Diriyah: The Latest Architecture and News

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The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced Lebanon-based EAST Architecture Studio, in collaboration with artist Rayyane Tabet and engineering firm AKT II, as the winners of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize, a significant new architectural competition launched as part of the Islamic Arts Biennale. Their winning design, a modular structure inspired by regional weaving traditions, uses sustainable materials derived from local date palm waste, including palm fronds and fibers. After the four-month Biennale, the Musalla will be dismantled and reassembled at a new location.

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The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has just unveiled the competition details for the AlMusalla Prize, along with the shortlisted architecture studios and the jury. An addition to the Islamic Arts Biennale, this international architecture competition focuses on designing a musalla, a flexible space for prayer and reflection accessible to people of all faiths. Situated in the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the musalla will be an integral part of the Biennale’s upcoming edition. The winner of the competition will be announced later this year, and the opening of the musalla will be held on January 25th, 2025.

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Commissioned by Diriyah Company, HKS Architects have revealed the design for a new multisport arena in Diriyah. Envisioned as a catalyst for the local culture and the entertainment sector, the 20,000-seat venue will be located in the center of The City of Earth, a 76,000-square-meter development aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at becoming one of the most attractive venues for tourism in the Middle East.

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Snøhetta has revealed the design of a new opera house to be added to the historic area of Diriyah in Saudi Arabia. The proposal strives to blend the local cultural heritage and Najdi building traditions with the contemporary requirements of an international music and performing arts venue. Scheduled to open in 2028, the Royal Diriyah Opera House anchors a wider master plan to redevelop the Diriyah area on the outskirts of Riyadh, aiming to transform it into a cultural destination.

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The Islamic Arts Biennale re-imagines the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a cultural space to create an evocative journey to explore Islamic heritage. The terminal, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and a winner of the 1983 Aga Khan Award, will be extended and complemented to create the setting for the event. Through the contributions of over 60 artists from over 20 countries, the biennale aims to become a platform to explore and reflect the diversity of the Muslim experience worldwide. Themed Awwal Bait, or The First House, the event intertwines commissioned works with never-before exhibited historical artifacts to convey a holistic perspective of the Islamic arts. The Biennale, curated by Sumayya Vally, now in its inaugural edition, will be open from January 2023 to April 2023.

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Zaha Hadid Architects has won a competition for the design of the Urban Heritage Museum Administration Centre in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The center will serve as the head office of the Heritage Museum, an educational institution established to preserve the historic UNESCO world heritage sites of Diriyah and the surrounding Wadi Hanifah valley.