The newly renovated Flying Saucer reopens its extraterrestrial doors to audiences. Constructed in the mid-1970s, the iconic structure, which is part of Sharjah’s collective cultural memory, has been restored by the Sharjah Art Foundation to reflect its original architecture.
When it reopens, the venue will host the immersive, site-specific multimedia installation Lindsay Seers and Keith Sargent: Nowhere Less Now 3 [flying saucer] (on view until 26 December 2020), which responds to the building’s architecture, as well as a range of learning workshops suitable for children and families and two film screenings.
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Brutalist architecture
The Flying Saucer is an example of Brutalist architecture, which draws on the space-age influence of 1960s and 1970s Western literature and popular culture. Along with its distinctive architectural style, visitors will be able to enjoy the landmark’s new features, which include outdoor exhibition spaces, a café, a library, a sunken courtyard and activity spaces for community gatherings.
The Flying Saucer will also host screenings of the popular sci-fi/fantasy films Metropolis (1927) and Hook (1991), which will be projected onto the venue’s designated screening walls in the lower-level Launch Pad. Audiences can comfortably enjoy the films while having a bite to eat at the Fen café overlooking the courtyard and library.
