Ashok Mody was a young architect from India on his first international assignment when he arrived in Sharjah in 1975. Over the next five years, he worked on projects that have become enduring landmarks of the emirate such as Al Zahra Hospital, the Oceanic Hotel in Khorfakkan and the biggest public housing development — the 1000 Villas project in Al Ghubaiba. Four decades later, Mody still cherishes his memories of living and working in Sharjah and acknowledges that the experience was invaluable to his career. Weekend Review caught up with Ashok Mody during his visit to the city, in this interview. Read more »
Sharjah
Ashok Mody, who built Sultan Al Qassemi’s family home, on the distinctiveness of Gulf architecture
Ashok Mody, who lived in Sharjah from 1975 to 1980, is responsible for a number of buildings in the Emirate. A group of about 80 people packed into the majlis of one of the vast family residences in central Sharjah last weekend for a conversation between the house’s architect – Ashok Mody – and one of the children who grew up in it, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi. Read more »
Meet the Indian architect who built iconic buildings in UAE
In 1975, 26-year-old Indian architect Ashok Mody touched down in the UAE for the very first time. Tasked with designing just one building in Sharjah, his work quickly impressed. So much so he went on to build some of the city’s most iconic buildings that still stand today. Now in his 70s, Ashok Mody sits with Sultan Souud Al Qassemi to discuss his architectural legacy in Sharjah, in one of the very buildings he helped design and build. Read more »
Architect reconstructs his days in 70s Sharjah
Indian architect Ashok Mody sits with Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi to discuss his work on his return to Sharjah after 40 years. Read more »
Sharjah Art Museum: The Bellwether of Gulf Art Museums
Since its inception the Sharjah Art Museum has been the diamond in the necklace of pearls that are the emirate’s museums. It has played a role in educating the public, documenting the artistic past and present, and has helped to cement Sharjah’s position as the capital of culture for the Arab world and beyond. Read more »
We didn’t start the fire but we can help to put it out
Barely a month goes by without news of another fire in Sharjah’s industrial area consuming a warehouse or more. In response, the Arabic blogosphere has been united in expressing two concerns: first, over the safety of the civil defence workers and employees of companies affected by the fires, and second, over why there have been so many fires in Sharjah to start with. Read more »