Prepared by: Rima Al-Samarrai - Jumana Abdul Razzaq
Decor - Since the establishment of its regional headquarters in Dubai in 2018, LWK+PARTNERS has been working to develop the built environment in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia. In its latest initiative, LWK+PARTNERS launched the «Red Envelope» leaflet, inspired by the culture of red envelopes given on occasions, especially in Asian societies, which represents the roots of the Hong Kong-headquartered firm. «The Red Envelope» is a free reference to disseminate knowledge and enrich architectural content globally and in the region, available in limited print copies and electronic copies on the company's website in a unique initiative that is rooted in the principles of knowledge exchange and institutional giving.
Reading the concept of «Between the Pennines»
In each edition, participants from different backgrounds are invited to contribute content and ideas to enrich the culture of debate and discussion. In the latest edition, titled «In Between,» the reading tackled the concept from several angles, including a look at the architectural history of the city of Riyadh between its foundation and its growth.
<In Riyadh, contextualized architecture marked the development of a period at the end of the last century, but what is the architectural identity of the Saudi capital today as it navigates between its contemporary foundation and its promising future?Riyadh intrigues historians
<As one of the greatest historic cities in the Middle East, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has long intrigued Islamic and Arab historians, economists and planners. Following the rise in oil prices in the 1970s, Riyadh experienced an extraordinary surge in development with an average of 11,500 building permits issued each year between 1977 and 1986. The city's ongoing development has been studied around the world, and the American publication Newsweek called it "the largest construction site in human history". Leading to the emergence of Saudi architectural firms and government institutions, as well as attracting architects, Riyadh quickly became a fertile ground for experimentation in built environments, and a platform for blending modern and contemporary architecture with traditional architectural styles.Designing a constructivist approach to materializing facades
<According to Dr. Saleh Al-Hathloul, a Saudi university professor and architectural critic, in one of his lectures on the subject, the designers of these buildings initiated an approach to facade rendering that was later adopted by a number of architects working in Riyadh. Notable buildings from this time period include the Institute of Public Administration by Walter Gropius Architects Cooperative, as well as the King Saud University campus, which was executed by HOK and a quartet. <The mid-1980s saw the formation of a new consciousness regarding architecture and construction in Riyadh. As Al-Hathloul noted, a number of Arab and Saudi architects began to play a greater role in the development of the city: Bassem Al-Shihabi, director of Al-Omrania & Partners, Saudi Bee'ah Consulting Group, and Abdulrahman Al-Junaidi.
Evoking traditional architecture
Shihabi designed the GCC headquarters buildings in Riyadh, which aimed to evoke the traditional architecture of the region, as well as the initial design of Tuwaiq Palace, which was later completed in collaboration with German firm Attelier Frei Otto and Boro Happold from the UK. Tuwaiq Palace was built in 1985 in the diplomatic district and was praised for its link between past and present, with its reinforced concrete structure, limestone-clad exterior walls and tensile-structured tents.Al Shihabi's work has been widely recognized as one of the most important architectural achievements of his career.
Independent research and documentation initiative
According to Saudi Architecture, an independent initiative specialized in researching, documenting and archiving architectural content in the Kingdom, the architects of the 1970s and 1980s aimed to develop their own approach and how that approach relates to the local context. Architect Nujood Al-Sudairy, one of the founders, said: «In my opinion, it was an urbanist firm that was really trying to define the harmony of what modernism looks like in a city like Riyadh.» "Whereas Bee'ah focused heavily on context-driven Najdi architecture that tried to preserve a semblance of an identity-preserving past," added fellow architect Sarah Alissa, «Yes, and for Abdulrahman Al Junaidi, we can clearly see buildings with austere architecture and Islamic architecture.»
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As for Abdulrahman Al Junaidi, we can clearly see buildings with austere architecture and Islamic architecture.
The evolution of contextual architecture in Riyadh
<The 1980s and early 1990s saw an increase in the development of contextual architecture in Riyadh, which polarized the traditional Najdi vocabulary through a contemporary lens. Examples abound, including Palestinian-Jordanian architect Rasem Badran's design for the buildings of the Grand Mosque in Riyadh and the Palace of Government (1992). Badran and his firm Dar al-Omran succeeded in reconstructing the character and spirit of the ancient Islamic city, not only by incorporating traditional Najdi forms, but also by integrating the mosque into the urban fabric of the old city center.Projects that personalize the identity of cities
The Riyadh City Development Authority presented the design of the Tameer Center (1997), which incorporates a link between the urban development of the city and the social and cultural identity of Riyadh by integrating urban variables such as heritage, environment and movement patterns.
Riyadh City Development Authority (RCDA) presented the design of the Tameer Center (1997).
Engineer Badran said: »As Riyadh flourished, those projects gave the city the personalized identity we see today. «Some of the projects we did in the city center, or the Deira neighborhood, such as the Grand Mosque and the Ruling Palace, gave the city a »memory of place« which means reflecting the memories of the region by understanding its architectural heritage and integrating it with the values and ethics of the community.» This in turn has produced an architectural product that is linked to the local environment, climate and geology of the region, adding a distinctive social value.
Integrating heritage in a literal way
Engineer Jamal Badran said: "In my opinion, there are three aspects to the way architects are designing buildings in Riyadh today." «Those who try to incorporate heritage in a more literal way, those who try to embrace the concept of heritage and incorporate community values, and those who incorporate a more modern approach linked to technology.»
There are three aspects to the way architects are designing buildings in Riyadh today, says Jamal Badran. <One of the driving forces protecting Riyadh's architectural identity as it moves forward from its founding to its future is the vision of Salmani architecture, a developmental approach derived from King Salman, who has ruled Riyadh for more than 40 years. Since the 1980s, all major projects under the supervision of the Riyadh Municipality have been linked through his ideals. King Salman's great pride in the kingdom's historical, political, social and architectural heritage drove his personal insight into how the city should be developed. Opposing the adoption or transplantation of modern Western or Eastern styles that have nothing to do with the local environment. <The Saudi Architecture Team, which includes Mansour Al-Sufi and Falwa Al-Breik, said: «The term Salmani architecture is present in all project proposals. «It was originally coined in the 1990s and is now re-emerging, coinciding with the emergence of new projects.»
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