Sharjah is one of the seven emirates – the third largest – of the federal monarchy of the United Arab Emirates and the only one of them that faces both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Although its average altitude is 8 m above sea level, its territory, divided by an inland strip shared by the emirates of Ras-Al-Khaimah and Fujairah, has mountains in the east on the shores of the Gulf of Oman. Numerous wadis, or dry valleys, wind between them and run along their spine all the way to the sea. Well, the Dubai-based architectural firm Ardh has located in these mountains what we believe to be one of the most interesting and innovative glamping projects of today.
“Ardh, meaning ‘land’ or ‘earth’ in Arabic, is an Emirati architecture and urban design studio with a contemporary approach to architecture and modern sustainability,” explains Árdh. This new glamping project is a reflection of this statement of intent. They have called it The Floating Retreat and it consists of a series of cabins hanging from a platform that crosses one of the typical wadis of the mountains of eastern Sharjah.
It is a project that the architectural firm is developing in collaboration with Shurooq, then “the driving force behind the transformation of Sharjah“, in other words, an “independent government entity” whose aim is to promote the attractiveness of the emirate “as an investment, tourism and business destination“. To this end, Shurooq “connects investors, corporations, and entrepreneurs with the right opportunities“.
One of those opportunities will undoubtedly be this new hanging glamping project in the Sharjah Mountains. The concept of the hanging cabins, according to the architects of the design, “is inspired by the practice of cliff camping“, an adventure experience limited to expert mountaineers that Árdh, with The Floating Retreat, aims to make “more accessible to the general public”.
Adventure and comfort, a combination often difficult to reconcile, are combined in The Floating Retreat thanks to the design of the hanging cabins. These have all the elements necessary to ensure guests’ comfort, including comfortable beds, electricity and air-conditioning, as well as transparent walls for spectacular views. In addition to the excitement of resting in a vacuum, above one of the beautiful wadis of the Sharjah Mountains, there are a variety of optional activities, such as climbing the local cliffs or excursions, to learn both about the wadis and the local culture and history. The project foresees a period of operation, when it starts operating, between November and May, when temperatures are cooler than in summer. Who wouldn’t want to experience a night in one of these hanging cabins?
