Foster + Partners has won an international competition to design Abha Airport’s new terminal in Saudi Arabia’s Aseer Region. Inspired by Rijal Almaa village, the design reimagines the terminal as interconnected human-scaled clusters, courtyards, and walkways. The scheme aims to redefine the passenger experience, setting a new benchmark for airport design.
Foster + Partners has been selected to design the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka. Positioned at the Yumeshima waterfront, the pavilion aims to evoke the essence of Saudi Arabian towns and cities while providing an engaging spatial experience. Overall, the design aims to immerse visitors through audio-visual elements and offer them a glimpse into the marvels of Saudi Arabia.
Last week in Cairo, CulturVator – Art D’Egypte launched its third edition of the annual international exhibition “Forever is Now.” Set by the backdrop of the Great Pyramids of Giza, the display features the work of 14 international artists. In essence, the exhibition “underscores the significance of cultural exchange among artists at the core of history and ancient Egyptian civilization.”
Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled plans for a striking 330-meter-tall skyscraper within the Trojena ski resort, situated in the Neom development in Saudi Arabia. The design was first presented at the Cityscape Conference in Riyadh as part of an exhibition focused on the Neom project. The new crystal-like skyscraper will be located on a mountain overlooking a central artificial lake, as it is planned to become an integral element of the Trojena, a region allegedly master-planned by LAVA architects. Zaha Hadid Architects have also revealed the design of a second structure within Trojena, a lookout pavilion located next to the skyscraper.
After a five-year pause, construction on the Jeddah Tower has resumed. Set to become the world’s tallest skyscraper and beat the UAE’s Burj Khalifa, the tower was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and initially began construction in 2013. Interestingly, the Burj Khalifa was also designed by Adrian Smith while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The scheme faced many delays, including a pause in 2018 and further setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the initial contractor was replaced during the 2017-2019 Saudi Arabian purge.
The Islamic Architecture style has a diverse history, spanning over a millennium, stretching from Western Africa to Europe to Eastern Asia. Beginning in early 7th century Arabia, this form of architecture emerged with the rise of the Islamic civilization. In fact, Al Masjid Al Nabawi, the first Mosque to ever be constructed was built in 622, in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Moreover, early Islamic architecture was influenced by the pre-existing styles around the region, such as Roman, Byzantine, and Persian qualities.
At the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, NEOM has unveiled the “Zero Gravity Urbanism- Principles for a New Livability” exhibition to present the concept and standards guiding the design of the Line, their proposed 170-kilometer-long linear city in north-west Saudi Arabia. The event aims to introduce to the public an alternative vision for urban planning whose compact configuration strives to become a model for the development of more efficient and sustainable cities. Prior to the opening of the exhibition, more than 20 internationally recognized architects and designers joined the design team, including Sir Peter Cook, Massimiliano Fuksas, Jean Nouvel, and Ben van Berkel. The exhibition is open from 20 May to 24 September 2023 at Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice.
An arid environment refers to specific regions characterized by a severe lack of available water and extremely dry weather conditions. More specifically, arid regions by definition, receive less than 25 centimeters of rain per year. In the immense vastness of arid environments, where extreme climates present significant challenges, the role of water in architecture takes on a new dimension.
The Royal Commission for AlUla has appointed Lina Ghotmeh and Asif Khan as the lead architects for two upcoming museums to be added to the cultural oasis of AlUla, a destination in North-West Saudi Arabia displaying 7,000 years of continuous human history. Ghotmeh is set to design the contemporary art museum to house works by artists from the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean in dialogue with their contemporaries from across the world. Asif Khan will design the Museum of the Incense Road, the first museum dedicated to the millennia-old network of major land and trading routes. The architects have been selected following an international competition.
The First Islamic Arts Biennale, artistically directed by Sumayya Vally, opened on January 2023 and is still ongoing until May 23, 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The inaugural event was commissioned and produced by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and was curated by Vally alongside Dr. Julian Raby, Dr. Omniya Abdel Barr, and Dr. Saad Al-Rashid. The biennale re-imagines the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz Airport, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and winner of the 1983 Aga Khan Award, as a cultural space to redefine Islamic Arts from "within, in a way, that connects some of these art forms and forms of artistic expression to the experience and rituals" of those that live it.
