Tourism & Hospitality | Monday 30 April, 2018 1:21 pm |

Sitting on the shores of Khalid Lagoon, not far from Al Majaz Waterfront, there is an architectural gem. It is Al Noor Island, one of the most prominent tourist destinations that combines nature, art and entertainment in a single place, brought to light by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). 

 

With its unique architectural designs that reflect the Zeitgeist, its sculptures that tell the stories of human creativity and its flamboyant flora and famous butterflies, Al Noor Island is a natural haven for a stress-free experience. Its tranquil atmosphere and pleasant location are both inspirational and enriching.

 

The Island, the 3deluxe masterpiece of Austrian architect Andre Heller, extends across an area of 28,000 square meters, portraying futuristic scenery with numerous tourist attractions such as the Literature Pavilion, Noor Café, Kids Playground and contemporary art, with the outstanding Butterfly House as the jewel in its crown.

 

The Butterfly House-…The wonder of nature

 

Spread over 230 square metres, the Butterfly House is a nature-inspired structure with an ornamentally perforated shadow roof, biomorphic exterior and plant-covered walls, reflecting the traditional architectural characteristics found in hot Arab countries. 

The style features a combination of wood and glass, creating ornamented patterns between the shadows and the light, shining through on the building’s walls. Heller, the creative visionary behind the Austria’s Swarovski Crystal Worlds Museum,designed his Al Noor dreaminspired by the natural environment of butterflies.

 

The house is home to more than 500 exotic butterflies, who thrive in an innovative space of light painting under a roof decorated with golden ornamental shading and butterfly-like shapes and patterns.

 

The walls are open from the three sides, allowing natural light to enter into an environment where humidity, temperature and light intensity have all been taken into consideration.When Heller designed the structure, he created a dome made of 4,000 aluminium pieces, combining aesthetic elements and environmental responsibility. This is why he designed the dome in a way that helps regulate the climate through the shadows and passage of sunlight.

 

International Awards 

 

Al Noor Island has emerged as a landscape where state-of-the-art technology blends in perfectly with the location, nature and culture. It enjoys outstanding architectural elements, with the high-profile Butterfly House and its golden ornamental shading roof standing out as the most striking building. Its organic steel framework covered in thousands of star-shaped metal blossoms creates a play of shadows and ornamented patterns inside the glass pavilion. Al Noor Island is proud to have been internationally recognised as an architectural masterpiece.

 

Since its opening in December 2015, Al Noor Island has won a host of prestigious international awards. The Island was named Best Leisure Architecture in Africa and Arabia 2016 as part of the International Property Awards, and was also the recipient of the IF Design Award 2017 and German Design Award 2018.

 

The Butterfly House was awarded the WAN Metal in Architecture Award 2016in appreciation of its unique design in using metal in an innovative way, and in the same year was recognised in the Iconic Awards 2016, one of the largest independent international awards on architecture and design, in the Best Architectural Design category.  Also in 2016, this inspirational destination won at the Arabian Property Awards and was a finalist in the WAF 2016 Awards. In 2017, it won the German Design Award and the A Design Award.

 

Al Noor Island supports Sharjah’s tourism vision

 

Marwa Obeid Al Shamsi, Manager of Al Noor Island, said: “Since its opening, Al Noor Island has become an important part of Sharjah’s vision to develop distinguished tourist destinations. Soon after its launch, the Island gained the admiration of tourists and succeeded in attracting thousands of visitors, as the achievements of the Island and the Butterfly House has received nine international awards in recognition of its architecture and distinctive designs.”

 

She added: “The Island offers a rich cultural experience for its visitors through its state-of-the art facilities, notably its impressive organically shaped Butterfly House, which exemplifies the island’s value as a destination that blends nature, art and entertainment while harnessing the innovative architectural design to conserve the environment.”

 

By developing destinations like Al Noor Island and others, Shurooq provides world-class destinations that strengthen Sharjah’s tourist assets and contribute to achieving the emirate’s vision to attract 10 million tourists per year by 2021.