Saudi Arabia's Architectural Boom: New Museums, Parks, and Arenas
The architectural growth in Saudi Arabia is fueled by the Vision 2030 initiative. At the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, Lina Ghotmeh and Asif Khan were tasked with creating the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Incense Road Museum in AlUla, part of Khaled Azzam's Journey Through Time Masterplan. On June 10, 2024, TeamLab Borderless Jeddah will debut within the Culture Square complex, designed by Schiattarella Associati. This firm is also finalizing the Diriyah Art Futures, a digital arts center set to open in autumn 2024 near Riyadh. In Riyadh, LAND Italia and Schiattarella Associati are working together on Al Urubah Park. Populous is responsible for the Qiddiya City Esports Arena in Qiddiya, while One Works is advancing the Masar Urban Development Project in Mecca. The book SAUDISCAPES chronicles the kingdom's evolution.
Key facts
- Saudi Arabia's architectural expansion is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic program.
- Lina Ghotmeh and Asif Khan were appointed to design two museums in AlUla at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale.
- Ghotmeh will design the Museum of Contemporary Art in AlUla; Khan the Incense Road Museum.
- These are the first of fifteen cultural assets in the Journey Through Time Masterplan by Khaled Azzam.
- teamLab Borderless Jeddah opened on June 10, 2024, in the Culture Square complex designed by Schiattarella Associati.
- Diriyah Art Futures, a digital arts hub near Riyadh by Schiattarella Associati, opens autumn 2024 with 6,500 sqm.
- Al Urubah Park in Riyadh is a 75-hectare green-blue infrastructure by LAND Italia and Schiattarella Associati.
- Qiddiya City Esports Arena by Populous features the largest combined video screen area in any arena and over 5,000 4D tactile seats.
- One Works is developing the Masar Urban Development Project in Mecca, a 3.6 km pedestrian boulevard.
- The book SAUDISCAPES documents Saudi Arabia's pre-tourism transformation with photos by Giovanna Silva and text by Emilia Giorgi.
Entities
Artists
- Lina Ghotmeh
- Asif Khan
- Khaled Azzam
- Andreas Kipar
- Shireen Hamdan
- Emilia Giorgi
- Giovanna Silva
- Amedeo Schiattarella
- Andrea Schiattarella
Institutions
- Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)
- Schiattarella Associati
- LAND Italia
- Populous
- One Works
- Umm Alqura for Development & Construction
- Nero Editions
- Royal Commission for Riyadh City
- teamLab
Locations
- AlUla
- Saudi Arabia
- Venice
- Italy
- Jeddah
- Riyadh
- Qiddiya
- Mecca
- Rome
- Busan
- South Korea
- Middle East