Walking through a rain shower in Sharjah without getting wet.
Rain Room Sharjah is a mysterious 600m2 black box, in which it rains hard, very hard. The accompanying monotonous sound is soothing. The rain falls in a perfect square, illuminated with just one large spotlight. And you are invited to walk through this downpour of persistent rain. Sensors track your movements as you navigate through the darkened underground space and activate a mechanism that prevents rain from falling on you. Do you dare?
Let’s go
We also started with the necessary cold feet on our first steps in the square. After a few steps we are completely surrounded by rain, but we don't feel any drops at all. We start walking faster and things are still going well. Then the children start running and dancing and yes, they do get wet, because these drops have already fallen before they actually get underneath. That's how it works...
Director in nature
It is impressive to experience that we can determine where it rains in a downpour! As a reader of this blog, this may seem like a strange 'science fiction' story, but after a while you forget the danger and enjoy walking in a downpour and experience the beauty of the rain, lit from behind - as if it comes from a dark sky above a street lit with lamps. The spotlight reflects the light on every drop and creates little rainbows all around you. Wow, Rain Room is an experience of an exceptional class. And for those who love it, it will give you beautiful, 'instagrammable' photos.
Recycling
This site-specific installation uses 2,500 liters of self-cleaning, recycled water, which is monitored by a system of networked 3D tracking cameras. The project is completely environmentally friendly as it continuously uses a small amount of water, which is equipped with self-cleaning filters so as not to waste water.
Note: You do not have to go here on spec, because all available time slots are often fully booked well in advance. You can but tickets here.