOUNDER BUTHEINA KAZIM W hen Cinema Akil opened on Alserkal Avenue in 2018, the plan was for it to operate as a pop-up for three months. Five years later, the region’s first arthouse cinema has become a permanent and pioneering presence in Dubai’s cultural landscape – and it couldn’t be more different from the multiplexes found in the city’s malls. “Our number-one goal is to present cinema in a challenging way,” says founder Butheina Kazim, who grew up in Dubai. “We feature films rarely seen on the big screens that reflect the people of Dubai and their experiences.” The multiculturality of the UAE is reflected in events like Arab Cinema Week and the Reel Palestine film festival, as well as screenings of international cult classics and retrospectives. “Creating a conscious cinema is what we’re about, so the component of community and bringing people together is a big part of what our work is dedicated to.” The space itself gives a nostalgic nod to times past, built with “a lot of belief, gusto and collaboration” with two Dubai-based multidisciplinary artists, Chndy and Cheb Moha. They “imagined a cinema for a Dubai audience”, with a combination of donated furniture and folding seats salvaged from the city’s last independent movie theatre, Golden Cinema, before it was demolished in 2017. While multiplexes draw the city’s moviegoers with VIP seating and butler service, Kazim believes that Cinema Akil plays a key role in Dubai’s creative ecosystem. “Being an arthouse cinema, we encompass the entire universe of creative expression by virtue of the medium we represent,” she says. “Cinema overlaps with every possible creative discipline, and that gives us a lot of pride, and reminds us of the importance of cinema’s contribution to society.” CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 93
