British studio Hopkins Architects has created a cluster of prefabricated concrete pods to house the Khor Kalba Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary on the eastern coast of the emirate of Sharjah in the UAE, which is located by the Indian Ocean alongside a lagoon and dense mangroves.
Visitors to the sanctuary arrive at the smallest of the circular pods before walking along a path to the main structure, which consists of five pods of varying sizes surrounding a covered atrium.
Two of the pods contain exhibition space, one dedicated to the marine life in the park and one to the wildlife.
Offices and toilets are in two further pods, while the final connected pod contains a gift shop and cafe with views across the park.
From the visitor centre, a path passes an indoor classroom in a small pod, the wildlife care facility and a circular turtle pond, before leading into the sanctuary and across a footbridge to the mangroves.
