AN ARCHITECTURE DESIGNED FOR DIGITAL ARTS RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
The Diriyah Art Futures in Riyadh, designed by the Roman studio Schiattarella Associati for the national plan “Vision 2030”, is a center dedicated to digital arts, the first in the world built from scratch for this purpose. It hosts galleries, ateliers, artist residences, research laboratories and a training center on new media.
The architecture dialogues with the historical and geographical context: the site is located near the UNESCO heritage site of At-Turaif and follows the path of the ancient walls of Diriyah, along a slope that slopes towards a fertile wadi. The building, defined as “border”, combines simple volumes separated by slits that favor natural ventilation and connections with an adjacent park.
The project avoids both the neo-vernacular style and the neo International Style, reinterpreting traditional Saudi architecture in a contemporary way, with particular attention to the concept of “void”: courtyards, patios and labyrinthine spaces illuminated by skylights. On the outside, the void translates into a public square, while on the inside it becomes a shared underground space that connects the different functions of the complex.
From: Domusweb.it
Ph credits: Hassan A Alshatti
