Sharjah: The roundabouts in the city of Sharjah have not failed to attract the attention of residents and tourists alike, and over the years they have gradually become landmarks in the cultural capital of the Arab world.
Some of the most famous structures that stand proudly in the city are the Quran Roundabout next to the Cultural Palace, Al Majaz Roundabout, Kuwait Roundabout, Al Taawun Roundabout, and the roundabout in front of the Ruler's old palace.
All of these landmarks, in addition to the remaining 15 others that are scattered around the city, have all been designed by Carlos Marinas Rubio, from Spain, who continues to play an important role in the city's layout.
The 65-year-old sculptor-architect arrived in Sharjah from Madrid in 1979 and ever since has been travelling regularly between the two countries. Rubio's latest project is working on Al Rolla Square, which Sharjah Municipality recently announced was expected to open in early 2012.
"The original monument at the square, which was in the shape of a tree, was made out of bronze but it was poorly made. Dozens of workers used to sit on the branches, which were very thin, and then because of all the weight it eventually broke," explained Rubio.
"Some time in the late '90s, another monument was then made of fibre-glass and polyester but that is not the type of materials you should use to make a monument. Now I'm making it out of bronze again from my workshop in Madrid, like all the other monuments I made, and it will be shipped out to Sharjah once it is ready."
Maximum potential
The design of the new park in Al Rolla Square took almost two years to plan. He pointed out that His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, always got closely involved with the project, and was keen to improve the design to its maximum potential.
"I made the preliminary creation with the Ruler and then developed it further with five other architects, as well as with my son and my daughter," he said, while noting that his son Carlos and daughter Maria Concepcion also work as architects in the family business.
"The monument will be very solid at a weight of 450 kilograms. The park used to be completely uncared for and when we started working in it, we found lots of playing cards which I suspect people used for gambling. But all that will be changed, since I designed the gates to be made of concrete, granite and aluminium, so that it can be properly protected," he pointed out, adding that he is also renovating the structure at Al Majaz Park since it was built 30 years ago.
During Rubio's 32 years in Sharjah, one of his most interesting creations is that of the palm tree in front of the Sharjah Ladies Club. "I searched online, and it was mentioned that the palm tree was made of gold and cost Dh5 million. I only work with bronze, and that monument actually cost me Dh500,000 to build," he added.