FROMM.Lab’s First International Design Competition invites designers to reinterpret Arab heritage for today’s global audiences. Under the theme ‘Design for a Changing World: Bridging Cultures,’ the competition seeks functional prototypes that reveal the richness and diversity of Arab culture through a contemporary lens. Participants can submit original concepts across four product categories — seating, tables, storage, and lighting — merging craftsmanship with modern design sensibilities.

‘Design has the power to connect cultures and ideas,’ says Alia Rachid, Founder & CEO of FROMM.  ‘This competition is an opportunity for creatives to explore heritage in a contemporary context.  Through mentorship and international exposure, we aim to support the next generation in shaping a  design language that’s rooted, relevant, and forward-looking.’

Alia Rachid, Founder & CEO of FROMM. | all images courtesy of FROMM.

A PLATFORM CONNECTING HERITAGE AND CONTEMPORARY DESIGN

FROMM.Lab is the educational platform of luxury design house FROMM., with roots in Msheireb Downtown Doha and a showroom in Milan. The initiative is committed to cross-cultural collaboration and heritage-informed innovation, providing opportunities for new voices in design to flourish. The competition reflects FROMM.’s long-standing mission to operate at the intersection of tradition and modernity, craftsmanship and experimentation. It encourages the creation of objects that are poetic and practical, local and universal, opening a dialogue between past and present while shaping the design language of the future.

from left to right: Giulio Cappellini, Joseph Grima, Alia Rachid, Fahad Al Obaidly, Dan Thawley

MENTORSHIP, PROTOTYPING, AND GLOBAL EXPOSURE FOR FINALISTS

Entries are expected to integrate stories, materials, and symbols from Arab heritage into designs that speak to a global audience. Selected finalists will benefit from mentorship provided by an international team of experts, including Giulio Cappellini, founder of Cappellini; Joseph Grima, architect and creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven; Aline Asmar d’Amman, architect and founder of Culture in Architecture Paris, Luca Fois, professor of Product Design at Politecnico di Milano, who leads the FROMM.Lab team and Fahad Al Obaidly, Acting Director of Design Doha as judge.

The finalist projects will be prototyped and produced under the FROMM. brand with full technical and material support. These designs will gain international media visibility and will be exhibited within FROMM.Collections at the Design Doha Biennale in April 2026. Through this exposure, the finalists will have the chance to present their vision to curators, collectors, and cultural leaders on a global stage.

Registration for the competition is open until June 15th, 2025.

the Haima’ Armchair, part of the Shurouq Collection, co-designed with Qatari designer Maryam Al Suwaidi

Aline Asmar d’Amman | image © Chloe Lereste

Fahad Al Obaidly

Luca Fois

Giulio Cappellini

Joseph Grima

project info:

competition: Design for a Changing World: Bridging Cultures

organizer: FROMM.| @fromm.lab

mentors: Giulio Cappellini, Joseph Grima, Aline Asmar d’Amman, and Luca Fois
registration deadline: June 15th, 2025

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Construction has begun on Asaan, the Misk Heritage Museum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a new cultural institution designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Set within At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the historic heart of Diriyah, the museum takes it name from Arabic word meaning ‘inheritance passed down through generations’, and in its program, centers on preserving and celebrating the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage.

Drawing inspiration from the surrounding Najdi architecture, a vernacular tradition that has shaped the region’s mud-brick buildings for over six centuries, the museum marks Zaha Hadid Architects’ first use of adobe construction. It is formed from locally produced clay mud-bricks whose high thermal mass and insulating qualities are well-suited to the desert climate. 

all renders by Specto-Digital

marking Zaha hadid architecture’s first adobe construction

Diriyah is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Saudi Arabian state, making the new museum a symbolic addition to one of the Kingdom’s most significant heritage sites. The Asaan museum also forms part of the Diriyah Gate development masterplan that envisions a fully walkable city prioritizing water conservation, energy efficiency, wellness, and climate resilience. Within this context, the team at Zaha Hadid Architects has envisioned a low-embodied-carbon building stretching across three storeys.

Its facade is punctuated by the geometries of the old town, while within, it is organized around three shaded courtyards — a hallmark of traditional Najdi design. These courtyards serve as climatic buffers and functional anchors for the museum’s key programs: Education, Arts, and Administration. Landscaped gardens, public plazas, and rooftop promenades will also wind through, further extending the museum’s public realm, with shading devices enhancing outdoor comfort.

construction begins on Asaan, the Misk Heritage Museum in Riyadh

part of the Diriyah Gate development masterplan

Backed by the Misk Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to youth education and empowerment, the museum by Zaha Hadid Architects aims to foster deeper engagement with Saudi heritage. Interactive exhibitions, workshops, and immersive experiences will be paired with on-site conservation labs to support the preservation of archaeological artifacts. ‘Asaan’s role extends beyond preserving and displaying artifacts,’ says Khaled Al-Saqer, CEO of the museum, ‘it seeks to inspire meaningful engagement through immersive experiences that connect past, present, and future generations, strengthening pride in Saudi identity and sharing our cultural legacy with the world. Asaan will offer a wide range of interactive programs curated by leading experts. These initiatives aim to foster cultural passion, inspire creativity, and empower all members of society to engage with and celebrate our heritage.’

Zaha Hadid Architects punctuates the adobe facade by the geometries of the old town of At-Turaif

within, the museum is organized around three shaded courtyards

the Asaan museum forms part of the Diriyah Gate development masterplan that envisions a fully walkable city

project info:

name: Asaan Misk Heritage Museum

architect:  Zaha Hadid Architects | @zahahadidarchitects

location: Diriyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Barcelona-based architecture studio Bofill Taller de Arquitectura unveils a masterplan for the Royal Arts Complex (RAC) in Riyadh, introducing a bold architectural anchor within King Salman Park — an initiative that reimagines the former military airport with a vast green urban center. The RAC, currently under construction, is emerging as a constellation of cultural venues stretched along a 1.5-kilometer central boulevard. This axis acts as a connective thread between city and park, delineating a threshold where urban density begins to unravel into the open expanse of desert.

The strategy fragments the Royal Arts Complex into thirteen distinct components, each designed to support a different facet of cultural life. The ensemble includes a National Theatre, smaller theaters, an amphitheater, a cinema hall, and a Museum of Civilizations — each interlinked yet independent, forming a self-sufficient cultural ecosystem. Artist studios, master-craft workshops, and academies for music and visual arts further extend the program, reinforcing the site’s pedagogical role alongside its exhibitionary one.

Bofill Taller de Arquitectura designs the RAC for Riyadh’s King Salman Park | visualization courtesy KSP

bofill taller de arquitectura plans for riyadh desert

The team at Bofill Taller de Arquitectura responds to the climate of Riyadh through the Royal Arts Complex’s material palette, which favors warm desert tones that absorb and reflect the landscape surrounding King Salman Park. Buildings are carefully calibrated to balance mass and void, casting deep shadows while allowing light to penetrate public squares and patios. This approach tempers the sun’s intensity while creating a tactile connection between architecture and terrain, rooting each structure in its arid context without overt mimicry.

Landscape design articulates three concentric zones that transition from the city’s edge into the park’s interior. The outermost plateau retains a raw, desert-like quality populated with native vegetation. Closer in, the sculptural garden provides a curated field of public artworks and architectural fragments. At the core lies the boulevard itself, animated by mineral surfaces, shaded walkways, and clusters of greenery that soften the spatial rhythm between buildings.

thirteen cultural venues are linked by a fifteen-kilometer central boulevard | visualization courtesy KSP

monumentality in fragments

Bofill Taller de Arquitectura integrates the Royal Arts Complex into Riyadh’s urban fabric through its proximity to the Loop, a new transportation system that orbits the entire 16-square-kilometer park. Positioned at the Loop’s western edge, the RAC becomes an access point, or cultural hinge, between the park’s interior and the broader metropolis. The placement suggests continuity over isolation, encouraging movement between programmed venues and the surrounding green space.

The architectural language in Riyadh resists monolithic gestures in favor of spatial diversity. The thirteen volumes of the complex vary in scale and character, some austere and orthogonal, others more sculptural and expressive. This fragmented monumentality offers both a sense of civic grandeur and an accessible rhythm of public spaces. The design invites exploration, walking, and lingering — an urban promenade as much as a cultural destination.

performance spaces, museums, and academies unite within a unified masterplan | image © Gregori Civera

The architects treat the main boulevard of Riyadh’s Royal Arts Complex as a performative spine. The boulevard links theaters, museums, and studios while serving as a public stage in its own right — hosting events, installations, and informal gatherings. Five squares punctuate the route, each with its own microclimate and spatial identity, offering rhythm and pause in an otherwise linear experience.

The Spanish studio’s work in Riyadh reflects a sensitivity to context that transcends stylistic mimicry. The RAC is not a pastiche of tradition, nor a purely globalized statement — it occupies a middle ground, drawing from desert typologies, local materials, and the logic of the oasis without becoming nostalgic. The project positions itself as a contemporary heritage site, one that aligns architecture with environmental and cultural continuity.

the landscape design features three concentric layers, from desert plateau to inner gardens | image © Gregori Civera

warm desert tones will root the architecture in the climate of Riyadh | image © Gregori Civera

the complex will connect to the loop transport system encircling King Salman Park | image © Gregori Civera

public squares, patios, and shaded paths will animate the spaces between buildings | image © Gregori Civera

the team arranges volumes to create a sense of civic monumentality without uniformity | image © Gregori Civera

project info:

name: Royal Arts Complex | @kingsalmanpark.sa

architect: Bofill Taller de Arquitectura | @bofillarquitectura

location: King Salman Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

area: 320,000 square meters

status: under construction

photography: © Gregori Civera | @gregori_civera

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Since it was first announced in 2021, Saudi Arabia’s THE LINE has sparked intense global discussions. A radical experiment in urban form, the project reimagines the traditional city as a 170-kilometer-long, 500-meter-high mirrored community running through the desert of Tabuk. Part of the larger NEOM gigacity, THE LINE promises to condense life into a narrow vertical corridor, eliminating cars, streets, and urban sprawl in favor of AI-powered transit and renewable energy. Conceived as a ‘gravity-free’ city with stacked infrastructure, the proposal ambitiously claims that all amenities will be within a five-minute walk, with nature integrated throughout and accessible at every turn.

Over the past few years, NEOM has continued to refine both its rhetoric and its roadmap, encountering adjustments according to construction developments and financial concerns. Some early milestones have already been reached, with substantial groundwork already laid, and global design firms Gensler and Delugan Meissl Associated Architects continuing to design and implement the facets of Phase One. Satellite images and renders also reveal that early construction has already begun on much-anticipated signature features such as the upcoming World Cup’s NEOM Stadium and the Hidden Marina development. While questions remain about feasibility, scale, and ambition, development presses on. As of late 2024, Saudi officials confirmed that the first 5 kilometers are targeted for completion by 2030, with the full vision stretching out to 2045.

all images courtesy of NEOM unless stated otherwise

neom announces steady progress on construction activities

Construction activities have been progressing steadily. Initial activities, including earthworks and piling, commenced in late 2022, and by March 2023, over 4,500 piles had been driven into the ground, forming the structural base for early modules. Early updates last year stated that millions of cubic meters of water and earth were also being moved each week. The construction strategy, the authorities explained, involves building the city in these 800-meter modular segments to facilitate phased development. In October 2024, Saudi Arabia announced plans to complete a central 5-kilometer stretch by 2030.

Key design and engineering partners were also appointed towards the end of the year to shape the first phase. Delugan Meissl Associated Architects leads urban design and masterplanning, while global design firm Gensler is handling city planning and coordination. Mott MacDonald has been brought on to oversee infrastructure, with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and integrated systems.

a 170-kilometer-long, 500-meter-high mirrored community

hidden marina and neom stadium: new landmarks

Satellite imagery has confirmed the early construction progress of the futuristic port — Hidden Marina. This vast mirrored hub, rising 500 meters tall, is expected to house 200,000 residents alongside retail, hospitality, and education spaces along the waterfront. It is anticipated to stretch 350,000 square meters, segmented into various modules that host its mixed-use program while allowing for flexibility.

Additionally, THE LINE is expected to play a role in Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. With a football pitch located more than 350 meters above ground and integrated into the roof of the linear city, NEOM Stadium will run entirely on renewable energy from wind and solar sources. It is expected to anchor a new sports-focused neighborhood adjacent to the Health and Well-Being District and the University. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, and following the festivities, it will become home to the local football team.

NEOM Stadium | image courtesy of Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid

the line is slated for 2045 completion

Reports in early 2024 hinted at a potential downscaling of the first phase from the original target of 1.5 million residents by 2030 to a smaller 2.4-kilometer segment housing around 300,000 people. Saudi officials have refuted these claims, asserting that though the timeline and scope have experienced adjustments the project’s scale remains unchanged.

The next major milestone will be the launch of vertical construction, scheduled for late 2025. This will mark a crucial step in the development of this futuristic city, aligning with its vision of a car-free, sustainable metropolis. The full stretch of the project is scheduled for completion by 2045.

conceived as a ‘gravity-free’ city with stacked infrastructure

the proposal ambitiously claims that all amenities will be within a five-minute walk

updates reveal that construction activities have been progressing steadily

early updates last year stated that millions of cubic meters of water and earth were already being moved each week

THE LINE integrates nature throughout, making it accessible at every turn

redefining urban living, the city will be powered by AI

the full stretch of the project is scheduled for completion by 2045

running through the desert of Tabuk

driven by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, THE LINE is gradually transforming from concept to reality

construction embraces unique industrialization and modularity for efficient development

project info:

name: THE LINE

location: NEOM, Saudi Arabia

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Joining its ongoing hospitality developments with the Red Sea Project, Foster + Partners has now revealed designs for Laheq, a new residential-led island development in Saudi Arabia. Commissioned by Red Sea Global, the project marks the first permanent community at the idyllic destination, transforming the 400-hectare Laheq Island into a luxury retreat and low-impact community immersed in nature. 

The scheme is defined by an 800-meter-wide circular structure referred to as The Ring, which encircles a central lagoon and white sand beaches. By concentrating development toward the centre of the island, the masterplan preserves the natural ecosystems around its perimeter, allowing them to continue thriving undisturbed. The ring also embodies the design’s environmental ethos: a circular system where recycled water supports the island’s lush vegetation, and greenery is integrated throughout to create a living landscape that evolves over time. In addition to residential units, the development includes a 115-berth marina, two hotels, a beach club, schools for sailing and watersports, a racket club, an 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse, and a souk.

all images courtesy of Red Sea Global

foster + partners preserves the islands natural ecosystems

The overall concept, titled Forever Garden, imagines a resort community where plant life is able to flourish across the island. Pergolas, shaded canopies, and elevated green spaces are integrated across the landscape to foster a sense of wellbeing and comfort for. ‘Residents and visitors are invited into a serene garden that engages all the senses and offers panoramic views of the magnificent surroundings,’ says Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners. Water recycling systems will also be implemented for irrigation, and the structure itself, elevated above the water, includes green roofs, shaded canopies, and pergolas designed to enhance thermal comfort and wellbeing.

For the residences, Laheq introduces a mix of options, from luxury apartments within The Ring to a series of large villas set along the island’s shoreline. Additional residential communities are distributed across the island’s southern, central, and northern zones. A shared architectural language defined by layered timber geometries lends cohesion to the scattered developments. The architects have distributed the remaining residential communities across the south, centre, and north of the island, with large villas positioned along the shoreline. A unified architectural language of geometric timber frames ties the various zones together. According to Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, the goal was to ‘add as little as possible to the island, while totally immersing residents and guests in nature.’ He noted that the ring-shaped layout offered the best solution to minimize environmental impact while maximizing access to sea views and private lagoon experiences.

Foster + Partners reveals designs for Laheq as part of the Red Sea Project

the scheme is defined by an 800-meter-wide circular structure referred to as The Ring

the project is a circular system where recycled water supports the island’s vegetation

Laheq introduces a mix of residential from luxury apartments within The Ring to a series of villas set along the shoreline

project info:

name: Laheq

architect: Foster + Partners | @fosterandpartners

location: Laheq Island, Red Sea Project

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At Expo 2025 Osaka, amid the bold gestures and cultural showcases from around the globe, the Saudi Arabia Pavilion by Foster + Partners offers something more intimate: a carefully calibrated journey through the layered textures of Saudi towns and cities. Sited along the Yumeshima waterfront, the pavilion trades spectacle for subtlety — inviting visitors into an immersive architectural microcosm that channels the spirit of Saudi Arabia in transformation.

Winding alleyways, shaded courtyards, and ambient passageways form the architectural DNA of the Foster + Partners design, which echoes the scale and rhythm of traditional Saudi villages. ‘The project is a celebration of Saudi Arabian culture,’ says Luke Fox, Head of Studio, ‘evoking the wonderful streetscapes and captivating natural landscapes that define the Kingdom.’

The pavilion, designed for Saudi Arabia’s Expo presence in Osaka, is at once about spatial storytelling and placemaking — guiding visitors through a space that blurs the line between exhibition and lived environment. See designboom’s previous coverage here.

images © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

Foster + partners draws from architectural heritage

Inside, Foster + Partners’ Saudi Arabia Pavilion unfolds cinematically, transitioning from a forecourt of the nation’s native flora into a layered urban scene at Expo 2025 Osaka. At its core is the Saudi Courtyard, the centerpiece of the design and a contemplative heart within the urban maze. By day, it offers respite and reflection; by night, it becomes a performance venue pulsing with light, music, and activity. The architects design the pavilion as a functioning space, animated by the sounds, smells, and textures of Saudi Arabia’s cities.

The experience deepens as visitors enter a network of meandering streets, each revealing curated spaces shaped in collaboration with Journey — a team comprising 59 Productions and Squint/Opera. These ‘windows and doorways’ offer immersive, multimedia moments — portals into the culture, arts, and everyday life of Saudi Arabia. ‘It is its own urban microcosm,” notes Tony Miki, Partner at Foster + Partners, ‘that carefully balances tradition and heritage with modern technologies which are shaping the Kingdom’s future.’

‘This was a unique way of conceiving and delivering a pavilion,’ says Leo Warner, Director of Journey, ‘that both platforms the people of Saudi Arabia to tell their own story and delivers a unique approach to nation-branding in an Expo environment.’

the pavilion’s massing recalls the organic shapes of traditional Saudi villages

geometries informed by climate and ancient settlements

The undulating, porous massing of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion in Osaka was developed by Foster + Partners using computational fluid dynamics to passively regulate airflow. The geometry draws from the organic shapes of Saudi Arabia’s ancient settlements but is tuned for the Osaka climate. Cool winds from the west are ushered in during peak summer months, while in cooler periods, the forecourt acts as a windbreak. It’s a thoughtful approach that blends architectural heritage with contemporary environmental performance.

True to its forward-looking ethos, the Pavilion targets net-zero operational carbon and the top grade of Japan’s CASBEE environmental rating. The Foster + Partners team emphasized the Pavilion’s long-term adaptability, aiming for a structure that could live beyond Expo 2025 Osaka as a legacy of sustainable, inclusive design. ‘Every element has been carefully considered,’ says Fox, ‘to create a one-of-a-kind experience that is highly sustainable and accessible to everyone.’

visitors are invited to explore a ‘village’ of meandering streets

a spatial experience echoes the exploration of Saudi Arabian towns and cities

windows and doorways lead into a series of immersive spaces

the facade is made from a lightweight Saudi stone composite and can be efficiently deconstructed

the courtyard transforms into a venue for performances and events at night

immersive spaces are designed in collaboration with Journey (59 Productions and Squint/Opera)

project info:

name: Saudi Arabia Pavilion

architect: Foster + Partners | @fosterandpartners

event: Expo 2025 Osaka | @expo2025japan

photography: © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

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The second Islamic Arts Biennale’s official prayer space, AlMusalla, is a meditative reflection on ritual and transience embedded in regional identity. Realized by EAST Architecture Studio, AKT II, and Rayyane Tabet, the pavilion thoughtfully responds to the Biennale’s theme, And All That Is In Between, which contemplates the connection between the physical and the spiritual, the historical and the contemporary, and humanity’s relationship with the divine. ‘Musallas, unlike mosques, have always been nomadic sacred spaces. They were traditionally very easily and quickly built, dismantled, and rebuilt elsewhere,’ lead architect Nicolas Fayad architect tells designboom, as he explains how AlMusalla was designed with consideration of both the past and the future. This temporal quality, he notes, informed every design decision — from its interlocked modular structure to its reliance on sustainable, natural materials.

Constructed primarily from reclaimed palm waste, the project converges three histories: the courtyard typology prevalent in Islamic sacred spaces, the use of natural materials in regional construction, and ancient weaving traditions. Further, set beside the Biennale’s AlMidhallah segment where contemporary installations imagine a ‘garden of concepts’, AlMusalla engages with the landscape and the architectural context with sensitivity. In the context of the airport Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, one of the most significant thresholds in the Islamic world, the structure frames the oculi above and mirrors the liminality of its surroundings — an enclosure within the vastness, a quiet space carved into the movement of travelers. Its walls rise in stepped verticality to encircle areas of worship, congregation, and learning, while its woven facade, made from 200 kilometers of palm fiber, mirrors both the intricacies of the craft and the journey of pilgrimage. Within AlMusalla’s central courtyard, we sat down with Nicolas Fayad to learn more about the ideas that shaped the project, from its material choices to its conceptual and spatial gestures and the ways it reinterprets historic vernacular. Read our full conversation ahead.

all images by Marco Cappelletti

a sacred congregation space at islamic arts biennale

Sacred spaces often exist between material and metaphysical realms, and AlMusalla consciously navigates this liminal condition while speaking to various contextual specificities of Saudi Arabia. Its relation to King Abdulaziz International Airport’s SOM-designed Hajj Terminal amplifies this dialogue. ‘When we first arrived at the site, we were almost overwhelmed by the immensity of the void that exists beneath these beautiful canopies,’ Nicolas Fayad recalls. ‘We needed to create a space that could exist autonomously, framing its own environment, while remaining connected with the terminal.’

The architect, co-founder of Beirut-based EAST Architecture Studio, suggests this engagement is both literal and symbolic. Here, the typology of the courtyard, significant in Islamic and regional architecture, is adopted as the core organizing element. ‘At any moment when you find rest in AlMusalla, or pray, you can still experience the canopy above,’ he tells designboom. The staggered monolithic walls partially capture this void, which the discreet entrance foyer, the female and male vestibules, and the prayer hall snap to almost organically. In this sense, this circulation stems from the idea of centrality, or a magnet around which a fluid or set system unfolds, and a nod to the programmatic constructs of mosques. These gestures can also be read as a reference to the Tawaf, during which pilgrims circulate the Kaabah in Makkah, extending the space’s spiritual facet.

AlMusalla is a meditative reflection on ritual and transience embedded in regional identity

reclaiming palm waste for structural & ornamental expressions

The walls thin out as they rise, concealing and revealing space as they come together. Granular and textured, their stratified surfaces evoking a tree trunk’s cross section emphasize their materiality: compressed palm waste reclaimed from Saudi Arabia’s many date farms. ‘We’re looking here at waste that comes from 150 palm trees,’ says Fayad. ‘It’s essentially an architecture as landscape.’ He explains that the resulting system is a remarkable feat of engineering by Christopher Blust of AKT II who has solidified the waste with biodegradable PVC and transformed it into a structurally viable material. ‘It was a real collaborative effort. We were able to think of a structural solution that comes out of waste, which is incredibly challenging. Especially given the size of some of these walls which reach 12.5 meters in height.’

As the walls anchor AlMusalla to the ground, the facade offers a delicate counterpoint — a membrane of palm fiber that stretches across the structure as a materialized spiritual journey. ‘The distance of these fibers, 200 kilometers, is equivalent to the route that links Jeddah and Mecca back and forth. In a way, this idea of the pilgrimage itself is woven into our facade,’ the architect notes. Lending the pavilion its conceptual name, On Weaving, the facade further repositions the tradition of textile-making as both a craft and a structural act in contemporary expressions, with the repetitive process of its production introducing an infinite dimension. Dyed with natural pigments extracted from local plants — reds for the earth, blues for water, and greens for the land — the layered skin both protects and breathes, filtering light and air into the inner sanctum.

realized by EAST Architecture Studio, Christopher Blust of AKT II, and Rayyane Tabet

a modular structure inspired by transience

Just as AlMusalla negotiates the vastness of the terminal by carving out spaces of enclosure and openness, its relation to space is not static and its response to the canopies’ oculi is a broader manifestation of architectural flexibility. This fluidity extends beyond its presence at the Islamic Arts Biennale, shaping its afterlife as a space that can be dismantled and reassembled into various configurations and contexts while retaining its sacred essence. ‘Some spaces can be widened, others compressed,’ Nicolas Fayad tells designboom.

From the outset, AlMusalla was realized with consideration for ‘the unknown’, for how it might perform when moved elsewhere — fulfilling the inherent transience of its traditional form. Even during its lifespan at the Islamic Arts Biennale, the space serves multiple functions beyond prayer. During Ramadan, soon approaching, the pavilion will host night-time gatherings, spiritual discussions, and possibly Quranic study. ‘The structure allows for these organic shifts because of its modularity… and the courtyard and the fluidity that unfolds throughout the space allows for this multiplicity of programs,’ notes the architect. ‘But there will always be a dedicated prayer space at the musalla.’

AlMusalla is constructed primarily from palm waste

the second Islamic Arts Biennale’s official prayer space

a membrane of palm fiber stretches across the structure as a materialized spiritual journey

its walls rise in stepped verticality to encircle areas of worship, congregation, and learning in the courtyard

‘At any moment when you find rest in AlMusalla, or pray, you can still experience the canopy above,’ says Fayad

the female and male vestibules and the prayer hall organically snap to the central courtyard

project info:

name: AlMusalla – On Weaving

architect: Nicolas Fayad – EAST Architecture Studio | @east_architecture_studio

artist: Rayyane Tabet

engineer: Christopher Blust – AKT II | @akt_ii

event: Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 

dates: January 25 — May 25, 2025

location: Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

organizer: Diriyah Biennale Foundation | @biennale_sa

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NEUMA: The Forgotten Ceremony is a meditation on pre-Islamic rituals and mythology, inspired by the desert of AlUla in Saudi Arabia. From the canyons of Wadi Al Naam to an historic mud-brick hotel, the two-part installation made on site draws from archaeological and epigraphic research into the heritage of the land and the stories of its ancient civilizations. Together, artists Sarah Brahim and Ugo Shiavi use breath, light, and performative movement to reimagine the rites and lingering spirituality of the lost ceremonies of the mountains.

The first expression is part architecture, part mirage, in which a cluster of glass panels rise from the sand to create a temple for reflection. Their translucent fragments catch the shifting light, echoed in the luminous glass vessels on display at the indoor exhibition in the old town. These mystical hand-crafted sculptures — made from the sand of AlUla — produce resonant tones that expand into the desert as a gesture of presence.

all images courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla

translucent glass activates neuma: the forgotten ceremony

The title of the project, NEUMA, derives from the ancient Greek ‘pneuma’ — meaning breath or spirit — grounding the work in the idea of a unifying presence that sustains and connects all of life, as the curators note. Saudi-American artist Sarah Brahim and French artist Ugo Schiavi’s research into AlUla’s past, undertaken with archaeologists and epigraphists as part of their residency at the upcoming Villa Hegra, reveals the remnants of a forgotten era where rituals were once integral in shaping space and meaning. Rather than reconstructing these lost ceremonies, NEUMA creates a framework for experiencing them in the present through the visceral, across natural and man-made sites.

Across both of these historic locations, glass is the connective element — formed by fire and shaped by breath. At Wadi Al Naam, appearing like architectural or natural ruins, it evokes the vastness of its landscape with jagged edges echoing contours of the landscape. Marked with imprints resonating with the weathered topographies surrounding it and refracting light, the glass is transformed into the terrain from which it was created.

NEUMA: The Forgotten Ceremony is a meditation on pre-Islamic rituals and mythology

light, breath, and movement complete the ceremony

At Dar Tantora, Sarah Brahim and Ugo Schiavi’s NEUMA takes on a more intimate scale. The hand-crafted blown-glass vessels, carrying the imprint of breath, illuminate the dimly lit room from their eerie vault-like niches within the earth walls. With forms resembling the geology of AlUla, they invite visitors to activate them with their breath that reverberates across the room, completing this ceremonial choreography that has been unearthed from the desert with sounds of nature. The accompanying film in the adjacent room, which was created in collaboration with AlUla-based performer Muruj Alemam and her children, Dema and Ibrahim, extends this meditation on air, movement, and ritual.

inspired by the desert of AlUla in Saudi Arabia

drawing from archaeological and epigraphic research into the heritage of the land and the stories of its ancient civilizations

a cluster of glass panels rise from the sand to create a temple for reflection

the two-part installation extends from the canyon to Dar Tantora

a series of hand-crafted blown-glass vessels, carrying the imprint of breath, and activated by the visitor

their gentle sound reverberates across the room, completing this ceremonial choreography

made from the sand of AlUla

the accompanying film was created in collaboration with Muruj Alemam and her children, Dema and Ibrahim

project info:

name: NEUMA — The Forgotten Ceremony

artist: Sarah Brahim, Ugo Schiavi

curator: Wejdan Reda, Arnaud Morand

location: AlUla, Saudi Arabia

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The Islamic Arts Biennale returns to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with over 500 historical artifacts and contemporary artworks illustrating the richness and vastness of Islamic culture. Themed ‘And All That Is In Between’, a verse that appears 20 times in the Quran, the biennale celebrates the wonders of divine creation and examines how mankind has continually engaged with its spiritual and physical manifestations from antiquity to today. Beneath the Western Hajj Terminal’s iconic canopies, the AlMidhallah section hosts around 20 site-responsive commissions unified by the idea of the Islamic Charbagh — the Indo-Persian garden divided into four by intersecting water channels — as a site of expanded imagination. ‘The manifestation of the Charbagh here is as a garden of concepts. Your presence becomes the flow of water that irrigates these different thematic quadrants,’ Muhannad Shono, Curator of Contemporary Art, tells designboom as we explore the site.

The space is entered through singular gateways and pathways.‘These unfold into installations that are addressing knowledge, understanding, and collaboration with the non-human,’ Shono continues. ‘And then, we share in the collective spaces, followed by moments of rejuvenation and healing.’ Fatma Abdulhadi sets the tone by creating a path to healing engulfed in scents of paradise, as Takashi Kuribayashi brings the heavens closer to the earth. Ahead Tamara Kalo revisits discoveries of the Islamic Golden Age, while Anhar Salem interrogates the digital reimagining of Islamic symbols. In the final quadrants, highlighting humanity’s entwinement with nature, history, and one another, Nasser Alzayani mourns ecological loss as Imran Qureshi weaves a serene oasis between two sacred cities.

The location of the biennale itself, designed by SOM in the 1980s as a shaded Bedouin village, amplifies the diversity of these cross-cultural dialogues in pursuit of the spiritual. It is perhaps the most prominent symbol of journey, ritual, and congregation — a gateway to Islam that receives millions of pilgrims each year. It becomes a fitting stage for reflecting on how experiences and expressions of faith have evolved across Muslim civilizations, and how they continue to define their identity in relation to contemporary social and environmental matters. The biennale runs until May 25th, 2025.

AlMidhallah at Islamic Arts Biennale | image by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation

a singular and collective gateway into ‘a garden of concepts’

The journey begins with works that symbolize crossing physical and metaphysical thresholds into spaces of transformation. Fatma Abdulhadi’s I Wish You in Heaven is a surreal passageway celebrating life while mourning the deceased. Integrating an olfactory element, Abdulhadi explores the idea of ​​family heirlooms and the Quranic significance of plants, suspending translucent tapestries marked with ghostly imprints of basil leaves. ‘My mother used to tell me that in the Quran, it says that basil is the scent of Jannah (paradise),’ the artist tells designboom.

This notion of a path to healing is explored as a collective ritual in Bilal Allaf’s video, What I Heard in the Valley. Sa’y, the journey between Safa and Marwa (performed annually by millions of Hajj pilgrims), is reimagined as a meditation on striving and surrender. During our tour, curator Muhannad Shono describes the Saudi artist’s relentless, 24 hours of pacing as ‘an act of affirmation of life’ — an introspective parallel to humanity’s path to the hereafter.

I Wish You in Heaven by Fatma Abdulhadi | image by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation

ancient knowledge and questioning rituals in the digital age

‘The garden is a place of understanding; we learn from nature,’ says Amin Jaffer as he reflects on AlMidhallah’s second concept. Honoring the historic Islamic civilizations’ quests for knowledge, the garden installations engage with cultural histories, ecological issues, and ancestral knowhow to address contemporary concerns. With an interactive element, Tamara Kalo looks to the scientific and technological investigations of the Islamic Golden Age with Optics of a Rising Sun. Her copper structure reinterprets Ibn al Haytham’s camera obscura, while speaking to a Quranic verse (Al-Nur) on the presence of light. Two camera lenses point eastward where the sun rises, and westward, where it sets, with the point in between allowing visitors to view their surroundings in reverse.

For Anhar Salem, it becomes about examining digital representation as a Muslim today. Her work Media Fountain investigates how globalization, capitalism, and mass media reshape religious rituals and symbols across the world. ‘She has tapped into her community to online to help her source and archive anonymous profile avatars on these mosaics,’ Muhannad Shono tells designboom. Its water tap, when activated, projects a cascade of AI-generated Islamic imagery onto a visitor’s palm.

Optics of a Rising Sun by Tamara Kalo | image © designboom

Louis Guillaume’s interpretation of the biennale theme, meanwhile, looks to the non-human agents of Islamic gardens. ‘For me, what is in between the sky and the earth is the sun and the wind,’ the artist tells us. The sun-shaped When We Welcomed the Wind reimagines the mashrabiya — a traditional architectural element regulating light and wind flow — as a living organism. Its cellular composition is woven from seeds, recalling the mashrabiya’s geometries while alluding to drought brought on by the climate crisis. At the same time evoking vitality in the face of the perishing, it unintentionally, and delightfully, becomes a large bird shelter under the terminal canopies. Ala Younis’ Cut Flowers too looks to the history of the natural via the flora of Gaza, as the artist creates a greenhouse contemplating flowers’ ability to retain despite the short natural cycles of their physical lives.

When We Welcomed the Wind by Louis Guillaume | image © designboom

the garden as a space for Contemplation and rejuvenation

Amin Jaffer holds that the garden, a place of nature and beauty, is one of contemplation and rejuvenation. ‘Though,’ he recognizes,‘we live in an age of environmental, and cultural, crises.’ The works in this third section thus evoke meditation as well as dichotomies of destruction and regeneration. In Watering the distant, deserting the near, Nasser Alzayani honors Bahrain’s natural springs that have dried up due to human exploitation and climate change. Inspired by ancient cuneiform tablets, he inscribes an eroding poem mourning the fate of the springs into sand, imagining the land itself as a storyteller. ‘The work is about care, about questioning ideas of heritage and erasure,’ the artist shares during a panel discussion at the opening.

In Sleepers of the Cave, Iqra Tanveer and Ehsan Ul Haq too explore the elasticity of time and the urgency of global ecological realities. Drawing from the Quranic parable in chapter Al-Kahf, the artists render this miraculous awakening to the advent of a new age with imagery of fertility and resurrection, ambiguous clay creatures, and a rippling water well. The duo leaves us reflecting with a sense of hope, amplified by the holy setting near Makkah. ‘There is an apocalyptical alarm, but it is also a paradigm shift… Every end is a beginning,’ they tell designboom.

Sleepers of the Cave by Iqra Tanveer and Ehsaan Ul Haq | image © designboom

Congregation and community for cultural exchange

Historically, the Islamic garden has been a place of congregation, and the installations within this final section reflect its role in continuing to articulate shared, communal experiences in contemporary societies. ‘The garden is where our relationships are formed, made, and bound,’ Amin Jaffer reflects during his talk. Imran Qureshi’s Between Sacred Cities (Zubaydah Trail) and Osman Yousefzada’s Arrivals create spaces for exactly this. Yousefzada composes a communal cube of stools that can be stacked, deconstructed, taken away, and reassembled as per the wishes of the visitor. Qureshi, meanwhile, taps into his training as a miniature painter — a historic art form in which the garden itself is a prevalent motif.

The Pakistani artist realizes a tranquil oasis of waterways dividing verdant quadrants where visitors to the biennale can wander, gather, or lay down on the expansive charpai — a sprawling iteration of the traditional bed from rural South Asia, woven using artisanal techniques also employed by Yousefzada. ‘In this age of technology, there is a segregation between these traditional crafts,’ the artist tells designboom as he reflects on the contribution of the artisans who helped him to weave his work. ‘It’s important to preserve them, but also to consider how they can take new shape.’ Similarly, Asim Waqif’s collaborative sonic installation revitalizes vernacular forms and crafts to address concerns about their future, endangered by contemporary technologies. With Min Rukam, he assembles bamboo harvested in India into an immersive cocoon, braided with traditional basketry techniques on an architectural scale. Interactive, the work invites all to step over the bamboo and tap the walls to together generate an improvised yet intentional soundscape.

Min Rukam by Asim Waqif | image © designboom

In Between Sacred Cities (Zubaydah Trail) by Imran Qureshi | image © designboom

Arrivals by Osman Yousefzada | image © designboom

Barrels by Takashi Kuribayashi | image by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation

Watering the distant, deserting the near by Nasser Alzayani | image © designboom

Media Fountain by Anhar Salem | image © designboom

Cut Flowers by Ala Younis (left) and What I heard in the valley by Bilal Allaf | image by Marco Cappelletti

image by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation

image by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation 

project info:

event: Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 

on view: January 25th — May 25th, 2025

location: King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

artistic directors: Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer, Abdul Rahman Azzam

curator of contemporary art: Muhannad Shono

organizer: Diriyah Biennale Foundation | @biennale_sa

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The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale has opened in Jeddah, featuring scenography designed by OMA‘s Iyad Alsaka and Kaveh Dabiri. Titled, And All That Is In Between, the exhibition explores the intersection of faith, artistic expression, and craftsmanship, creating a cohesive narrative that bridges historical artifacts and contemporary art in Saudi Arabia.

With over five hundred historical objects and twenty-nine contemporary art commissions, this year’s biennale presents more than twice the content of the inaugural edition. OMA returns to design the scenography, unifying these works within an abstract architectural environment through archetypal forms and a restrained material palette. White fabrics in varying textures are used throughout the exhibition, with subtle lighting changes creating perceived differences in color, ensuring that the design maintains an understated elegance.

images © Marco Cappelletti, courtesy OMA

a Dialogue Between the Past and Present

OMA Partner Iyad Alsaka expressed the firm’s pride in contributing to the expansion of the Islamic Arts Biennale, both within Saudi Arabia and globally. The design team worked closely with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation to create an immersive and thought-provoking environment, reinforcing the significance of this cultural event.

Kaveh Dabiri, OMA Associate, highlighted the challenge of harmonizing the scenography with the diverse historical and contemporary works on display. The team employed an abstract architectural language, relying on lightness and translucency to create a sense of cohesion while avoiding traditional museum-like presentations. This approach allows the exhibition to fluidly blend past and present, inviting visitors to engage with the works on a deeper level.

the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale is in Jeddah with scenography by OMA

OMA’s Exhibition spans Seven Components

Housed under the Hajj Terminal canopy at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, the exhibition is divided into seven distinct sections: AlBidayah (The Beginning), AlMadar (The Orbit), AlMuqtani (Homage), AlMidhallah (The Canopy), AlMukarramah (The Honored), AlMunawwarah (The Illuminated), and AlMusalla, a dedicated space for prayer and reflection. Each area features a unique design that enhances the thematic focus of the exhibited works.

AlBidayah, dedicated to sacred objects, is characterized by large, curved translucent walls that emphasize the grandeur of the items on display. One of the standout pieces in this section is the Kiswah — the cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba — which is shown in its entirety outside Makkah for the first time. This area also includes other significant items from Makkah and Madinah, alongside contemporary artworks. The use of black frames for vitrines subtly echoes the tones of many displayed pieces.

the exhibition, titled And All That is in Between, explores the connection between faith, art, and craftsmanship

In AlMadar, contributions from over thirty institutions around the world are showcased amidst a forest of thiry-seven abstract, illuminated columns. These concentric layers of translucent textiles rise from vitrines, gradually blending into the darkness above. The density of columns helps guide visitors through thematic clusters, creating an immersive experience while highlighting the breadth of international participation in the biennale.

AlMuqtani’s scenography is designed to provide equal attention to two distinct collections. The gallery’s bowtie-shaped layout divides the space into two triangular sections, each defined by symmetrical pleated walls. These walls host vitrines, which are only revealed as visitors move through the space, creating a sense of discovery. The central area features some of the exhibition’s most valuable and significant pieces.

the biennale showcases over 500 historical objects and 29 contemporary art commissions

AlMidhallah presents site-specific artworks that reflect the theme of gardens in Islamic culture. The outdoor space, structured by SOM’s Hajj Terminal canopy, is enriched by extensive plantings introduced as part of a 2023 landscape intervention. The resulting arrangement offers a more intimate journey through the exhibition, encouraging visitors to explore the relationships between the artworks and their natural surroundings.

Two pavilions, AlMukarramah and AlMunawwarah, are dedicated to Makkah and Madinah, recognizing Saudi Arabia’s role as the guardian of these holy cities. AlMukarramah explores the significance of Makkah, showcasing historical items related to the Holy Kaaba, rare photographs, and a contemporary installation. AlMunawwarah highlights the legacy of Madinah, featuring gold-embroidered textiles and a design inspired by the city’s welcoming warmth.

OMA’s design uses abstract forms and restrained materials, with white fabrics and subtle lighting variations

The Islamic Arts Biennale, under the artistic direction of Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer, Abdul Rahman Azzam, and curator of contemporary art Muhannad Shono, will run until May 25th, 2025. OMA’s continued involvement in the biennale reflects the firm’s deep engagement with cultural projects in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. This edition represents a significant chapter in OMA’s expanding portfolio in the region, building on projects such as the Qatar National Library and Concrete at Alserkal Avenue.

illuminated columns guide visitors through thematic clusters in the Almadar section

the exhibition is divided into seven sections, each with a unique design tailored to the artworks

the biennale runs until May 25th, 2025, continuing OMA’s involvement in major cultural projects in Saudi Arabia

project info:

name: And All That Is In Between

scenography designer: OMA / Iyad Alsaka and Kaveh Dabiri

event: Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 | @biennale_sa

on view: January 25th — May 25th

photography: © Marco Cappelletti | @_marcocappelletti

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